South East Asia Childrens Institute!!!

oh my goodness!! its finally here!
last year's CI was the most higlighted highlight of the year!
its a wonderful months long mission trip, teaching kid character qualities with people from the states, malaysia, singapore and sometimes indonesia!

Right now, we're in Penang, the second week of the trip, and the second day of the second week :) i have tons of pictures to post! last week was full of learining to rely FULLY on God for energy and much strength! having quite kids on the first two days was tough! there were awkward silences, an anything you can think about! lies started coming in my head on the second day, thoughts that i would NEVER think of! i knew they were lies, but without realising, i let them stay in me. if this happened last year, it would prolly have stayed in me even after the whole trip! BUT, since God was so good to me, and i actually had a relationship with Him, it all went away the next morning :) praise God forevermore! i thank God for that situation, because i have learnt tons of lessons just from that! im ready to be changed into His likeness more and more!

Devotions were really good on all the days in the mornings, very real. i really thank God for giving ma brother n sister so much to give! none of em would have been able to handle it even last year, but God has been working in all our lives for this very moment too!

THE TEAM! oh goodness, the team! thank you Jesus for such a wonderful team! i absolutely enjoy every second being with the 26 of them! im so amazed at the unity of the team, and best of all, likemindedness! we've been blessed with so many amazing characters! so many eagles to learn from!
we've all been brought up the same way, doing devotions and some wonderful conversations are just energizing, uplifting and really builds you up! we aint wasting a single day! AND, we have loads of fun at the same time! such a funny team! and this is a higher level of humor! just like the love God is talking about, is not about boy and a girl, its a higher level! its not a feeling, nor is it an emotion... the Love God is talking about, is commitment and sacrifice! haha you dont think Jesus FELT like dying on the cross do you?? just like that is real and a higher level of Love, we have a higher level of humor!! and its just so good!

God's standards are so much higher than ours! He counts getting angry as killing, he counts words other than 'yes' and 'no' things from the evil one. and the list goes on!

we want to please Him in every area! what we think, say, do, intentions, motives, dressing, style, the list goes on!! i really know God's presense is here with the team! its so different than just at home!

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8,9

pictures coming up soon!

may the Holy Spirit lead us all!

~marie

just a glimpse of beijing!

lil pics of em here and there. all bunched up :0)

let it the film roll!


arrival ;)





china alright!






crabapples



now this, is what China's all about ;)











cute china kid ;) at the great wall :)


temple of heaven :)




the best simple thing you'd have ever eaten!
from then on, rice had first place in my taste buds!
and the 9 ringgit duck!


thats all fer now kids :)
too much more to upload :)

oh Lord, i praise You! being disciplined, changing into His likeness more and more

getting back to square one!

thankya Lord for all You've done! all i've asked, you given.
continue to teach me Your will. change me into Your
likeness more and more, day by day, second after second!

never loose focus!
on what actually counts, being disciplined, always in training, dying to self,
always seeking God wholeheartedly, going to Him to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit,
LAST BUT NOT LEAST: filled overflowing, being driven by the love of Christ. :)

God is love 1 John 4:8
if we do all things in the love of Christ,
we do all things in Christ! because God is love.

but, why all these things?

• :) because God is looking for a pure, spotless bride. He will not settle for a speck, therefore, we are to be holy just as He is.
  

" keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be innocent of great transgressions. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Reedemer"
Psalm 19:14

• and most of all to run the race, finish it strong, reaching the top of that mountain and bringing others along! doing all to receive that prize and to be found righteous on Judgement Day, knowing that you've done all you could, and have finished the race strong.
  

"Do you not know that in a race all runners run., but only one receives the prize? so run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self control in all things. they do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable so i do not run aimlessly; i do not box as one beating the air. But i discipline my body & keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

:) all for the glory of God!

how fast a day goes by! recently, i've realized how prayer is so crucial! learning to pray fervently, and unceasingly! praying unceasingly really is maximizing the time God has given you :D ephesians 5:15 'be very careful then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise...' especially for me, when you're just at home, learning to pray, is the best thing yet :D all the time, when the word pray comes to mind, i always feel just lazy to start. but when you do, and pick a person or something to pray for, it gets you back on what matters the most, quenching the thirst of your spirit man! you cant read God's word without praying! its like eating food and not drinking water :)

praying also prevents you from sinning against God :) God told me to dwell in His house. then i read, Isaiah 56:7 ".....and give them joy in My house of prayer. ........for My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations" so dwelling in His house, means praying!

then i wondered, how do you grow? then i looked back on how i first started growing. and the answer was, feeding your spirit man, with spiritual food! rather then watching tv, i decided to spend time reading some book, about a boy who went to heaven, and the things he saw, etc :) doing what edifies your soul! choosing to do things that edify your soul. not all things are against the law, but is not edifying! :D

making everyday count?

ever wondered how? these few days: been wondering,
how and what should you do everyday to make it count for eternity? not wasting a single second, making every minute glorify God? then, i come up with a schedule :D do this this, that that, all seems good! then the day ends, and you just feel like the days been wasted! how can?? it just feels as if you've been using your own strength to do things.... and you know its wasted because you just cant feel God's presence with you at all. then the question comes, so how do you do what counts, yet not by your own strength? what do you do to glorify God?

AND THEN,

AN ANSWER!

yeah!! thats the best part! when God answers your questions! love it! :D
Fixing your eyes on Him and Him alone! hehe doesnt seem like it clicks eh? well heres how it does :)
making things count, heres the verse for it!

And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, give thanks to God the Father by Him. Colossians 3:17

as long as you're doing all things (action, words, thoughts) in His name, dont ya think it gives Him glory? and in His name, there is only good, so if you do all things in His name, you cant possibly be doing anything bad! reason for the verse " clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ" and if you do things only in Him, you'd be only doing things He approves of :)

next question. how about all those normal stuff? for eg, work, washing dishes, sports etc all the normal things you can think of, do those count? how do you make them count? they're nothing special, just everyday things.

same answer. Fixing your eyes on Jesus, while doing those things. this verse makes it more clear :)

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
Colossians 3:22,23

when you focus on Christ in whatever you do, we'd want to please Him, and so in whatever we do, whether the dishes, normal work etc, we work with ALL our Heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. all your heart. your heart is an important part of your body, if not the most important. you heart keeps you alive! so now ya know what it means by working with ALL your heart? :)

so we wash dishes, as washing Jesus' plate! what an honor! we'll scrub it till the cows come down if just a speck wouldnt come off! sweep the floor with al lyour heart! doing the best in all you do, focusing on Him alone, and what He thinks of you!

Working as for the Lord.

the moment where it counts the most. the test.

God has been so good!!
when desire really is something you choose to do even when you dont feel like it, and choose to go beyond what you feel, i can tell you as long as you keep pursuing God, searching for Him, and never stop, you're in for something great!! when you dont feel like it at all, but still say you will continue your search for this God wanting to know Him more, you find out later on it really is a mind over matter thing! ever since God started and stirred that hunger in me for Him, i was so hyped up wanting to tell everyone my testimony, wanting and just searching for every single opportunity i could find to tell someone and everyone my story, they hype was just great! it felt so good! that you are actually close to God, especially the wonderful experience that you actually start to hear his voice is just amazing! words cannot express how happy you'd be!! and then! all you learnt, will come into practice. where suddenly, for me, the hype slowly died down, God still was working greatly! but i just didnt feel as excited as i was before. And thats the time where it REALLY COUNTS! where all you've learnt and really does come to a point where its HARD to do, where you just dont feel the excitement as great as before. but this is the part where you show yourself faithful, and show yourself worthy to be His soldier, and His servant!

" To the faithful you show Yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless."
~Psalm 18:26

Because my hype went down, and my excitement for things also was down, i realized, this is the moment i have been preparing for. its where all i learnt when my excitement was up, comes intor practice, and where results WILL show up, even if it looks as if it wont. But, to make things worse, i didnt obey Jesus when he told me to spend more time with Him, and because of that, the results was, i felt even further from Him, and the old strongholds had a chance to get back in. but God is gracious and Merciful! Praise Him! He gave me the strength and realization, and i chose to stay faithful and realized its mind over matter! and really, when you are faithful, God shows Himself faithful! Praise the Lord!

He does what He says He will do!

hello people! Happy New year!! God has been great! hasnt He? :)
He works in ways and does things beyond what we can imagine!
its gonna be a great year! He has so much instore for us :D far BETTER
than we can every imagine! He is beginning to open so many doors!
I love the way He starts to work when you have that relationship with Jesus!
once you choose to take the leap, we'd think, it might be a dangerous walk, but instead of walking, we'd be flying! soaring!!and you wont imagine how high you will fly! He is the best there is! its just the start of the year, and Hes already moving! He always is, but when you desire Him, He opens your eyes to see his moves!! I really encourage you to take that leap! if you havent already ;) it'l be a wonderful flight :D dont miss out!! its too good to be true! He really takes the lead! when ya let Him, that is :) if you have already, believe He will work, and continue getting closer and closer to Him!
He told me this year is gonna be where he is really gonna start working, and He says it, i believe it, and because of that, We've met so many people we thought never exist, doors begin to open, connections begin to be visible! all in His time, as long as He is leading, you are following, all is exiting! now i really understand what exiting times are! i thought they were times to dread. but NO! it really is exiting!