EXCITING WKENDS :D

SERVICES/EVENTS THAT JUST PASSED:
F1 event in church,
Service with H.E Zanele Makina,
Two services with Nick Vujicic,
Three services with Pastor Kong,
5 days of Asia Conference!

But don't be satisfied by those events/services because there are more events coming up before 09 hits!


(Click image to enlarge)

First up, Thank.God.It's.Over. is this weekend - 29&30 Nov!
ATTENTION ALL WHO HAVE JUST COMPLETED YOUR 'O' AND 'A' LEVELS. Celebrate the end of your exams with your friends by playing the computer games that you have missed so badly! Face off in the exhilarating Counter-Strike Tournament right in the auditorium. Form teams and lead your team to victory; champion teams stand to win fantastic prizes! With exiting games and attractive prizes - what more can you hope for? Yes, 'Thank God It's Over'.

Secondly,Candy Weekend - 6&7 Dec!
Calling all with a sweet tooth! Join HOGC on our Candy weekend as we distribute heaps of candy to you and your new friends. This light-hearted event will most definitely be a weekend filled with laughter and high-spirited fun.

Thirdly we've got our very own Flashback '80s & '90s Day - 13 Dec
If you grew up in the '80s & '90s, you'd surely remember the days where Mediacorp wasn't even TCS, but SBC. Those were the days where prince of pop Michael Jackson reigned supreme and the first boy band Pet Shop Boys hit the airwaves, where 17-year-old Britney Spears just emerged on the scene and you went "tell me what you want, what you really, really want?" Feeling nostalgic already? We'll tell you what you and your friends really want - come for 'Flashback '80s & '90s'!

Lastly one last event before year 08 hits Xmas day, Show Me what You've got Day - 14 Dec
Following the likes of '30 seconds of fame' and 'America's Got Talent' comes HOGC's very own talent show! Wow the crowd with nifty dance moves or serenade the audience with rich vocals. Act out an unforgettable drama or perform a special feat. Display your individual talents; pull a partner or work as a group. Whatever your choice may be, all you have to do is just show us what you've got!

AND LET'S NOT LEAVE OUR FRIENDS BEHIND :)

Eagle's Wings

Hey everyone! This is Daphne! I don't really know what to write for the introduction of this post. But anyway, I am going to stop blabbering and get straight to the point. As you read what is posted below, I pray that God would place a word into your hearts. Amen. (:

“I will rise, on eagle’s wings.”
–Hillsongs United, Eagle’s Wings

The line above came into my mind as I was falling asleep during one of my afternoon naps. Somehow, one of the passages from the O Levels Chinese Examination entered my mind. Coincidentally, it was about eagles too.

The passage read that we always see eagles soaring high up in the sky among the clouds. We also see them catching animals at a fast speed, with ease. However, how many of us know that these eagles were actually trained under harsh conditions?

After a few weeks of the hatchlings’ birth, the mother eagle would bring her children to high cliffs and push the babies down from these high landings. Most of the young eagles would die due to the fall. However, that does not help to soften the mother eagle’s heart. Those whom successfully returned to their mother would be pushed down the cliff once more. It is all very gruesome, in my point of view. But the mother knows that if they do not endure such hardship right now, they would never be able to soar high up above the clouds or have the ability to catch animals to eat.

It is the same for us humans. God usually arrange circumstances for us to endure. Sometimes it might seem so hard that we want to stop everything in life, lock ourselves in our own room and throw the keys away. However, that is not what God wants us to do. For He told us that He gave us a spirit of boldness! We also know that God would never tempt us beyond what we can bear. No matter how tough it is, in every situation, rely on God and there would be a way out!

What if we were sheltered Christians? What if God never allowed us to face situations and did everything for us? Then we would never grow! We would remain ignorant to what is happening in our world or surroundings and even start taking things for granted. We would start having a ‘God would do everything for me’ attitude.

Not only that, we would have no need to have friends. We cannot be alone. Didn't God say that it is not good for us to be alone? We are not only created to have a relationship with Him, but also with others. I feel that whenever we face problems, God not only want us to conquer them. He might also be wanting others- those around us, to step out with love to help us, and give us advices. I feel that problem solvings are also ways that we build relationships with people around us to a higher level. It also lessens our burdens because we are not facing it alone. (However, here is a reminder: Never be too dependent on others as we are not the only one with problems in our lives.)

God could have easily done all things for us. After all, isn’t He the God of all possibilities? But let’s think about it, not only we would never grow. Wouldn’t our lives lose its meaning? There would not be any challenges ahead of us to look forward to… And we would never, never soar like the eagles in the sky.

I once read a story where there was a girl telling her mother about how everything in her life seem to be ruined. Her mother asked if she would have to have the cake she was baking. The girl agreed. When the mother offered her the ingredients of the cake, she was appalled. Her mother told her, “All those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake.”

So let us make a resolution to God that whenever we meet problems face to face we would never run away! Because God is with us and He would ensure that we overcome them! Even though we might fail, it is alright. There would be another opportunity to overcome it again! After every storm, there is a rainbow.

You are of God, little children, and you have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4

setting all aside, placing Him first.

