Jee Fong's Corner

Lou Hei

2012-02-02T07:53:00.003+08:00

This Lunar New Year is a memorable one, Monte and I had two sessions of Lou Hei. This is where Yu Sheng, raw fish (e.g. raw salmon) is mixed with shredded white radish, carrots, red pepper, ginger, lime tree leaves, Chinese parsley, ground peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, Chinese shrimp crackers and five spices powder. The dressing such as plum sauce, honey and oil is spread liberally on top of all the ingredients.

Our first session took place at a former cell group gathering and the second after Monte preached at His Sanctuary. We have enjoyed ourselves having fun in tossing the ingredients in the air. What we appreciate most is the time of fellowship with people.

God is the Strength of our Heart

2012-01-30T09:08:00.004+08:00

Yesterday, we had the privilege to minister at His Sanctuary. We had a great time of ministry. God is the strength of our heart; we continue to depend on Him.

We were caught by surprise when the church took a special offering to meet the cost of Monte’s upcoming conference in Virginia,

USA

. You may read more on it at http://jeefong.blogspot.com/search?q=conference

God has gone beyond our wildest imagination. He continues to lead us on the path He has laid before us. As we thread on it, we can only say that God is amazing and His mercies endure forever.

How Great is Our God

2012-01-28T09:52:00.004+08:00

“The earth is tilted at an angle of 23 degrees to its orbit, which produces our seasons. If the earth were not tilted just so, vapours from the oceans would have moved both north and south, resulting in uninhabitable continents of ice. Evidently, if the moon were only 50,000 mile away form earth, instead of 200,000, the tides would be so huge that all the continents would be under water.”

Christina Rees, "The Divine Embrace: Discovering the Reality of God's Love.

Our master designer, the maker of heaven and earth is so awesome. How great is our God! This world will never produce a better designer than our great God who holds all things together. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, and in Him we find all that we need in life. When we go through rough terrains, all we need to do is to focus on the Lord and He builds faith in us to conquer every battle. Our smallness and frailty vanish and we magnify Him who is invincible, majestic and strong.

Monte and I love to sit on the beach and glare into the night sky and soak in all that God reveals Himself to be. In the tranquillity and stillness, the Lord comes through to us as our dependable, reliable, loving and unfailing God who is ever faithful. He is invincible, majestic and strong.

Embracing God

2012-01-27T08:10:00.000+08:00

In the fable about the blind men and the elephant, the first blind man grabbed hold of the elephant’s trunk and announced that an elephant is like a snake. The second man felt the elephant’s leg, and declared that an elephant is like a tree. The third caught hold of the elephant’s tail, and exclaimed that an elephant is like a rope. The fourth leaned against the elephant’s side, and swore that the elephant is like a wall. Who was right?

They were, of course, all right, and yet their partial understandings about the elephant did not add up to the whole truth about the elephant. In fact, their individual perceptions did not even add up to a realistic description of an elephant. In a way, that could be said to be like theology; blind men telling each other about the bit of the elephant that they have got hold of and making suppositions about the rest of the elephant.

It’s awfully difficult to describe the whole truth about God. Some descriptions might be more true or accurate than others, but all descriptions are incomplete. The truth of God is always greater than what we can say about God. If anyone tries to tell you that they have got God all sewn up and neatly packaged, don’t believe them. God is infinite, as love is infinite.”

Christina Rees, "The Divine Embrace: Discovering the Reality of God's Love."

Whenever I think about this powerful parable, I am reminded of the importance of being open to hear and learn from others. We are different and we see things from different angles. God also reveals Himself to each of us in His special way. Knowing God is an unending pathway and journey. As God unfolds Himself to us, we learn to submit and position our hearts to embrace Him and all that He pours lavishly into our lives.

Eliska

2012-01-26T07:20:00.001+08:00

This is a photo of my lovely niece, Eliska, at birth on 9th Nov 2011.

Wounded Heroes

2012-01-25T16:04:00.005+08:00

Recently Monte encouraged me to read the book Wounded Heroes by Elizabeth R. Skoglund. It is a wonderful book.

In the book, Skoglund shared on how God’s servants triumphed over emotional pain. The secret laid in discovering how God enabled His children to deal with situations that faced us in this life.

A great man of faith that Skoglund included is Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-92) was

England

's best-known preacher for most of the second half of the nineteenth century. In 1854, he became the pastor of London's famed New Park Street Church. He preached to audiences numbering more than 10,000. Spurgeon was also known for his printed works. Nearly all of Spurgeon's printed works are still in print.

Though Spurgeon was so prominent in the ministry, he was plagued with deep depression. It surfaced when the church was on fire one time. Skoglund recounted: ““The service began, ran a few minutes, when suddenly a cry, “Fire! The galleries are giving away, the place is falling!” A terrible panic followed; seven were killed, many seriously injured. Spurgeon’s grief over this almost unseated his reason. He was immediately hidden from the public; spent hours ‘in tears by day, and dreams of terror by night.’ A depression deepened upon him form which he never fully recovered.”

Another giant of faith that Skoglund cited is Amy Carmichael. Amy Carmichael (1867–1951), a Protestant Christian missionary in

India

founded the Dohnavur Fellowship. She gave a home to over one thousand children She gave them a future in their bleak circumstances. God used Carmichael greatly; we would never have imagined that she had struggled with health problems and loneliness in her time. She persevered and kept her faith strong in the Lord.

There were other great men and women that Skoglund shared in her book namely Hudson Taylor, C.S. Lewis, Isobel Kuhn and others. They were people who possessed great faith and yet there were areas in their lives that reveal their humanness and vulnerability.

The book reminds us that God is awesome. He is at work in every person’s life. We may have our weaknesses, inadequacies, shortcomings, failures, discouragements, depression and setbacks. Some of us are plagued with constant discouragement and depression. Fear, doubt, anxiety and insecurity hound us furiously. Others lack faith in our walk with God. Seemingly, we struggle to reach our full potential in Him. However, the beautiful thing is that the Lord works through our vulnerability, weaknesses or even physical handicaps. No challenge is too great for God. He breaks down every barrier and helps us to overcome and triumph in dire situations and conditions. All He wants is our brokenness, humility and willingness to love and serve Him with no reservation. The baby steps we take today will lead us to great mountains and deep valleys all for the glory of the risen King.

Gratitude

2012-01-24T10:51:00.002+08:00

Monte and I are thankful to family and friends who have been a part of of us. We appreciate every person that God has brought into our life. They are people who believed in us, people who maintained links with us, people who took time to be with us. We are thankful for the trust and bond that the Lord graciously blessed us. In our tough times, God sent people into our life and helped us.

Gratitude is one of the main characteristics of a believer. When our hearts are thankful, it certainly leaves no room for cynicism, worry, anxiety, anger, jealousy and other undesirable feelings to clog up our systems. In its place, praise, worship, prayer and intercession flood our hearts when we meditate on God’s goodness.

My Adorable Two-Month Old Niece, Eliska,

2012-01-24T10:34:00.001+08:00

Embracing 2012

2012-01-23T07:05:00.002+08:00

Monte and I look at the onset of year 2012 with expectancy and joy. God has been so good and faithful to us. When we recount what the Lord has done and is still doing in our lives, we can only say that God is awesome. With complete reliance and faith, we soldier on victoriously for the Lord is our banner of victory. We embrace 2012 because our future is in God’s hands.

