https://www.facebook.com/events/280102145426150/
In 2012 I learned to…get the most possible out of an iPad instead of a laptop.
I grew most in… "rolling with it" and not sweating the small stuff. And even some big stuff that went down this year. Actually, The only sweating I did this year was in my daily walks with Jack.
Another way I saw myself growing was... I've spent more time just sitting and hanging out with God, listening for what he may have to say, meditating on Scripture, and appreciating the good things he has made in this world, and leaving the angst over the messes of the world (and the church) in his hands.
One of my best adventures was…at the end of his 4 weeks of summer school in Mississippi, Cameron had his first solo flight to meet me in South Carolina and take a road trip to meet his cousins in the Blue Ridge Mountains. On his layover the flight was stuck at an airport waiting hours for a technical failure to be resolved. He was without phone or food. I ended up making friends and having a drink with what seemed like the cast of "Justified" who were also waiting on relatives who were on this flight. We all decided to drive to get them. So we made ourselves a hillbilly caravan and drove 2 hours, Greenville to Charlotte, to pick up our respective "kinfolk."
I saw/knew God was doing something when…Cameron got straight A's his first Quarter at CHA. When we helped individuals in an organization emotionally and psychologically navigate their downsizing/layoffs. Angel Corrigan asked if I'd like to lead a Bible Study for AWA, and it morphed into something different and exciting.
A real gift from God was… Daniel Ang's generosity in retrieving the contents of two crashed computers and getting me up and running on them again. Dave Zovak too. So many opportunities to travel. An incredible year like no other! Perth. Kauai. California. Atlanta. Mississippi. South Carolina. Greece. Hong Kong. Vietnam.
Something I really enjoyed doing more of was…doodling. Drawing. Sketching and "prophetic art" (which to me is more like engaging in art as a joint effort with the Holy Spirit with the purpose of listening to him, and blessing others)
One of the happiest memories of 2012 I’d like to freeze in my mind…the boys gardening and washing the car together with a cousin of Cameron's from his birth family. Seeing their maturity. The opening night of a conference, warming up the crowd emceeing with Jim.
I was really brave when…I announced that I was going to have a 50th birthday concert and invite my friends to perform with me. When I pulled broken glass out of my right hand.
A Scripture passage that meant a lot to me was… Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things." It was part of our reading in the summer of reading Can You Hear Me? Tuning in to the God Who Speaks. Two months later, visiting a missionary friend in her remote home in a village in Vietnam, she had the verse on a banner on her wall.
The whole story of Nehemiah: All those names of who did what to rebuild the wall and the temple... It means God values your role in serving him even when others around don't seem to value your loyal contribution.
Song of the year: How You Live (Turn up the Music), Point of Grace. Another divine introduction how I heard it for the first time on a prayer walk.
I’m still trying to learn what God wants to teach me through this hard experience… Why can't Yi Hui read yet? What's happened to my memory? Losing the metadata (tags, dates, notes, slideshows etc) on my entire photo library.
The best word of advice or encouragement I can remember is…
"Let's figure out what needs to happen in order to have Kimberly soar in her 50's" - Margo Husthwaite in October.
One thing I’m looking forward to in 2013 is…Leading 2 teams who want to help me hold monthly "Spiritual Wellness" mini-retreats. One for women, and one for artists.
K!M: Work in Progress
BIBLICAL PURPOSE STATEMENT is: I live to shamelessly reflect the creativity of the Creator God and radiate his delight for his creatures (that's us!).
Monday, February 25, 2013
Friday, October 05, 2012
Women of Influence Prep - Retreat
Come to me Kimberly
you who are weary and carry heavy burdens And I will give you rest
Take my yoke upon you
Let me teach you
Because I am humble and gentle And you will find rest for your soul For my yoke fits perfectly
And the burden I give you is light.
As I've set aside in the past couple of months, I've had some chunks of time to hear from God in silent retreats. Insights have been more like popcorn, or a tossed salad for me, and I'm still trying to make some cohesive sense of my times with God focused on this passage.
Main themes for to continue gardening. Do they resonate with you?
-- Exploring how to value and practice (obey the command for) Sabbath rest.
-- Peace and courage in the midst of real Spiritual Warfare.
-- Living sacrificially, yet maintaining a posture where the yoke in these sacrifices remains light / learning what boundaries are part of Jesus' yoke as we labour in the world.
-- Really knowing and trusting my rabbi and Saviour Jesus - and digging deeper into the Word of God and other sources about the life and culture of our Master. Learning from him his priorities and personal discipline. His dependence upon the Father.
The "popcorn" notes:
1. Last week a gal i've mentored gives me the book rest - living in sabbath
simplicity (keri wyatt kent). In it i read quoted from Velvet Elvis, one of my favourite books
of the decade (i loved this section so much 5 years ago that I RECORDED myself reading it to hear if from time to time shuffled on my ipod!):
Different rabbis had different sets of rules.... A rabbi's set of rules...was really the rabbi's interpretation of how to live the Torah, was called that rabbi's yoke. When you followed a certain rabbi, you were following because you believed that rabbi's set of interpretations were
the closest to what God intended through Scriptures. And when you followed that rabbi, you were taking up that rabbi's yoke.
ms kent offers in her book:
So Jesus offered this new yoke, which he claimed was easy.
But in a way, it seems harder. He often began with "you've heard it said" and cited the Old Testament law. Then he followed with "but I say to you." For example, he said, "you've heard
it said,... 'Don't murder.' but if you call someone a fool or hate them, you've killed them" (Matt 5:21-22) ...His teaching encouraged people to hold to a higher standard than mere legalism but also helped them to realize that keeping the law perfectly is an impossible proposition.
you who are weary and carry heavy burdens And I will give you rest
Take my yoke upon you
Let me teach you
Because I am humble and gentle And you will find rest for your soul For my yoke fits perfectly
And the burden I give you is light.
As I've set aside in the past couple of months, I've had some chunks of time to hear from God in silent retreats. Insights have been more like popcorn, or a tossed salad for me, and I'm still trying to make some cohesive sense of my times with God focused on this passage.
Main themes for to continue gardening. Do they resonate with you?
-- Exploring how to value and practice (obey the command for) Sabbath rest.
-- Peace and courage in the midst of real Spiritual Warfare.
-- Living sacrificially, yet maintaining a posture where the yoke in these sacrifices remains light / learning what boundaries are part of Jesus' yoke as we labour in the world.
-- Really knowing and trusting my rabbi and Saviour Jesus - and digging deeper into the Word of God and other sources about the life and culture of our Master. Learning from him his priorities and personal discipline. His dependence upon the Father.
The "popcorn" notes:
1. Last week a gal i've mentored gives me the book rest - living in sabbath
simplicity (keri wyatt kent). In it i read quoted from Velvet Elvis, one of my favourite books
of the decade (i loved this section so much 5 years ago that I RECORDED myself reading it to hear if from time to time shuffled on my ipod!):
Different rabbis had different sets of rules.... A rabbi's set of rules...was really the rabbi's interpretation of how to live the Torah, was called that rabbi's yoke. When you followed a certain rabbi, you were following because you believed that rabbi's set of interpretations were
the closest to what God intended through Scriptures. And when you followed that rabbi, you were taking up that rabbi's yoke.
ms kent offers in her book:
So Jesus offered this new yoke, which he claimed was easy.
But in a way, it seems harder. He often began with "you've heard it said" and cited the Old Testament law. Then he followed with "but I say to you." For example, he said, "you've heard
it said,... 'Don't murder.' but if you call someone a fool or hate them, you've killed them" (Matt 5:21-22) ...His teaching encouraged people to hold to a higher standard than mere legalism but also helped them to realize that keeping the law perfectly is an impossible proposition.
2. i remember dearly the first series for CRM's Women of Influence retreats and our year in
USA. It was a time when I began to hear clearly from God regularly. For years I'd been angsty and even angry over the problems and inefficacy of the church. Once in prayer Jesus told me quite clearly: "IT'S NOT YOUR PROBLEM. IT'S MY PROBLEM. IT'S TOO BIG FOR YOU, SO STOP WORRYING ABOUT IT." Another time of listening prayer with Verlie and Patty when the physical sensation of weight on my shoulders was lifted, but still lightly there, as the above passage came to my mind. I had been wearing a yoke that was not HIS, and weary from it. I released it that day.
3. There are my big burdens, out of my control (we've all got them) but I'm remarkably
at peace and trusting God with. My senior's college application process and what that means for his future...and even sooner, our unresolved plans for the summer months when he'll be needing to settle somewhere and start this new chapter. My 8th grader's continued poor academic performance and whether he'll be able to remain in his school by the end of this year. The neighbor's needs and how much do I give of myself to them. I have a waning passion for the focus I've had in ministry for my entire life. I don't know if it's a season or if God wants to redirect me. Whether it's dormancy or gestation is yet to be seen. I'm open, but long- range I'm feeling direction-less.
4. However, I find myself as I attempt to listen to God, distracted by small insignificant
things. I'm irritated by the people in our church plant who are setting up a library and coming up with "policy" for using the books. They must be church members. The books must be approved. Then there's the 8th grade Bible teacher or Senior Service trip leaders at the kids' school who seem to have a Pharisaical approach to teaching and leading. I feel they are planting seeds of bitterness in my boys.
5. There was one significant time I looked again at this Matt 11 passage. I was drawn to what
came before. Matt 11:25. Jesus praising God that he has hidden his teachings "from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children."
I've been spending large quantities of time with a little neglected neighbor girl who's as slow as anyone I've ever known. It's opening the neighborhood to the gospel. Strangers often stop me to talk about her. I've had wonderful opportunities to pray with people and talk about Jesus desire to be their master. There is a lot of spirit worship in my neighborhood and the forces of evil are palpable. I sense, that though this 11 year old girl has been diagnosed with low IQ for years, she is oppressed by unseen forces. last week she took refuge in my home after her father had been in a drunken and abusive rage.
I notice in my Bible that this Matt 11 passage is also repeated in Luke 10:21. I go there, but my eyes are drawn to verses 18-20. "I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you."
Like the passage I'd written from a sermon last Sunday, I say with the prophet Ezra: "Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage." (Ezra 7:28)
In other words: "The Spirit of the Lord is with me Satan! I am not afraid...BRING IT ON! Let's have some real power encounters in 2011, I'm on the side of righteousness, I want to see
USA. It was a time when I began to hear clearly from God regularly. For years I'd been angsty and even angry over the problems and inefficacy of the church. Once in prayer Jesus told me quite clearly: "IT'S NOT YOUR PROBLEM. IT'S MY PROBLEM. IT'S TOO BIG FOR YOU, SO STOP WORRYING ABOUT IT." Another time of listening prayer with Verlie and Patty when the physical sensation of weight on my shoulders was lifted, but still lightly there, as the above passage came to my mind. I had been wearing a yoke that was not HIS, and weary from it. I released it that day.
3. There are my big burdens, out of my control (we've all got them) but I'm remarkably
at peace and trusting God with. My senior's college application process and what that means for his future...and even sooner, our unresolved plans for the summer months when he'll be needing to settle somewhere and start this new chapter. My 8th grader's continued poor academic performance and whether he'll be able to remain in his school by the end of this year. The neighbor's needs and how much do I give of myself to them. I have a waning passion for the focus I've had in ministry for my entire life. I don't know if it's a season or if God wants to redirect me. Whether it's dormancy or gestation is yet to be seen. I'm open, but long- range I'm feeling direction-less.
4. However, I find myself as I attempt to listen to God, distracted by small insignificant
things. I'm irritated by the people in our church plant who are setting up a library and coming up with "policy" for using the books. They must be church members. The books must be approved. Then there's the 8th grade Bible teacher or Senior Service trip leaders at the kids' school who seem to have a Pharisaical approach to teaching and leading. I feel they are planting seeds of bitterness in my boys.
5. There was one significant time I looked again at this Matt 11 passage. I was drawn to what
came before. Matt 11:25. Jesus praising God that he has hidden his teachings "from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children."
I've been spending large quantities of time with a little neglected neighbor girl who's as slow as anyone I've ever known. It's opening the neighborhood to the gospel. Strangers often stop me to talk about her. I've had wonderful opportunities to pray with people and talk about Jesus desire to be their master. There is a lot of spirit worship in my neighborhood and the forces of evil are palpable. I sense, that though this 11 year old girl has been diagnosed with low IQ for years, she is oppressed by unseen forces. last week she took refuge in my home after her father had been in a drunken and abusive rage.
I notice in my Bible that this Matt 11 passage is also repeated in Luke 10:21. I go there, but my eyes are drawn to verses 18-20. "I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you."
Like the passage I'd written from a sermon last Sunday, I say with the prophet Ezra: "Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage." (Ezra 7:28)
In other words: "The Spirit of the Lord is with me Satan! I am not afraid...BRING IT ON! Let's have some real power encounters in 2011, I'm on the side of righteousness, I want to see
the people in my world worshipping the one true God and knowing his deep unconditional love
for them!"
6. in Rest I've been reminded how sabbath rest relates to physical workouts - we must stretch ourselves and our limits, and then give some time for rest
before the next workout in order to grow strong. I've not kept a sabbath for most of my life, and have felt like the past year + has been a time to make up for lost time, and my sin of presuming that the world would stop spinning if I stopped working. So, many times i've just sat still and sought the presence of God. To merely be still. To unhurried spend time tuning my ears and heart to him.
