The Beautiful Vision

As the beauty of Christ's life and character glows before us in the light of the Gospels, we should say, "That is what I am to be some day.  I am yet very far from it, but I am to reach it.  That is my destiny."  Such a hope cherished in the heart has a wondrous uplifting power.  Since we are to be some day like Christ, we should grow every day in grace : we should be  getting ever a little more like Christ in feeling, in temper, in disposition, in affection;   our aim should be to bring every thought and emotion and desire into sweet subjection to Christ.  We should not only cherish this blessed vision, but should seek daily to grow into its divine beauty.

From "In Green Pastures"

by J.R. Miller D.D.

JESUS is the Reason for the Season

When the gifts have been opened

And the songs have been sung

And we’re gathered ‘round the tree

Let’s not forget the reason

Christmas came to be

It was God in all His wonder

Who sent the greatest gift of love

A child, His Son, born in Bethlehem

Sent down from up above

Staff Annual Dinner 2009

Theme : "Back to School"

Venue : Bethel Hall, PHS

On Wed, 25th Nov, the school staff were remembered for their faithfulness and dedication. 

This was also the night where teachers (and principal, admin personnel etc) "let their hair down" and came in school uniforms of PHS, other secondary schools and junior colleges. There was even a Japanese girls' school uniform.

According to some teachers, they borrowed their uniforms from their students, nieces, friends' jc kids...  Some even wore their children's uniforms! This must be an achievement for some teachers because they can still fit into the uniforms!  One is never sure if any student 'sneaked in' as the staff looked like students in their uniforms!

Bethel Hall was appropriately decorated with things reminding us of school - giant pencils, calculators, blackboards and there was a even huge chalk drawing for Hopscotch on the floor. 

Teachers challenged each other in school games like "chaptek", blowing 'sticky bubbles', folding and throwing paper aeroplanes, and guessing song/movie titles, movie characters/actors and actresses, song origins. There was even a contest of guessing which old school/childhood photos matched the teachers.

 The food was excellent - with a good mix of Malay and Chinese dishes. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal, eating their satay, naan, mee goreng and munching away their favourite 'kacang puteh'.

One of the main highlights of the evening was the Presentation of Awards which gave due recognition to the various teachers for their faithful service rendered. 

These awards comprised :

- Outstanding Contribution Award

- Innovative and Enterprise Award

- Healthy Lifestyle Award

- School Vision Awards ie Promise-Keeper, Hope-Builder, Servant-Leader

- School Core Values ie Fairness, Integrity, Trust, Teamwork, Steadfastness, Humility, Valuing Individual, Prudence

- Service Excellence Award

It was an enjoyable evening and kudos must be given to the committee for their hard work in organising this event. As the 2009 draws to a close, we are reminded of the FAITHFULNESS OF GOD.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Morning by morning new mercies I see

All I have needed Thy Hand hath provided

Great is Thy Faithfulness,

Lord unto me.

For the Lord is good and His Love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalms 100:5

We all look ahead to the new year and draw encouragement from the faithfulness of God as PSG will continue to work closely with Principal and all staff (teachers, admin personnel etc) in 2010.

National Day 2009 - Reflections

Nothing is politically right which is morally wrong.

—Abraham Lincoln

10 Laws of Sowing

1.What we sow is What we reap
2. Where we sow is where we reap
3.The Quality we sow is the Quality we reap
4.Want to harvest a thousand plants, we need to sow a “few” thousand seeds
5.The seed sown multiplies
6.Sow to your Harvest and NOT from your Harvest
Want to harvest 10 acres, then sow in a plot of 10 acres. If we stick to the
current 5 acres, it is not sowing to the harvest but from the harvest.
7. The seed must be planted in the ground
8. The seed must be left alone for the harvest to occur- Seasons
9. The Harvest always takes time
10.The window for the Harvest cycle is short – Harvest Does not Wait

TO BELIEVE

To believe is to know that every day

is a new beginning.

It is to trust that miracles happen,

and dreams really do come true.

To believe is to see angels dancing among the clouds,

To know the wonder of a stardust sky

and the wisdom of the man in the moon.

To believe is to know the value of a nurturing heart,

The innocence of a child's eyes

and the beauty of an aging hand,

for it is through their teachings we learn to love.

To believe is to find the strength

and courage that lies within us.

When it is time to pick up the pieces and begin again.

To believe is to know we are not alone,

That life is a gift and this is our time to cherish it.

To believe is to know that wonderful surprises

are just waiting to happen,

And all our hopes and dreams are within reach.

If only we believe.

Wildflowers by Kitty Chappell

Lord, help me to grow as the wildflowers grow

be it a meadow or a crack in cement.

Despite the terrain, be it good or bad,

let me know I am there by intent.

Instead of my sadly complaining within

regarding life's rough terrain,

May my face, too, look upward to You

Through seasons of drought and rain.

Help me to bloom as the wildflowers bloom,

regardless of where I am placed;

wherever the spot You plant me,

Lord,let the air there be sweet with Your grace.

