listening to the song ben wrote.. but God who is rich in mercy gave me life through the blood of Christ. now we are His workmanship that we may walk in the good works He has prepared for us. (its lovely. nice work chong!) this is redemption's story.. (:

we sang this during church on sunday. i love it much much much much! (: praise the Lord for all the things He has done. the past few weeks i've been praying.. praying for wisdom and direction and strength and an assurance in my heart. during the service there were a few people that came to share - a man that was a refugee in kenya, a soldier who volunteered with the UN during the Iraq war. all of us are different but we come together with one thing in common- Christ.

so as the service progressed i wondered if there was gonna be any message at all (since i was told that there was sometimes just sharing and no message haha) so i closed my eyes and asked the Lord to please let something speak to my heart and to please not let me leave empty-handed. then the pastor started speaking.. and drew my attention to this short passage in thessalonians that i had clean forgotten about, though someone shared that with me just before i left singapore.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

somehow that's all my heart needed. that's what He wants me to do with my life - give thanks. that is His will for me. it shdnt be a daily oh-no-Lord-what-shd-i-do-with-my-life?!?!! dilemma. instead, simple, steady trust. i dont have all the answers that i would like to have at this point in time.. but i have enough. and those 3 verses gave me the assurance and peace that ive been praying for for a long time.. not only that, but the person who shared this verse with me? well he/she is going through one of the most trying of life's circumstances, and i cant even begin to imagine the kind of heartache you must feel when you wake up in the morning and reality sets in on you. what have i to be doubtful of? my God will provide.

how often i wish that God would speak to me with a thundering sound from above and instruct me as to the decisions i shd make in my life. but where's the fun in that? and how will i learn through that? its in learning to listen for His still small voice that your spirit and heart is uplifted. honestly.. sometimes i think i really am stupid. i loved what i read in 1 Kings 19 -

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;

12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave.

i loved how the Lord spoke in the silence, when Elijah sat still and waited for His voice. i loved how Elijah immediately responded when He heard the voice of God.

our Lord still speaks the same way. in His still, small voice. not so much in the audible realm, but in the tugging of your heart strings, our inherent sense of right and wrong (the moral law, which He placed in our hearts), through messages and people, but most importantly, through the Bible.

and for me, i just need to sit still and wait, till i hear it. (: