1994 Inaugural Speech

I typed this out about 2 years ago and found it in a file recently. It's one of my favourite quotes of all time.


Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darknes, that frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn't serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around us.

We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone of us.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.


Nelson Mandela, in this 1994 Inaugural Speech

Wedding

There's something about weddings and love songs that moves me.. :)

Was at a wedding dinner tonight and they had this song playing. Had a ring on my finger and it felt like my Beloved expressing the same sentiments as the words of this song. Yes, it's romantic... but it's more than that. Sigh...I felt swept away and so satisfied and secure and safe as they played this song and I heard His heart as He sang this just for me. :)


If I had to live my life without you near me
The days would all be empty
The nights would seem so long
With you I see forever oh so clearly
I might have been in love before
But it never felt this strong

Our dreams are young
And we both know they'll take us
Where we want to go

Hold me now
Touch me now
I don't want to live without you

Nothing's gonna change my love for you
You ought know by now how much I love you
One thing you can be sure of
I'll never ask for more than your love

Nothing's gonna change my love for you
You ought know by now how much I love you
The world may change my whole life through
But nothing's gonna change my love for you

If the road ahead is not so easy,
Our love will lead the way for us
Like a guiding star
I'll be there for you if you should need me
You don't have to change a thing
I love you just the way you are
So come with me and share the view
I'll help you see forever too

from the song "Nothing's gonna change my love for you" by Glenn Medeiros

Thoughts running through my mind:-

I don't want to live without you

Jesus chose to stay. When the soldiers came to arrest Him, He could have called angels to help him (Matthew 26:53) If He had gone back, He would have returned to the Father but without His bride.

I'm reminded of a scene in The Passion as Jesus, His back already scourged, was handed the cross. Someone mocked Him (paraphrasing), "Look! This guy's crazy. He's embracing the cross." I believe that happened (even though it was not recorded in the bible). I believe that as He struggled physically to carry the cross, He knew the end was near. He embraced the cross because He saw us. Finally. Reconciled. His.

He went to the cross because He didn't want to live the rest of eternity, without His bride, me.

Nothing's gonna change my love for you

What security! Nothing! ever!

You ought know by now how much I love you

See how He reassures me? He doesn't take me for granted even though He's God :) And I think, perhaps, a little exasperated here. Oh, He feels as we do. Love, joy, sorrow, regret, pain, jealous and yes, exasperation! But still, He's here!

I'll never ask for more than your love

It's not about earning His love. Sometimes I wonder, that's all You want? My love? Who am I that You should desire me? Ask me for my love? Court me? Pursue me?

So come with me and share the view
I'll help you see forever too

Wow, to see forever. Forever with Him! To see beyond! Dream beyond.. He'll help me... setting eternity in my heart. I wonder then if I understand. And I didn't care whether I understood or not. I just wanted to enjoy Him and follow Him for He loves me!

An astute observation

Read this quote in "Life" today and laughed. The observation is right though the attitude is not.


'Forgiveness itself is a hostile move that says "You don't matter enough for me to go whack you."' American Legal scholar, William Ian Millder


Holding a grudge just means that person has 'power' over thee, 'cos he's able to stir one's emotions. Forgiveness really says, you don't matter. I'm a bigger person than you are and nothing you do to me is able to shake me.

But it's difficult to be a bigger person. 'Cos there's this thing called emotion and somewhere within ourselves, we demand justice for the wrong that others have done unto us.

That's why in the bible, it says, "Forgive others, as God for Christ's sake, has forgiven you."

Knowing how much we have sinned and how much we have forgiven through the death of God's son, we are are able to forgive others for the transgressions against us.

That's why the ability to truely forgive, is first, according to the verse, having that revelation that we are forgiven.

When You tell me that you love me

I like this song and was reminded of it when I heard it on American Idol today. Found the lyrics meaningful :) (changed some parts of the lyrics)


I wanna call the stars
Down from the sky
I wanna live a day
That never dies
I wanna change the world
Only for You
All the impossible
I wanna do

I wanna hold You close
Under the rain
I wanna kiss Your smile
And feel the pain
I know what’s beautiful
Looking at You
In a world of lies
You are the truth

And baby
Everytime You touch me
I become a hero
You make me safe
No matter where You are
And bring me
Everything I ask for
Nothing is above You
I’m shining like a candle in the dark
When You tell me that You love me

I wanna make You see
Just what I was
Show You the loneliness
And what it does
You walked into my life
To stop my tears
Everything’s easy now
I have You here

And baby
Everytime You touch me
I become a hero
You make me safe
No matter where You are
And bring me
Everything I ask for
Nothing is above You
I’m shining like a candle in the dark
When You tell me that You love me

In a world without You
I would always hunger
All I need is Your love to make me stronger

And baby
Everytime You touch me
I become a hero
You make me safe
No matter where You are
And bring me
Everything I ask for
Nothing is above You
I’m shining like a candle in the dark
When You tell me that You love me

You love me
When You tell me that You love me

Live life because I am a blessing everywhere I go!

I was flipping through an old notebook and found some notes that ministered to me today. It was from a YAM (Young Adults' Ministry) meeting dated 26 June 2004. Read slowly, digest and meditate and be blessed!


Genesis 12:1

Now the LORD had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.


Greatness is a mark in my life

Psalm 139
We are fearfully and wonderfully made
= reverently made, an art piece.

We are all breathed into being by God

Therefore, everyone of us has a cry of greatness in our life.

Creation is not enough, we have to move into redemption.

You are an evangelist in the workplace. (not in the preaching sense)
The world will want to come and see how you attained your success (light of the world).

Greatness is my inheritance

It's through grace (unmerited favour) but it does not mean it's a license to do what we want - I am the blessed. It is the blessing of God

Use money to make friends (not use friends to make money)

God has designed Christians to be a blessing to be successful.

Get up knowing that I am a blessing! Get up with fire in the belly! Begin with that vision that I am a blessing!

Discipline is a by-product of vision

Lord, prove your Word through me, as an instrument.

I am blessed to be a blessing.


Genesis 12:3

I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”


Hebrews 6:13-16

For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”

And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute.


Isaiah 55:11

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.


Numbers 23:19

God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?


Hebrews 6:17-20

Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.


Hope, an anchor for our souls (emotion)

Do not build the blessing of God on our own faith but build it on the 2 immutable things, the Word and promise of God.


Genesis 22: offering of Isaac

v5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad[a] and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

v8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.


Abraham had an inner vision that God will provide himself a lamb.

When we believe, we rest in what God has done. God has blessed and nobody and nothing can reverse it.

Jesus is the author and finisher of faith. He completes our broken faith.

Security

A song from Hillsong

Beautiful Lord, Wonderful Saviour
I know for sure
all of my days are,
held in Your hands,
crafted into Your perfect plans

You gently call me
into Your presence
guiding me by,
Your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord
to live all my days
through Your eyes

I'm captured by Your Holy calling
set me apart
I know You're drawing me to Yourself
Teach me Lord, I pray