Monday, 29 July 2013

20 Love Lessons From The Song of Solomon

While the Song of Solomon illustrates the depth of love Jesus Christ has for the Church and the strength of love we should have for Him, it also demonstrates the passionate love we should experience for the special someone God has given us. Here are 20 Enlightening Relationship Lessons you should know...

Affection is Valuable

King Solomon and the Shulamite girl are expressive and affectionate toward one another. Affection is a physical manifestation of love and is helpful to strengthen the relationship bond.

Complement Each Other

Sometimes we think a kind word toward our significant other, but we should say it. Especially if words of affirmation is a part of his or her love language.

Timing is Everything

Constantly the Shulamite warns the Daughters of Jerusalem not to stir up or awaken love before the proper time. Godly love is always protected in the confines of God’s timing.

Give Gifts

Gift-giving says so much! It reminds your dear one that you were thinking of them even in their absence.

Be a Team

The young couple in the Song of Solomon dealt with conflict as a team. When life brings challenges don’t work independently. Get together and tackle it as one.

Notice the Small Things

One thing about this loving couple is that they paid attention to detail. They appreciated the unique, Godly details that made them distinct.

Mutual Admiration

Spend your marriage honouring one another. Create a culture of honour in your marriage and it will have endless effects on generations to come.

God is Our Love Model

Through this eight chapter song, we learn the passion and pattern of God’s love for us, demonstrated in the act of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

We Don't Have All the Answer

Even though we lack the answers to every question in our relationships, we are to remain loyal in love. This is a love story that also illustrates a faith journey as well.

Wealth & Materialism are Not Love

Love is not a position in life, it is a perpetual life-long cycle. The Shulamite reminds the reader that love is a mindset when she says, “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me is love.”

Love is Beyond Physical Attraction

Cultivate your inner life. Focusing on your spiritual maturity in Christ is more beneficial than your outer appearance. This is one of the best kept beauty secrets.

Healthy Possession

These lovers show us that there’s a healthy possessiveness we should have for the one God has given us. This strengthens the bond and creates a beautiful safe-haven in married love.

Love Endures All Things

Love has its ups and downs. There are different seasons that bring about blessing and testing. In the end we should grow deeper in the things of God and steadfast love for each other.

Send Love Notes

Pick up a pen and paper and communicate your love using the written word.

Marital Romance Pleases God

Romance in marriage pleases God. If you are blessed to have a spouse, don’t hold back romantically enjoy the goodness of God.

Avoid Competition & Jealousy

Celebrate each other! Competing, comparing and being jealous quench the loving passion that we should have in our relationship. Love does not envy.

Fight Fear with Faith

Fear and insecurity can cause erosion in any relationship. Fight this with faith in God and the relationship He’s allowed you to have. 

Protect Your Love

Guard and protect your relationship from the “little foxes, that spoil the vines.” Create proper boundaries to enforce the integrity of your relationship.

Reconcile Quickly

Don’t let the sun go down on your anger. Listen and respect each other’s concerns, but then reconcile somewhere in the middle so that everyone’s happy. You may have to sacrifice more sometimes but it’s worth it.

Think Lovingly of Each Other

Train your thoughts to be loving and kind. This will also impact how you talk and behave in the relationship. Love thoughts will help you bear good fruit for all seasons.

10 Ways the Holy Spirit Communicates

Understanding the third person of the Holy Trinity is important to every life of the believer. One key to this is communication. Here are 10 ways the Holy Spirit talks to us.

Follow Your Peace

Colossians 3:15, shows us that peace acts as an umpire for our decision making. Peace or lack thereof about something is a way the Holy Spirit helps to guide our next step.

Confirmation

The Holy Spirit gives confirmation when we are following the will of God for our lives. It's one way He encourages us on our journey.

Pictures & Imagery

Some of us are just visual people and the Holy Spirit knows this. He will use pictures and imagery to get our spiritual attention about something.

Inner Voice or Prompting

If you have ever heard a voice or felt something on the inside warning you or bringing you to an immediate halt, this is how the Holy Spirit alerts us to a situation that may draw us away from God's will for our life. He also uses this to grow us in the gift of discernment.

Orchestrated Situations

"Everything just fell into place," is usually said when the Holy Spirit is allowed to orchestrate God's perfect will for our lives. This happens when we submit our will to God's. The seamlessness of events is one of His ways of letting you know He's there.

Worship

Worshipping is a powerful means of Holy Spirit communication. When we allow our spirit to fully connect to the Holy Spirit amazing things can happen!

Prayer

Regular prayer time is a way to talk to the Holy Spirit about life and get Heaven's game plan for your life.

Early Morning Listening

That's right, first thing in the morning turn your ear and your heart toward the Lord. Everyone has a fresh Word waiting for them daily, some just choose not to listen.

Memory

Sometimes the Holy Spirit will bring an event, a person or a situation to memory. In some cases this is an area that is hindering you from walking in full harmony with God. Unforgiveness, trauma or an offense caused are just some examples.

Reading the Bible

The Holy Spirit will never contradict the Word of God. Always read your Bible to align what you hear so you can be confident it's Him.

Sunday, 30 June 2013

My Lovely Sister [III]

I could not remember when and how I met her, she was a very quiet young lady and I did not know how to approach her. When we started to get to know each other, I could still remember her lovely smile when she turned her back to say goodbye to me. 

I am grateful to have known this lovely sister, for she had made a difference in my life and I cherish our friendship even until today. Her name is Ruth, Cho Poi Yee.


Photo taken in May 2012, on her birthday :)

Photo taken in September 2012
Birds of a feather flock together; I believe we are from the same category of people, hence we are able to click well. I miss those days when I go to her house to have a good chat with each other. During one of my lowest times, I am so blessed to have her, to walk through the journey with me together with another sister, Cerlyn.

At that time, I always dropped by at her house and I loved to share my life with her because she has a listening ear and despite being tired, she listened to my stories patiently. We entered the kitchen together and experimented how to cook things. I really miss those days and how I wished those days can be maintained.

Life, is like a bus journey. We have now moved on with our lives. She is a mother of cute Baby Ashton and I am busy with my own life, but I believe that deep inside, we are still very close with each other.

She gave me the opportunity to learn how to be a wedding coordinator and that was one of the most memorable moment in my life, that I would love to keep it in my memory.

To Poi Yee, I want to thank you for all the encouragements, support, patience, love, kindness, time and effort that you have offered me. I pray that God will continue to lead you as you walk with Him day by day. May God bless you, Peric and Baby Ashton abundantly :)