This is enlightenment

I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in dong it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Ecc 2:10-11

Good that we have King Solomon to go through this process to write about this.. I do think many people may still want to experience these rewards and pleasures before they come back fully to God, right?

One can be guided by wisdom yet crave for the things of the earth on the pretext of living life to the fullest. What is life?

Much labour without God's blessing is truly vanity and grasping for the wind (26-27)
.

One way to grow in empowering discipline

Set some personal boundaries.

Eg.

- To always think the best of others.
- To refuse to speak evil or be party to gossip.
- To refuse to retaliate in spite of being wronged.
- To refuse to hold grudges.
- To refuse comparison.
- To refuse to take the easy path.
- To refuse to partake in striving for power.
- To refuse to become performance-oriented.
- To refuse to live on past successes.
.

And He speaks.. I hear.. I hear..

Just yesterday morning, I told the SH that I would wake up 15 minutes earlier than usual to do my QT (inspired by Sunday's sermonssss). I did get up 15 minutes earlier but lazed in bed instead. I conveniently muttered a few lines of prayer, silently wondering to myself why I should get up 15 minutes earlier to do QT when I can do a full hour later on in the day. That was my justification to the SH who has been faithfully getting up 15 minutes earlier since yesterday.

Yesterday's message from Roots and Wings was also about cultivating time with God.

Today, in the topic of Biblical Empowering. Pastor wrote that there are three major sources of spiritual empowering: the first, the empowering of the Spirit, the second, the practice of the spiritual disciplines and the third, the spiritual body, the ministry and community of the church.

He said that of the three, spiritual discipline is the least cultivated. Many christians are intimidated by the arduous hours of laborious commitment that it requires. FOR MANY, WAKING UP EARLY FOR A TIME ALONE WITH GOD IS A HERCULEAN FEAT.

However, these disciplines are essential. They bulid our character, increase our depth and strengthen our convictions- that we might be fully empowered by God so as to attain to the full stature of being mature men and women of God.

When we tap into the Divine Source, and His emporwering, we will assume a differnet posture- of inner calm and inner confirence. THen we an live in peace with ourselves, and with our loved ones. Unruffled by pressing needs nad external challenges because we experience a joy unspeakable. THejoy of an inner life anchored daily in the presence of God.

SH and I agreed that Ecclesiastes is the next book to go. She still has Genesis to finish. Hee. I am moving ahead dearie! :)
.

Put your trust in Jesus, not in humans.

My friend just sent me an image that shows a sign outside a church " Don't let christians put you off Jesus."

So true. Christians are humans and no matter how spiritual they are, they will still make mistakes and fail..

Jesus, however, never fails. His words are trustworthy. He is reliable. He is perfect, without sin, because he is God. :)

Thanks friend for showing me the picture. :)
.

June hols plans

and so, we will be going to church camp instead of Laos. I am glad the SH is more keen on church camp than Laos. Makes it easier for me not to need to make the decision.
.

heehee

another one. Read Biblical Priorities under Roots and WIngs. Also about spending time with God being priority to service to Him. :)
.

divine

attended both covenant and fcc. Both used similar passages and spoke about similar stuff. Just that Covenant preached more extensively about the passage.

Friend thinks that God is asking us to do our QT. haha.

And thank God I finished setting my paper. :)
.