Elf's: The New Covenant Church (tNCC)

I have been looking for a home church since dad is having health challenge issue and sis are insisting me to go back to KL for good. 

I came across The New Covenant Church (tNCC) while checking for grace-based church in KL by using Google search, and read some blog about this church, thinking that I should pay it a visit one day when I am at home.

The New Covenant Churh tNCC

It has been about 2 months since I have this plan but it was never able to carry out, until last Sunday.

One week before I go back, I text-ed Yong and invited him to go with me, and he has agreed.

So, we met up at 9.30am on Sunday, and headed to this church, which is located nearby at Damansara Utama directly.

Upon entering to the sanctuary, the ushers were standing at the door to greet the church comers. The setup of the stage looks familiar, but without the choir group. I chose a seat next to the video camera, and its quite center-seats and started chit-chatting with Yong. Then, along came some elders and servers came to greet us, and even the senior pastor of tNCC - Pastor Peter Sze. Feel so homely, coz everyone seems to know everyone. While all these were happening, the worship team were busy testing the sounds system and doing rehearsal on stage, just like how we do it at NCC.

Rehearsal

The service started at 10.15am with a couples of church announcements, then praise & worship [4 songs, including 1st song: Hillsong -  cannot recall the song title anymore...  :(; Pastor Darlene Zchech - Best For Me; True Worshippers- Karana SalibMu; Hillsong - This I Believe (the Creed)], the sharing of testimonies, the pastor will invite the church members to share their testimony on stage, about 5 testimonies was shared on that morning. Then they split to the individual ministry- Chinese & Children. Sermon, and it was Pastor Peter Sze preaching on that day, the story of David and Mephiboseth. Then altar call, the whole church will pray for the salvation prayer, and dismiss. 

Mephibosheth vs Us

The church has a mini restaurant for lunch after the service, where the foods are cooked and blessed by the church members. Yong and I were invited by Brother Zhon to the eating place for a meal and we had a talk and understand the church a little better. Indeed, the church was impacted by Ps Prince message on garce, and sense a calling from God to start his own ministry and church. Later on, Pastor Peter came to us and talking with us. He is a humble, friendly and young at heart. We talked for awhile and took some pictures as well.

Pastor Peter Sze with Evelyn Zoé

I thank God for the opportunity to be able to visit to tNCC. It's like going back to NCC when I stepped in and the members are very polite, friendly and humble, it gives me a homely feeling. And I will definitely visit this church again when I am in KL.

Songs: Winter Snow by Chris Tomlin (feat. Audrey Assad)

I am currently in love with this song, Winter Snow, from Chris Tomlin's Christmas Album - Glory In The Highest.

Could've come like a mighty storm

With all the strength of a hurricane

You could've come like a forest fire

With the power of Heaven in Your flame

But You came like a winter snow

Quiet and soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

You could've swept in like a tidal wave

Or an ocean to ravish our hearts

You could have come through like a roaring flood

To wipe away the things we've scarred

But You came like a winter snow, yes, You did

You were quiet, You were soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

Ooh no, Your voice wasn't in a bush burning

No, Your voice wasn't in a rushing wind

It was still, it was small, it was hidden

Oh, You came like a winter snow

Quiet and soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

Falling, oh yeah, to the earth below

You came falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

FMF: Care

So, this will be my first post for Five Minutes Friday, and I hope I can do this consistently, which means I will do it on every Friday.

So, the topic for my first post is about CARE. 

1 Peter 5:7 says to cast all my cares unto the Lord for He cares.

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
1 Peter 5:7, AMP 

So, that's it, I am casting all my cares unto Him who cares and loves me.

1) My bp readings
2) Dad's health
3) Family financial provision
4) My career and future
5) My life partner

Thank you Jesus!

1 Peter 5:7

Elf's: iSteak

Had a quick dinner with JR on this Thursday night after my trip to MBS buying the pillow mist for dad from Bath & Body Works.

He suggested iSteak, a grillhouse located in a hawker centre at Holland V, that cooked nice steak (at least for him) and also one of the eatery that we promised to revisit and try again.

So, we met up at about 7.30pm at TB station, and headed to HV together. 

JR suggested that we ordered a big portoin 250g rib eye steak to share and I agreed with his suggestion.

