2007

Amen! :)

***
BUT
there is no such thing as “perfect” environment …
( or perfect job, or perfect church, or perfect organization… or perfect community … or perfect fellowship, or perfect relationships, or perfect friendships … )

Not on this side of heaven

BECAUSE
we are an …
imperfect, fallen, fractured, messy, hopelessly screwed-up people
living …
imperfect, fallen, fractured, messy, hopelessly screwed-up lives
in an …
imperfect, fallen, fractured, messy, hopelessly screwed-up world

***
Life is MEMANG imperfect ( not to mention painful! ), so just gotta embrace all these painful imperfections and run with it!

BUT … there is ...

Beauty ... amidst Imperfection
Order ... amidst Messiness
Peace ... amidst Restlessness
Wholeness ... amidst Brokenness
Joy ... amidst Pain
Rock-solid Security ... amidst Choppy Waters

the Body of Christ = The Fellowship of the Broken
and ultimately, despite all these imperfections and painful broken-ness, in Him we can live a VICTORIOUS life ! :)

***
May 2007 be a GOOD year for us all ( as a cellgroup, as well as individually )

Not necessarily “good” as assessed by human eyes, but “good” in His eyes. No matter what happens ( the good, the bad, the ugly … ie. the not-so-nice stuff, the not-so-sweet stuff, the heart-breaking stuff, the spirit-breaking stuff, the painful stuff, the all-around wearying back-breaking stuff … ), as long as it is His Will ... and as long as we continually learn and grow ( and like good wine, mature and mellow with age ;) ...) , in our walk and relationship with Him, as well as with each other, ... and as long as we are being “continually transformed in His likeness” by Him,

then it WILL be a GOOD year :)

***

Similarly, if we can look back at 2006 ( the good,the bad, the ugly ... the heart-breaking and the bloody painful.. ) and see that at the end of this year, we are at a different place in our walk with Him than we were at the beginning of the year ( ... a higher plane? a deeper, sweeter fellowship with our Commander ... ), then no matter what, for all its ugly, painful bits ...

2006 was indeed a GOOD year ! :)

***
"...but when the darkness of dismay comes, endure it until it is over because out of it will come the ability to follow Jesus truly which brings inexpressibly wonderful joy ..." ( Oswald Chambers )

"...& I know that in my own life, the bitter waters of Marah have been followed by sweeter, deeper fellowship with my Lord & greater fruitfulness in His service..." ( Leroy Eims )

"... in the darkest hour, God lifts us up and works for us far beyond all we had ever asked or thought ... the darkest hour often precedes the most radiant dawn... it is impossible for you to suffer unjustly for His sake, truly to take up your cross and follow Him, without one day experiencing the exaltation by Him that He has promised..."( BSF Lesson 29, Series I )