Our hearts are all ablaze when we live with hope and assurance of the Lord’s abiding presence. There is no greater joy than to hear the voice of the Lord. There is no greater fulfillment than to walk and live in His purposes. We count it our gain to love, know and serve the King of kings and Lord of lords. As we abandon ourselves to the Lord’s bidding and call, we are keenly aware that we have many areas of lacks and weaknesses. Nevertheless, these will not stop us from pursuing the God who has given everything He has to pursue us.

2012-01-22T07:56:00.003+08:00

Vocal & Singing Techniques Workshop

Saturday,17 March 2012

Time: 2.00 – 4.00pm

Cost: $30 per participant

Topics:

Body posture

Breathing

Voice projection

Expression

Singing Confidence

Tone

Diction

Resonance

Vocal Phrasing

Placement

Pitching

Voice control

Voice care

Balancing the ears

To register, please visit my vocal training website at

http://vocaltrainingjeefong.tripod.com

(Kindly note that the workshop will commence with a minimum of four participants.)

**************************

Here is what some people have to say about Jee Fong's vocal training sessions:

"Dear Sister Jee Fong, Your lessons benefited me tremendously, especially for someone like me who sing each Sunday without previous training. I tried hard but could not identify areas which needed fine-tuning. Your vocal training sessions helped me understand myself better. I have yet to grasp everything you taught us but I am more confident already. You are a conscientious trainer. I am sure every of your students have gained greatly from you.”

Betty Yeo

His Sanctuary

"Jee Fong is a very committed teacher and comes prepared for every lesson. With her engaging and bubbly personality, she makes lessons interesting and fun and inspires one to try and do more.“

Shauna Law

His Sanctuary

"Sister Jee Fong came well prepared for each lesson. Her tips and techniques are very useful and enriching. I did not even know the "ahem" will spoil our vocal chords! All in all I had gained lots of knowledge and techniques. Thank you Sister Jee Fong."

Simon Loh

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“The vocal training class was very interesting. I have benefited a lot. I have learnt to have expression when I sing, put in emotions when I sing and also on voice control. All these techniques have helped me to be a better back-up singer in my church. I would encourage those who have not attended any such training to go for it."

Joycelyn Lee

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“Jee Fong is an articulated and resourceful trainer. Although I had attended vocal training before, I had picked up many new information and techniques which help to enhance my vocal health.”

Randall Goh

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“I never realize how we can easily spoil our Vocal Cords without knowing it until it’s too late. I now know that taking care of our Voice is quite simple if we were taught the proper Vocal & Singing Techniques. Some of the Techniques you shared with us during your Demo Session was quite simple to practice & proved to be effective. Thank you for sharing and I wish you success in your vocal training workshop.”

Richard Tan

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“After the vocal training, I am now more confident in singing, at least I dare to sing louder then before and with more expression. Thanks for teaching us the techniques of singing. May God continue to bless you and your work.”

Rosie Lee

“Hi! Your vocal training has helped me in singing properly and with confidence. I will continue to use the techniques to improve on my weak areas. I used to have sore throat after two hours of singing. I have learnt that I have exerted on the wrong muscle and lack warming up. Now with proper practice and knowledge of taking care of my vocal cord, I am able to speak properly after 2 hours of singing. I must thank Jee Fong for her Marvellous GIFT in Vocal Training."

Hong Demei

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

"I can feel the passion that Jee Fong has in wanting to impart all the knowledge that she has to the participants that come to her class. Personally, her desire to make sure that her participants understood and grasped what she was teaching touched me the most"

Lilian Lee

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“Indeed I felt that the training is fruitful and useful to me. Sis Jee Fong has made it so interesting and practical that I can put into practice right away. After attending the training, it has given me more confidence in delivering the songs and able to express better. Thank u Sis Jee Fong. Hereby, I would like to give thanks and praise to the Lord for giving me the opportunity to attend this training. God bless one and all!”

Cheralyn Lim

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“A committed and dedicated teacher to her craft, Jee Fong believes that everyone has a singing voice that just needs the correct techniques to bring it out. I thoroughly enjoyed the training sessions with her and gained a better understanding on how to "stretch " my voice.”

Michelle Chau

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“We have definitely learnt a lot through this course. It has helped us to project our voice better and we have also discovered many new insights. We will surely look forward to attend such courses in the future. Cheers to you our coach!!”

Janet Koh

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“I begin to enjoy singing with a louder voice. Thank you Sister Jee Fong.”

Paul Png

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“My greatest achievement is knowing Christ. And that He loves me and you.”

Goh Hong Eng

Church of Our Saviour

“It is most liberating to be able to sing with confidence without getting hoarse or worse, a sore throat. Now I can worship with greater joy!”

Frances Goh

Church of Our Saviour

“After several meetings, I can sing loudly and confidently. It is an enjoyable experience to work with you.”

Clifford Mario

Anglo Chinese School (Secondary)

"Jee Fong's classes enabled me to learn how to use my voice better and to realise that good speech not only included using one's voice correctly but that it was necessary to have the right posture and use correct breathing techniques as well. Jee Fong's personality is also warm and engaging which made the personalised classes all that more enriching to attend."

Bhawani

"It was an eye opener for me. I was not aware of the intricate details of maintaining vocal quality. A great help for me, as a trainer."

Selvarajoo Vadivelu

"I've attended the voice training sessions with hopes of improving my foundational techniques and I have improved since. Now when i sing for longer periods of time, my voice does not feel the strain and tiredness. Praise God!"

Vincent Kwok

Living Faith Church

"Thank you for coaching us in vocal and singing techniques. It had been a fun time. We found the sessions refreshing, enjoyable and relaxing as we’re comfortable with you. You have been very helpful and patient.

May the Lord bless and extend this area of your passion and ministry for His glory."

Nancy Choo, Michelle Pillai & Pearl Yeo

St John’s St Margaret’s Church

Liberating Ministry

2012-01-22T06:40:00.008+08:00

Yesterday evening, Monte and I had a wonderful time ministering at J-Gospel, the Japanese fellowship of St Andrew’s Cathedral. The Lord graced us with His presence. As we gathered in His name, He revealed Himself to us as our ever-present God who is powerfully at work in our lives.

We came away encouraged, enriched and empowered. The Lord has graciously allowed us to partner with Him and we are awed by His greatness and wonder. We entrust every opportunity and occasion to allow Him to work in and through us. We worship a miracle working God who looks impossibilities in the eye and declare that all things are possible to those who believe. We pray for an enlargement and extension in our capacity to allow God to lead us to unchartered waters and unclaimed territories. We believe the Lord for mighty victories as the Lord triumphs over the enemy. The Lord has overwhelmed us over and beyond what we could ever dream or imagine. He has put within our hearts a quest for a liberating ministry that sets men and women free to worship our living God in spirit and in truth. The Lord is raising fearless people who will pursue Him with every fibre of their beings.

Vessels for Him

2012-01-21T03:22:00.003+08:00

In preparation for today's ministry at J-Gospel, the Japanese Fellowship of St Andrew's Cathedral, Monte and I spent some time to pray at the Lower Pierce Reservoir. We cherish these precious moments when we can seek the face of the Lord together in prayer.

Monte will preach and I will be ministering in songs. We thank God for each opportunity to serve God and His people. We are mindful that God is the one who has graciously opened the door of ministry; we serve from hearts of gratitude for we are merely His vessels. We cannot do anything apart from His grace and empowerment. We give Him all glory and praise.

Amazed by the Lord

2012-01-19T12:19:00.005+08:00

By the Lord’s providence, I embarked on the Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) programme in October 2010. I have learned so much from the programme and what is good is that I am already able to put what I have learned into practice in my current training work. It is only by His grace alone that I have completed four out of the six modules. I have to pay a higher fee as I am not company sponsored. Somehow, the Lord has sovereignly provided the finances needed.