We have waited for about 30 minutes for our order - medium raw rib eye steak with mushroom sauce and we order french fried (his choice) and greens salad (my choice) as our sides. 

The steak was cooked just nice. It was grilled perfectly outside and inside, it's tender and juicy. It's my first time eating such a big or rather thick steak. And JR only shared a bit as he needed to go back home for dinner. I was surprised to know that he needs to return home for dinner as he was the one who initiated the quick dinner meet up.

iSteak - 250g ribeye steak

Well, overall, it's another good catch-up we had. We talked a lot, politics issue from the protests in Hong Kong to the 3000 pairs shoes of Imelda, the ex president's wife from the Philippines, and we talked about my sisters and future. 

I am touched to know that he prayed for me to be more independent and stronger in handling all things in my life, and ha has been praying for me in this area, so, I guess the power of prayer is truly powerful, coz I know that I have transformed actually.

Thank You Jesus for friends who care and pray for me! 

Where no wise guidance is, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. - Proverbs 11:14, AMP

Elf's: Undeserved, Unearned, Unmerited Favour ~ GRACE!

It was supposed to be a super awesome and blessed Sunday full of pre-arranged programs.

I was supposed to wake up at 3.45am in order to be able to report for choir service on time, which is 7.00am at The Star, but I ended up woke up at 6.25am, which is about 3 hours of overslept. Don't ask me how can this happened, as until now, I am still yet to figure it out. They said it's God's will for me to rest and sleep longer. Well, I do not wanna blame it on God's will, but, I guess I should not blame nor condemn myself neither. 

We got corrected by our choir director on Tuesday before the choir practice started. She was very disappointed by the punctuality of our team, be it during practice, or on Sunday service itself. Although I am usually there early or on time, I do not take her corrections for granted, coz I think choir is not about individual, but teamwork. So, on Saturday night, I rejected all the invitations for games and dinner from Team 15, and just stayed home to practice the 2 new songs and one special feature item for choir, and got on bed pretty early and sleep with playing Pastor's song in my background. However, it's never my plan to wake up so much later than what I have already planned. 

I was so panic and really didn't know what I should do, and I text-ed my leader to ask for her opinion and also report to her about my situation here. Thank God for understanding and gracious leader, and she did not condemn me and gave me the green light to come to serve at 2nd service instead. So, I started to prepare myself - wash myself, anoint myself and put on my choir garments and makeup and off I go. 

While I was preparing myself, sis send me a text via WeChat and told me that dad is having a headache. I was worried, but she did not update me much until later of the day, she told me that this is unusual for dad, and so, I have advised her to observe dad's condition and see if there is a need to send to private hospital.

So, I bumped into Jessie and Paul when I arrived at Star as they just ended their first service, and I could not control myself but cried in front of Jessie, they thought I was condemned because of I was late for first service. Well, I do feel guilty for that, but what really got me was my dad's condition, and I felt so loved that Daddy God sent Jessie to me while I needed someone to really express my thoughts and feelings.

Second service was awesome, I was able to sing without looking at the screen for lyrics most of the time, coz I really did memorize the lyrics on Saturday. Grace Upon Grace made my tears flowed non-stop and when my tears started to flow, the camera was penning on my side... I hope it was not penning on me at all. You Are My All In All is the special feature for choir, and we did it so well, received many compliments from the leaders, praise Jesus, and Alex is a very good conductor! Kudos!

photo session with Ada and Priss

Our most beloved, blessed and anointed Senior Pastor - Pastor Joseph Prince

Ada and I went for a brunch at sixty40 at Rochester Mall, and it was a super long brunch, and we talked about many things and get to know each other better, in may ways. And we managed to attend 3rd service together with Nell, Jann Jann and her boy.friend - Nicholas Jin HaoLian.

Lunch @ sixty40

God is awesomely good! We had Dr Marilyn Hickey as our guest speaker at church. Dr Hickey is a 83 year-old healing evangelist and she is a great preacher as well. She has encouraged us to send a word of healing to someone that we know that needed healing. So, I tried my very best, using my lightning flash mind to translate my prayer, or rather, word of healing from English into Chinese and sent to my dad by sms. I don't know about my dad, but as for me, I am well and very much confident about God's healing for my dad. He is working in me and my family. Salvation is so near for them! Hallelujah! 

After the service, we went for late lunch at Yayoiken, and met up with Ada and Crystal at Cedele for a short catch-up before heading to Changi Airport for the planned-surprise-advance birthday celebration for Cam Cam. It was a night full of foods & laughter. We stayed at T3 until 12 plus in the morning, which is midnight, then Jann Jann  has volunteered to send me & Qwen back as we are living in the west.

The anointed artists with OverTheMoon cake decorations.

On our way back, we had a very quality talk with each other, and I believed each one of us had learnt something for the topic we were on. Praise Jesus for kingdom friends like them! I am truly blessed to have so many sincere and truthful family and friends from the body of Christ thru NCC.

Ended up, I reached home at 3am, and when I think back, the whole Sunday, was initially planned with so many different arrangement, but it was stirred up by God and made an much more awesome and blessed agendas for me, at least. All glory and praises to my Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, alone. Hallelujah! 

Songs: Grace Upon Grace

Another new worship song from our worship leader - Sean Goh, this must be inspired by pastor's sermon on the waves upon waves of God's grace in October 2013. Such anointed and blessed man of God in the house, and being in the worship ministry, and considered the first batch to learn and sing the new songs for the Lord, I am truly humbled and grateful. Thank You Lord!

Grace Upon Grace

Copyright 2014 New Creation Church Singapore

Verse 1:

Lord, You reached out through time and space

You took on my sin and pain

Enduring grace collided with my shame

And made me whole again

Pre-chorus:

You were relentlessly pursuing me

Now all of my heart's surrendered to 

Chorus: 

Your grace, Your grace upon grace

Here I am, with all my fears washed away

By Your love like mighty ocean wave

Endless and free

Lord I receive

Your grace, grace upon grace

Here I stand, with my hands lifted high

Cos' You gave Your love Your life for mine

Lord I receive

Lord I receive 

Your grace

Verse 2:

Every care and fear abandoned

When I look upon Your face

Unending grace supplying every need

I see how once again

Pre-chorus:

You were relentlessly pursuing me

Now all of my heart's surrendered to

Chorus:

Your grace, Your grace upon grace

Here I am, with all my fears washed away

By Your love like mighty ocean waves

Endless and free

Lord I receive

Your grace, grace upon grace

Here I stand, with my hands lifted high

Cos' Your gave Your love Your life for mine

Lord I receive

Lord I receive

Bridge:

Lord, You have changed me from glory to glory

Crowned me with favor and mercy

Now all that's within me will cry out in worship

I stand forever amazed

Beautiful song, isn't it? All we need to do is to RECEIVE! His grace is pouring on us like the ocean waves, it will never end, it will never stop. How great is our God! 

enjoying His grace upon grace in 2010, Redang Island

For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. (John 1:16, AMP)

Movies: Café. Waiting. Love

Watched it last night, finally!

Thanks to Cindy whom accompanied me for this movie, we both had a super duper good laugh during the movie.

Well, I felt that it's like 90% different from the book, but they are equally good. I was like watching a movie with a new story.

It was good. The main actors are fresh and acted well, the highlight is truly the Hong Kong famous artist - Ms Vivian Chow 周慧敏, she is as beautiful as 10, 15 or 20 years ago, so divinely beautiful.

I was having high expectation on Vivian Chow's character as the 老闆娘, however, the movie version has almost changed the whole story about her. A little bit of disappointed, but the movie version has set her late-boyfriend as her guardian angel before she could let go of their past, it is a plus point for the story, very touching, I must say... (Cindy has shed her tears for towards the end of the movie)

The movie is much more crazier than the book. But, seriously, equally good, you will definitely get a good laugh in the cinema, because the audience on that night did, and it was almost full house, on a Monday evening, and most of them are guys, that surprised me. 

As a conclusion, Monday evening could not be better to spend with a good sister in-Christ, having a quick but yummy dinner, a crazy yet sentimental (in a way) movie and DESSERTS! 

Thank You Lord for the blessings around! I am truly greatly blessed!

For The First Time

P/S: Cindy is actually born in Taiwan. So, dating a girl from Taiwan to watch her country's production, is a good combination too, I guess! ;)