ODJ: above the mud (may 21)

by jennifer benson schuldt

read> Psalm 69:1-33
Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged (v.32).

more> Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

Bog snorkeling is a popular sport in Wales. Competitors wear flippers and diving masks with snorkels attached and try to squirm through trenches cut through peat bogs without using their arms! While I have no idea how bog snorkeling got started, I know that getting “stuck in the mud” is nothing new.

David was in that spot—emotionally speaking—when he wrote, “Rescue me from the mud; don’t let me sink any deeper” (Psalm 69:14). If you’ve ever been depressed, you know what he was talking about. That struggle to stay above the mud can be overwhelming, frightening, and tiring.

David expressed feelings of hopelessness, but he also tried to encourage himself despite his despair. For example, he believed that he would eventually get out of the bog. He envisioned the end of his suffering as he wrote: “Then I will praise God’s name with singing, and I will honor Him with thanksgiving” (v.30). David believed God would set him free.

And check this out—David went on to say, “Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged” (v.32). The key phrase here is “seek God’s help.” Sometimes I think we’re too quick to outsource assistance to alcohol, advice from friends, or self-help books. Why are we so reluctant to beg for God’s help when we know He’s the only one who can truly rescue us?

After all, God “hears the cries of the needy” (v.33). He’s not going to dismiss our struggles and tell us to snap out of it. He’s “the God of compassion and mercy” (Exodus 34:6). He’s the One who is always available, always listening.

Do you know someone who’s sinking in the bog? Perhaps you’re that person. If so, remember that God can and will help you to stay above the mud. Seek Him today—no snorkel needed.

next> How can asking for God’s help revive a soul in despair? How does David’s example give you encouragement?

Birthday!

It's someone's birthday today!!

Yup, that's the one in the picture above.. scary, right??

haha! wish her now if you haven't! go Facebook! MSN! SMS! Call! e-mail! write a note!
or even write a letter!! Do it NOW!!!

HAPPY BLESSED 21st BIRTHDAY, ANGELICA WONG (engine car wrong)!!!!!!!!

Hey, youths.
I got prayer request.
Please pray for me.
I'm going through hard times now.
I'm very sad and angry and disappointed.
And I don't know what to do.
I really need prayers.
I don't know how to go on anymore.
I don't have the confident to face problems like I did last time.
I'm getting weaker day by day and I need strength.
Please pray for me.
Thanks.
See ya'll in 2 weeks.

Finally! An Update!!

Well.... not really an update about the youths.. but since there has not been a single post about how the youths are doing back in KK (disappointing, haha), i finally uploaded all that is necessary for this post.

How time flies.. it is already May 2009! and since there have not been any updates, i'm giving you all (whoever still check this blog regularly and find themselves disappointed by the cold, emptiness and silent blog of Grace Chapel Luyang English Assembly Youths (phew, quite long so let's refer to it as GCLEAYs or simply, the Reloadeds)), a DOWNDATE! or in other words, OUTDATE.. wonder why the opposite is an UPDATE and not INDATE?

Ladies and gentlemen! Without further ado, let's all walk down the memory lane and look back at that exciting December about 5 months ago in Year 2008! Where tons of stuffs happened! I am deeply deeply sorry that i only just realised that i did not continue the update of what happened then that i was writing back in January 7, this year!! SORRY!!

Anywayz.. before December 2008, it was November 2008!
And before the end of November 2008, it was November 30, 2008!
haha well it was Uncle Chin's birthday and we celebrated it at church!
To save time, i will paste here the exerpt of what i was writing in my long lost update draft with a bit of edits:

"1st, it's the little birthday celebration we made for Uncle Chin on the 30th of November (2008).

The reason it was 'little' is because apparently on that sunday, quite a number of youths were not around. And i'll credit Wen Yi here, for thinking of a last minute birthday surprise thingy the previous night. So on the 30th after the sunday service we got the youths to gather in the Annex hall with the cake ready, thanks to Ivan for buying the cake, and then Wen Yi went and 'baited' uncle by saying it was something about wanting to discuss about youth camp form. and bla bla bla just watch the video and the pics XD



And then, thanks to Aunty Ai Leng for the group pic:


Uncle and his "piece of cake"(get it? get it??):


Then in December there were Youth Camp, Carolling, Christmas and Baptism and Wen Yi's surprise(*gasp*) farewell! Which all the pictures taken can be found in Tammi's blog and in Facebooks of Tammi, Tanya, Wen Yi and Wen Yiing, if i did not leave out any, which i highly recommend you to join Facebook if you haven't! One thing i just realised is too bad i forgot to take pictures when Justin, Adrian, Sharon, Samuel, Wen Yiing, Tanya, Shelby and i sent Wen Yi off at the airport.

Oh and on the 23rd of December, some of the youths (which i suppose i won't list out but i'll list out) under the guidance of Justin, Angelica and Alison (haha), watched Yes Man starring Jim Carrey in Centre Point, then a bit of arcade and then for the very 1st time ever, went karaoke-ing at Karamunsing's KK Box! which included at very good buffet dinner at a very reasonable price for each person (rm20, exhorted by dear Angelica with evidence below XD).

I also regretted forgetting to take a group picture after the karaoke session and so there were only videos of the youths singing recorded using Samuel's and my phone. So the quality is not very good but oh well, here they go!"

But wait! WAIT!!
an extra video taken during carolling which i am sure it is easily recognisable by looking at the video's thumbnail, haha Amy the violinist!!



And then the unbelievable karaoke session. Sorry i messed up the chronological order of the videos but at least i got the ending right!

First off, the super duper ultra long song, Love Song King (loosely translated from mandarin):


Love Song King, Part 2!


Part 3!!


And finally, Part 4!!


A bit early back then but Feliz Navidad!


Big Girls Don't Cry!


Wen Yi singing a Jay Chou song which i have forgotten the song title:


Sadly true, It Ends Tonight:


It Ends Tonight Part 2:


Justin Timber-i mean, Lim - A Whole New World:


In the Ayer and another song which i can't really make out what:


And sadly, In The End:


In The End Part 2:


And finally, Bon Jovi's It's My Life to end the night and follow-up after the karaoke session:

(note: the video contained evidence supporting the alleged exhortation of Ms. Angelica Wong Shuk Ting)

Well it was really a fun outing for those of us who were there that day.

Folks, i hope you enjoyed walking down this memory lane with me, though with the 5 months delay, and i hope you all enjoyed all these youth activities we had together back then!

I really hope that we will continue to grow spiritually and keep in touch together!

So note to the youths back in K.K.:

UPDATE US ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING BACK THERE IN K.K.!!!!!