HELLO! :D
haha. this is my first post on the awesome E4 blog.
and frankly speaking, i'm really excited and nervous.
it's just not the same as blogging on your personal blog.

right this moment, it's down to the last paper.
but i want to not run and play, not go out and shop.
all i want to do is spend a time reflecting on how much i have gained over this past one year.
how much God means to each of us.
how i have witnessed His miraculous work in each of our lives.
and the transformations..

you know,
God is always there, taking the blows for us, helping us through tough stuff, truth be told, He is the rudder of our life, our spiritual compass when we have lost our bearings, when we walked astray, it pains Him so. Yet, His love continues, unfailingly.
It never ceases, it never wavers.
He's the answer to the loss of humanity. He intersects at life's most critical crossroads.
Even though things may not go the way you plan it out to be, just placing the absolute trust in Him, seeking Him and asking Him to guide you, would be a tough thing to do when you feel that the whole world is against you, but just know that God is with you.
Not against you, but with you.

what are PO for?
it hurts and it pains. and i used to hate PO.
simply, because why must my life be so tough, why PO?
why me, why not others, why not if such a thing does not even exist?
but for those who have PO, you know, just take heart like i do.
that God is refining us, refining our souls..
pluck up the courage, pick up the challenges, PRESS ON..
it's not a sweet plain-sailing and sugary walk in Christ..
it's an arduous race, but keep going..
we're together in it..
the simple words strung together, like we're together in it..is what jaslyn likes to tell me (:

not too long back, i was just seeking attendance..asking who was going and well.
if i am going to share, i'll be honest.
sometimes, i just feel sad as to why people come and people leave..
i know that this is the world..we meet new faces..we graduate..we promise to keep in contact..but we always leave and move on..to greener pastures..hardly so.
it is only when we stumble and fall, when we reach the valley in our lives..
and when it seems as if the whole world has shut us out..
we slowly turn to God, if need be..
most of us, would treat God to be the pillar of comfort in times of peril and sorrow..
but in times of play, happiness and fun..
God is often forgotten, left behind..
simply because putting yourself and your life is of topmost priority.
the mad rush for the tangible materials, fun, play, companionship..
life is more fun than being in church??

having all the upcoming events in church, well, they would certainly provide the fun and excitement, appealing to those who come.
but the strong men and women of God would know that even if all these are stripped away, they would still be in church, simply because they once made the resolution to, and they are planted firmly in church.
i really admire such people, because only when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
doing all these works for God, sharing this love, spreading it out of the confinement of church..
it simply takes a whole lot from a person to put others above self..
people like Pastors, Garrett, leaders.. (:

it's undeniable that all of us who have been to Heart of God have received so much once..
why not start to participate in this beautiful cycle of love and care, of coming together to worship God at service, cg, prayer meetings, to build our inner selves up with the Word of God and to live by it?
it's always easier to speak than to place it in action.
but with faith and conviction..and with this added brokenness..
you know you can go a long way..

this societal rat race, this materialistic behavior, this possessive attitude
it does not show forth what the love of God is.
coming together to witness this love of God, being a motivational source to one another, listening to each other, learning to be able to receive discipleship from leaders..
it's all one step after another..
towards building our treasures in Heaven. (:

it's so exciting seeing that the church is moving so fast towards 1400.
but in this 1400, let's pray and know for certain in our hearts.
that this 1400, would rise up to be a generation of strong men and women of God.
bringing forth the next 1400..and the next few thousands..

-minting

Water

In NKJV Proverbs 18:21 we read:
'Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.'
It simply means that our tongue holds the power of life and death, Pastor Kong preached about water crystal, very relevant to this verse. Read on :)

Water has a very important message for us. Water is telling us to take a much deeper look at our selves. When we do look at our selves through the mirror of water, the message becomes amazingly, crystal, clear. We know that human life is directly connected to the quality of our water, both within and all around us.

- wellnessgoods.com

Here's an experiment from a non Christian (Dr Masaru Emoto)
They'd used distilled water which doesn’t create crystals when frozen, however when being expose to such things they form into these!

1. By using music:
When the water listens to these songs, the water will form crystals like:
Beethoven - It's a beautiful hexagon crystal
Folk dance - It has a folk dance feeling crystal being form
Heavy rock metal music - No crystals was form, it just looks very ugly.

i) "Beethoven's Pastorale"


ii) "Japaneses folk dance"

iii) "Heavy rock metal music"



2. Using words
Words that you say are very important, look at the pictures below.
How beautiful it'll be when you say something of love, thanksgiving, whereas when the power of negativity will give you ugly formed water crystals.

i) "Thank you"


ii) "You Make Me Sick, I Will Kill You"


iii) "Love and Appreciation"


iv ) Soul


v) Angel - Ring of small water crystals linked together


vi) Satan - Ugly splattered water, no crystal formed



3. Through prayers
See below and you'll be so amazed! :D

i) "Before prayer"


ii) "After prayer"


Previously there's a person committed suicide in the lake of the water crystals, therefore explained "before prayer" picture. And after prayer, it became a beautiful water crystal! Wow! Are you in awe or what?! :D

You must be thinking where's the link with the verse and the water crystals right? IT HAS! Basically, our body is made up of 70% of water! Wow!

Build water crystals to the people around you now by words of life, encouragements!

Special Thanks Goes Out To:
Jolie for letting us to grab your entry to edit it!
(: