Of Faith, Hope & Love - N116 City Harvest Church Blog | Finding a Church in Singapore?

Blood Donation

2011-09-20T00:02:00.005+08:00

We are saved by grace, and thereafter we ought to have good works.
We are not queueing for the latest gadgets, but waiting for our turns to be poked at Suntec Hall 603. Indeed, like what we learn today about the unity of locust. There's tremendous power and unity as we donate blood as a church.

Dith is looking photogenic.

Five warriors initially. Guess who is the missing one ?

This is what the children, wife and maid doing while waiting.

Greg is checking if nurse is poking at the correct vein.
Smiling champion. His packet of blood is ready for collection within 5min plus. Well done!

Chee Foo lying beside Greg, and we are competing. No sweat for Richard. One packet does not seems enough.
Total capacity of blood to be filled = 450ml. (Bigger than a can of coke)
Happily posing. See our colorful bandages.

Hey, where's Meredith ???

Meredith, don't be sad. Try again next time. Richard recommends to do push up, and Chee Foo recommends to do a set of 100 everyday. Hee...

Well done to all the volunteers in N116. You give your time, energy, finances, and even your blood! You are really doing good works.

Fellowship CG on 15 Sep 2011

2011-09-19T23:38:00.007+08:00

It's a Thursday, and we are not at Cheng Yan's house.

We are at Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe @ Kovan
Ahem... fellowship is important and spiritual too. Somehow, the turn out seems to be better than a normal cgm.

Men's talk

Women's conference. Heard that there's great story tellers in our midst.

Thank you for your fellowship!

Farewell Mandy

2011-03-26T15:33:00.002+08:00

22 is a special number, at least for someone.

There are 22 reasons why we like you, Mandy. Here's why. She...

1. Does the right thing at the wrong time.
2. Looks great with dress.
3. Entertains us with our silly jokes.
4. Has a great voice & a loud voice too.
5. Is committed to the vision of the church.
6. Never give up on her study, even though we almost given up on her.
7. Fills the atmosphere with laughter whenever she is around.
8. Is frank on her mind, sincere in her heart.
9. Has make God real in her testimony.
10. Makes song sheet. No song sheet for us, so no praise & worship
11. Has make this word 'Silence' disappear in our dictionary when she is around.
12. Is good in public speaking & expressing herself.
13. Grooms well & dress in style.
14. Can blink her eyes rapidly.
15. Has big heart & big actions.
16. Keeps saying 'Shifu... Shifu..' to Chee Foo. Though irritating at times, he likes.
17. Looks good on stage. Can see your face big big on screen.
18. Is full of patterns when take photos.
19. Fits into SDU. Someone once said SDU stands for 'Single, Desperate & Ugly'. But she is 'Single, Desirable & Unattached'
20. Is a great car companion.
21. Is over zealous @ work. If only she can be more zealous in CG.
22. Makes Lo Yu Sheng incomplete next year onwards.

Goodbye Expo!

2011-02-28T23:59:00.007+08:00

See if you can spot yourself

The first crowd

More people joined...

Cameraman moves backward some more... ~Snap! Finally..

Somemore....

HELLO SUNTEC !!

19 more days

Vatican City Churches Virtual Tour

2010-11-05T23:24:00.008+08:00

For those who have yet to been to Rome, here's the virtual tour of the grand Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City and the grand cathedral church of Rome - Basilica of Saint John Lateran, which also belongs to the Vatican City. Thanks to technology, these are absolutely breathtaking, enjoy!

Basilica of Saint Peter Virtual Tour > http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_pietro/vr_tour/index-en.html

Basilica of Saint John Lateran Virtual Tour > http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_giovanni/vr_tour/index-en.html

About Basilica of Saint Peter

About Basilica of Saint John Lateran

Dinner with the Mafia : Shanghai Nite

2010-10-23T17:58:00.004+08:00

Date : 30th Oct 2010
Venue : Lion City Hotel. Happy Restaurant (Chrysanthemum Room Level 2)
Time : 7pm
Price : $20 per pax

Ideas to dress up (Be prepared to be 'Wow')
http://belluspuera.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-09-21T02%3A10%3A00%2B08%3A00&max-results=10

Are you ready??!

2010-09-30T20:35:00.001+08:00

TGIT! Thank God It's Thursday!

n116 is ready for "圣经谁怕谁？"

Mr Wong's birthday (a very belated post...)

2010-09-24T16:32:00.014+08:00

...nanny joy writes...

Birthday celebrations for Zhifu has always been a very important and significant event for us in n116. Every year, we devise means and ways to ~~sabo~~ celebrate Zhifu's birthday.

Just take a look at the email strings:

In 2008, was "wild wild and WET" and check out the way we celebrated his birthday here:

http://chcn116.blogspot.com/2008/08/event-of-year.html

In 2009, was warm and cozy with a special guitar performance by Daniel Ang and Joshua.

(I realise that we haven't posted the '09 photos up! Here's the link: chcn116 Photobucket - Zhifu's Birthday 09)

This year, we decided to keep things simple, and we had a simple dinner at Zhou's Kitchen, Far East Square.

After the sumptuous ala-carte buffet dinner, dessert was served.

Did you see the "snowcaps"?

And Mr Wong is clearly amused by the dessert.

Then follows a speech by Francis.

A group photo to end off the celebrations...

Pardon the resolution coz the photos were taken with my BB curve :(

Standing in the Gap

2010-09-07T00:57:00.004+08:00

Ezekiel 22

30So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

The prophet Ezekiel is here expressing the need for prayer intercessors who would "stand in the gap" before God on behalf of the needs of His people of that time. It's a privilege we can lift up in prayer the needs of others as we are led by the Holy Spirit. Apart from prayer, standing in the gap means to give your precious time to listen to a sad and frustrated girl; Standing the gap means to avail yourself for the things of God and look at the body of Christ as a whole; Standing in the gap is to seize the moment and being selfless. It can be rather ironic when your supporters told you they will support you, and you realize they are standing so far behind when you turn around. The choice to stand in the gap is not automatic and it has to be learnt. Yes, you have the power to make the difference.

ET Zone Retreat 2010

2010-09-06T23:56:00.003+08:00

ET ZONE Adult Retreat “Refresh Renew Recharge”

9 – 11 Sep 2010

Important Things to Bring

 Sports gear and shoes for outdoor activities; dark coloured clothing for the ladies
 Swimming wear if you wish to swim
 Medication just in case! Especially motion sickness pills for the 1-hour ferry ride!
 Camera to capture memorable shots of the retreat!
 $$ for the extra activities available like spa, pool, archery, and more!
SGD accepted, max around $50 per day
 Bible & stationery

Resort Location & Directions

Harris Resort Batam
Waterfront City, Batam 29422, Indonesia
Tel: 62 778 381 888
Fax: 62 778 381 142

Assembly Timings & Location

Do have a good breakfast if you are departing in the morning!

If you are leaving on Thursday
• Assemble at 10:45am (morning ferry)
• Latest check in 11:30am ferry departs 12:10pm
• Singapore Cruise Centre at HarbourFront Terminal, Level 2 Batam Fast counter
• Look out for Jin Lian 9386 3549

If you are leaving on Friday (UPDATED!)
• Assemble at 8:30am for check-in (Expected to be Crowded for boarding as it is a Public Holiday!)
• Latest check in 9:20am, ferry departs 10:00am sharp
• Singapore Cruise Centre at HarbourFront Terminal, Level 2 Batam Fast counter
• Look out for Joseph 81255351

Departure Timing
• Taking the 2:10pm ferry back on Saturday
• Will reach Singapore by 4:10pm as Batam is one hour behind Singapore

Retreat Costs
• Includes round trip ferry, all meals plus BBQ dinner at poolside & 1 complimentary bowling game

See you this week at the Retreat!

SOT 2010 Graduation

2010-08-29T21:53:00.100+08:00

29 Aug 2010 is a special day for 4 persons in our cell. It marks the day of being a great finisher, and the day of a new beginner. Daniel Ang, Angela Ng, Joy Ong and Joshua Thong .. we are so proud of you. Not many can do what you guys can do - the faith, courage, perseverance and the many tears collected during the journey. Well done.

We are the die hard fans.

Joy and her dear.. ~so mushy...

Daniel and Shaoqing looking great

My name is Angela.. the always cheerful wife and mum.

Graduated in SOT is one time. Question is "Are you guys wide awake or asleep in the class?" SOT students need to pass N116's test first. hehe... (What is our Daniel doing ? )

Sword = The word of God that changes us.

Belt : Allow to be led by Holy Spirit, that sets us free.

Shoe : We are to be the messengers of God, that brought good news and peace to others.

Helmet : Jesus is my Salvation

Indeed, these guys pass with flying colors.

N116 has a special gift for you guys - with your name engraved

How do you guys feel today ?

A sense of victory...

Fantastic...

Now I can spend more time to mop house's floor.

I need some good sleep.

Say "Cheese"

Interested to know how the banners are made ?

The creative team

Hmm... How to squeeze Joshua into this yellow paper ?

Let me show you how to draw Daniel banner

The two gals have worked very hard. Our great designer, Cindy came out the design for Angela effortlessly. By the way, she is so engrossed with the cutting that she missed her class at 4pm. Oops..

Almost done. Tired but happy.

Aeroplane

2010-06-30T14:13:00.002+08:00

Look! It's superman.

No.. It's a bird.

Wait a minute... Looks like it's an aeroplane.

Yes.. It's really an aeroplane. - About to take off

Trying to take off. Kind of suceeded.

Dinner outing at AMK

2010-06-27T00:10:00.001+08:00

Here we are at AMK St 43, S11 coffeeshop. It was an outing planned by our dear Betty. Not only she makes that effort, she also want to bless the cell group. We are so blessed !

Just enjoying each other presence. This is Mandy's favourite slogan: "Cherish the moment"

Catching up with each other.

Women ministry

If anyone made me angry, I will poke three satay sticks on his head. OoPs..

Hmm... think we are really hungry.

Cheyenne very happy as many uncles and aunties play with her.

The Hangout

2010-05-16T18:06:00.000+08:00

We were hanging out at The Hangout as a zone. It has an unusual setting compared to board games cafe like settlers and mind cafe. Let's see..

Say "Cheers!"

Jiahui's cell group

We started off with a game of icebreaker.

"Who are the survivors?"

"Me ! Me ! Me!"

Joshua and Jeong in the same team.

Jeong doing a "Saturday Afternoon Fever"

Joshua got "shot" in the icebreaker

The team competition started.

The zone was divided into teams and each team has to complete certain tasks in each station.

Chee Foo illustrating the rules of the wii game

Wii competition started.

ET Sports Day

2010-05-15T08:33:00.003+08:00

It was a raining season. But God is good. Weather at Botanic garden was simply fantastic. God has once again did a miracle. Weathe was cooling. Looks like we are all ready for ET adults sports day.

Gathering the crowd.

"1 dollar, 1 dollar.... Who wants to buy ?"

Art of balancing banana using your face!

Bang ! Telematch starts.

Pamper your face with organic products - green beans.

Jump together and see how many green beans left on your face

Blow a balloon and walk.

"How come the sky is yellow in color ?"

See who can eat bananas the fastest.

Next game. It's all time favorite - Captain Ball.

Chee Foo is the referee.

"Quick! Give me the ball."

Hmm... similiar pose.

New game - Dough Ball

See who runs the faster, gets the ball.

Now we know Julia and Jenice can run.

Suave, decisive, swift...

That's our Daniel !!

Happy but legs are tired.

The Hang Out - Zone Outing

2010-04-12T16:13:00.005+08:00

Yes... this is the place where you can hang out with your cell group, and get to know one another.
No need to run around. No need to sweat or make yourself stink. :)

For a small price of $12, you get
- FREE flow of drinks
- UNLIMITED selection of board games
- NON-STOP 4 hours of fun
- WIDE selection of WII console games
- PRIZE to be won
- Lots of fun ...

Sign up with Joshua ! Bring your friends along too.
For more info on this place, check out http://www.thehangout.com.sg/

Nearest MRT : Dhoby Ghaut

View Larger Map

Costa Sands (Downtown East) Outing

2010-04-02T13:45:00.000+08:00

Wear your beach attire, and get ready for fabulous fun together after Easter.
See you there!

Amelia's Water Baptism

2010-03-31T01:09:00.001+08:00

28 Mar 2010 was a beautiful and memorable day for someone.

Preparing hearts to get ready for water baptism.

Can you spot Amelia and her daughter, Rachel ?

The heat was on, but yet this had not hinder family and friends from supporting water baptism candidates.

This is our die-hard fans

I had made it !!

Gift #1 : A towel to keep you warm

The Story

The sun reminded us of your sunshine

The lion represents that you have dominion in life

You are as steady as the tortise

Angels are rejoicing today

Your life will flourish as you get planted like the trees,

and you shall drink from the living water.

Artist : Our lovely Wendy & courageous Chee Foo.

With great power, comes with great responsibility.

The celebration starts.

Amelia was to feel and guess 3 items.

If she guessed incorrectly, she would have to say loud loud

"I am so beautiful. I am a child of God !"

What does long bean got to do with water baptism?

Shhh...

Shhh... Kiwi fruit

Wahhh... So salty !!

I am the salt of the earth

I am the light of the world

I am the apple of God's eyes

I have my earthly crown too!

Gift #2 : Flower

Gift #3 : CD

Gift #4 : Noticeboard of wishes

Happy family

and happy spiritual family

Some memorable shots

Amelia, we are so proud of you !

Updated by CF

Latest Movie Update - COMING SOON

2010-03-18T00:49:00.001+08:00

Was looking out for the latest movie to watch and I stumbled upon this.. he seem so familiar... does he not? Can't put my finger on it though...

Victim #1 - Wong Chee Foo

2010-03-18T00:16:00.000+08:00

Interview Workshop

2010-03-17T17:06:00.001+08:00

Are you thinking of career advancement or industry change, but yet feel fearful or 'rusty' on handling job interviews?

Fret not! This Interview Techniques Workshop helps you to overcome fear and become confident when you meet up with your prospective employer. Check out below flyer for more information.

Another awesome activity brought by ET Zone

Updated by CF

ET Sports Day

2010-03-15T19:09:00.000+08:00

Time to let down your hair and flex your muscles a bit.
Join us for this fun filled ET sports day !

Reports on Casualty

2010-03-15T12:14:00.003+08:00

Sniper Joshua had finally figured out how to use the automatic mode of his gun.

He saw enemy David approaching and hid behind a small block, which seems to be too small for his build.

Few shots were exchanged.

"Bang..Bang.. " (around 40 to 50 pellets)

"Ahhh.... Wei... You... Ouch..." (sounds from David)

According to sniper Joshua, this is our David looks like during the paintball.

Updated by CF

Starring Saving Private Ryan (Part 2)

2010-03-14T00:25:00.003+08:00

I just know that every man I kill, the farther away from home I feel. ~Captain Miller

Captain Miller: [weakly mutters something]
Private Ryan: [leans in closer] What, sir?
Captain Miller: James, earn this... earn it.

This is not for the fainthearted. Mission has to be accomplished. The show must go on regardless of the pain and blue black. Starring the cast.

Platoon A

Platoon B

Platoon C

Platoon D

The ladies doing a last pose before the war starts.

Brave gals.

Last photo of intact hands and arms.

