Back from Grace Retreat 2010

This was my 1st church retreat and it was good. We stayed in Zon Regency Hotel just 10mins drive from Woodlands checkpoint.

Hotel view taken during dinner time at a nearby restaurant

Worship Team in action

I was thoroughly immersed in God's sweet presence throughout the morning and evening services.

There was also much fun & laughter together with my cell group mates as we went mall shopping and even caught a movie (Killers). The guys paid 11RM while the girls only paid 9RM. Discrimination!!! But it was super cheap for a movie in a comfortable theater like here back home. Also hit the gym, but only for a short while as the hotel gym facilities is really cannot make it!

Posing with an electric guitar during mall shopping. I hope to pick up the skill one day.

Throughout this retreat, I have gotten so much from God during this retreat. We sang so much worship songs like never before and the intensity only increases with every services. New meanings were injected into familiar songs. Also, the desire to join a worship band has gone up as I see how fervor the worship teams were in leading the congregation into a deeper experience with God. God, guide me to take a further step of faith to join the Creative Arts Ministry I pray.

Here is a song which we have sang again and again in this retreat. It was a song I already knew but as I mentioned, new meaning was injected into it. I believed it was mainly because God has ministered to me through this song. In it, I see His glory, His calling in my life to be set apart, His desire for me to have a heart after His own and, most importantly, His vision for me.


Hosanna - Hillsong United

Grace Retreat 2010

My first church retreat from Monday til Friday in nearby JB.
This is my church.

Run Run Run

Sundown marathon just concluded last weekend but due to some transportation issues which was out of my control, I only reached the race site 2 hours behind the flag off time for my race category. As such, my mood and attitude was affected. In the end, I only accomplished a 10km run. Haiz... and that was after 3 full hours of waiting and queuing.

Well, at least they had managed to capture me crossing the finishing line. At least they did not mess up this part of the race. I remember my photo was missing from the 2008 Standard Chartered Run.

Still looking fresh... becos only run 10km. LOL

Well, I just registered for 2010 Standard Chartered Run a while ago. Going for another 21km again. Shd be an interesting run - Starting Sentosa Bridge, running thru Resort World Sentosa and finishing in Padang.

I am going to put in effort to train and finish it well. That will be on 5 Dec 2010.

PS: In contrast, the below picture was from 2007 Standard Chartered Race.

I was limping as u can... what a contrast from the above pic. LOL...

Marine Tank Cleaning

Finally I had some time to spare this afternoon. And I managed to do the 1 thing which I have been procrastinating for the longest time and that's to spruce up my Marine Tank.

After 4 hours of maintenance, I must say the tank is looking much much better than before. It's just the beginning. More plans are in the pipeline, including adding more fishes and eventually corals as well as upgrading the lightings.

This hobby is certainly getting more expensive as compared to just 3-4 years back. 1 piece of coral that used to cost $40-$50 can now costs a hundred dollar and beyond. But having made such an investment in the aquarium set-up, I will be going forward with it, making the most out of it.

Re-alignment

I haven't posted a post in such a long time. Everything in my life is moving fast. Weekdays come and weekdays go. Weekend also flashes past just so quickly and I am hardly re-energized before Monday comes again where I would need to run on "struggle" mode. In this "struggle" mode, we try to hang on til the weekend come. But when weekend comes, we find ourselves busy with other stuffs and running at the same speed as any other weekday, not any more refreshed. I would guess this is the case for many of us. We have packed our life with too many commitments and activities that we have gone into a semi-auto mode.

I am consciously slowing down my pace. I need to have better planning. I need to be more disciplined. For example the discipline of reading God's word on a daily basis. For example the discipline to not procrastinate. For example the discipline to get the little things in your life in order. For example the discipline to see beyond the little storm in your life now. For example the discipline to practise drumming. In order to experience closeness God. In order to have time for future things. In order to have the capacity to handle the bigger things in your life well. In order to see clearly the vision from God. In order to join a worship team leading the congregation into a deeper worship of God.

God has a great plan for my life and I need to walk in steps with Him.