How Time Flies

Goodness gracious me!!! It’s been almost a month since my last post. Wow!!! How time flies. I’ve been busy as a bee and working like a dog. Thank God for His daily provisions!!!

The pictured guitar is the result of some of my labor.

I can’t help thanking God for what a wonderful job I have. I love working on guitars and it’s always exciting to hear the guitar you’ve built for the 1st time. It’s akin to hearing your 1st baby cry.

Thank God I’m not as attached to the instruments I make like before. It’s a lot easier to let them go and I thank God for giving good homes to my “babies”. I feel like a dad giving his daughter away at her wedding and like all dads, I’m glad to know my “babies” are in good hands.

There’s a lot of stuff going on right now. Personally, ministry and work-wise. I thank God despite the business of life; He’s in control of everything and I can rest in His care and wisdom.

I’ve got some decisions to make and not that it’s a difficult decision but it will be one that will change my life the next couple of years. At the same time, I’m waiting on a decision by another individual that may change my life forever. The ironies of life……….

God seem to be opening doors for a new direction in my life. In the past month, He has brought some people into my life that seems to “encourage” something that I’ve been hoping to do. Time will tell if this is His will and as we’ve heard from pastor Mike last Sunday, His will is easily discernable if we’re walking in step with Him.

Thank God for the message “Knowing the Will of God”. I pray it’s been a blessing and illuminating message for all. I thank God for the privilege to hear the message a week prior to PM’s preaching to us as a congregation.

Thank God also for the most wonderful tribal outing last Sunday with Jo Lin, Jason, Kenneth Tien, Jessie and Cheryl. We had fun at the arcade at Marina Square and went for a steamboat dinner at Marina South. Kenneth was so helpful during our steamboat dinner. He was going around getting food for us, buying drinks. I love the guys in “Team Jesus” and it’s so encouraging to see them opening up. I just pray that by His grace, love and wisdom, I’ll be able to be a blessing and encouragement to them.

Of late, I’ve been listening to Lincoln Brewster’s rendition of “Surrender” on a regular basis. I start my day with the song and it helps me to focus on what’s most important and prioritize my day. I think even my neighbors know the words to the song. Hahahaha. Well, maybe not my neighbors but I’m sure my dad knows the song as I play the song at least thrice a day :P I love this song so much I’m even motivated to learn the song on guitar. Lincoln Brewster is an awesome guitar player and thank God he’s using his abilities for God’s Glory!!!

I'm giving you my heart, and all that is within

I lay it all down for the sake of you my King

I'm giving you my dreams, I'm laying down my rights

I'm giving up my pride for the promise of new life


Chorus:

And I surrender all to you, all to you

And I surrender all to you, all to you


I'm singing You this song, I'm waiting at the cross

And all the world holds dear, I count it all as loss

For the sake of knowing You for the glory of Your name

To know the lasting joy, even sharing in Your pain

“Surrender” was written by Marc James and here’s his story behind the song.

As with a lot of songs, "Surrender" was written at a low point in my life, It was around Christmas time and, due to my past history I was having a miserable time, feeling very lonely and a bit of a failure. I wrote the verse chords and the first two lines and thought to myself, "hmm, that sound a bit like a Brian Adams song"!

A month or so later I was invited to play guitar with a worship band called "100 Hours" in Hawaii for a week. My friend Tre, the singer, gave me some money and looked me in the eye and said "I believe in you, and I think that God will provide the rest of the flight money". This blew me away. I had been feeling really worn out from my job as a schools worker, and the time away was amazing. I felt really cared for and had an amazing time of coming close to God and surrendering myself to Him, and His will for my life. I wrote the song at the end of that time in Hawaii.

So it started in a very desperate place and ended in a more hopeful place. I find the song quite a challenging one to sing; to choose to serve God and lay everything down is not always easy, and I know that a lot of the time I'm not really living in that, but I know that the song has helped me to come to that place, and I know that it has helped other people come to that place as well which is a cool thing. It is also something I could not have seen happening as I sat writing at my kitchen table feeling hopeless!!

That’s all for now. Till later…………..

God bless:)

-malt