Youth Leaders Meet Up

So last night we had a yam cha / sharing / prayer session with some youth leaders in kk.

It was awesome.

There was Kenneth from LBC. He organised it. Kenny from Calvary Charismatic Church. Reuben and Ryan from Charis Youth BCCM. Ganesh from LBC as well. Eric from Eklektos. Me and Joey. And Athena from Maranatha Church.

I think the most important part of last night was hearing each others struggles and finding out we are not alone. Some of our struggles are the same. Some have already faced and overcome what some are facing now (excited to help each other!). Some are totally opposite (eg. Some have too much of a family feeling that there is no respect for leadership. While some are struggling to make everyone feel like its a family). The best thing about hearing each other out is realising we are not alone. And we understand each other.

I’m excited to meet up again. And I hope more leaders in KK find the time and passion to join us.

The whole night yesterday I just keep having the feeling that God’s hand was in our meeting, bringing us together, giving us the same passion for each other.

Thank You God.

Why Do We Seldom Say This To City Folks?

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NKJV)
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,
19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

1 Timotius 6:17-19 (AVB)
17 Perintahkan orang yang kaya pada masa ini supaya jangan angkuh, jangan berharapkan kekayaan yang sebenarnya tidak kekal, tetapi bergantunglah kepada Allah yang hidup, yang melimpahkan segala sesuatu kepada kita untuk dinikmati.
18 Hendaklah mereka berbuat baik, supaya mereka kaya dengan amal kebajikan, sedia memberi, rela berkongsi.
19 Dengan demikian mereka meletakkan asas yang teguh bagi diri mereka untuk hari kemudian supaya mereka dapat hidup kekal kelak.

Focus

I have to admit. I have been putting a lot of focus on everything else other than God. Relationships, work, and even ministry. I’m taking God for granted. So here are a few things I think I need to start doing:

1. Read. I need to take some alone time to improve myself. Intellectually and spiritually. I do have some books at home, not a lot, but enough spiritual and ministry books to keep me occupied for the year or so. It would also definitely help me understand God more and keep me close to Him.
2. Write. I’ve always wanted to teach and say something. I just got to do it. Probably need to take time out to blog again. I still have a draft blog post from a devotion that I wrote for about a month, but haven’t finished.
3. Wake up earlier to pray. I notice that I pray more in the morning after I wake than than at night before I sleep. So I guess I’m more focused in the mornings. The only problem is my life culture is just that I do all my extracurricular activities at night. So I end up doing everything that takes up extra time till late at night, and find it very difficult to wake up early. Which means: SLEEP EARLY. Also, mornings have a fresh morning smell that helps connect me to a thankful mood a lot easier.

What else should I do? I don’t know. These 3 things are hard enough. Thank you.

 

Here’s a post I read today about Christ increasing and I decreasing. Good advice.

 

Vision

Today in Sunday School for adults, Leadership Pillar 1 Session 4, we learned about setting Vision, Mission, and Goals. These help us to stay focused in life; to not waste our time (and life) doing things that we may regret or which do not bring any contentment or bring any benefit.

The importance of having a vision, missions, and goals is something taught to me at least once a year, but it’s not something I’ve ever followed through. It’s not easy to follow a goal through or be focused on a vision in a long term (or to even plan your life for long term).

But I believe it’s about time I start being focused.

I’m sure God is with me on this one, because He helped me draft a pretty much complete Vision, Mission, and Goals this morning just on my first draft. I might share it here one day. When it’s more complete. Hmmmm should I?

Cambodia Round Two

Have you had a full body massage before? Me neither. I’m looking forward to one. I’ll be going to Cambodia next week, and it’s really cheap there. I hope we have enough time for it. Woohooo!

For those who didn’t know, I’m going to Cambodia with Bobby, Joey, Shen, and Robert to do a youth camp for the interior village teenagers in Siem Reap. We’re expecting 120+ teens from neighboring villages to join and be blessed. Featuring overseas speakers like your truly. Please pray for us. As we will be running the whole program. It’s a lot to prepare.

We’ll also be part of a teachers training for teachers who have committed themselves to go to villages to teach English. We’ll be there to encourage them and bless them. We should always support teachers! They are awesome.

That above picture was from Cambodia Round One in 2011. Her name is Lia. She’s probably some hot supermodel by now. I hope we get to see her again.

p.s. Actually, she’s probably just like, 9 or 10 years old now.

Dear Old Aaron,

You know, I’m not enjoying my job right now. Just as a confession. I have a great boss, and don’t misunderstand, I am super grateful to God for this job. But I’m just not looking forward to tomorrow morning.
I guess one reason is because I just don’t see myself doing this all my life. I don’t see me as an office worker. When I was looking for a job, it was hard when people asked me what work I wanted to do, because I can’t really do what I like doing. Not only that, my friend was telling me that I shouldn’t be looking for a job, but for a career.
That’s good, solid advice, but I just feel deep in my heart that God wants me to figure things out first. I gotta remember that I don’t have my skillset, life, and direction, figured out yet. So who’s to tell me what my ‘career path’ is?
I actually do long to be in the ministry. I’m pretty sure I have a heart for the youth and/or the teenagers. But I’m pretty sure God wants me to not go fulltime yet. I feel like He probably wants reveal me to me, slowly, out in the business world first (I’m not the only one who’s told me that btw), Train me in my giftings and talents, And expose me in the needed areas, Before I go fulltime into whatever God has called me into.
Here’s my reminder to you, future Aaron, as I lie here on my bed, being unexcited and not looking forward to day 4 of work tomorrow, remember why you’re in the business world. For now. It’s to figure out what God has planned. God will probably be molding you to be ready for your prime time ministry. This prime time may only be for a few years when you’re super old. Or it may happen when you’re young. You/ I’ll never know for sure eh? It took Jesus 30 years working as a carpenter on weekdays, and probably being a youth worker or some ministry worker on the weekends, to be ready for His prime ministry that only lasted 3 years.
30 years of perfection/maturity growth.
So old Aaron, look to God. Rest assured that your hope is not lost. God has a plan. Your dreams can come true, no matter how non-profitable it may sound. And you’re on the right track, as long as you’re willing to obey Him. Yet, keep dreaming. Also, Lean not on your own understanding. And don’t get too comfortable with where you are now.

Old Aaron, if you’re reading this, it means you’re in the future. For sure. It also means you’re alive. It means opportunity to grow/learn. It means opportunity bless/serve. It means opportunity to be a gentleman. It means please keep wasting energy on loving people, no matter how painful and tiring it is.

Old Aaron,

Doctorbutterfly at your service

TeenStreet Malaysia 2013!

This is gonna be fun hehe.

I would like to join. But may not be able to because of work. However, there are those from my youth group who are! So you’ll be joining them!

Do Join!

See God doing wonderful things! And join in His movement!

 

P.S. You can message me personally or comment here if you’d like to sign up but don’t know how. Or you could visit their website.

Cheerio!