Blazing with Rach!

I thought I wait a little longer before writing my first post for this year.  Yeah...survived 2015 and advancing into 2016.  Praise God! I simply thank God for all the protection, provisions and opportunities He has given me and the ministry in 2015. God - Father/Son.HolySpirit First and Foremost Just the other day, I was 'invited' to consider a small contribution so that my paperwork would be done quickly and without a hitch.  Those of you who know me, also know that I have no patience for time-wasters.  It was a very tempting short-cut to secure precious time. I was reminded that I needed to maintain my integrity amidst a crowd of others very willing to 'contribute' a small token so that their paperwork will be hastened and approved.  I refused to allow  the equivalent of US$5 to break my intention to maintain integrity. Let me tell you - it is a difficult disposition when you end up being the only 'spoilsport' among a crowd willing to compromis...

That one September weekday morning in Ghana, I woke up really early and was surprised by my team-mates. Both husband and wife, Mark and Julie, were doing laundry the old-fashioned way.  It was such a pleasant surprise but I stood in awe.  Cooking and washing clothes are apparently not a 'male thing' to do, yes even in Ghana.  But what I saw was the love of a husband towards his wife.  Since they were both working people and have four children to look after, it was natural that the woman will shoulder most of the 'womanly' things to do.   I am wondering right now - whoever categorized the 'manly' or 'womanly' things to do?  Let me get back to what I saw and thought when I saw my team-mates expressing mutual care and love for each other.  Truly, I went "Wow".  I was extremely pleased that I had a male team-mate, a brother who had no hang-ups about dirtying his hands in soapy water to co-wash dirty clothes with his beautiful wife.  That...

This blog is way overdue, all because of my jet-setting ways.  I love my birth-nation Singapore and so I decided to count my blessings as I flew into this island-city. In truth, I can count much more than 30 blessings for my month in Singapore.  Here are a few of God's blessings showered upon me while in Singapore a couple of months ago: Family At first I did not want to return to Singapore as I was thinking of expenses.  Yes, airfare is easily in the region of US$2,000-2,500 per return ticket from Honduras to Singapore via USA.  I spent very little time to pray about this visit in Aug-Sep 2015 because technically, it was a no-brainer.  The main reason was to return to 'replace' my sister in caregiving to our parents.  I decided that I would trust God to provide the funds for my airfare and my stay in Singapore and proceeded to reserve my tickets 6-7 months before this visit.  And yes, I got my ticket at a very cheap rate! I have had the b...

Today, my birth-nation Singapore turns a grand 50 and I am proud of her. I am thankful for the freedom to practice my faith. I am thankful for the education I have received. I am thankful that I was able to serve my country in the Defence Ministry. I am thankful that my parents have a home of their own. I am thankful that all my siblings have a job. I am thankful that this is where some of my family and friends met their spouses. I am thankful for the diversity of culture and races within the family and nation. I am thankful that true Singaporeans strive to remain harmonious. I am thankful that this is where I met Christ. I am thankful that I have family and friends who continue to look out for me.  I am living overseas but my eyes are on my birth-nation. If there was something I do not appreciate, I am not one to gripe on Facebook, I just write to the Prime Minister's Office about it but I think, "let's be constructive here and let's aways remain a bles...

Why re-invent the wheel?  I found a good link for guidance to fasting and prayer on the Campus Crusade website.   The only thing I want emphasize is this:  Pray about the period, the type and the reason(s) for your fast before embarking on it.  Be sensitive to what God wants throughout the fast period. http://www.cru.org/train-and-grow/devotional-life/personal-guide-to-fasting.1.html

So, how does fasting God's way look like?  I guess I could just say, "Oh, everything opposite to my previous blog" and leave it at that.  But I am not doing that.  So, let us see what God says in the Bible. Isaiah 58:6 "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry...

A couple of days ago, a young lady asked me to explain about fasting .  How timely! I had just been reading Isaiah 58. So this one is for you, young lady.   Isaiah 58: 3b  . . . Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. 4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD? For those of us who put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to understand the kind of fasting that pleases God.  What better way than to discover what does Not please Him. Well, according to the verses above, the following stances definitely do not give God any pleasure: 1.  Seeking to gratify self during the perio...