Jee Fong's Corner

Fire Fighting Mode

2009-09-05T07:52:00.001+08:00

One of the key issues that plague churches today is infighting, be it among members or members with leaders. It grieves the God’s heart to see disunity in His house. His promise to bless still remains but we fall short simply because we have not done our best to build unity in the body of Christ.

When there is endless fighting going on in a church, oftentimes the pastor is constantly on the fire fighting mode. He cannot fully focus to shepherd the flock, to feed the sheep and to pour his heart out to pastoral concerns because his heart is weighed down. He soon gets disillusioned and what hurts most is that sometimes the very people he poured his life into turn around to hurt him.

On the contrary, we want to love and serve our pastor, giving him full support and assistance. We believe in him and honour the call of God upon his life for the Lord has placed him in the particular church at this time and season to fulfill the purposes for God. We release him to do what God has put in his heart to lead the church.

As we pray for our churches today, we want to ask God to make us instruments of peace and love, working with one heart to see the kingdom of God established. God begins to pour His wonderful and bountiful blessings upon us.

A Day to Remember

2009-09-03T07:47:00.003+08:00

Some years ago, while shuttling from a primary school to another for training with my fellow trainer friend, Gracy, I experienced one of the most heart-warming incident that left a lasting memory. While we were travelling on the bus with the rain pounding mercilessly outside, suddenly a passenger had an epileptic attack. Within seconds, the rest of us numbering less than ten swung into action. The bus driver got an ambulance and helped too. That day, the caring act came from ordinary people whose actions spoke louder than words. It will remain in my memory for a long time.

Enjoying Work

2009-09-01T04:29:00.012+08:00

Basic Drama

Critical Thinking Skills

English

Graduation Preparatory Enrichment Programme

Interactive Mental Wellness Programme*

LAMDA** Exam Preparation Course

Literature

IMotivational Skills Workshop

Oral Communications

Oral Presentations

Personal Etiquette

Personal Grooming

Presentation Skills

Poetry Through Drama

Public Speaking cum Hosting

Servant Leadership & Service Learning

Sound Right***

Speech & drama

Story Telling

Stress & Conflict Management

Study Skills

Thinking Skills

* Interactive Mental Wellness Programme on managing change and progression for Primary 6
** London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts
*** Speech Training Programme

I am thankful to the Lord for opening the door for me to be involved in enrichment training mostly in Primary and Secondary Schools alongside my vocal training. As I listed down some of programmes and courses I have conducted, my heart is overwhelmed by the goodness of the Lord as I have thoroughly enjoyed what I am doing. My life has been enriched by the people that I have worked with these years and I continue to thank the Lord for what He has put into my hands.

Life's Lighter Moments

2009-08-31T08:27:00.006+08:00

Recently we bought this miniature golf set and we loved it. Monte is into golf and it certainly grew on him. It is helpful to have some hobbies and interest that help us to relax, enjoy and keep fit. They are life’s lighter moments to colour and enriched us.

Footprints in the Sand

2009-08-31T06:16:00.004+08:00

At one point or another, most of us go through different seasons of life. Sometimes everything seems to be smooth and easy. On the other hand, we also go through times of trails and settings, seasons of dryness and lack of spiritual fervour. The dark hours of our soul is likened a person groping around in a pitch darkness. The Psalmist had his fair share of such experiences and when he related his turmoil and loss ness, we can often identify with Him. Every step gets heavier and my minds and hearts are crowded with despair and hopelessness. But the Lord never fails to come through for us even when we lack the strength and motivation to cry out to Him. He hears our silent cries and felt our every teardrop. He understands our anguish and pain. He had been there. Our hearts should take comfort and the Lord will never leave us in a lurch, He will do everything He can to nurse us back to health because He loved us with an everlasting love.

I will leave you with this powerful poem Footprints in the Sand. His mercy and grace is poured into our lives powerfully to show us His glory.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I had a dream--

I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord

and across the sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints,

one belonged to me and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that many times along the path of my life,

there was only one set of footprints.

I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest

and saddest times in my life.

This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,

you would walk with me all the way,

but I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life

there is only one set of footprints.

"I don't understand why in times when I needed you most,

you should leave me."

