Take a step back to leap a little further

Saw this in my previous blogspot :) most of the ones that are done really shows a big sign of "IT MUST HAVE BEEN GOD" moments!

I would like to

• try scuba diving
• try bungee jumping (tried sky diving at Perth instead!)
• conquer my fear of heights (if doing sky diving counts, YES!)
• travel to New York
• meet Pastor Steven Furtick in person (Thank you Jesus!! Hillsong Conference 2014)
• meet Pastor Craig Croeschel in person (Thank you Lord!! Hillsong Conference 2013)
• have a better sense of fashion
• learn how to bake a really pretty cake
• learn how to cook a yummy lasagna
• learn how to swim (and i got to do it with amazing group of friends!)
• ride a bike down a hill
• make a Snowman
• learn how to make delicious sushis
• improve my English
• catch a cab to a destination on my own
• check out a recording studio (RAA's recording at Monster KK)
• lay on the grass and enjoy a starry night (during my first trip to the island! AND it was also my first time seeing a shooting star!! AND AND AND I got to do it with P2!! Triple-awesomeness!)
• be able to witness KK city lights in a bigger view than at the Observatory Tower
• learn how to fly a kite 
• learn how to fly a plane and view the whole KK 
• finish a season of any TV show  (tons of TV shows actually! haha.. thanks to Uni life and Unifi)
• how to not sing off key (cutting it half cause I'm almost there haha! Thanks to Aunty Mandy for free professional singing lessons and also Carrie for going together and sending me week in week out!!)
• learn how to speak Cantonese more fluently
• learn to make coffee art
• learn gun shooting
• ride a horse at high speed and not fall down
• meet a person name Alicia Chong
• learn how to cook sweet and sour fish
• learn to make a super awesome chicken salad
• learn to make a large size tasty pizza
• own a red dress
• learn ice skating
• learn roller skating
• try out bobsled/luge/skeleton
• learn to make ice-cream
• finish 2000 pieces of jigsaw puzzles

Here's to many more God moments and "life is amazing" moments to come! :)

Nothing in My Hands I Bring, Simply to the Cross I Cling

Been a while since I take time and blog my thoughts. Guess I was just really busy with being lazy :(

ANYWAY.

I was watching a video about a preacher talked about the most terrifying truth about the Gospel is that - God is just and God is good. Here's the videos, may you be inspired too! :) 

The Gospel by Paul Washer

What Is Salvation? by Paul Washer

I love how he revolved everything of the message to Jesus Christ. Not the first time to hear this kind of message, there's no new mind-blowing message with bombastic words or vocabulary used to deliver the message, but it is so simple and so direct about the Gospel, about Jesus. 

"Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the Cross I cling"
This sentence which he quoted from a hymn (not gonna lie, googled the hymn only after I heard from Pr. Paul) so profoundly simple yet powerful. Nothing, simply nothing, but the Cross. 

I heard people said that when a person become more and more Christ-like, the more simple the person is. Not complicating things. Overlooking offenses yet loves justice. Not a personality trait. Not optimism or ignorance; But the person is just very simple. Even in the midst of pain and trials, peace ruled the heart and holds a deep comprehension and grasp that Jesus still reigns. 
I guess that's how a Christ-like person is? Had nothing in their hands, but simply to the Cross they cling.

Such a constant and faithful truth the Gospel preaches, yet powerful and strong in various, or in fact every, seasons of life. 

God is just and God is good.
Hallelujah. 

Discovery of Self

When it felt like it was just a short while ago that Max mentioned he'll go Aus for further studies, yesterday finally came. After months of emotional preparation, i can only come to a conclusion that I'm not even close to be prepared for it.
In this 'crying and trying-hard-not-to-cry' process, i learnt a few things that I would like to list it on my blog. Hopefully somehow it'll serve as a record of 'where i was' and 'where i am now' in future.

1. Don't rush yourself in the process of regaining strength
I think what made a person strong is not avoidance of pain by keeping yourself busy, but rather acknowledging the pain and know that God is in the process with you.

2. Discovery of self is an adventure
Through this process, I've discovered that I am weaker than I thought I was. I've realized that being honest with your weakness liberates you. I've recognized that it's okay to feel needy at times - in need of friends' shoulders to cry on, in need of companionship through tough times and in need of a reminder that I can always call out to Jesus.

3.  God is in my weeping
Just like the song 'Everything' by Tim Hughes : 
God in my hoping, there in my dreaming,
God in my watching, God in my waiting,
God in my laughing, there in my weeping,
God in my hurting, God in my healing

This process helps me to really experience that God is not only present during joyful times, but He is also near in desperate and weeping times.
Personally I think day 1 of having a long distance relationship with the world's-best-boyfriend is really hard, but i find comfort that nothing is too hard for the Lord; I love Max a lot, but I know that God loves him more than I do.
God is still good, even in the midst of pain.

When You're 40

Hey, if blogspot still exist when you're at the age of 40. Here's the 20 year-old you speaking. Try not to laugh. ;)

Been living/try to live by the motto of YOLO for the past 8 months as a Uni student. In case you don't remember what does/did YOLO stand for, it means/meant You Only Live Once.  

Personally, YOLO breeds :
- Thanksgiving
- Courage to try new things
- Strength to restrain good things for the sake of great things
- Live and make the best out of every moment
- Create memorable moments
- Discovery of self and others


YOLO. Words to live by. 

Sincerely, 
20 year-old Alicia

PS. Whatever crap you're facing right now, don't stop loving Jesus for He first loved you. Amazing how His love does not waver by time gap. :)  

Because You're More than Worth It

That moment when you wish you could change things to how you want them to be, yet that sense of peace deep within assuring you that everything will be alright. 

Praising God for He is a God of comfort and also a God of purpose. 

Just as I am, is His.

All I am is His.

Some points in life I don't live out as if Im all His. In fact, most of the time I don't. My heart, my thoughts, my emotions, my feelings..there's just so much that I still need to surrender. Sometimes it feels safer to live life as if I belong to myself. Yet so pointless. Both at the same time.

But I guess this is the season where i hope and pray to keep building the foundation again and again of I am all His and He is mine; He is my all in all; that I can surrender and go to my Father just as I am.

Confused as I am,
Clueless as I am,
An imperfect daughter as I am,
Who do I go but to my Saviour, Jesus.

Deal with my heart Lord. Entirely. Leave no space unruled by You.

Surrendering surrender

Surrendering was never easy to me.
Surrender in saying 'Im sorry'.
Surrender in admitting my mistakes.
Surrender in acknowledging my shortcomings.

Its in human nature to want to control things. We just come up with any form of steps to be in control of our past, present and future - we tend to take control of our past by shuffling it down below our beds, sleeping every night hoping to not be reminded of those memories; we work our way up to live the life we want; we want to know our future so much that sometimes we'll look to things like horoscopes just to have a glimpse of the uncertainties.

Surrender. Past, present, future..surrendering of mind, body, soul, emotions. Tough decisions.

God, help me to redefine surrender.
Help me in surrendering to surrender.