Irene In Christ

Some time last year, the Lord put this phrase "unity, not uniformity" on my heart.  I was recently reminded of this truth.  My second born started primary school last week.  And I found myself reflecting on the fact that there are many uncommon things that we have experienced with our first born. Things that most parents may not ever experience with their child.  On another hand, there are many other things (common things) that we have not experienced with our first born. One of it being attending a government school institution.  And so, last week, I found myself experiencing, for the first time, the daily life of a 'government school-going kid's mum' when our second born started primary school. The preparation, the sending in the morning, the fetching in the afternoon... The daily routine of school days have begun.  Going through the mundane daily life, I was reminded again, how my two children are unique and different.  Fearfully and wonderfully mad...

God-incidence #2 was a gentle reminder from my God that I have, somewhat, lost my song.  This was what happened.  On the night of Saturday, 16th Mar, I was reading this from Frank Viola's 'Hang On, Let Go'.  Source: Personal He was writing and laying out the practical things that we can do during our trials, lessons taught to us in 2 Chro 20.  One of the lessons was this Lesson 7: To thank and praise God for the victory before it manifests.  Another one was Lesson 5, where in the author's words, he puts it like this: Pursuing God during adversity will include many different ways of seeking Him with our bodies and our voices.... Point: What's pent up inside needs to be released to the Lord.  I read it as I would and have read all other good books - reflecting on the truth penned down.  Then came Sunday and I listened to this preaching by our pastor, Ps. Mark Varughese, on 'Why Sing?'.  You can listen to the sermon here:  Why Sing .  He qu...

Ever heard of coincidence?  Ever encountered a coincidence?  I'm sure you have. Now, what is coincidence? According to Google, this is the definition: ' a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection .' The world calls it coincidence. But how many of us know that God works mysteriously through coincidences?  In fact, He specialises in it.  I call it God-incidence. I've encountered, experienced and lived through many of God's God-incidences. I'm sure many have too. And every time a God-incidence happened, you know God is up to something.  Just this last week, I've experienced 2 of these God-incidences.  First God-incidence has something to do with dealing and breaking my false belief. Or what is called cognitive distortion here.  Here's what happened, on Friday morning, I watched my Greenhouse 'Healthy Relationship' class replay.  Source: Personal The class was on false belief or cognitive distortions. On ...

How many of us know that God works mysteriously in what the world calls coincidence? I call it God-incidence. I've encountered and experienced and lived through so many of God's God-incidences that I've slowly learned to sharpen my senses/awareness. And with that, learned quicker what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell/teach/warn/comfort/encourage (the list is endless) me. How I wish I had learned this lesson earlier, younger?  Now, the Lord has been speaking to me a lot lately on 2 things.  First one, control. Second one, change. Well, I know these 2 sound like taboo words for many - Control? Change? The secular world has discussed, spoken, written, studied, experimented and published enough opinions, findings and material on these 2 subjects.  Psychologically, physiologically, mentally, emotionally..... And I'm sure what the Lord is showing me is not new. Because, of course, it is not new.  What does the Bible tell us? There is nothing new under the sun.  That ...

Recently, Ps Ashok wrote about the greatest and shortest distance - from head to heart.  I've heard him mentioned this often in our Kerteh days. We used to joke that the Word needed to get '1 foot lower'. Here's an excerpt of what he wrote: I have seen over the years that both the shortest and greatest distance the Word of God has to travel is the distance from our heads to our hearts. A story that I had heard while in my youth and which I have repeated over the years is one that highlights this very truth. It is called, "One foot lower". It is of a young Christian boy who was found crying while in the woods as he agonized in prayer for his father. When asked, he simply said he was praying for his father, who was a pastor, for the Word of God to travel one foot lower, from his head to his heart.  It is not sufficient to study the Word of God; it has to enter into our experience. He wrote this on 16 Feb 2014 at 12.45PM.  That night itself, we attended a meeting...

I recently mete out punishment to one of my children, for disobeying my instruction.  It was over something quite small really. I had merely wanted them to take good care of a new 3D book that we bought for them. So I gave out clear and specific instructions on when and how they can play with it. Repeating myself a few times, just to make sure they understand and remember what is required of them.  Unfortunately (and sadly), one of the children disobeyed. And said book was, inadvertently, slightly torn.  Needless to say, disciplinary action was taken on the child that has disobeyed my instruction.  I did what I said I would do - which was to keep away the book for a week.  My child (whom I shall not reveal which one 😂 and let's just call said child 'A') was sad and thought the discipline too harsh.  Well, to me, it wasn't harsh at all. In fact, I had done all I could to prevent it - I made sure that they understood and remembered my instruction. I had also...

The words of the Lord to Hosea after his wife, Gomer, conceived and bore Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah and Lo-Ammi in Hosea 2. For their mother has played the harlot; She who conceived them has behaved shamefully. For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, Who give me my bread and my water, My wool and my linen, My oil and my drink.’ For she did not know That I gave her grain, new wine, and oil, And multiplied her silver and gold— Which they prepared for Baal. “And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, Of which she has said, ‘These are my wages that my lovers have given me.’ 'Their mother, she, her' referred to Gomer.  As I was reading it, I tried to imagine how God must have felt.  Gomer has received and enjoyed a whole lot of material blessings from the Lord - bread, water, wool, linen, oil, drink, grain, new wine, silver, gold, vines and fig trees.  Yet each of these item, Gomer attributed it to her lovers. She did not know that God was the one who gave ...