7. I suppose there should be 7 to make it a perfect list, so I'll finish with the two words which stood out to me most about Jesus' yoke: Humble and Gentle. i want to be
the kind of leader who also offers a humble and gentleness as I bear the yoke with others in projects and ministry. or as I labour beside, under, or lead with my family and others. I have a lot to learn.
6. in Rest I've been reminded how sabbath rest relates to physical workouts - we must stretch ourselves and our limits, and then give some time for rest
before the next workout in order to grow strong. I've not kept a sabbath for most of my life, and have felt like the past year + has been a time to make up for lost time, and my sin of presuming that the world would stop spinning if I stopped working. So, many times i've just sat still and sought the presence of God. To merely be still. To unhurried spend time tuning my ears and heart to him.
7. I suppose there should be 7 to make it a perfect list, so I'll finish with the two words which stood out to me most about Jesus' yoke: Humble and Gentle. i want to be
the kind of leader who also offers a humble and gentleness as I bear the yoke with others in projects and ministry. or as I labour beside, under, or lead with my family and others. I have a lot to learn.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Intro @ RHCC
Mission Field Location: The island city in Southeast Asia which is also a country: Singapore.
Mission Agency: Church Resource Ministries
Singapore is the base from which they build and encourage spiritual leaders. When they left Southern California 14 years ago, Jim had been the Global and local outreach pastor at Rolling hills Covenant Church. Now the movement in Singapore has begun mentoring leaders of churches and mission agencies around SE Asia. They see their part in God's Kindgom as influencing spiritual leaders that they will finish a career of ministry strong and passionate and fruitful for the Lord.
Join us in praying that their long term investment there will leave a legacy for the following generation; that Chrisitians in South East Asia (including China) will be equipped and mature to carry on the task of preaching the gospel and making disciples in all nations!
Kimberly is here without her husband Jim this summer in order to bring their son Cameron, a rising 10th grader, to a Christian Military Boarding School in Mississippi (Chamberlain-Hunt Academy). When she returns to Singapore August 15, they start a new chapter of service without children at home. They are grateful for the many years RHCC has been their home church, and the love and support from this congregation that has followed them and supported them these many years.
Mission Agency: Church Resource Ministries
Singapore is the base from which they build and encourage spiritual leaders. When they left Southern California 14 years ago, Jim had been the Global and local outreach pastor at Rolling hills Covenant Church. Now the movement in Singapore has begun mentoring leaders of churches and mission agencies around SE Asia. They see their part in God's Kindgom as influencing spiritual leaders that they will finish a career of ministry strong and passionate and fruitful for the Lord.
Join us in praying that their long term investment there will leave a legacy for the following generation; that Chrisitians in South East Asia (including China) will be equipped and mature to carry on the task of preaching the gospel and making disciples in all nations!
Kimberly is here without her husband Jim this summer in order to bring their son Cameron, a rising 10th grader, to a Christian Military Boarding School in Mississippi (Chamberlain-Hunt Academy). When she returns to Singapore August 15, they start a new chapter of service without children at home. They are grateful for the many years RHCC has been their home church, and the love and support from this congregation that has followed them and supported them these many years.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Mother's Day Sharing
TIME
|
Title
|
Vocals/
Emcee
|
Keyboard
|
Guitar
|
Bass
|
Drums
|
Length
|
NOTES
|
|
|
Welcome/Worship
CCChurch
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 Worship songs
|
Bee Luen
|
|
|
|
|
15
|
CCChurch team, songs chosen by women of the
church
|
|
|
Announcements
|
Pastor Amos
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
100 Years Into
|
K!
|
|
|
|
|
3
[6]
|
Intro
|
|
Introduction
When Pas Amos called to ask me to share with you a special message for
Mother’s Day, I was so honored and excited. I’ve enjoyed teaching creative
arts to some from this congregation, but haven’t had much opportunity to
collaborate with them in doing something creative! Thank you Pastor Amos for inviting an artist to share your pulpit.
Thank you to all of those in this church who have pitched in and added some
element to what’s going to take place in the next 75 minutes!
As I've been
praying about Mother's Day with you and your church, I am convinced that this
should be a morning to worship and thank
God for what he has created in
making women. All women.
I have very
strong convictions about this
because for my first 8 years of marriage, I was childless, and a Pastor's
Wife.
Mother's
Day was a very difficult day to attend church, and people said the most
unintentionally hurtful things. In fact, the last 2 years before my
biological son Tyler came, I didn't go to church on Mother’s Day! He’s 19
now, and off to University in USA, and today my awesome 15 year old Cameron is here to support me, but I still
feel a pang of sadness on Mother’s
Day for women who have not had the honor of bearing and raising a child.
I believe
that the church can have a day where we
recognize mothers without making the women who are not mothers feel awful
about themselves.
So, church, help me make this a morning where we take a look at
what God made when he created women.
Did you ever stop to think that the Woman was his “finale of creation?” Hey, hey! Can I
hear an AMEN?
Have you
read the creation accounts in Genesis recently?
Genesis ch 1 & ch 2 go about telling the story
in a little different way, but
here’s how I pieced it together. Will you stand with me as I read God’s Word?
Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals
and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would
name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its
name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and
all the wild animals.
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will
make a helper suitable for him.”
[So, maybe we women were his Encore? He finished creation, said
it was good, but…not quite good enough…]
So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while
he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs
and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a
woman from the rib he had taken out of the man,
and he brought her to the man.
The man said, “Whoa! Man!’ This
is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she
shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man. ”
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was
evening, and there was morning —the sixth day. By the seventh day God had finished
the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his
work. Then
God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from
all the work of creating that he had done.
Don’t sit down
yet! Men, boys,
I want you to leave church today immensely thankful to God for what he has
created when he created the girls, and more dedicated to being intentional
about making sure you let these women, and the other women in your life know
what a gift they are! Okay, you boys can sit.
Women, look at me. The world is a richer place
because of what God made when he made you females.
All of you women have been given
special gifting that is part of God’s nature. And it is unique to women: You
have amazing power in your Nurturing, and in your ability to be quiet
influencers.
Women, and girls, at the end of this hour, I want you to leave
with new resolve to explore and live out this nurturing, influencing aspect
of your nature. Nurturing and influence is something in your DNA which is a
unique exhibit of part of God’s attributes.
Now, all of you
women
are part of God’s plan to nurture and influence the next generation for
truth, righteousness and God’s Kingdom and his values.
And for this moment this
morning, I single out those of you who have raised children in your home.
While the rest of the band comes up to join me, will you remain
standing?
Those of you who have raised children in your home. Those of
you who have born or adopted children. [let others sit]
You have sacrificed much of on behalf of the Someone or
Someones who call you “Mum.” On your good days, and even on your bad days,
you show us what God is like in his forgiveness, unrelenting care,
faithfulness and nurturing heart. The way you care for your family and have
dreams for your kids’ future success, it models what God is like as he
patiently helps us grow to maturity in Christ and becoming all we are
destined to be.
Ladies who are
mums and caregivers,
there’s a whole lot you do to take care of your families that goes unrecognized
by anyone but God. Thank you for your sacrifice of love. Can we all give
these gals who are standing some applause? Let’s take a moment to recognize
them and thank them.
[lead in applause, they are seated, slide change]
Here’s a little slideshow for you, from your families.
|
|||||||||
|
100
Years
|
K!
|
Kara
Lu
|
Daniel
Ang
|
|
Jeffery
|
4:07
|
(Slide
show of photos from families in the church)
|
|
|
I Enjoy Being a Girl Intro
|
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
Blank
theme slide
My
friends Daniel Ang on guitar and his wife Annabelle Ang-Bok singing with me
have been among my artistic friends since they were dating, and I’m so
thankful they agreed to join me today to worship God, and bless you by being
part of this band today. They’ve known Jeffrey back there on the drums for a
long time, and 12 year old Kara Lu came along willingly to play 100 Years,
and to inspire all of you piano students to keep practicing!
You’ve
only got 100 years to live. Did you catch those lyrics? Five for Fighting may
have put this message to a modern melody but an ancient version of it is in Psalm
90. It was prayer of Moses,
This morning, I want to have it be a prayer of Kimberly, for us.
Lord, you have been our
dwelling place
throughout all generations.
Before the mountains were
born
or you brought forth the whole world,
from
everlasting to everlasting you are God.
You turn people back to
dust,
saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
[Read with me]
Our days may come to seventy
years,
or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but
trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we
fly away.
Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Satisfy us in the morning
with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
-------
I
don’t know about you gals, but when I was growing up, I thought being a girl
was kind of a curse. I was raised by a family of athletes. My mom was a PE
teacher.
For
the next song, Sheryl Ting will
play the keyboard, and I’ve even got a surprise
part for all of you. But I’m
getting ahead of myself.
Looking
around this room, I’m wondering which of you women are the really girly
girls. The ones who’ve embraced this and enjoy being a girl? It’s okay, you
can call them out. Who loves make-up or shopping or dancing or manicures or
making arrangements with flowers? Yes, I know you do. And God created you
that way, and said, “IT IS GOOD.”
Somewhere
in my little girl years, I stopped being a girly girl. I used to make fun of
girly girls.
I
was just jealous of the boys who were stronger, and seemed more important and
valuable. Femininity seemed weak.
I’ve
learned to embrace being feminine over the years. I’m still learning to
embrace it. Because, let’s face it, it’s FUN! When I was in my 20’s I learned
this song for an event at my home church. It made me gag. It’s old fashioned.
It’s from an old Musical called Flower Drum Song, written by these guys
Rogers & Hammerstein. The ones who gave us South Pacific and Oklahoma!
|
|||||||||
|
I
Enjoy Being a Girl
|
K!
& Annabelle
|
Sheryl
Ting
|
Daniel
|
|
Jeff
|
4
|
(sing
along)
words on screen
|
|
I Enjoy Being A
Girl
I’m a girl, and by me
that’s only great
I am proud that my
silhouette is curvy
That I walk with a sweet
and girlish gait
With my hips kind of
swivelly and swervy
I adore being dressed in
something frilly
When my date comes to get
me at my place
Out I go with my Joe or
John or Billy
Like a filly who is ready
for the race!
When I have a brand new
hairdo
With my eyelashes all in
curl
I float as the clouds on
air do, I enjoy
being a girl!
When men say I’m cute and
funny
And my teeth aren’t
teeth, but pearl,
I just lap it up like
honey, I
enjoy being a girl!
I flip when the fellas
send me flowers
I drool over dresses made
of lace
I talk on the telephone
for hours
With a pound and a half
of cream upon my face!
I’m strictly a female
female
And my future I hope will
be
In the home of a brave
and free male
Who'll enjoy being a guy
having a girl... like... me.
Sing a second time
through with everyone.
|
|||||||||
21+ 1.5
You may think it’s strange to sing a song
from a Rogers & Hammerstein musical in church on a Sunday morning, but
I’ve got an activity planned next that also doesn’t usually take place in a
worship service. If you grew up in church, however, you probably did this
somewhere along the line in CHILDREN’s church.
Helpers, if you would get ready to pass out
the goodies we’ll need after this interview? You see, I’ve brought with me
some coloured pencils and some art paper and envelopes and we’re going to
give you the chance to make a homemade card.
As we’ve been talking and singing so far this
morning, it’s my guess that God has
brought a special woman to your mind who either is your mother, or has
been like a mother to you. If
you’ve not thought of someone yet,
Lord,
I pray that you will bring to mind for every person in this room the name of a woman you want to encourage through them. I
pray you will give them inspiration, images or words to use when we use these
papers and pencils to make greeting cards. Amen.
Now
these things are getting passed out right now, but don’t start yet! We have
an interview.
There
are many women in this room this morning, but before we began planning for
this day, I only knew one mom in this church. And she’s an amazing woman. I
admire her positivity, her great attitude, her spirit that says, CAN! Even
when it’s something she’s never tried. Khimmy Lim was a student of mine in
creative arts, and has been a great encouragement to me over the years, even
though we don’t see one another very often. She has chosen one particular
mother from church to have an interview with. Khimmy will you come and
introduce the special mum you wanted to feature this morning?
For now, I’m going to turn it over to Sister
Khimmy.
|
|||||||||
|
Interview/Testimony
|
Khimmy
|
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
|
Sister Karen (Last name)
I’ve asked you if you’d be willing to be
interviewed this morning for Mother’s Day. Thank you for saying yes!
Though all of us in church know you, we have
some guests with us today, who don’t know you. You are a mother, and we know
your girls, Bee who led worship earlier and….
1. When you were young, what were your dreams
about what it would be like to become a mother? Was there something about
your mom or anther woman in your life that inspired you? Can you give us an
example of a memory about that?
2. Tell us something that has been rewarding
about being a mom, can you think of something that happened along the journey
of raising your two girls when you thought, “this is a little like heaven on
earth” A happy moment you’ll never forget. Do you have another memory you
want to share?
3. What surprises came along with the job
when you became a mother?... Can you think of any examples when you thought
the job was too hard for you and you couldn’t do it? Where did you struggle?
How did you find a way through or out of it? Can you give us any specific
ways you found strength, guidance or inspiration from God as you raised your
children.
If time permits: 4. You chose to be a
fulltime mom, but now your children are grown. How has God opened doors for
you to be like a mom to others outside your family?
If time permits: Many women here today admire
you because they know your girls and think you did an amazing job. Thank you for being willing to be
interviewed. Would you mind saying a prayer for the women in the room and
their families?
|
|||||||||
|
Making Greeting Cards
|
Kimberly
|
|
|
|
|
10+32.5
|
Kimberly Explains
Play: Try a Little Tenderness, Chris Brown 6:08
|
|
|
Come
to Me Intro/sharing
|
K!
|
|
|
|
|
1:15
|
43:45
|
|
As you finish up those cards, we have another song we
want to give you. When my son Tyler went off to University this past year,
listening to this song was the only thing that made me cry. I’m not going to
cry this morning, even if I am singing it for my son Cameron who is leaving
June 1st to start school in USA and make James and I empty nesters
come August.
I want to tell you that this song reflects a
mother’s heart more than any I’ve ever heard. And as you listen, with
whatever feelings you have about your own mother, I want you to think about
this truth from scripture
Isaiah
49:15
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child
she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
God is also singing
these words over you. Many of
you probably know Zephaniah 3:17, but I’ll repeat it if you don’t:
The Lord your God is
with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will
quiet you with his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.
Here’s Come to Me,
originally recorded by Celine Dion.
|
|||||||||
|
Come To Me
|
|
Sheryl
Ting
|
Daniel
Ang
|
|
Jeff
|
4:40
|
48:30
|
|
Come To Me
I will always love you no
matter what
No matter where you go or
what you do
And knowing you, you’re
gonna have to do things your own way, and that’s okay
So be free, spread your
wings, and promise me just one thing...
If you ever need a place
to cry
Baby, come to me, come to
me
I’ve always known that
you were born to fly
But you can come to me
If the world breaks your
heart
No matter where on earth
you are
You can come to me
Don’t walk around with
the world on your shoulders
And your highest hopes
laying on the ground
I know you think you’ve
gotta try to be my hero, but don’t you know
The stars you wish upon,
they fall, it’s true, but I still believe in you
If you ever need a place
to cry
Baby, come to me, come to
me
I’ve always known that
you were born to fly
But you can come to me
If the world breaks your
heart
No matter where on earth
you are
You can come to me
|
|||||||||
|
You are My Stronghold Intro/Sharing
|
|
|
|
|
|
4
|
52:30
|
|
Those of you in
the room today who have had the privilege of bearing and raising children, we honor you today. Yours is not an
easy job. It’s partly hard because our mother Eve used her ability to
influence and after eating from the tree, woo’d Adam into disobeying God, and
we got the Curse: which, if you remember included not only work making us
sweat and exhausted, but included a special “pain in childbirth.” Thanks a
lot Eve.
But
we also live in increasingly difficult times to protect our children and to raise
children to honor God. From nearly every direction, our society, even here in safe Singapore,
bombards their senses and threatens their innocence & purity. We cannot get away from the
dangerous messages and images that our Enemy the devil wants to use to entice
us away from our Creator and the intimacy, nurture and joy and creativity he
offers – and is the only real thing that can satisfy us.
For
those of you mothers who’ve had or have a child who has not embraced their
Father God’s love and values, we recognize the heartache you have over this
disappointment.
All
women may be nurturers, and have a role in shaping the next generation of
Godly leaders, but only a mother can experience the anguish that comes from a
prodigal son or daughter. There are plenty of joys that come from bearing or
adopting children, but it takes a lot of courage to be a mom when these
little buggers can hurt you. When a child you’ve bonded to rejects you and
rebels, it hurts like nothing else can hurt.
As
far as I know, my two boys so far have only wandered to the edges of God’s
path for them, and if they strayed to far, I’ve still been able to see them
and call them back. Knowing how these seasons have hurt me, I can’t imagine
what it takes to bear up under more outright rebellion and disobedience.
This
next song, taken from Psalm 27 is
dedicated to you. I’ve invited some friends to dance for you moms today.
Four members of the Islandgals Worship
Hula Company have come to help me lead you in worship through this Psalm.
As they come up, can I ask you to read this Psalm?
MEN: The Lord is my light and
my salvation whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of
my life of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked advance
against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my
foes
who will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
my
heart will not fear;
though war break out against
me,
even then I will be confident.
WOMEN: One thing I ask from
the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house
of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the
Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble
he
will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the
shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will
sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to
the Lord.
LEADER: Hear my voice when I
call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, “Seek
his face! ”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
Do not hide your face from
me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do
not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
Though my father and mother
forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
MEN: Teach me your way,
Lord;
lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the
desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up
against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
I remain confident of this:
I
will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
ALL:
Wait for the Lord;
be strong
and take heart
and
wait for the Lord.
|
|||||||||
|
You
are My Stronghold
|
K
|
Sheryl
Ting
|
Daniel
|
|
Jeff
|
3:40
|
56:00
|
|
New order
|
Video Greetings/Tributes
|
Bee
Luen
|
|
|
|
|
10
|
66:00
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Finale: How You Live Intro
|
K!
|
|
|
|
|
2:00
+ moving
|
70
|
|
On behalf of the mom’s who just were greeted
in those videos, I’ll thank you now and they’ll thank you later. Thanks for the energy and creativity
you put to making these greetings!
Those of you youths who didn’t get around to
making a video, well, let me just say, I hope you have something planned to
make it up to mom today since you weren’t up there!
Ha ha!
Let’s play some of that music on the CD.
We’ve almost come to the end of our morning together. We’ve spent this past
hour thinking about what is wonderful in God’s creation of women and what makes for a good mum. Together
we women are encouraged and inspired to be more courageous and nurturing. I
am confident that God has been
speaking to you today. He’s been reminding you of something about
himself, or he’s been asking you to step it up in some area where you’ve been
slack.
Around the room are posters with issues women
face. There will be one last song we’ll sing, a challenge, a benediction
through a song we want to give you before we have a chance to pray for you
about these issues.
But before that, I need you to listen
carefully to these instructions, because this is a little clunky in this
room. Men, guys, children, girls. We need you to make a big circle around
this room. You are going to encircle the women of this church as a
demonstration of your love and support for them.
On your way to making a circle, I want you to
pass your card to the woman you made if for, if she is here. Got it? Ok.
Those of you who are women who are finished
with your schooling, are say, 20 years or older come down here to the center.
And while you do, take a look at these posters and be deciding which one you
would most like to be prayed for in just a few minutes.
[wait for everyone to settle]
in
Ephesians 2:10 it says: For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ
Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
This last song from Point of Grace is my last
challenge for you today. You ready for one last song? Gals, this is for you:
|
|||||||||
|
How
You Live
|
K!
Annab
|
Sheryl
Ting
|
Daniel
Ang
|
|
Jeff
|
4:30
|
74:30
|
|
Wake up to the sunlight
With your windows open
Don't hold in your anger or leave things
unspoken
Wear your red dress
Use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes
Have what you want
But want what you have
And don't spend your life lookin' back
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
Cuz it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live
So go to the ballgames
And go to the ballet
And go see your folks more than just on the
holidays
Kiss all your children
Dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night
Don't run from the truth
'Cause you can't get away
Just face it and you'll be okay
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live
Oh wherever you are and wherever you've been
Now is the time to begin
So give to the needy
And pray for the grieving
E'en when you don't think that you can
'Cause all that you do is bound to come back
to you
So think of your fellow man
Make peace with God and make peace with
yourself
'Cause in the end there's nobody else
Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
'Cause you won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live
|
|||||||||
|
Close Service with Prayer
Post
Worship playlist:
Women
can find a place in the room to pray for different issues.
|
|
|
|
|
|
14
|
PLAY recordings of:
|
|
Psalm
139
For
the director of music. Of David. A psalm
You have searched me, Lord,
and
you know me.
You know when I sit and when
I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and
my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my
tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and
before,
and you lay your hand upon
me.
Such knowledge is too
wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your
Spirit?
Where can I flee from your
presence?
If I go up to the heavens,
you are there;
if I make my bed in the
depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the
dawn,
if I settle on the far side
of the sea,
even there your hand will
guide me,
your right hand will hold me
fast.
If I say, “Surely the
darkness will hide me
and
the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be
dark to you;
the night will shine like the
day,
for darkness is as light to
you.
For you created my inmost
being;
you knit me together in my
mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am
fearfully and wonderfully made;
your
works are wonderful,
I
know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from
you
when I was made in the secret
place,
when I was woven together in
the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed
body;
all the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before
one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your
thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they
would outnumber the grains of sand —
when
I awake, I am still with you.
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
95
|
Est total time 1 hr, 35 min
|
|
Categories for Prayer (posters around the room
of the things women are concerned about)
Life balance: Work, Relationships, Serving
Caring for family
Health & Beauty
Confidence & Joy vs Worries Fear
Self Care: Taking care of yourself!
Deuteronomy
5:16
“Honor your
father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that
you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your
God is giving you.
Matthew 15:1 Then some Pharisees and
teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do
your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands
before they eat!”3 Jesus replied, “And why do you
break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God
said, ‘Honor your father and mother’[a] and
‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[b] 5 But you
say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father
or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their
father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of
your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was
right when he prophesied about you:8 “‘These people honor me with
their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)