The story begins here. War is about dodging bullets, about killing other men, about seeing your comrade's entrails rotting next to his body. It's also about following orders -- that is, dedication to the military force fighting a war. The soldiers are early today, waiting for instructions.

Differences between man and woman

Mandy reporting..

Soldiers checking own equipment(s)

Last phone call.

Commanders giving instructions on weapon handling.

Can you tell who is not paying attention?

Moving on the second briefing point

Jeong : (using his mind power) "You cannot see me"

Joshua : I will keep this pellet for later use.

Chee Foo : Can we shake hands with our enemies before we start?

Shouting at the top of our voices.

"We are the Champions!!"

All ready to go

Swift and Decisive

The action packed.

Victory after meeting the objectives.

Well done, Soldiers!

We did it.

Have you wonder why some people are so clean after the war?

Check this out.

Now you know why.. Ahem..

The place is covered with dark clouds, and it was pouring during first briefing.

God did another miracle for us. Rain stopped the moment we step into the field.

Praise the Lord. God is a good God, and He answers prayer.

Updated by CF

Mummy Cindy's Birthday

2010-03-13T22:33:00.003+08:00

The birthday coordinators had a plan. A brillant one. According to one Chinese folk tale, a Han Chinese rebel leader named Liu Fu Tong, devised a scheme to arouse the Han Chinese to rise up against the ruling Mongols to end the oppressive Yuan dynasty. Guess what we did ?

Yes, we placed a small note inside her fried rice. The note says, "This Saturday is my birthday !" She has to read aloud. The celebration started.

Singing out loud

It's my birthday... I am not going to run away this time*

* Cindy tends to be away either overseas or at chalet when her birthday is coming.
Where ever you go, we will follow you. Muhaha..

Chee Foo seems to have something up his sleeves.

Ahhh.. a paper.

Violet wrote a poem to express her love to Cindy.

"I awake each day with a smile,

And greet with a laugh

The world is a treasure to me

Because of you

......."

Chee Foo expressing his heartfelt thanks to Cindy, by giving 3 short yet powerful words.

G - Girl Power

G - Gung-Ho

G - Giant Faith

"I finally can show the stylish side of me".

Another awesome gift purchase by Meredith.

We love you, Mummy Cindy !!

Updated by CF

Saving Private Ryan (Part 2)

2010-03-05T10:47:00.000+08:00

Those who had survived the bloody assault during Part 1, are sent on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines. This is not for the fainthearted, but bravehearts that are understandably perturbed by the subtext of their mission. Recruitment is now open. Whether you are man or woman, boy or gal, you are wanted by Captain Daniel Ang... (announcement disrupted by enemies.. suddenly, there's gunshots in the background... someone shouted..."AhhHhh", another one screamed.. "OrrRrr...")

The heat is on.

By CF

n116's Chinese New Year

2010-03-05T10:20:00.002+08:00

On 18 Feb, the 4th day our Lunar New Year, n116 had our CNY cg at Greg's house

For you who were not there, here's the videos..

Part 1: Preparing for Lo Hei...

Part 2: Lo and lo to a prosperous and a blessed 2010!

Service to the Cell-group

2010-01-30T11:48:00.005+08:00

Cell concluded with the distribution of duties for each member. It was quite a nervous time as each person opened the "ang-pao" with designations that had to be explained by Chee Foo. Laughter reighned for much of the time.

Birthday Coordinators - Daniel, Jennifer, Joshua, Joy, Meredith
They will be doing what Jennifer has been doing all alone. Kudos to a great bunch of people who will certainly do a great job.

Song Writer - Amanda
She has been and will be printing the song-sheets which we use each week.

Chief Finance Officer - SQ, Cheng Yan
They will be in charge of collecting and disbursing the fund, and sending gentle reminders.

Housekeeper - Betty, David, Francis, Jeong, Phoebe
The mighty five make the house owner happy by cleaning the house after the meeting. No more song sheets, litter or bones on the floor and dinner table.

Atmosphere Builder - Madeline, Mr Lim, Sally
These will be in charge of getting soft music in the background and getting the physical setting conducive for cell.

Adventurer - Amanda, Daniel, Richard
They will aim to organize more outings for us.

Food Hunter - Amelia, Angela, Madeline
These will scout out the best places for us to sup after service. To many scrumptious locations. May God grant increase to their tribe.

Cheer Leader - Joshua, Meredith
They will welcome and warm up the newcomers to our fellowship.

Star Blogger - Cindy Chia, Gregory
(Here Gregory takes a bow with his first post.)

Paparazzi - Gregory, Joshua
Don't be surprised if somewhere, sometime... someone comes up to you and says ..."Smile for the camera"...or just takes a candid shot. Grin

Intercessor - Camelia, Eileen, Jenice
They will be coordinating and updating the prayer list. Please share your needs with them and update them when prayers are answered.

DHL - Cindy Yeo, Joyce
If we need to travel to any food paradise or promise land, the DHL will allocate you to the right car.
Cake Cutter - Dorothy, Violet
They'll make sure that all get a piece ( and no one gets sad that theirs was smaller... or bigger... grin)

Cell refreshments and "choping" seats for each week's service will be done by connect groups.
Shaoqing - Jan, Feb, June, Oct
Joshua - Mar, July, Nov
Jennifer - April, Aug, Dec
Daniel - May, Sept

Let's give all these helpers a round of applause!

N116 Appreciation 2009

2009-12-28T10:59:00.075+08:00

2009 has been quite a year for us.

Some had a wonderful, eventful year. You had a supportive boss and kind colleagues. Your life is a bit more interesting as you found new friends that can click with you. You had shook away that boring working environment and the current one seems to be more exciting, at least for now. You are able to multitask well as you got the peace of mind at home because children and aging parents are in good health. It is a greater joy to see your children entered into new phase of their lives such as reporting for their first job, getting married & giving birth. Champagnes are popped when desires of your heart came to past. Oh yes, that miracle house, speedy recovery etc ... Praise the Lord!

To some, it had a challenging year. A loss of love ones; going in and out of hospital because parents were very sick; Career stuck; Juggling between jobs, study, family & ministry; financial struggle; health deterioration; heart break; don’t know what to do, etc.. Praise the Lord for His grace, strength and comfort during those hard pressed moments.

Changes do happen. In fact, only constant in life is changes. If change doesn’t cost you anything, then it wasn’t a real change. Without change, there can be no improvement. To some, change is grief. To some, change is growth. I am glad that the members of N116 have not given up on God when there are changes. After serving God in a cell group ministry for the past 8 years, I can conclude one thing. God is a faithful God. We have came out stronger as we persevere till the end of this year.

People who are successful, don’t have fewer challenges than anyone else. Successful people experience more failure, overcome more problems, navigate more changes, deal with more discouragement and fear than those who don’t succeed. How did they do it? They carry a different spirit from the rest. A spirit of great attitude.

Let us embrace 2010 with a choice of great attitude. It’s easier to maintain a right attitude than to regain it.

Here’s what happens on 27 Dec (Sun) for our CG appreciation meeting.

Arrived at Madeline’s house after Sun service. Video crew was busy setting up the TV. Didn’t know we had some potential ballet dancers.

Food was simply heavenly, mouthwatering, toothsome, yummy, palatable, scrumptious, flavorsome, etc.. The list just goes on. Don’t just believe, see below evidences.

Evidence 1

Evidence 2

Evidence 3

We played pictionary. Led by our all time favorite game host, Jennifer.

Saturday night fever

Praising God in all times

After a short word, Chee Foo sang solo and dedicated a touching love Chinese song to all – 老鼠爱大米. If you have missed this moment, you really miss it. Heard that he had been practicing this song secretly in the toilet.

A recap of what we did together as a cell in 2009.

This is the highlight of the session – Oscar winning award.

This is to reward members that have worked very hard and tirelessly for the past one year.

First Award - Best Cupbearer Award

What is Best Cupbearer Award ?

A cupbearer is one who fills, tastes and distributes cups of wine to the king. If the wine has poison, cupbearer is the first person that will die. Hence, a cupbearer is a person that the king can trust. Likewise, this person who wins this award is loyal, trustworthy and willing to bite the bullet for the cell group leader.

The nominees are Amanda, Jennifer, Shaoqing and Joshua

The cupbearer award goes to Joshua Thong

Joshua is willing to go for the extra mile for Chee Foo and members. Chee Foo commented that Joshua would often rearrange his busy schedule just to be available for him and any help when needed.

Second Award - Best Servanthood Award

What is Best Servanthood Award ?

This person just keeps serving tirelessly to the Lord and the members. He often works behind the backstage. Whether if anyone appreciates or not, it does not matter as sacrifice is a lifestyle to this person.

The nominees are Daniel, Mr Lim, Jennifer

The Best Servanthood Award goes to Daniel Ang

Each customized cake that Daniel bakes for the birthday boy or gal easily worth more than S$20. We have an average of 25 members. This guy does not collect money from cg fund for all the cakes baked for members, including new friends. More than this, Daniel often offers his help readily for members.

Third award - Best Supporter Award

What is Best Supporter Award ?

The best supporter is someone that has been a pillar and strength to the cell. This person may not be the loudest or having huge biceps to help out in the cell. Yet this member has been holding a BIG invisible banner in each gathering to support Chee Foo.

The nominees are Sally, Mr Lim, Cindy

The best supporter goes to Mr Lim

Mr Lim has only absent one time for cgm in the whole year of 2009. He is absent because he had a very bad stomachache. This shows how committed he is to the Lord. Chee Foo commented everytime he sees Mr Lim around, he will feel strengthened and know that the meeting will be awesome. Mr Lim, we love you !

Fourth Award - Most Willing Award

What is Most Willing Award ?

The most willing person is someone that simply avails even when the moment is at his/her most inconvenient time. This person has faith to believe that as he moves, God will move. In fact, God uses willing person. A person that is unwilling cannot be used in the kingdom of God. Unwilling person will find himself place at the shelf for a very long, long long time, until every stubbornness and pride are dealt with.

The nominees are Eileen, Cindy, Jennifer

The most willing person goes to Jennifer

What can we say, she is a person that has faith, willing to step out and conquer new grounds.

As for the rest of us, we have got a special photo frame. Reminded us that life is like an espisode. Live once, live well. Nothing is impossible with God.

Celebrating Francis and Madeline birthday

It is a 3-in-1 joyous celebration. CG celebration, house warming and birthday celebration.

See you folks in 2010.

More pictures behind the scene

Christmas moods still in the air

When should we start fasting ?

What? Got sharks fins ? Where to take ?

Someone doing a head stand ?

Christmas Cellgroup Night

2009-12-20T20:40:00.007+08:00

One of the best things about being in a cellgroup is the much anticipated cellgroup Christmas bash. There is probably no better way to celebrate Christmas with your spiritual family than coming together on a moonlit night in a big cozy house filled with fun games, caroling, gift exchanges, great fellowship, good wine and champagne plus a sumptuous Christmas feast! This is also the day where we had our last cellgroup meeting for the year, which is kind of like the grand finale of 2009! Check out the line ups that we had:

It's game time! We were divided into 2 teams and each person was to unwrap a layer of newspaper (don't underestimate, they were wrapped in dozens of layers!) wearing kitchen gloves before passing on to the next person and so on till the last person in the team. The team that unwraps the most layers wins.

The second game we played was the 'All About Christmas' Tic-Tat-Toe . Our game host Jennifer certainly did not make this an easy one, and many questions are so tough that you probably need an encyclopedia. Each time someone answers a question correctly, the team he or she belongs to will get a chance to draw on the Tic-Tac-Toe board and this continues until there is a winning team.

Prize for the winning team - Ferrero Rocher Chocs!

After the games, it's time to sing some happy Christmas Carols and festive cheers!

Up Next: Duet performance of Chinese song '关怀方式 'by Joshua and Meredith with Daniel accompanying on the guitar.

After that, it's the exciting segment for everyone - gift exchange! As all of us had already drawn the name of the member we are going to buy present for some time back, so every gift will be meaningful to the reciever in some ways. Each one of us also came up with a short speech to encourage the person we are giving to.

Angela's gift was for Gregory, who could not make it for cellgroup due to work. Hence, we recorded her words for him. So Greg, this is for you ya?

Last but not least, the celebration will not be complete without this and here's the highlight of the night - THE FOOD!

These are just some of what we had. Everything was so delicious that all of us went home with a full stomach that night. For those who wished they were here and wasn't, fret not because there's always the next one, for we are not just a cell group who loves God but loves food as well. It's never too late to join us.

From all of us. Wish you have a blessed Christmas and Awesome New Year !

The 5 minute Skit That Touched The Whole World

2009-12-16T16:18:00.007+08:00

The "Lifehouse Everything Skit," performed by Mission Baltimore with music by Lifehouse, has deeply moved the hearts and souls of America, and the only "hook" pulling people toward it is a yearning to draw closer to a forgiving and embracing Savior.

Many are calling the "Lifehouse Everything Skit" a phenomena, but it is so much more than that, as more and more continue to fall in love with Jesus or revive their relationship with Him after watching it.....

Happy Birthday Richard!

2009-12-09T00:10:00.011+08:00

We might think that meeting people of the same birth month with us is a common coincidence, and meeting people of the same birth day and month is a uncommon coincidence. However, meeting someone in the same cell group with the same birthday is a very rare coincidence! As Christians, we believe a coincidence is never by chance but is a God planned thing.

God must be showing his humor by placing two people with the same birthday in our cell group. Our dear Amanda has a new Khaki because 21st November is not just her birthday, but also our brother Richard's birthday!

This is the first time Richard experience the unique N116 birthday celebration because he had just joined our cell group about 2 months ago. Welcome to our family Richard!

Richard and his daughter Rachel

The 2 Birthday speech givers Jennifer and Daniel were blessed by Richard's earlier testimony and complimented him for being an honest and courageous man who is not afraid to own up and take responsibility for a mistake that nobody knew, and how in the end God turned this bad outcome into good.

Richard sharing how he was led by God to City Harvest church after a period of backsliding.

So what's the first N116 Birthday gift to Richard?

2 nice T-shirts! So Richard, must remember to wear them on our sunday services ok?

Lastly, the highlight of the night - Coffee & Chocolate Mousse Cake! Creation of Patisser Daniel, as always.

The Brick

2009-12-02T13:18:00.004+08:00

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighbourhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, 'What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?' The young boy spoke apologetically 'Please, mister, please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do.' He pleaded 'I threw the brick because no one else would stop.' With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. 'It's my brother, ' he said 'He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up.'

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, 'Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me.'

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. 'Thank you and may God bless you,' the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk towards their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: 'Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!' God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.

Thought for the Day:

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.

If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.

He sends you flowers every spring..

He sends you a sunrise every morning Face it, friend - He is crazy about you!

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way..

Read this line very slowly and let it sink in...

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Happy Birthday Gal!

2009-11-21T02:15:00.010+08:00

Its birthday celebration time again and this November 21st baby is our live-wire, fire-cracker, prawn-cracker and bombastic singer. Ok, enough said, words are not enough to describe this person because she is just too dynamic. By now you might have guessed who she is. Yep, its our dear girl Amanda's birthday!

This girl is amazing, not only she has most powerful, unique and contagious laughter, her liveliness and energy are also infectious. Amanda is one such person who brings much joy, laughter and fun to others. With her around, it's hard to be a serious person because you'll cracked up eventually, and that truly is a powerful gift.

Happy Birthday to you...

May your wish come true...

Birthday speech giver Violet gave a classic quote about Amanda - tough on the outside but warm and fuzzy on the inside!

Our resident birthday speech giver Joshua sums up Amanda perfectly with 4 Ls - Lively, Loving, Loyal and Loud

Amanda giving her birthday speech

'President' Chee Foo awarding the present..

It's a pair of nice ballet-style flats that is so very Amanda.

And also a very Amanda top. Trying to do a pose à la Kungfu Panda?

This time, Patissier Daniel made 2 big ice-cream cakes for Amanda

Chocolate ice-cream cake

and Pistachio ice-cream cake

We are such a spoilt bunch..oppps...I mean blessed...aren't we? :P

Welcome To This World Sweetie!

2009-11-21T00:01:00.013+08:00

N116 warmly welcomes the latest and youngest addition to the cellgroup - Baby Cheyanne! (pronounced as 'Shy Anne')

This little princess is the bundle of joy of a VIP in the cellgroup, and of course this VIP is......our very own chief Mr. Wong Chee Foo! That's right, Chee Foo had been promoted to be a daddy and so this marks the beginning of a new chapter for him call 'fatherhood'.

Indeed, it must be an amazing process and experience for a first-time mum and dad to witness the birth of their first child and holding her in their arms, feeding and caring for her, seeing their little baby turned 1 month old and finally celebrating their first baby shower.

Congratulations Chee Foo, we are so happy for you and proud of your 'promotion'. Children are a gift from God. We pray that God will bless you and Xiao Wei abundantly with more gifts like this, so that you can fulfill God's calling in the bible, and that is Genesis 1:28 - 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it'!

Baby shower + great fellowship @ Chee Foo's house

Sumptuous buffet corner

Men's fellowship corner?

Women's fellowship in the room (sorry Joseph!)...actually we came for the aircon :P

Belinda's signature smile

Joyce, Shufen and Michele

Grace and Michael's little prince

Baby Jonathon's turning 1 soon!

Is Gregory inspired to be in the same league with Chee Foo and Michael?

Happy Birthday Michael!

2009-10-15T02:04:00.007+08:00

Michael has always been known as a man of few words. Although he doesn't joke and talk much, his words carry weight and wisdom when he does talk, now that's power in silence. A loving husband to Grace and an adoring father to 2 sons, Michael is a great example of a strong, supportive and responsible family man who always put his family's needs before him. Happy Birthday to you Michael, we pray that God will bless your family with greater financial abundance and anoint you with greater capacity to handle every area in your life!

The October birthday star -Michael

Our birthday coordinator Belinda presenting the cake

Birthday speech givers Cheng Yan and Michele both gave an edifying speech to Michael

And the gift? That's right...it's shopping vouchers. We're just being practical :)

And here's Michael's Tutti Frutti birthday cake by Patissier Daniel, for more great pictures of yummy brithday cakes, please visit his Avoir La Passion Cake blog.

Mid Autumn Festival Celebration

2009-10-15T00:23:00.006+08:00

Its the yearly 中秋节 mid autumn festival again! This is one of the best time to get together, drink some tea, eat lots of mooncakes and have some fun. Being the sporting bunch, we decided to light up the lanterns and take a moonlit stroll around the quiet neighborhood.

Lighting the evergreen paper lanterns that are unchanged for the last 20 years.

Amanda's got the green light.

Now we are all ready.

And here we go..with big wide smiles and happy faces!

Strolling in a beeline.

Joshua's wacky invention. How to carry more lanterns? Find a good sturdy tree branch...

Joshua and Gregory - the 2 'big kids' and their newfound toys.

Of course that's not all, mid autumn festival isn't complete without some feast. After we had a good stroll under the moonlight, we treated ourselves to yummy mooncakes, fine chinese tea and some other great food.

We even had a professional tea making set to make fine Chinese tea for all.

Our tea master Cheng Yan demonstrates his Chinese tea brewing skill.

Great food, great tea, great fellowship! What more to ask :)

Happy Birthday Violet!

2009-10-13T01:08:00.008+08:00

Yup...its another joyous occasion here in N116 and now it's Violet in the limelight! It is a pleasure to have Violet in the cellgroup because this warm and friendly lady is always so cheerful and smiley. Violet somehow reminds us of the Godly wife mentioned in the Bible in Proverbs 31. Not only is she a Godly woman, but also a loving wife to David and a doting mother of 1 son. Happy Birthday Violet, we pray that God's blessing will increase abundantly in your family.

The Birthday Gal

Patissier Daniel presents the birthday cake...

Ooohh....its Tiramisu!

If that does not look yummy enough, here's a professionally taken picture of the Tiramisu cake! (courtesy from Avoir La Passion Cake blog by Patissier Daniel)

Birthday speech giver Joshua

Birthday speech giver Amanda

Presenting the preferred Birthday gift in N116 - shopping vouchers!

Faith, Hope and Love Building Quotes

2009-09-15T13:57:00.001+08:00

By Croft M. Pentz

If you kicked the one who causes you most of your troubles, you would not be able to sit down for six weeks.

A man who always says what he thinks is courageous-and without friends.

Three of the most difficult things in life are to keep a secret, to forget an injury, and to make good use of leisure time.

The business of living is not to get ahead of others but to get ahead of ourselves.

The surest way to encourage violence is to give in to it.

(Source: www.ziglar.com)

Happy Birthday Jenice!

2009-09-11T01:33:00.006+08:00

The 2nd last day of September is a special day for our dear sister Jenice, whose birthday falls on this day. God must have it planned well, 30th Sep was also a sunday where we had our church service and so we manage to celebrate Jenice's birthday on the actual day! This lovely sister not only has the hunger for God, but is also the evangelist of N116. The number of friends she brought to church is just amazing. Thanks Jenice, for introducing your friends and family to City Harvest Church, we pray that God will not only bless your coming in and going out, but also expand your faith and your gift of evangelism.

Birthday Gal Jenice

Faithful and tireless servant of N116 bakery ministry- Daniel Ang and his raspberry cheesecake topped with marshmallow & champagne grapes.

"When you wish upon God, your dreams come true...."

Birthday speech giver - Joshua

And the birthday present - shopping vouchers! what more can a girl ask for... :)

Happy Birthday Gavriil!

2009-09-07T17:30:00.009+08:00

Gavriil first came to our cellgroup last year when his aunt, who is also one of our cellgroup members, brought him to church. So blessed was he by our services that he had been attending City Harvest Church regularly since then. Coming all the way from Greece to work in Singapore, this hunk of N116 even became a popular personality after joining Channel U's talent competition last year. Despite all these, he remains a humble and down to earth person. Last month, we celebrated Gavriil's birthday in cellgroup meeting for the first time.

Birthday boy Gavriil

Birthday speech giver Chee Foo

Birthday gift from all of us in N116

A cool Nike Jersey fit for a sporty hunk

Gavriil giving his birthday speech

Last but not least, Daniel's delicious double (white/dark) chocolate cake topped with digestive biscuit.

Laughing Bride

2009-09-07T14:07:00.004+08:00

Just came across this funny video on Yahoo...does it remind you of someone in the cellgroup? :P

The Departure

2009-09-06T23:20:00.005+08:00

Auspicious day…

It is a day someone has been waiting for the past 2 years

She likes to eat this

She likes to play cell group games especially this one
+ +

She goes crazy when we have outdoor sports like
+

Here we are posing for the last few photos with her

The sweet smile from Taru

The gentle side of us

Giving the final hug to everyone before she left

What’s our beloved Amanda doing after Taru had left for good?

You cannot blame her because it’s already 12.30am..

YAWN…. ZzzZz Monster is waiting for us.

Last but not least, here's Amanda and Joshua singing a song for Taru during her last cellgroup with us.

And our dear Daniel even made delicious durian puffs for her!

TARU, we love you.

Don’t forget to show us around if we ever go to Finland.

By CF

Guitar Graduation

2009-09-02T15:51:00.002+08:00

A big thank you to Chee Foo who sacrificed 10 weekends to teach us to play the guitar.

It has changed our spiritual lives and the way we worship.

Thank You!!!

Merlion In Japan

2009-07-28T14:16:00.007+08:00

A super lame Japanese commercial that shows a couple having a conversation (though the wife looks more like the daughter), where our very own merlion shows up in the midst....in an equally cheesy manner. Wonder who's the brain behind this brilliant ad...and what on earth does super eco-war means?

Happy Birthday Camelia!

2009-07-20T02:02:00.006+08:00

For the first time, N116 celebrated our dear sister Camelia's birthday ever since she was being transferred to this cellgroup last October. If there is an example of what a meek, gentle and humble person is like, Camelia will be absolutely the right one to fit this description. No doubt she can be a soft-spoken and quiet gal on the outside, Camelia is actually one independent and strong person on the inside, not to mention she's also one who has great faith and trust in God too. It's a blessing to have Camelia in the cellgroup and we pray that Camelia will receive even more blessings and favours from God in the months to come...Happy Birthday gal!

Recieving God's blessings...

Birthday gal Camelia giving her birthday speech.

Present from cellgroup

Wow...a nice cross necklace!

Blueberry yogurt birthday cake, made by Le Patissier Daniel Ang.

The N116 family

Guitar class + ET Adults Dinner @ Roland Seafood

2009-07-10T02:47:00.003+08:00

Every Saturday, a few of us would gather at David's place to learn guitar from our Zhifu Shifu..

Look at all the stressed-faces as we attempt lesson 4, 4 more new chords, another guitar strumming technique.

But I must say that we are improving with each lesson! ;)

And David and Violet feeds us with yummy refreshment to reward us for our hard work!

--

Last Sunday, we had our very first Decentralised Service and we welcomed the change as some of us had the chance to catch up with our families over breakfast on Sunday morning, while others could sleep in a little later..

After the service, the adults in ET zone proceeded to Roland Seafood Restaurant for a time of fellowship..

Midway through the dinner, we had the game "Don't Forget The Lyrics" and Amanda represented n116 for the challenge.

Unexpectedly, she hit a bottle-neck but she got the right lyrics at the end!

The members looking on...

A Yum Seng to n116!

Group shot..

The World's Oldest Bible

2009-07-08T15:39:00.007+08:00

The World's oldest bible, known as the Codex Sinaiticus, is written over 1600 years ago in Greek. It is made of 400 large pieces of prepared animal skin, each of which measures 15 inches by 13.5 inches (380 millimeters by 345 millimeters). It is the world's oldest book that contains a complete New Testament and is only missing parts of the Old Testament and the Apocrypha.

It has recently been digitised successfully under the Codex Sinaiticus Project, and was made available for viewing online to the public. Here's an extract from the Codex Sinaiticus website:

"The Codex Sinaiticus Project is an international collaboration to reunite the entire manuscript in digital form and make it accessible to a global audience for the first time. Drawing on the expertise of leading scholars, conservators and curators, the Project gives everyone the opportunity to connect directly with this famous manuscript."

To view this ancient bible online, click here for Codex Sinaiticus website.

Durian Fiesta

2009-07-06T16:34:00.011+08:00

2 weeks ago, we went to Four Seasons for durians. Well..I mean Four Seaons Durian stall at Joo Chiat (lest you are thinking of Four Seasons hotel!) Yup, although the stall was located out of the way, the durians are superb! It's probably what the real Four Seasons hotel will have if there are to start selling durians inside.

We started off with 1 expensive 'Mountain Cat King' durian...

Then we have another. Our durians are not just rich in taste, but rich in colour as well..

Then we have more....

And even more! Look at all the big yellow creamy thing each one of us is holding..are you salivating now?

Happy Birthday Shao Qing!

2009-07-06T15:34:00.005+08:00

Our wonderful sister Shao Qing is not just a loving wife to Mr. Daniel Ang, but also a humble servant of God with 'superwoman' qualities. Besides being dedicated to her children's ministry, she is also serving tirelessly for our cellgroup as our seating coordinator, our cellgroup treasurer, a connect group leader and also helping out with other miscellaneous stuff at times. As our seating coordinator, she has to coordinate attendance and come early to service every week to book seats just so that we all can sit together. Another admirable thing about Shao Qing is that even while she has to juggle her many roles and committments in work, family and church, she never fails to set aside time for God and to build up her spiritual life. She is someone who will go for all the morning prayer meetings and will fast regularly for breakthroughs. Her faith and dedication to God is something that we will take our hats off to.

God's blessing you now....God's blessing you now...

Cute mini birthday cake fit for a sweet lady..

Make a wish....

Birthday speech giver - Meredith

Shao Qing giving a short speech

Robinson's shopping vouchers!

Happy Birthday Cheng Yan!

2009-07-06T15:07:00.007+08:00

It was Cheng Yan's birthday few weeks back and we had a little celebration for him. This big-hearted brother is a man of God, a loving husband and a doting father. Without him, we will not be able to have such a big, nice and cozy place for cellgroup every week. The pleasant hospitality that we receive from Cheng Yan and Dorothy is also something that keeps us looking forward to go cellgroup every week.

Happy Birthday to you...happy birthday to you...

Yummy Tiramisu cake

Birthday speech giver Joshua giving praises and words of encouragement to Cheng Yan.

Our gift to Cheng Yan - Shopping vouchers!

The hospitable couple - Cheng Yan and Dorothy

Cheng Yan giving his 'thank you' speech =)

And here's a video of his speech....recorded specially for Chee Foo, who was not present on that day.

New Look

2009-06-29T00:16:00.001+08:00

Watch out for our New Look

2009-06-25T11:50:00.008+08:00

We hear from Acts 4:32 about sharing in all things.

"Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common."

What is the first thing that come to your mind about the word 'possessed' ?

Is it materials things such as money, houses, car, etc.. ?

Do you know possession can also refer to kitchen items such as like soya sauce, vineagr, rice or even ice-cream.

How you know you pass the test of sharing ?

Note that picture above is purely fictional and for illustration purposes only.
Step 1 :Order 3 sets of 'Mix n Match' ice cream.Make it as gross as possible.

Step 2 :Get at least 3 persons to taste the ice cream.

Step 3 : Clean the spoon with your tongue.

Step 4 : Stir the spoon into another bowl of ice cream.

Step 5 : See if anyone refused to eat.

Below shows a negative example.

No one can eat my ice cream. Muhahaha...

Stealing ice cream.. Yummy

Below shows a positive example. Eating together

Another example of sharing just a cone

This is my precious..

Did you manage to pass this test ?

By the way, forgot to include one more step, ie. say grace for the ice cream first before tasting. Hee..

Updated by CF

The meaning of Shalom

2009-06-23T16:00:00.003+08:00

The meaning of the word "Shalom"

By David Silver

The Hebrew word SHALOM is understood around the world to mean peace. But peace is only one small part of the meaning of the word SHALOM.

Here in Israel , even though we don't have much in the way of peace,

we use the word SHALOM on a daily basis. We use it to greet people with, and we use it to bid farewell to people. However, SHALOM means much more than peace, hello or goodbye.

Strong's Concordance 7965 - Hebrew Shalom ..... A word study in the New King James version for SHALOM says: Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or> discord.

Shalom comes from the root verb Shalom meaning to be complete, perfect and full. In modern Hebrew the obviously related word Shelem means to pay for, and Shulam means to be fully paid.

Sar SHALOM (Prince of Peace) is one of the descriptive names the Bible uses to indicate the ministry and personality of the Messiah: Isaiah 9:6 - The Son of God is completely perfect in all things

So in essence, when you speak out the word SHALOM - you are not only proclaiming peace, but all the above meanings of the word over that person - that's a mighty blessing!!!

Remember what the word of God says - "there is life or death in the power of the tongue".

We recently heard someone on a Christian TV program say: "No wonder the Jewish people are so blessed, because every time they say Shalom to one another, they are also allowing the full meaning (see above) of SHALOM to be pronounced over them.

He humorously proceeded to say that this greeting word would be much more beneficial to the American people if they greeted each other with SHALOM instead of their usual "Hi" or "Howdy" greeting. As Josie and I adapted to life in Israel , we adapted to the SHALOM habit over the "Hi" habit....As Messianic Jews, we are called to bless you and we take that very seriously, by praying for you and by greeting you with SHALOM.

Therefore, from now on, when we or someone says SHALOM to you, you should receive it as a tremendous blessing. And bless them back with a hearty SHALOM!"

Numbers 6:24-26: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord lift up His face upon you and give you SHALOM.

In the name of SAR SHALOM - the Prince of Peace.

Uploaded by Richard

Ben & Jerry

2009-06-08T17:07:00.002+08:00

Why is our dear Amanda hiding her face behind the big ice cream cone ?
a) Ice cream too delicious ?
b) Inside the cone got gold ?
c) Her eye lashes drop inside ?
d) Just wanna compare the size of cone and her face ?

Write to us... and we will reveal the answer real soon... hee..

Sun-ny 8days

2009-06-04T21:09:00.006+08:00

Our beloved Sun is featured on this week's issue of 8days, a local entertainment and television magazine.

Over a skype interview by the reporter, in the 9 page spread, Sun shares the things that she's busy with, her life and the upcoming English album, and many more.

If you are interested to know more, do grab a copy of the 8days from your neighbourhood news stand, ma ma shop, supermarket, bookstore......before it's all sold out!

Double Birthday Celebrations

2009-05-28T14:07:00.010+08:00

Previously we celebrated part 1 of Joshua's birthday, so now its time for part 2. This time round we had another person's birthday coming up as well, who is none other than our star chef and patissier of N116 - Mr. Daniel Ang! As such, we had a double birthday celebration during our cellgroup meeting.

The birthday boys - Daniel and Joshua

Daniel sharing how he had advanced in his career, marriage and walk with God in the past 1 year.

Joshua making a speech on the progress he made under the loving care and support of the cellgroup and cellgroup leader Chee Foo.

Happy Birthday Daniel and Joshua!

Birthday speech giver Violet commending on Daniel's sacrificial attitude and willingness in taking the time and trouble to bake a cake everytime there is a brithday celebration in cellgroup, and even thoughtful enough to note everyone's unique taste, so that he can make something the person likes!

Birthday speech giver #1 for Joshua - Cheng Yan - who highlights a positive thing about Joshua that he is a godly man who hears God's words and actually apply them in real life.

Birthday speech giver #2 for Joshua - Camelia - who came well prepared with a 'presentation' chart.

'Joshua...I think you are a generous person...a good friend...a loving father...'

Joshua receiving his 'certificate' of good characteristic from Camelia.

Birthday present for Joshua from the cellgroup.

A Davidoff perfume for Daniel and a Superman tee-shirt for Joshua! Why superman tee? Because we think Joshua is a superman and superdad who can juggle his many roles so well. :D

The birthday cakes we bought. No cakes from Le Daniel this time...well it doesn't make sense for our star chef to bake a cake for himself right? kekeke...

Brothers in christ forever....

Last but not least, this is a forfeit shot for the games, where we got everyone to put on their widest smile. Joshua is trying to scare us off but we think he looks really cute here... :P

Happy Birthday Gregory!

2009-05-19T04:09:00.008+08:00

We celebrated our dear brother Gregory's Birthday last week during cellgroup meeting. It was a special day because it's the first time N116 celebrated for Gregory ever since he came over to this cellgroup. It was a celebration filled with gifts and surprises. Birthday speech giver Janice came prepared with an awesome 'presentation' and a touching speech.

Happy Birthday to you...God's Blessing you now...

Gregory absolutely loves the cake Daniel made for him!

Another super yummy Le Daniel's creation - pear birthday cake - Greg's fav!

And a very touched Gregory giving his biggest hug to Daniel.

Janice is so sweet and thoughful to spend time preparing this wonderful speech for Gregory.

Janice goes on to elaborate her encounter of Gregory on each character. S for being a Sage, W for your warm-heartedness, E for your experiences, E for your enchanting personality, T for your thoughtfulness and S for your spontaneity! One word to sum up Gregory - SWEETS!

The cost of this chart? Priceless...

The perfect gift for a wine lover...

Another gift for Gregory...

Its a nice black polo tee!

Thank you...I love you all! xoxo...

KTV Outing

2009-05-19T03:33:00.006+08:00

ET zone had a KTV outing recently. As there are many humble people in our cellgroup who are rather shy to sing out loud, so the attendance from our cell was small. Although there's only 4.5 pax from our side (4 adults and 1 kid), we had fun crooning to all kinds of tunes and making a fool of ourselves occasionally. It was a cozy setting where we had a good time fellowshipping and listening to each other's beautiful vocals at the same time.

Very accurately-timed synchronised pose in this supposedly impromtu shot

Say cheese...

The cozy group

Peanut for you?

Posers wannabe...

Why so formal looking?

That's more like it man!

'Twin sisters' of N116

2009-05-19T03:28:00.004+08:00

Meredith and Janice...donch we look alike? Kekeke.... :D

Happy Birthday Joshua!

2009-05-19T03:16:00.006+08:00

Our dear Joshua is a year older, but also a year wiser! :)

The birthday 'boy'

The Birthday cake...

What's that?

Its a mini cake with a cute blue motorbike toy and a coconut tree on it! :D

Here's only our part 1 celebration for him, there's part 2 coming soon...so stay tuned..

Faith, Hope and Love Building Quotes

2009-05-16T14:52:00.003+08:00

Discouragement is faith in the devil.

If the door to success is marked pull and still won't open, ignore the sign and push.

In most cases, IQ is less important to a person's education than I will.

The wise man doesn't expect to find life worth living; he makes it that way.

Don't be content by being average. Being average means you are as near to the bottom as you are to the top.

Monday
Psalm 65:10
You, Lord, drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges. You soften the earth with showers and bless in abundant crops.

Tuesday
Psalm 65:11
You crown the year with a bountiful harvest, O God; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.

Wednesday
Psalm 65:12
The wilderness becomes a lush pasture at Your hand, Lord, and the hillsides blossom with joy.

Thursday
Psalm 65:13
The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. I shout and sing for joy!

Friday
Psalm 66:1, 2
I shout joyful praises to You, God, I and all the earth! I sing about the glory of Your name! I tell the world how glorious You are.

(Source: www.ziglar.com)

Zone Outing at Botanical Gardens

2009-05-01T00:26:00.012+08:00

We were off to the Botanical Gardens last Sunday after service for a great time of pinic cum telematch with other cellgroups within the zone. It started with a nice weather and some cool breeze. We also had a great pinic under a nice bamboo tree with delicious food from Botak Jones.

Lovely park, nice weather...

The huge bamboo tree we are sitting under...

and the rustling sound of bamboo tree leaves in the background...

Our yummy food from Botak Jones!

Enjoying the pinic...

The sleeping 'prince' (don't know why he's smiling to himself in sleep...)

What a nice environment and weather right? But then things took a turn suddenly and the sky was filled with dark clouds soon. We were getting ready to start our captain's ball when the rain started pouring, so we have no choice but to hurry and seek shelter at a pavillion. We didn't get to play any outdoor games because of this heavy and enduring rain, but we did however get to play an indoor 'telematch', praise God for creative response!

One of the games we played is a theme based one that can start with something like 'the smallest, the biggest or the fastest' and each cellgroup must anticipate what the challenge is and send a representative they think can fulfill it. The challenge is then being revealed after that, such as the smallest feet size, so the representative that has the smallest feet size wins. We won one of the rounds on 'the biggest' theme and guess who we sent? Of course none other than our tallest, hunkiest brother Gavriil! We place our stakes right because the challenge turned out to be 'the biggest biceps', which Gavriil won hands down...and without much effort. :)

Another round we won is with the theme 'the fastest' and so we sent our dear Joy to compete because we thought it's going to be the fastest sms. It turned out to be 'the fastest person to finish drinking a packet drink'! Joy was so 'zai' in this round, check out the cool video below:

Next we played charade, where we won two rounds. Check out a cute video of michele below acting out the phrase in which guessed correctly.

We also played a game where each team has to translate the word 'goodbye' and the team with the most number of translations in different languages wins.

Wrecking our brains to think of saying 'goodbye' in foreign languages.

Our work-in-progress...

Perhaps it's God's will for us that it rained because in the end our cellgroup won the 'indoor telematch'! :P And here's what we got for our prize:

Five $10 vouchers from Ben & Jerry's! Hallelujah!

Ultimately, the most important thing is that everyone had fun despite the heavy rain and we did not let it dampened our spirits. Indeed, we have all obeyed the verse "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

N116 group photo...with someone trying to make a funny face :P

The kids had fun too.

Who are they 'bio-ing'?

The loving couple of N116 - Daniel & Shaoqing

Faith, Hope and Love Building Quotes

2009-04-28T22:27:00.001+08:00

If Columbus had turned back, no one would have blamed him. No one would have remembered him, either.

Trying times are no time to quit trying.

The elevator to success is not running; you must climb the stairs.

Do the best you can - angels can do no more.

Great things are little things done with a desire to please God.

Monday
Psalm 63:1
O God, You are my God; I earnestly search for You. My soul thirsts for You; my whole body longs for You in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

Tuesday
Psalm 63:2, 3
I have seen You in Your sanctuary and gazed upon Your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself; how I praise You!

Wednesday
Psalm 63:4
I will honor You as long as I live, lifting up my hands to You in prayer.

Thursday
Psalm 63:5
You satisfy me more than the richest of foods. I will praise You with songs of joy.

Friday
Psalm 63:6
I lie awake thinking of You, meditating on You through the night.

Susan Boyle - the hope and courage that the world needs now.

2009-04-24T00:21:00.012+08:00

Susan Boyle - one of the 'Britian's Got Talent' contestants (a spinoff from 'America's Got Talent') - is making headline news around the world with her singing; and she's also one of the hottest topics buzzing in the internet space lately. Just what is Susan Boyle about? Why is this frumpy and granny looking woman causing such a big sensation in the world? I mean how did she even get herself on the contest??

After seeing her interview reports in the newspapers and on cable TV a few times, I decided to check it out online. So I caught her video and boy I was blown away! I know why she's causing such a big hoo-ha now, simply put she is someone who can melt away every hardness in people and cause them to reflect on themselves.

I can't believe how this video is so brillantly captured, everything from the audience's reactions and judges' comments, to Susan's image, the way she talks, her chosen song, singing and the lyrics, it all fall in place perfectly. It speaks loud of our superficial world and how shallow we are. But it also captures many facade of a human being - from the good, the bad, the ugly to the hopeful, the courageous and the inspirational - the latter are just what the world needs now.

If you not have seen this, you really ought to, check it out below:

The winner of Berlin short film festival 2006 - Chicken a la Carte

2009-04-17T16:13:00.006+08:00

In February 2006 at the Berlin International Film Festival, film-makers were invited to join a short film competition on the theme: Food, Taste and Hunger. 3600 filmmakers around the world participated, but only 32 were short-listed. This particular film came in first and won the most popular short film award. (extracted from http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1081/Chicken-a-la-Carte#videoDetail)

This video was forwarded to Dith by her previous cellgroup member. The first 2 minutes of this film will make you wonder why it is a winner, but watch on and you will know the reason...may we always be reminded of how blessed we are and also be a blessing to others.

Cellgroup Drama Night

2009-04-11T15:05:00.013+08:00

Our dear cellgroup leader Chee Foo prepared a special word for cellgroup last week on 'How to succeed in your career'. What's special is that he and some of our cellgroup members also prepared a mini drama to complement with his preaching! The first half of the drama is about how to ace an interview, the what-to-dos and what-not. The second half is about good and bad working attitude in workplace. Of course, this drama could not be made possible without our exemplary cast:

1. Joshua - as Caleb, who is a fresh graduate with good EQ and is very well prepared for the interview, and later as a good worker who displays excellent work attitude.

2. Grace - as Sharon, a blur and sloppy candidate with low EQ and is very ill-prepared for the interview, and later as a sloppy worker who displays lousy work attitude.

3. Benny - as the boss who interviewed the two candidates, and later as their superior in the workplace.

(also not forgetting Shao Qin who is helping out as the narrater in describing the scenerio details to the audience.)

Want to see them in action? Check out these video snippets below...

Scene 1: Ms Sharon's disaster interview

Scene 2: Mr. Caleb's winning interview

Scene 3: Ms. Sharon's sloppy work attitude

The last scene, which is about Mr. Caleb and his excellent work attitude, was not recorded as the camera-lady ran out of memory space in her camera. Anyway, the moral of the story is to have a successful career, one got to be well-prepared in every situation and have good and winning attitude even right from the start from interview stage to the workplace itself.

Sounds easy but hard to follow right? The fact is a winning attitude does not come naturally, it needs to be developed and requires much effort, change, discipline and willingness. The bible says 'Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth (Proverbs 10:4).' So every time we feel like compromising, we only need to remind ourselves with this verse to get back on track.

Most importantly, we can't have true and lasting career success without good work-life balance! If we work hard, we need to play hard too. So remember to take time to smell the roses, spend time with God and your family, pursue your hobbies and exercise. (Tip: If you don't have time, pray to God and ask him to help you come out with more time!) :)

Anyway, below are some shots taken that day....enjoy!

The 'human knot' game forfeiters

And their forfeit is...eat lime! Lime is good ar...can help to slim down! :)

Yummy spread - courtesy of CF after getting his bonus.

Getting the food ready...

Our 3 colorful bottles of 'wine'

Enjoying the yummy spread...

Boy boy...our doggie host of the house

Michele...trying to feed the dog with lemon!? :P

Fellowshipping...

More fellowshipping...

And more....

Faith, Hope and Love Building Quotes

2009-03-30T15:28:00.006+08:00

Every day something is being done that couldn't be done.

Be bold in what you stand for, but be careful what you fall for.

The hardest thing about climbing the ladder of success is getting through the crowd at the bottom.

Any dead fish can float downstream-it takes a live fish to swim against the current.

It's not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.

(**Source: www.ziglar.com)

SCRIPTURE AFFIRMATIONS

Monday
Psalm 62:2
You alone are my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.

Tuesday
Psalm 62:3
So many enemies against one man - all of them trying to kill me. To them I'm just a broken-down wall or a tottering fence.

Wednesday
Psalm 62:4
My enemies plan to topple me from my high position. They delight in telling lies about me. They are friendly to my face, but they curse me in their hearts.

Thursday
Psalm 62:5, 6
I wait quietly before You, God, for my hope is in You. You alone are my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.

Friday
Psalm 62:7
My salvation and my honor come from You, O God, alone. You are my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.