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child,

I love you and I would never, never leave you

during your times of trial and suffering.

"When you saw only one set of footprints,

it was then that I carried you."

Mary Stevenson

Peace for Our Broken Pieces

2009-08-30T05:12:00.002+08:00

As pilgrims on earth, we may go through life shattering experiences at times. Among some of the Christian friends of mine, some have been through very tough times and it encourages me to see how they hung on to the Lord so tightly. The trials and difficulties in life will never pin us down as long as we are with the Lord but they only make us stronger. He gives us peace for our broken pieces, the peace that passes understanding. Through our brokenness, the life and light of Jesus is released and His fragrance spreads far and wide. He spurs us on to persevere in this journey we have embarked on. He speaks life and wholeness into our mortal beings. He restores and strengthens us from within. How precious and priceless is our relationship with our loving Father. We press in to seek the face of God. This speaks of a kind of intimacy that only those who have spent time seeking Him will understand. The pure grace of God leads us to repentance and draws us closer to our maker and sustainer. We cannot help but long for more of Him in our life.

Give Them All to Jesus

2009-08-29T06:07:00.011+08:00

The three areas of ministry that the Lord has put on my heart are namely worship, teaching and prayer, with worship taking a dominant part. I am reminded of an occasion in the beginning of early 1990s when I had the privilege to teach a class in then Calvary Charismatic Centre, currently known as Victory Family Centre. At the end of 12 lessons, the class gave me a cassette tape. I was touched by their love. In the tape, a beautiful song entitled Give Them All to Jesus stood out. When we give our all to Jesus, we gain everything. When we give the broken pieces of our life to Him, He turns our sorrows into joy, our despair into hope and gives us meaning to live. Living a surrendered life is the only way to live.

I invite you to join me in this awesome song Give Them All to Jesus at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWTcUTuL-n4&feature=related

Give Them All to Jesus

Are you tired of chasing pretty rainbows?

Are you tired of spinning round and round?

Wrap up all those shattered dreams of your life

And at the feet of Jesus, lay them down.

Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus

Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, and broken toys.

Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus

And He will turn your sorrows into joy.

He never said you only see sunshine,

He never said there would be no rain.

He only promised a heart full of singing

About the very thing that once brought pain.

Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus

Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, and broken toys.

Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus

And He will turn your sorrows into joy.

Divine Love

2009-07-30T11:03:00.003+08:00

Nothing we can do can make the Lord love us more. He loves us the way we are. We do not need to prove our love to Him. He does not measure our love by what we do or do not do. All He wants is our heart. A heart that embraces all that He wants to fulfill in and through us. A heart that cries out for more of Him. A heart that follows hard after the lover of our soul. For His love compels us to reach out to greater heights and deeper depths in the things from above. For all earthly things grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. O Lord, enlarge our capacity to contain all that You want to pour into our lives. We long for Your divine love to permeate through us powerfully to touch the people that are on Your heart.

A Life Well Lived

2009-07-25T08:35:00.003+08:00

Auntie Devi went home to be with the Lord on 18 July 2009. She was 78 years of age. I remember spending time in her home as she opened her home for life group for many years. I recalled how Auntie Devi faithfully cooked for someone who went straight to the life group meeting from work. She gave and shared what she had freely. At her funeral, a former tenant shared with much tears on how Auntie Devi gave and blessed him and his family with what little she had. The Lord shone through this amazing woman’s life to touch people around her,

Auntie Devi loved the Lord dearly. She loved God and his people. It was heartwarming when her grand children spoke so fondly about her love and faith in God. A grand child also mentioned that she had left a great legacy. She was a broken and kind woman who spent many hours daily worshipping and praying because she loved the Lord with all her heart.

I am a life that has been blessed by Auntie Devi. She is a shining example of a live well lived; inspiring many of us to follow hard after our loving God.

Don't Grow Up too Fast

2009-07-23T09:21:00.002+08:00

In January – October 2007, I was conducting weekly Speech and Drama training at a reputable primary school in Bishan. One day, upon reaching the classroom, I received news that the class monitor was ‘sacked’. I did not want to dig deeper on the matter. All I saw was the embarrass look on the face of the little eight year old boy. If there was a hole in the ground, I reckon he would have hidden in it. I continued to allow him to assist me in some ways throughout my training there.