Someday a tired pilgrim may stop to rest

from carrying his heavy load

And thank my Creator for placing me there

to brighten that spot in life's road.

GOD'S COFFEE

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some
expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:

"If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."

God brews the coffee, not the cups.......... Enjoy your coffee!

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."


Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

HAVE YOU GIVE YOUR LOVED ONES A HUG TODAY?

It's wonderous what a hug can do.

A hug can cheer you when you're blue.

A hug can say, "I love you so,"

Or, "Gee, I hate to see you go."

A hug is, "Welcome back again."

And, "Great to see you! Where've you been?"

A hug can soothe a small childs pain,

and bring a rainbow after rain.

The hug! There's just no doubt about it-

we scarcely could survive without it!

A hug delights and warms and charms.

It must be why God gave us arms.

A hug can break the language barrier,

and make your travels so much merrier.

No need to fret about your store of 'em,

the more you give, the more there's more of 'em.

So stretch those arms without delay

and give someone a hug today!

ROCKS & SAND ...

PARENTS ... YOU MAY WANT TO TRY THIS EXPERIMENT WITH YOUR CHILDREN.


A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in
front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large
empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks
about 2" in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them
into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course,
rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The students laughed. The professor picked up a box of sand and
poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is
your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your
partner, your health, your children - anything that is so important
to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed.

"The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your
house, your car.

"The sand is everything else. The small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the
pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend
all your energy and time on the small stuff, you will never have
room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your
partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean
the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.

"Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set
your priorities. The rest is just sand."

PASSION WEEK - 7 Days to Live - by Bill Hybels

FRIDAY (GOOD FRIDAY) THROUGH EASTER

On Friday, Jesus voluntarily submitted to be nailed to a cross.

The Bible says at noon the skies got dark. There was an earthquake. The temple veil was torn. People suddenly realized that when Jesus cried out, "It is finished," and then died, he was no ordinary man.

Jesus was taken from the cross, prepared for burial, and put in a tomb.

Thankfully, the story doesn't end there. But what follows next—Saturday—is most difficult of all, because it's the day between the promise and the fulfillment of the promise. Jesus had predicted he'd be crucified, and that he'd rise from the dead. He was dead all right. But would he come back?

On Sunday, Jesus burst forth from the tomb exactly as he'd predicted. The guards at the tomb saw him, went back to tell the officials, "He's alive!" and were paid to keep quiet about it.
Jesus appeared to more than 500 people—cynics as well as believers—before he ascended into heaven. There was no question about whether or not Jesus was resurrected.

With his resurrection, Jesus proved he is the Son of God. And by what he did during his last week alive, but most importantly, on Easter Sunday, your life—and your eternity—can be changed forever.

The Passion Week article is taken from a message "7 Days to Live" by Bill Hybels:
Bill Hybels is senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois.

PASSION WEEK - 7 Days to Live - by Bill Hybels

THURSDAY (Maundy Thursday)

This day, Jesus took a normal Passover meal and changed it forever. All the arrangements had been made, but then the foot-washer didn't show up! The disciples came to dinner with dusty feet, and stood around asking who messed up the arrangements. It never dawned on them that maybe one of them could humble himself to do that for anybody else.

Jesus came, took off his robe, put a towel over his arm, filled a basin with water, then knelt down and started washing the disciples' feet. They couldn't believe it! The Son of God, the Savior of the world—and he had the humility to wash their feet.

In today's words, here's the lesson: True fulfillment never comes from a life of self-gratification. The way to the top in God's economy is through serving. It's finding God's mission for your life and engaging in it. It's finding people you can humbly serve in daily, down-to-earth ways. And when you find God's purpose for your life and pursue it in a spirit of humility and servanthood, your heart spills over with love and gratefulness.

Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, and when he was done, he said, "Now, you go out and live this way."

PASSION WEEK - 7 Days to Live - by Bill Hybels

Wednesday

Most scholars believe this was a day of solitude for Jesus. He was doing the most important thing he could—getting alone with God. As he quieted himself, he heard the still small whisper of his Father say, "You're on a mission, and it's going to be difficult, but I'm asking you to endure. I'll be with you."

Some would call it a wasted day. Others would say it was a day that gave Jesus strength to do what he needed to do.

We live in a culture that no longer values solitude. We go from one meeting to the next, one deadline to the next, one activity to the next. Too often we fail to quiet ourselves enough to hear what God would say to us—if only we were listening

PASSION WEEK - 7 Days to Live - by Bill Hybels

Tuesday

Jesus taught from early morning till late at night. When the sun went down on Tuesday, his earthly teaching was done.

As dusk approached, Jesus taught the parable of the talents. In those final moments before his teaching ministry came to an end, he told his listeners, in essence, "You have one life. That's it. Some of you have all kinds of gifts and abilities; some of you have less. But don't squander the one and only life God's given you; do something noble and great with it."

How poignant it is that as Jesus talked about this, he knew his life was almost over.

Jesus also spoke about the day of reckoning. But Jesus referred to the day when all moral accounts will be settled. He taught that when that day comes, either people will pay for their evil by being separated from God forever, or they'll be rewarded for having accepted Jesus' payment on the cross for the evil they committed. It's either the self-payment plan or the Christ-payment plan—no other option. Jesus urged his listeners to follow his plan.

Whose are you following?

PASSION WEEK - 7 Days to Live - by Bill Hybels

MONDAY

On this day, Jesus did something that shocked people. Known for his love, gentleness, and humility, Jesus came into the temple, saw all the little arcades set up for commercial business, and cleaned house. He overturned the merchants' tables and kicked them out of the temple. People had never seen this side of Jesus before.

Why did Jesus act with such passion? Because he saw worship at the temple in Jerusalem going awry. Jesus knew he had to straighten out the situation before he died, was resurrected, and returned to heaven. The message of his transforming power was going to be left in the hands of worshiping communities. Jesus couldn't afford to have any church get distracted and caught up in questionable activities. They alone would possess the message that would change the world.

Jesus sent a signal:

Don't get sidetracked. Stay on target. Stay on the mission of spreading God's love.

PASSION WEEK - 7 Days to Live - by Bill Hybels

SUNDAY (Palm Sunday)

On Palm Sunday—six days before Jesus' death—people lined the streets, waving palms as he entered Jerusalem. It was the first-century equivalent of our ticker-tape parades for heroes down the streets of New York City.

Jesus' popularity was at an all-time high; his teaching had astonishing power. Jesus had changed people's hearts and healed them physically. He'd even recently brought someone back from the dead! By far, Jesus was one of the most popular people in the entire Middle East.

But everyone who lined the streets had a different reason for waving those palms. Some were political activists; they'd heard Jesus had supernatural power, and they wanted him to use it to free Israel from Roman rule. Others had loved ones who were sick or dying. They waved branches, hoping for physical healing. Some were onlookers merely looking for something to do, while others were genuine followers who wished Jesus would establish himself as an earthly king. Jesus was the only one in the parade who knew why he was going to Jerusalem—to die.

He had a mission, while everyone else had an agenda.

A couple of weeks ago, I spent some time between flights looking at books on spirituality in the airport bookstore. I discovered things haven't really changed in two thousand years. People are still trying to push their agendas for what the power of God can do. What about you?

PASSION WEEK - 7 Days to Live - by Bill Hybels

What can we learn from Jesus' last week on earth?

What if you knew you had only one week to live?

What actions, what priorities, would be captured?

Passion Week—the last week of Jesus' life, before he faced a criminal's execution on a cross—was an extraordinary week. Jesus knew he was going to die in seven days. He knew it would be an excruciatingly painful death. But there's much we can learn from what Jesus taught and from how he acted in the week preceding Easter Sunday.

The last week of Jesus' life will be featured in this blog based on a day-to-day basis.

SATURDAY

The weekend before his death, Jesus stayed at the home of three of his closest friends in the small town of Bethany, about two miles outside Jerusalem. These people weren't among his 12 disciples; they were personal friends—Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Jesus chose to spend his last days of freedom with them.
Throughout Jesus' teaching ministry, he emphasizes the importance of community. Jesus continually told all who would listen, "You were created for community with God and others. You were created with a yearning to know and be known, to love and be loved, to serve and be served, to celebrate and be celebrated."
Have you found this kind of community in your life? It's more than good relationships with your family. You need an inner circle of friends who are fellow believers—just as Jesus had—with whom you can be honest, with whom you can "do life" together.

HOT or COLD ... But LUKEWARM??

ARE WE

HOT or COLD...

or LUKEWARM?

I had a very 'refreshing' sermon last Sunday whereby the pastor shared on the topic of being a Hot, Cold or Lukewarm Christian.

Sermon was based on Revelations 3:14-22 (*)



What's being 'lukewarm"?

-Were we once 'hot' but has gradually and progressively gone cold?
-Are we in that 'comfort zone' of lukewarm that we are sitting on the fence and lacking fervor?

Take a moment ... ask ourselves:

• What has happened to the passion and zeal?
• What's our spiritual 'temperature' at this point in life?
• What are our priorities in life?
• Have we, as believers, gone 'cold' and complacent?

There is no better time than NOW, to re-think and take actions of our lives....


What is your preference - Hot, Cold or Lukewarm?

REFERENCE: (*)
Revelation 3:14-22 (New International Version)
To the Church in Laodicea 14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

THE INGREDIENTS OF THE DWS* TEACHING MODEL

"This means trust rather than fear,
encouragement rather than force,
cooperation rather than competition,
challenge rather than threat,
recognition rather than praise,
self-discipline rather than punishment, and
satisfaction rather than reward."

Learn more from: http://www.marvinmarshall.com/teaching_model.html
DWS* - Discipline Without Stress by Dr Marvin Marshall