I am surprised by the use of terminology which usually surface in the adult working world. These are innocent children whom we want to shield and protect from the harsh realities of the world system. The disadvantage of exposing young children under our charge to overpowering demands and expectations can be detrimental to building confidence and growth. Don’t let them grow up too fast. They can make do with enjoying learning and managing reasonable expectations with the help and support we can provide.

How Great is Our God

2009-07-21T09:01:00.004+08:00

Last Saturday evening, we were blessed to have the opportunity to minister at Aflame Assembly of God. Monte was preaching and I ministered in a mandarin song. Before singing, I shared a little thought that the Lord put in my heart. In Chinese paintings, we often see the contrast between majestic mountains and splendid water; right in the picture you will see tiny people who are extremely minute. Our God is so big, the gigantic mountains speak of the bigness and the awesomeness of God almighty. Though we are small and weak, we look to our great God. The challenges we face fade away when we look to Jesus. He is far bigger and greater than our human minds can ever fathom. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.

As Monte and I continue to serve the Lord, we are reminded daily that His sustaining grace and power is what we need. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. His love compels us to give of ourselves first to Himself and what flows out of our lives can bring glory to His matchless name.

The Chef at Home

2009-07-14T09:36:00.016+08:00

From time to time, Monte and I invite friends over for a meal or coffee. The home is a wonderful place to mingle with people.

Both of us cook at home. We have our signature dishes that we gradually improve over time. Recently, we had some friends over for dinner. Monte prepared minced pork seashell pasta from scratch. It was so scrumptious that one of our friends e-mailed us to get a hold of the recipe.

So here it goes:

Minced Pork Seashell Pasta

Ingredients:
4 whole garlic smashed and chopped
2 large onions chopped
12 large ripe tomatoes chopped
2 cans of tomato paste on standby (if used, each can requires a cup of water)
Olive oil
1 stalk of celery finely sliced
4 large red chillies sliced
2 cubes of beef broth dissolved in 2 cups of boiled water
1 cup of red wine
1000 grams of minced pork
(Other meat option: Italian sausages or minced beef)
3 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon of black pepper
Half tablespoon of red chilli powder

Steps:
1 Fry garlic in olive oil until brown and fragrant. Set aside.

2 Lightly fry celery in olive oil, use little oil as possible. The celery produce water, do not discard. You will use it for the sauce.

3 Fry onions in olive oil. After onions are fried, add garlic and meat. Fry until meat is slightly browned and do not overcook as it will cook more during simmering. When you begin frying the meat, add Italian seasoning, pepper and chilli powder.

4 After meat is lightly browned, throw in all the tomatoes and celery.

5 After you have added in tomatoes, chillies and celery, immediately pour in beef broth and wine.

6 Depending on variables such as: insufficient quantity or diluted appearance, add one or two cans of tomato paste. Each can requires about a cup of water.

7 Simmering at lowest possible heat for about 30 minutes.

8 Turn off heat. Spaghetti sauce should have the texture similar to curry. However, should you want a thicker texture, just add more tomato paste and season according to taste.

9 Salt is not included because there is salt in the broth and cooking wine so you should taste before adding salt.

10 There may be need for up to 6 more tomatoes because of using a whole stalk of celery.

Cooking Paste:
1 Add a little salt and a little olive oil in the boiling water.

2 Ensure pasta is blanched in cold water.

3 Drain completely of water.

4 Coat pasta in olive oil.

I guess now you know why my husband is the chef at home.

Captivating MacRitchie Reservoir

2009-07-07T23:13:00.017+08:00

Monte and I took a stroll at MacRitchie reservoir last evening. It was enchanting and captivating. We enjoy nature and we are happy just to go on leisure walks and often times we would be prayer walking. Such times are mostly reflective moments that we cherish deeply. The cares of the world are put aside as we allow the Lord to lead us in times of contemplative prayer.

Members have Their Privileges

2009-07-06T09:37:00.006+08:00

Belonging to the family of God also means that we shoulder our respective responsibilities as well as enjoy the benefits of being a part of the great household. As believers and members of the family of God, we are blessed with countless privileges. They are salvation, wholeness, restoration, liberty, peace, joy, hope, faith, strength, grace, contentment, courage, dignity and resilience. What God gives freely, money cannot buy. One of the greatest privileges is to be the recipients of His promises. We live each day full of hope in our eternal God. We enjoy this intimate relationship with our maker, our helper, our strengthener and our God and Father. As we fix our eyes on the Lord we are full of His hope and assurance. No fear or intimidation will overwhelm us because He keeps us safe in His loving embrace.

A Little Fighter

2009-07-02T06:38:00.005+08:00

I learnt about the plight of little four year old Charmaine through a Mandarin radio station. She is struck with fourth stage cancer. You can learn more about her story at

http://www.ourfeistyprincess.com/about_charmaine_family.php

Charmaine’s mother, Cynthia, is doing all she can to raise money for her medical treatment. She is a strong lady, a single mother with two young children. She loves both the kids dearly .

Charnaine, though young, is a fighter in many ways. Her physical body is ravaged by cancer but she remained cheerful and happy. She cheers her mum up when she sees her in tears. Bear in mind that she is only four.

Donations are pouring in. The public, a radio station and various establishments are rendering their support and help to reach out to this amazing fiesty princess.

One of Those Days

2009-06-30T08:10:00.004+08:00

Yesterday was one of those days that Mickey had his way. I brought him for a walk as usual and it was time to go home, he refused to move. He sure had his way.

Celebrate Jesus

2009-06-25T09:41:00.002+08:00

Each day is a gift from our loving God. We are awakened by His unfailing love. We celebrate Jesus, we celebrate His goodness and grace. As we enter the gates of praise our hearts are flooded with His awesomeness. Who is like unto our God? The Lord strong and mighty! Mighty to save and deliver through His finished work on Calvary. We have every reason to rejoice and to walk in full liberty, for whom the Son sets free is free indeed. Let His praises ring through all the earth as we behold the King of glory, the Rock of Ages who radiates gloriously in His majesty.

Love You Too Much

2009-06-24T13:38:00.006+08:00

The Lord loves us too much to let us go. Especially people who have once tasted the goodness of the Lord but today their hearts are no longer with Him. His heart longs for them.

One day, I caught an audio interview of a elderly mother who was estranged from her son. She told the interviewer that she could not sleep at night because she missed her son so badly. My heart went out to this woman because I know what a mother’s love is like because I have been loved by my mother all these years. We give so much thought to human love but no greater love will surpass the love of God which He lavished on each of us. He went above and beyond Himself when He died on the cross for our sins. What more can He give. As we allow the amazing love of God to surround us, we can only bow down to Him and worship Him in praise and adoration.

Music Knows No Boundary

2009-06-24T08:34:00.007+08:00

On May 30, Monte (my husband) and I were delighted to catch the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) at Ang Mo Kio Central Stage. The theme was Nanyang Elegance. It was so amazing, the orchestra was featured with a renowned Tablar (Indian drum) performer. A Malay dance accompanied by the SCO was another highlighted segment. Music knows no boundary. The fusion brought out the true essence of Nanyang Elegance. We had an awesome time that night.

Never Wasted

2009-06-19T10:04:00.008+08:00

Recently, I had lunch with a friend. She related how her neighbour lost their three year old daughter a few years ago. Apparently, the child fell out of the grill less window of their condominium block. I believe the pain that the couple felt must be inexpressible. The best intended words said at that time could not soothe the agony and pain in the hearts of the young parents.

In our walk with the Lord; we may also walk through dark and challenging paths in our lifetime. Sometimes, when things get so bad; we begin to lose sight and fear begins to paralyze us. We grope aimlessly in pitch darkness and fell over again and again. We know the awful feeling of desertion and helplessness. We understand what lossness and hopelessness are.

The story does not end here because the Lord comes to our rescue when we call out to Him. He delivers and restores us. When we come through the fire and emerge with His strength, we are over comers triumphing in His victory. God uses our experiences and set-backs, some of which can be very painful. We can identify with people who share about their struggles, challenges and experiences with us because we were there. The Lord begins to work through us to extend His love to people who are crying for help. God puts people in our paths and we want to be sensitive to what is on His heart; to respond according to what He desires to do through us. All the experiences we have gone through are never wasted because God uses them and makes us His channel of love and blessing.

For the Love of Mickey

2009-06-17T10:31:00.005+08:00

The following is the description of the personality and temperament of Shih Tzus at

http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/breeds/shih-tzus.html#temp

“One of the strongest characteristics of the Shih-Tzu is its personality. The Shih-Tzu is a friendly, non aggressive dog that is a good companion for children and other breeds of dogs. Shih-Tzus are known for their fun-loving play, romping around the apartment or in the country side.

The Shih-Tzu is a people oriented dog, they cherish no more than the love of people. They will sit patiently, remaining still with their eyes gazing intently on your face waiting for you to call them over to be patted. The Shih-Tzu is not a one person dog. Shih-Tzus are happy to entertain any stranger, once accepted by the family. This is one reason that they are becoming popular. They make friends where ever they go.

The Shih-Tzu has a lap dog personality. It is not high strung nor demanding. The pet Shih-Tzu is content during the day to lie in a corner with his legs stretched out behind him, snoring softly. If he has a choice he would prefer to be curled up in your lap.”

I will leave you the pictures of Mickey to tell you the rest of the story...

The Best Deal

2009-06-17T08:48:00.001+08:00

Giving full control of our life to God brings freedom to us. If we do not surrender our all to Him, we will end up going around in circles because we have no focus and purpose without Him. As the saying goes ‘Let Go and Let God’. The more we want to hold on to all that seemingly belongs to us, we begin to lose them. Giving our all to the Lord is the only right thing to do because all that we call our own is not actually ours for we are merely God’s stewards. By letting go, we gain everything. We are not at the losing end because we get the best deal and nothing comes close; I am talking about knowing and embracing the Lord. He calls us to Himself and He pours His life into ours and calls us His very own. The presence of God is precious and priceless. We must do everything we can to guard this precious deposit jealously because if we lose Him, we lose everything.

The Touch of the Master

2009-06-15T12:53:00.001+08:00

Yesterday, the Lord opened the door for Monte (my husband) to preach at Teen Challenge. We continue to thank God for every door of ministry that the Lord so graciously opens. We do not take ministry opportunities for granted because we know deep down in our hearts what matters most is to Him work in and through us no matter what it takes.

As we ministered to many of these lives that are battered with drug addiction, we know that God’s grace is poured out to each of those brothers who yearns for the touch of the master. None of us can write them off because the Lord will never do so. He patiently and lovingly nurses them back to health. He rescues and restores them because He love them to much to let them go.

I am thankful for those whom God has set them free from the drug addiction and today they are serving God powerfully all over the world. Some were struggling with drug problem for many years of their lives. What they are powerless to do; God sovereignly set them free by the power of His blood. Today, these servants of God are walking miracles that God is at work in the hearts and lives of people who desperately need of the merciful Saviour.

A Lesson from the Salmon

2009-06-13T08:45:00.002+08:00

Salmon swim against the current to get to their breeding spot where they were born. In the quest to swim upstream, some are battered and bruised; some even die in the process. Their determination to get home is so strong that they will do everything they can to reach their destination.

Many a times, we go through challenges and trials that overwhelm us. We become weak and doubted if we can take another step. We hit rock bottom so to speak. We call out to the Lord and He comes to rescue us. He strengthens us and lead us on one step at a time. We may be battered and torn outwardly but God infuses His strength into our inner man miraculously. He opens our eyes to see that with Him on our side, we shall overcome. For His the battle belongs to the Lord and His victory is ours.

Never Forsaken

2009-06-13T08:18:00.001+08:00

One of greatest consolations we have is that the Lord promised never to forsake us. He holds us close to His bosom and showers His love and attention on constantly. We stand safe and secure in Him with full assurance that He will not leave us in a lurch when we are in the midst of a raging storm.

The path that we have taken may be full of thorns and unseen dangers but we need not fear because He is with us. He goes before us and leads us on this amazing journey that we are privileged to embark on. Traveling with God takes on a new meaning because we need not worry where we are heading to; all we need to do is to allow Him to bring us to where He desires us to be.