Recently, a Christian couple, who are Monte and my friends in the ministry, expressed their desire to help see me through my two remaining ACTA modules, which total close to six hundred dollars. We are very grateful to their involvement in our life. The Lord has brought people into our life and helped us in so many ways. When we list them down, we are amazed at the wonder working God who is faithful and true in every way. He looks after us and keeps us in His loving embrace as we purpose in our hearts to follow Him no matter where He leads us. We desire to live in His will and we want His Spirit to have full reign in us.

Thankful

2012-01-18T04:56:00.004+08:00

Monte and I live simply. Since we were married in March 1999, we have never bought a television. From time to time, when my parents and brothers upgraded theirs, we will take over their old ones. Last September, we were so shocked when my older brother, Nicholas, bought us a Samsung Smart TV. We found out the cost later, we learned that he had splurged on us. God has blessed us with wonderful family members in both the States and here in

Singapore

We are thankful for the Lord's providence. He supplies all our needs.

Utterly Blessed

2012-01-17T06:38:00.005+08:00

The goodness and grace of the Lord overwhelms us daily. The more the Lord unfolds His plan and purposes to us, what comes on is not burden but unspeakable joy. We are mere mortal beings who are here today and may be gone tomorrow, yet the Lord treasures us and make us partners in His plan. Having faith in God is to believe when everything else tells us that it is impossible. When the odds are against us, we run with His promises firmly tucked in our heart of hearts. The Lord teaches us the greatest lessons when we abandon ourselves completely into His hand. Knowing the heart of God is a lifelong endeavour because we will never stop learning for He is infinite, endless and boundless. What He does in our lives supersedes what we desire to do for Him. We can never out give Him. We are utterly blessed. We embrace His purposes and allow Him full reign for the Lord who sits on the throne is worthy to be praised, worshipped and adored.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

2012-01-16T07:17:00.001+08:00

The Christian life is a life of constant battle. We are in it to win it for the battle belongs to the Lord. We do not fight a physical battle for ours is a spiritual battle. Just when the going gets tough, we may experience another sudden avalanche. There are times when we get weary and worn out and in the back of our minds we are wondering how we will ever pull through, God will somehow meet us at the tail end of eleventh hour. He helps us to draw strength from Him to go on another arduous mile. He helps us to persevere in the toughest situations and circumstances. We live on to fight yet another battle. We live on to experience powerful miracles in the heat of the battle. We are battle ready soldiers who are at His bid and call 24/7. We are not quitters, we are fighters.

All our experiences in this amazing journey shape and make us more like Him. He gives us hope to live and thrive because God, the life giver has not just saved our souls, but He wants to live through us. He lives through our weaknesses, our brokenness and humility. We become carriers of His presence and we saturate ourselves in every nook and corner. The fragrance of Christ is released and all will be drawn to our loving and gracious God and Father.

Divine Providence

2012-01-15T07:14:00.011+08:00

This little update is a follow up on my earlier post on Miracle Working God http://jeefong.blogspot.com/2011/11/miracle-working-god.html

“When Monte and I received news that the Society of Pentecostal Studies (SPS) had accepted a paper he had earlier submitted for the upcoming 2012 SPS Annual Meeting, our hearts leapt with great joy. The theme is on "Pentecostalisms, Peacemaking, and Social Justice/Righteousness". You may view this link for more information on the meeting http://sps-usa.org/meetings/meeting.html

We know that the Lord has opened this door. We know that God is in this. While we were overwhelmed with great joy, our immediate response was that it will take a big miracle for Monte to go to Virginia,

USA

in March 2012 to present his paper. However, we were quietly confident that God would come through for us.

Our God is a miracle working God. He miraculously provided the air ticket through a missionary couple who came by

Singapore

on route to another country for ministry. We are very thankful for their generosity and help. Deep in our hearts, what has transpired is not a small thing; it is a significant move of the hand of God.

In our last home fellowship about a week ago, Monte held the air ticket in his hand and testified of the Lord’s providence. It was a very significant and touching moment. The Lord challenged us to trust Him for other necessary expenses for the conference. God is so good.”

Monte and I are speechless; the Lord continue to touch our hearts with His love and presence. He is not a figment of our imagination but a faithful God who hears our heart cries. To date, he has not only provided for the air ticket but also covered all the necessary conference fees. Monte has linked up with a fellow participant to share a room in an inn, as this will help to bring down the cost. God is our helper. His divine providence is all we need.

God has come through for us and we use it as a stepping-stone to propel us to a deeper level of faith in Him. He never fails us. We remind each other that as long as we have breath, we will hang on to His promises. Our journey with our Maker may be challenging but it brings us the greatest joy and fulfilment.

We would like to say a big thank you to our family and friends who have given generously to us. We appreciate and thank each one of you from the depth of our hearts.

Humble Beginnings

2011-12-13T18:02:00.007+08:00

In the Azusa Street Revival, we witnessed the amazing power of God revealed to common people of that day. In Richard Foster’s book entitled Streams of Living Water, Foster relates: “For three days, this little prayer group of cooks, caretakers, labourers, railroad porters, and washwomen carried on in exuberant celebration and ecstatic worship.”

God revealed Himself to the lowly people, people who have so little in life. He poured into their lives; He sought them out and poured His Spirit on them. People who were insignificant in man’s eye were elevated before the Lord. God chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He zeroed into the humble and defenseless people and raised them up to carry His word.

The Lord majors in small and humble beginnings. We see it when Foster related: "Within days this jubilant, raging group was joined by huge crowds of both black and white, necessitating a larger facility. Quickly an old two-storey building was secured. Clearing out the debris and sweeping the dirt floor clean, parishioners placed a pulpit – two large wooden crates – in the centre of the room with a prayer altar in front of it. The pew, forming circles surrounding the pulpit and altar, were redwood planks laid across nail kegs and old boxes.”

Such is the simplicity of the Lord. There were no stained glass windows, no posh carpets, no chandeliers, and no top end furnishings and furniture. The church gathered in the barest and simplest setting that one could ever imagine. Their hearts were full of gratitude merely for the availability of a place for them to gather to worship God. It is amazing that the Azusa Street Revival has such a humble and yet powerful beginning. No riches, glories, sophisticated gadgets and gizmos of this world can usher in the presence of the Lord. He dwells in hearts that are wide open to His lordship. He dwells in the lowly, the unassuming and the simple.

The Lord never despises our humble beginnings. He cherishes the weak, poor, lowly and insignificant people, whom the world despises. He gives grace and upholds the needy and births dreams into their shattered lives.

His Hand of Love

2011-12-03T12:31:00.000+08:00

For a long time, the Lord laid someone on my heart and I brought him before the Lord. Recently, I have seen some changes in his life and I thank God for His hand of love. This is no coincidence for God works actively in our lives. He works through our prayers and intercession. There are many times and in varied situations where we are seemingly left on a waiting mode. Doubts and fears loom large and we get restless and anxious. Nevertheless, the Lord sustains the weary and He comes through for us in our hour of need. He speaks into our lives and circumstances. His hand is never too short and His ears are always inclined to our cries. He works on our behalf and shows us His might and wonder. We declare that to see His hand of love and to lean on His safe arms bring us the deepest joy and consolation.

Joyful Jubilation

2011-11-24T12:51:00.004+08:00

Today, millions of people all over the world are celebrating Thanksgiving. It is a significant day for us who call Jesus Lord. The eternal damnation and degradation gave way to hope and rejoicing to anyone who calls on the name of the Lord. We have every reason to celebrate. We celebrate Jesus, we celebrate life, we celebration each day because of the newness of life in Christ. We once lived in shame, ruins, misery and hopelessness. Our lives were dark, bleak and sorrowful. But the Lord has illuminated our lives and give us meaning for our existence. So we give thanks to the most high for He alone deserves all our praise and honour. We thank Him for sustenance, salvation, grace, mercy, restoration, joy, hope and everything promise He has birthed in our hearts. We also thank the Lord for difficult times, challenges, setbacks, failures and humongous mountains because through them we experience the reality of knowing God who is bigger than any conceivable challenge that life throws at us. We rise up in faith believing the Lord in things that we do not see with the naked eye but what is more important is to see all things through the spiritual eyes that He has endowed us with. We rejoice in joyful jubilation because the God of hope lives in our hearts for all eternity.

Never too Busy

2011-11-20T08:27:00.001+08:00

We live in such a busy world. We are so busy with our lives that we miss out important things in life like family and friends. Besides being busy, another characteristic of modern people is we want everything instant. Instant noodles, coffee, services of all kinds and even instant results in everything. We become impatient and insensitive to people whom we deem slow. We become immune to the glaring needs of people around us as we become more absorbed in ourselves. We serve our immediate needs before we give a thought to others. We are increasingly hesitant to share our time and resources with people whom God has put on our hearts.

When we examine the life of Christ, we see an opposite picture. His heart is always leaning towards the needy. He fed the hungry, He quenched their thirst, He comforted the heavy-laden, He ministered to the outcast of society knowing that His reputation is at stake. The life of Christ oozes with love and compassion this world has never known until He appeared. He showed us the way to live. He showed us how to give unconditionally.

We long to hear the heartbeat of the Lord. We want to respond to what is important to Him. We pray for the Lord to sensitize our heart and spirit to respond to His prompting to reach out to people. We cannot be too busy to care because His love compels us to love and serve.

Suffering Produces Compassion

2011-11-19T18:30:00.015+08:00

The Lord uses the circumstances in our lives to shape and mould us. The scripture tells us that Jesus is a man of sorrow; a man acquainted with suffering and pain. As Christians, we take after the footsteps of our master. We go through unexplainable pain, deep anguish, and unutterable suffering in different intensity at different times. Some women lose their husbands very early in their marriage and they are left to care for their young children on their own, others have to cope with their young children dying from diseases. Cancer may strike a family and bring tremendous pain and anguish to the sufferers and their loved ones. Sometimes, our loved ones die tragically in freak accidents. The list is endless and torturous.

The Lord knows our pain, suffering and helplessness. He went through far worst circumstances than any of us. He was beaten, betrayed, ridiculed, isolated and abandoned. He lived through us to show us what He is able to accomplish when we allow Him to work through us. He uses our experiences; they are never wasted. When we come through the fire, He opened our eyes to see. He caused our hearts to understand His purposes through it all. He produces compassion in us. We now feel what the sufferers feel, we now identify with one with deep depression. Some of us can identity with the excruciating pain that a cancer stricken person goes through. His compassion overflows from our lives to touch people who are desperately in need of His love and assurance. We become His extension. We become a channel that His love can flow. His compassion compels us to take yet another step in availing ourselves to reach out to people in dire needs, people who are ever ready to throw in the towel. Nevertheless, we have the answer and we will rise up to heed the call of God with no reservation. For He first loved us with an everlasting love.

Our Home Fellowship

2011-11-19T08:43:00.007+08:00

On the 30^th September this year, Monte and I started our home fellowship. We have been in prayer for some years now and when the go-ahead sign came, we launched out in simple faith and committed it to the hands of the Lord. It is an honour to partner with the Lord in this endeavour. The Lord’s unfailing love and constant leading overwhelm us. He is our faithful and dependable God. In the natural, we feel that we are launched into deep waters but in our spirit, we sense an excitement and expectation. We know that God is with us and He will carry the home fellowship, we are not alone.

If you are not a Christian but open to experience Christian fellowship, or if you are a Christian but currently not settled within a fellowship - you are welcome to visit our Thursday evening home fellowship at our house (Sengkang area; 8pm). Currently, this small group fellowship involves breaking of bread, worship choruses, sharing of stories, sacred Scripture reading (currently, we are reading through the book of Ephesians), and prayers for one another. You may reach us at montejf@singnet.com.sg

Thankful

2011-11-17T04:46:00.004+08:00

Dearest Wife,

Happy birthday.

The wonder of you— this I treasure.

The beauty of your spirit— this I cherish.

Your welfare— I seek.

Your life and honour— these above all else I defend.

On this day I call on God to bless and keep you;

May God today shine His face upon you;

May He be gracious to you;

May He lift up his countenance upon you, and endow your peace.

For this new year—

May there be a performance of all He has spoken;

May He today remember all desires of your heart;

May He endow you with all fullness of His blessing;

With every good and perfect gift—

May today God smile on you; on your birthday.

Monte posted this poem on my Facebook wall on 5^th November. I count it a privilege to journey with a wonderful and loving husband for these past 12 years. It is an awesome journey in tasting the goodness of our faithful God. United as one, we pushed boundaries and explore some of the most amazing things that God has allowed us to experience. We continue to seek His face and know His heart cry. We know the shortness of life, we live each day longing for more of the Lord and less of us. We learn to live life to the fullest; we learn to seize the day and allow the Lord to do anything He wants to accomplish in and through us knowing that our lives are not ours but His. We give Him the pre-eminence and glory for He alone deserves our praise, worship and adoration for all the days of our lives.

Miracle Working God

2011-11-16T02:01:00.018+08:00

When Monte and I received news that the Society of Pentecostal Studies (SPS) had accepted a paper he had earlier submitted for the upcoming 2012 SPS Annual Meeting, our hearts leapt with great joy. The theme is on "Pentecostalisms, Peacemaking, and Social Justice/Righteousness". You may view this link for more information on the meeting http://sps-usa.org/meetings/meeting.html

We know that the Lord has opened this door. We know that God is in this. While we were overwhelmed with great joy, our immediate response was that it will take a big miracle for Monte to go to Virginia,

USA

in March 2012 to present his paper. However, we were quietly confident that God would come through for us.

Our God is a miracle working God. He miraculously provided the air ticket through a missionary couple who came by

Singapore

on route to another country for ministry. We are very thankful for their generosity and help. Deep in our hearts, what has transpired is not a small thing; it is a significant move of the hand of God.

The Ministry of Love

2011-11-15T12:59:00.005+08:00

The work of the ministry is fulfilling, wonderful and often challenging. The Lord pours His grace on us who serve Him with His divine empowerment and strength. We cannot accomplish anything with human strength and wisdom. We are completely reliant on the Lord in our quest to serve Him.

With ministry, one is most vulnerable because when we share our lives with people, we share our hopes and disappointments, our successes and our failures, our joys and our sorrows, our mountain top and valley experiences. We open our lives to people, and allow the Lord to grow them as we share openly and willingly on how we grow and grapple with daily Christian living. When people see the reality of Christ in our lives, the Lord can use it to help them in their spiritual growth.

Sometimes in the course of ministry, things may turn sour. A person may turn away from their faith, misunderstanding may arise, relationship may get sour and ugly or a person may be divisive. At other times, people that we minister to may hurt us intentionally or unintentionally.

Knowing that we are vulnerable, our response remains constant and stable. For this ministry is a ministry of love. It is love that is poured out from the throne of grace and the Lord enables us to persevere in love and faithful service. We purposed in our hearts to serve no matter what comes on. The same God who has given us everything that we need will not just sustain us but He makes us stronger and pliable in His hands. We love because He first loved us. We cannot stop doing what we are doing because the enormous and pressing needs are always around us. We as the Lord’s willing vessels fully submitted and committed to the Master will carry the baton to the next generation of leaders all for the glory of the risen King.

Eagles Need A Push

2011-11-11T14:24:00.013+08:00

The Lord teaches us constantly through His creation. We can learn precious lessons from the eagle. Join me in this amazing clip on the Eagles Need A Push at http://www.eaglesneedapush.com

The day would come when the mother eagle have to push the young eagles off the face of the rock. She may seem cruel to the helpless eaglets but she knew that if she does not take action; her children will never know their potential and the meaning of their existence. The eagle have been blessed to take to fly in the sky. It will be sad if the eagle never get to experience the joy of soaring in the air.

Sometimes we go through tough times when we feel just like the little eaglets. We feel helpless, hopeless, loss and anxious. These can be heart-rending moments when we feel that God is far away. Doubt and fear creep in. The enemy bombards our minds and paralyses us with crippling fear.

We persevere and wait patience for the storm to end. The beauty unfolds when we cry out to the Lord for deliverance and help. He rescues us from doom and damnation and gives us hope again. He opens our eyes to see though His eyes. We begin to see the light at the horizon. His peace that passes understanding comes upon us. We stand firm on His word and declare His everlasting love and mercy. Above all else, He has given wings to fly and He takes us on amazing journeys of faith. Breaking and making us more pliable in His hands, never taking any short cuts to make the journey easy. Rather, through the difficult terrain and tough situations, we build our spiritual muscles to conquer the many humongous mountains in our lives so that what comes forth is the fragrance and beauty of Jesus.

Meaningful Vocation

2011-11-11T09:25:00.016+08:00

I am thankful for the opportunity that God has allowed me to bein the training industry. I see the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord.

He is involved in every area of our life. He is in the centre of our vocation. He gives meaning to why we are doing what we are doing. We can certainly enjoy our work for God wants to enrich and bless our vocational life. We carry the presence of the Lord right into the market place and God begins to minister to people around us.

I stand amazed at the Lord's grace in helping me to complete every project. Before every training session, I pray to the Lord for His grace and help. I ask for wisdom, creativity and the ability to gel with the teachers and students that I meet in each school.

The following are my past-completed projects:

Title / Topic	Date	Site / School
Critical Thinking Skills	19 July - 27 Sep 06	Chai Chee Secondary School
Speech & Drama	Oct - Nov 06	Maha Bohdi Primary School
Personal Etiquette	10 - 11 Jan 07	Boon Lay Secondary School
Servant Leadership	21 May 07	Bedok Green Secondary School
Study Skills	24 - 26 Sep 07	Raffles Girls School (Primary)
Servant Leadership & Service Learning	11, 16 Oct 07	Bukit Panjang Government High
Stress & Conflict Management	9 Nov 07	Teck Whye Primary School
Graduation Preparatory Enrichment Programme (Orientation programme for transition from kindergarten to Primary One)	21 - 23 Nov 07	Happy Camper Kindergarten
Speech & Drama	18 Jan - 4 Oct 07	Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School
Speech & Drama	Jan - Oct 07	Methodist Girls School (Primary)
Speech & Drama	2 - 30 Apr 07	Radin Mas Primary School
Oral Communication	Jan – Mar 08	Bedok Green Sec School
Storytelling	17 Jan – 28 Feb 08	Anderson Primary School
Basic Poetry Through Drama	28 Jan 08	Temasek Secondary School
Personal Grooming	7 Mar 08	Compassvale Secondary School
Motivational Skills Workshop	12 Mar 08	River Valley Primary School
Speech & Drama	18 Mar – 23 May 08	Kong Hwa Primary School
Sound Right (Speech Training Programme)	19 Mar – 21 May 08	Rivervale Primary School
Storytelling	20 Mar – 24 Apr 08	Anderson Primary School
Speech & Drama	24 Mar – 21 Apr 08	Lian Hua Primary School
Thinking Skills	2 - 4 Jun 08	Balestier Hills Primary School
Literature - Charlotte’s Web	10 Jul - 29 Aug 08	Kong Hwa Primary School
Speech & Drama	2 Jul - 27 Aug 08	Ang Mo Kio Primary School
Oral Communication	11 Jul - 31 Oct 08	Hong Wen Primary School
Public Speaking cum Hosting Workshop	3 - 4 Nov 08	Blangah Rise Primary School
Speech & Drama	10 - 11 Nov 08	Maha Bohdi Primary School
Mental Wellness Workshop	12 Nov 08	Princess Elizabeth Primary School
Mental Wellness Workshop	13 Nov 08	Radin Mas Primary School
Speech & Drama	11 Feb - 11 Mar 09	Kong Hwa Primary School
Literature – Wizard of Oz	17 Feb - 14 Apr 09	Kong Hwa Primary
Speech & Drama	5 Feb - 30 Mar 09	Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (Primary)
Sound Right (Speech Training Programme)	25 Mar - 27 May 09	Rivervale Primary School
English Enrichment Programme (Debating)	9 Jul - 14 Sep 09	CHIJ Toa Payoh Primary School
Character Development Programme	30 Mar - 5 Oct 09	New Town Primary School
LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts) Exam Preparatory Class	23 Oct – 11 Nov 09	Opera Estate Primary School
Western Dining	25 Nov 09	West Grove Primary School
Debating Course (In preparation for students to participate in inter-school debating competition ‘Wits & Words’	26 Feb – 15 Mar 10	Kong Hwa Primary School
Oral Communications	15 – 19 Mar 10	Xingnan Primary School
Public Speaking	1 – 22 Apr 10	Seng Kang Primary School
Speech & Drama	24 Mar – 26 May 10	Ang Mo Kio Primary School
Comprehension & Oral	1 – 29 Jul 10	Guangyang Primary School
Speaking Right Programme (Reader’s Theatre)	24 – 30 Aug 10	Kranji Primary School
English Bridging Course (International Students)	5 Aug – 30 Sep10	Guangyang Primary School
Tuning In Programme (Programme for At Risk Children)	6 Sep – 10 Nov 10	Naval Base Primary School
Oral Communications	7 Feb – 4 Apr 11	Qiaonan Primary School
Public Speaking	14 Jan – 15 Apr 11	Seng Kang Primary School
Debating cum Presentation Skills	10 Feb – 26 May 11	Tampines Primary School
Storytelling	19 Feb – 21 May 11	Telok Kurau Primary School
Motivational Workshop	5 April 11	Bedok Green Primary School
Public Speaking	23 – 30 Apr 11	Geylang Methodist Primary School
Speech & Drama	4 – 25 May 11	Bendemeer Primary School
Leadership	16 May 11	Methodist Girl’s School (Primary)
Public Speaking	29 Jun – 14 Sep 11	Punggol Primary School
Debate Skills	14 Jul – 25 Aug 11	East View Primary School
Oral Conversation	12 – 19 Sep 11	Xin Min Primary School
Financial Literacy	31 Oct 11	West Grove Primary School

Along with enrichment training, I am also conducting vocal training. I learn through every session I spend with my trainees. I am thankful for every person who has made it possible for me to continue my work. I am especially thankful to people who have given me testimonials for my vocal training website http://vocaltrainingjeefong.tripod.com

Betty Yeo

His Sanctuary

"Jee Fong is a very committed teacher and comes prepared for every lesson. With her engaging and bubbly personality, she makes lessons interesting and fun and inspires one to try and do more.“

Shauna Law

His Sanctuary

Simon Loh

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

Joycelyn Lee

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“Jee Fong is an articulated and resourceful trainer. Although I had attended vocal training before, I had picked up many new information and techniques which help to enhance my vocal health.”

Randall Goh

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

Richard Tan

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

Rosie Lee

Hong Demei

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

Lilian Lee

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

Cheralyn Lim

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

Michelle Chau

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

Janet Koh

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“I begin to enjoy singing with a louder voice. Thank you Sister Jee Fong.”

Paul Png

Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“My greatest achievement is knowing Christ. And that He loves me and you.”

Goh Hong Eng

Church of Our Saviour

“It is most liberating to be able to sing with confidence without getting hoarse or worse, a sore throat. Now I can worship with greater joy!”

Frances Goh

Church of Our Saviour

“After several meetings, I can sing loudly and confidently. It is an enjoyable experience to work with you.”

Clifford Mario

Anglo Chinese School (Secondary)

Bhawani

"It was an eye opener for me. I was not aware of the intricate details of maintaining vocal quality. A great help for me, as a trainer."

Selvarajoo Vadivelu

Vincent Kwok

Living Faith Church

May the Lord bless and extend this area of your passion and ministry for His glory."

Nancy Choo, Michelle Pillai & Pearl Yeo

St John’s St Margaret’s Church

Eliska

2011-11-11T07:37:00.010+08:00

My niece, Eliska, came into the world on 9th Nov 2011. My brother, Edwin, and his wife, Soko, are proud parents of a beautiful girl. It is the first for many of us in the family. My parents became grandparents for the first time in their lives. My brother, Nicholas, is an uncle now. The birth of a new born brings much joy and celebration because of the gift of life. Eliska is so beautiful and adorable.

Undivided

2011-11-10T06:51:00.004+08:00

The Lord made us all different; even no two persons have the same fingerprint. That alone is mind-blowing when you recall that there are now seven billion people roaming all over the earth. We may look different outwardly; but God has given us a kindred heart and spirit. We share the same privilege of calling God Abba Father. We are sons and daughters of the eternal God. We purpose in our hearts to learn to embrace people around us who come in shapes and sizes. Our inclusiveness bears witness to the loving presence of God because He set the example by loving with no reservation. We may be different but not divided and we often agree to disagree. That is love and our loving God holds all things together in His hands. He unites us in His divine love.

Undivided

We may worship different ways

We may praise Him and yet spend all of our days

Living life divided

But when we seek Him with open hearts

He removes the walls we built that keep us apart

We trust Him to unite us

In our hearts, we're undivided

Worshipping one Saviour, one Lord

In our hearts, we're undivided

Bound by His spirit forevermoreve

Undivided

It doesn't matter if we agree

All He asks is that we serve Him faithfully

And love as He first loved us

He made us in His image

And in His eyes, we are all the same

And though out methods they may be different

Jesus is the bond that will remain

Please join me in this powerful song Undivided at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SIeLvSpJrI

Your Steadfast Love

2011-11-09T07:25:00.003+08:00

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases and His faithfulness reaches to the clouds. We want to bask in His presence and behold His loveliness. We marvel at the greatness and wonder of our sovereign King who never fails us. We will never exchange His presence for anything this world offers. He is the light at the end of the tunnel; He is the hope that leads us on to live each day victoriously and He is all we ever needed. As we embrace Him, we allow Him full access into every part of our being until we see His likeness in us.

Your Steadfast Love

Your steadfast love

Extends to the heavens

Your faithfulness

Reaches to the clouds

Your righteousness

Is like majestic mountains

And your wisdom

Like the depths of the sea

And you come to me

Filling my heart

With your loving kindness

I find my peace

In the shadow of your wings

I eat my fill from the abundance of your household

And I drink from the streams of rejoicing

You are my King

You are my King (repeat)

Join me in exalting the name of the Lord through this amazing song Your Steadfast Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibky__ABoLs&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLAAD48171D688C35B

Open Hearts

2011-09-30T15:03:00.002+08:00

Last Sunday, we were glad and thankful to the Lord for allowing us to minister at Khush Khabri Fellowship. Monte preached on “Living Your Destiny as a His-story Maker.” (Eph1). We thank God for every open heart who had received the word which was spoken in weakness.

We are completely reliant on the Lord because we know that we can never achieve anything apart from the grace and providence of the Lord. As we sow the seed of His word, we are mindful that the Holy Spirit brings growth to us when we allow the full reign of His Spirit in every area of our life. We are partakers of His divine grace and we can only go as far as He leads us.

His Loving Purpose

2011-09-29T15:46:00.001+08:00

God unfolds His loving purposes to us daily. As we journey with Him, we become fully aware of His boundlessness, matchlessness, supremacy and awesomeness. He sacrificed everything He has to enrich and empower us to live in and through Him. His tender mercies and loving kindness overflow when we allow Him to minister through us. As His loving purposes for each one of us unfold magnificently and beautifully, we become a powerful testimony of a God who lives through a broken people. The temporal things of this attractive world have no hold on us. Our lives bear witness to the reality of Christ and we are constantly offering ourselves to the Lord. We purposed in our hearts to seek Him alone and abandon ourselves to His complete Lordship and love. We His redeemed people will not settle for anything less but every good gift that the Father freely lavishes on His beloved.

The Dream Maker

2011-07-28T10:59:00.004+08:00

God has birthed His dreams in the hearts of His children. Dreams are birthed in the heart of God by the power of His spirit. No wonder many have gone out of their way relentlessly to pursue the dream that God has laid upon their hearts. They have stepped out in faith; they have taken risks and made sacrifices because they believed in the God of the dream. The dream maker is the one who will make our dreams come true. Not by power, not by might but by the Spirit of the Lord, the Lord longs to see His dream fulfilled in and through us. He manifests His glory through broken and contrite vessels as we allow His greatness to consume and empower us. The thought that God would birth His dream in us is mind blowing. The awesome God chooses to partner with us in such a tangible and supernatural manner. All glory be to God who is worthy to be praised, worshipped and adored.

Thankful

2011-07-27T08:20:00.011+08:00

Monte and I are thankful for the Lord's providence. We have been residing in our present flat since 2001. As our flat is on the 17th floor, we are blessed with a spectacular view from our living room as well as our three bedrooms. We spend enormous amount of time to soak in the picturesque view.

Our Feline Friend

2011-07-26T23:13:00.009+08:00

Two days ago, Monte and I spent a wonderful time at Changi Village. While we were on our way to have dinner, we saw a beautiful cat perched comfortably on a rock. We started snapping pictures of our feline friend. The strange thing is that the cat seemed to be posing for us. It was amazing.

Great is the Lord

2011-07-25T10:07:00.006+08:00

The Lord is great beyond comparison. We marvel at His greatness and awesomeness. We are mere mortal beings and yet the Lord chooses to reveal Himself to us. Being finite and limited, we might not fully comprehend the full extent of the Father’s love. But we desire to see His hand of love every moment of the day. Our God is great and mighty, He knows each of us by name. He has engraved our names of His palm for we e are the apple of His eye. We are His prized possession. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised. We respond with wholehearted devotion to our soon and coming King. Join me in exalting the Lord of all creation with this song Great is the Lord

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlAz5MBh6WE&feature=related

Great is the Lord

Great is the Lord

He is holy and just

By His power we trust

In His love

Great is the Lord

He is faithful and true

By His mercy He proves

He is love

Great is the Lord

And worthy of glory

Great is the Lord

And worthy of praise

Great is the Lord

Now lift up your voice

Great is the Lord

Great is the Lord,

He is holy and just

By His power we trust

In His love

Great is the Lord

He is faithful, and true

By His mercy He proves

He is love

Great are you Lord

And worthy of glory

Great are you Lord

HSBC Tree Top Walk

2011-07-23T08:04:00.016+08:00

Yesterday Monte and I went for a long walk. We entered the forest near Thomson Ridge, got through to the Tree Top Walk, went through the Golf Link and ended up at the visitors centre at MacRitchie Reservoir. It took us about three hours. The view was breathtaking. We were exhausted but the exercise surely helped. We often like to take nature walks all over Singapore. Our frequent haunts are Lower Pierce reservoir, MacRitchie Reservoir, Changi Board walk, the Botanic Garden, Pulau Ubin, East Coast Park and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. We just love the great outdoors.

Here is a link for the Tree Top Walk http://www.wildsingapore.com/places/ttw.htm

Uudam on China’s Got Talent

2011-07-22T10:53:00.006+08:00

Uudam, a 12 year old orphan from inner Mongolia appeared on China Got Talent and touched millions of people all over the world. This innocent child is truly an inspiration.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ28nmQ58iE&feature=related

Flow through Us

2011-07-22T05:53:00.007+08:00

People size us up at the first meeting. The type of housing, the mode of transport, our careers and social standing determine where we are in life. The world system and values have infiltrated into our lives subtlety, so much so that some of us may only want to relate to people who are rich, famous, and intelligent, and very often with people of high social standing. The world has crept into the church. This is not a new phenomenon, but it has deteriorated further over time. Damaging the very core of what the love of Christ stands for.

Jesus set us an example in His life and ministry. He related with people no matter who they were or what they possessed. He sought out people who were on the fringe, the outcast, the poor and the needy. In fact, He put His reputation at risk when He reached out to them in love.

Lord, fill our hearts with passion and love to touch the lowest people in the land that You have placed us. We are the beacon of light to respond to the cry of the needy. We avail ourselves to be Your extended hand. We want to be a vessel of love for Your love to flow through.

God is the Strength of our Heart

2011-07-21T02:17:00.003+08:00

God is the strength of our heart. He is our constant source of strength growing in intensity as He strips everything else that we cling tightly to. Sometimes these are things that be legitimately harmless or things that we become dependent on. He consumes us in His love thoroughly. He wants to bathe us in the river of His love.

David encouraged himself in the Lord. He was in great distress no doubt but the challenges spurred him on as he put his complete trust in the sovereign Lord. When the journey gets tougher, we the redeemed shall rise up with strength and tenacity. We are not intimidated by the challenges and impossibilities. The Lord draws us to Himself and speaks life into us. He is why our hearts palpitate with undying hope and anticipation. He fills our hearts with passion and lives through us powerfully. We persevere to reach the goal of knowing Christ and His suffering with heads held up high because the King of glory dwells in earthen vessels.

Origami from the Heart

2011-07-18T06:06:00.003+08:00

Last Thursday afternoon, I was conducting a debating programme to a primary four class at a school in Tampines. On my way out when training was through, two wonderful girls each passed me an origami they had made.

Looking at the origami, I cannot help but feel great appreciation and encouragement. They may look simple but what touched my heart most is the care and thoughtfulness of these little ones.

In life, there are people who touch others around them by their little acts, a kind thought, gifts or simple words encouragement. I have received much help, assistance, kindness and encouragement from people around me and I thank each one of them from the depths of my heart.

Quiet Joy

2011-06-11T11:37:00.004+08:00

The joy of the Lord is our strength. In Proverbs, we learn that laughter is the best medicine. Some types of laughter are giggles, guffaws, chuckles, cackles, hearty or a roaring laughter. In many ways, laughter and joy go hand in hand. Joy is significant to us for the Lord first brought joy into our miserable lives where we once were laden with guilt and sin. It is interesting to note that while we may still be in the midst of trials and tribulations, joy is present. Oh! What a great blessing we possess. A quiet joy from deep within our belly, bubbling forth with strength and expectation because we know that however pressing and difficult the challenges may be, God is far bigger than that. Our joy is not dependant on circumstances. Our cash and asset positions will not affect our joy index. Joy is purely a gift from heaven above. Nothing in this world can replace this cherished and priceless gift. We can rest on our laurels as long as we fix our eyes on our maker, hope and redeemer.

Unending Mercy

2011-06-04T09:44:00.007+08:00

Miracles are a part of the believer’s life. Our very existence is a miracle because our life hinges on the breath that God gives us. We will not live a minute longer without the sovereign Lord’s sustaining and life giving power.

Yesterday, I was so inspired to hear a testimony of a brother over the internet. Our gracious and loving Father set this man free out of His great love for him. For many years, he was addicted to drinking and smoking. At his worst state, he drank up to two bottles of brandy and smoked three packets of cigarettes in a day. He was deep in debt. His friends fled from him in his hour of need. He could not sleep in the dark due to demonic oppression. When he slept, the light would always be on. His life was in complete ruins and he was totally devastated. He could not lift himself out of the gruesome, dark and deep pit that he found himself in. He came to the end of himself.

The Lord had mercy on Him, saved and rescued him. Today, he is totally set free from drinking and smoking and his debts cleared. When he shared his testimony, he admitted that it was painful to revisit some of the most terrifying experiences he went through, but he will testify of the Lord’s goodness however difficult it can be because the love of Jesus has radically changed him. The Lord turned his sorrow, indescribable pain and anguish to unspeakable joy, hope and peace.

Every life that has the Lord touches and changes bears testimony of His unfailing love and unending mercy and grace that flow from His throne.

Food Fusion

2011-06-02T10:02:00.010+08:00

Ours is a mixed marriage. Monte is Caucasian and I am Chinese. We have been married for over eleven years and being married is not just two different persons coming together to make a life together. Along with it, we have to contend with merging two different cultures and way of life. One area that we influence each other is in the area of food, to be exact it should be termed as food fusion.

One day while we were walking along Orchard Road, Monte said that he had a craving for wonton noodles. The mention of wonton noodles immediately conjures up images of succulent and juicy char siew (barbeque roast pork), mouth-watering wontons (dumplings) and tangy noodles. It often sends us scouting for the best Wonton Noodles sprawled all over

Singapore

. I have come a long way too. I have never had a thing for spaghetti all my life, this changed since the year 1999 when we got married. Great and tantalizing spaghetti came on me fast and furious as Monte makes awesome and great tasting spaghetti. Today, I can eat spaghetti as my main meal anytime.

Through the Wilderness

2011-05-27T08:33:00.004+08:00

The children of Israel had first hand experience of the harsh wilderness and desert land. A place where water and food are scarce; no vegetation can grow and what met ones eyes was mere desolation and bleakness.

The beauty of it all is that the God who leads us in green pastures is the one who will also lead us in the heart of the cruel desert. It is a time where the rubber meets the road, a litmus test for all who claim to be the followers of Christ. The “wilderness experience” brings out reality of our limitations, our vulnerability, our weakness and dependence on our faithful God. When what we see seem discouraging and gloomy, when the harshness, pain and imperfections of this fleeting world hit us like a thunderbolt.

Yet, it is in times like this that we rise above the occasion. We purpose in our heart to remain faithful till the end; we remain strong in the face of insurmountable challenges. When we emerge from the crisis, we can stand firm on His word that declares that we are victors in Christ. We surge beyond every wave of discouragement, despondency and destruction by the power of His Spirit. We live each day to declare His faithfulness from generation to generation.

His Consuming Love

2011-05-26T09:23:00.005+08:00

We measure temperature with a thermometer, humidity with a hygrometer and wind speed with an anemometer but no one can ever measure the love of God. The best equipment that man invents can never fulfill this awesome task. For His love is boundless, limitless, endless and immeasurable. The love of Christ oozes out of us and it compels us to bring hope and a comforting word to one in need. His divine love surges from deep within our heart and spirit and He launches us out to every nook and corner of the earth carrying and saturating His presence and love everywhere. Love that is weaved in every smile, every kind and encouraging act, every word that is seasoned by Him. A love that cannot be counterfeited; it is genuine, pure, rich and true to the core. Love personified, love experienced when the Holy Spirit envelops and embraces us in His comfort and warmth. We cry out daily for the Lord to consume us in His love so that we can love through Him who first loved us.

The Feet of Deer

2011-05-11T15:55:00.002+08:00

The Lord pours His grace on us unceasingly. Times when we are so weary and drained, times when our legs are so weight down; we feel as though we are dragging a ton of load. Our knees get all wobbly and weak. Yet, it is during such times that the Lord sustains and empowers us to push on to the finishing line. Just like how God guides the deer on the treacherous and dangerous mountains, He will guide us on our path safely. He makes our feet as surefooted like the deer’s feet. We can never make it on our own on this life threatening and death defying mountain heights, but God has put faith in us to trust Him to lead us to conquer every mountain that He brings us on.

Five Loaves and Two Fishes

2011-05-04T10:06:00.003+08:00

Monte and I are thankful for the Lord’s open door to minister at Mount Olives Church of God Power Pack Wednesday last week. Monte delivered the word and I led in a time of praise and worship. The Lord graced the service and blessed us with a good time of ministry.

We treasure every opportunity that God presents to us. We are mindful of our complete reliance on the Spirit of God who empowers us to do the work of the ministry. As we offer our five loaves and two fishes, the Lord has never failed to multiply them to meet the needs of the people. He pours out His grace to nourish and nurture us. He fills our hungry hearts and thirsty souls. We know that we are merely His channel, His vessels totally dependant on His sovereign hand.

Steamy Steamboat

2011-05-03T08:26:00.005+08:00

From time to time, we invite friends over to our home for a meal or pastry with coffee. We thank God for the blessing of friends. A couple of days ago, we spent a wonderful afternoon with one of our friends over steamy steamboat. Food and fellowship always go hand in hand.

Splendid Istana

2011-05-03T08:03:00.021+08:00

Monte and I spent a wonderful afternoon with a friend at the Istana on 1 May.

“The Istana is the official residence of the President of the Republic of Singapore. It occupies over 40 hectares of land along Orchard Road. It is a precious and important part of Singapore's history and heritage, and has borne witness to Singapore's many historical milestones.

The Istana building was built by the British Colonial government to house its governors. Completed in 1869, it was then known as the Government House. The building was handed over to the Singapore Government when Singapore attained self government in 1959, and renamed Istana (“Palace” in Malay).

The Istana building underwent extensive renovation between 1996 and 1998, to add more space and modern day conveniences. The building today has six function rooms used for ceremonies and to receive guests.”

http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/index.html

Fearful Mickey

2011-05-02T12:32:00.004+08:00

Mickey is an amazing dog. He can be fierce at times but he is usually timid. Any unfamiliar sound will set scurrying into his hiding place. When thunder roars, he is paralyzed with unexplainable fear.

A couple of days ago, I visited my parents and it happened to storm. Thunder roared and sure enough, Mickey hid under the massage chair trembling in fear.

A Prayer of Gratitude

2011-05-01T08:11:00.002+08:00

In His mercy and love, the Lord picked us up from the miry clay and spoke life into our lifeless beings. He broke through our defenses and reassures us of His undivided love and devotion. Nothing we can do will make Him love us more because He loved us the way we are.

God opens our eyes to see from His perspective. He illumined our hearts to understand the things of the Spirit. Never has there been one more dependable and gracious as our Abba Father. We cry out in gratitude to Him for His wonder working power that is at work in us. We live only by His divine grace and power to see the beauty He makes out of our ruined lives. He offers us peace that passes understanding and a sure and unfading hope.

Reveal Your Heart to Us

2011-04-28T07:09:00.004+08:00

When we hear the voice of God, He brings pleasure and unending hope and deep assurance of His presence to us. There is a quickening in our heart and spirit; an unspeakable joy rises from within the depths of our being. All we want is more of Him and less of ourselves. God reveals His heart to us when we seek Him wholeheartedly. When we surrender our life to the supreme Master, He turns it into a beautiful masterpiece. He speaks into our lives and changes us from deep within. A transformation that not only affects us; it flows out to touch people around us. God’s grace is revealed through our brokenness and love. The Lord has given up everything to see us reach our fullest potential in Him. All glory and honour be unto God, our redeemer and the Rock of ages.

The Fragility of Life

2011-04-25T08:58:00.008+08:00

Life is like a beautiful, precious and priceless porcelain bowl. One will gaze at it for a long time; observing every detail of this exhibit. The porcelain bowl will smash to pieces when it dropped to the ground. Life is fragile. We may be here today but tomorrow we may no longer be on the surface of this earth.

Life is precious. We cherish every moment that God has blessed us with. We long to see the face of God. Each day, the Lord unfolds miracles right before our eyes. We know the futility of life except one that is lived fully for the Lord. The Lord grants us a deep appreciation for the blessing of life. We are breathing, living beings that carry His presence wherever we go. We bring the life changing word of God to people at the verge of desperation and despair. We show them that we can live life to the fullest because the life giver gives us new life. We can enjoy life and living. People who are without hope needs to hear that there is hope in Christ.

Crying Out to the Lord

2011-04-24T06:47:00.002+08:00

We have the awesome privilege to enter into the Lord’s presence at anytime, at any place we may be. In the dark hours of our soul, we run into His bosom; His abiding presence. We cry out to Him for deliverance and help. He knows our pain and struggles. In our anguish and despair, we pour out all that is within us and expect the divine intervention of the sovereign King. There are challenges that may be overpowering and insurmountable but the Lord works on our behalf. He hears our cry. He picks us up and speaks strength and hope into our beings, into seemingly bleak situations. He gives us grace and strength to persevere and believe Him for miracles and breakthroughs. What an awesome privilege to enter into His Holy of holies to behold His lovely face. He is our amazing God; so great and awesome in all His ways. We need Him more than yesterday. We will never stop crying out to the Lord night and day till we see Him and experience the touch of His hand.

Mistakes are Stepping Stones

2011-04-22T05:24:00.004+08:00

I had just completed an Oral Communication programme at a good primary school in Tampines on 4 April. Those adorable ten-year-old children whom I had the privilege to share with were fantastic. They were mostly bubbly, fun and full of joy.

Part of the deliverables of the programme required the children to make oral presentations. One of the children, a small built boy kept coming to me to say that he was not able to make the presentation. He was obviously shaking in his knees and he was at the verge of tears. I assured him that I would be by him. I am proud of him for trying.

I often tell the children that the best place to make mistakes is right in the midst of my sessions. We learn from the mistakes and we grow. We take mistakes as stepping stones of growth and development.

One of the reasons children may fear failure could be because when they do make mistakes, people jumped at them. During my training, I try to make children feel at ease, I thank them for trying. I assure them that they will improve with practice. Time and again, I see timid and nerve wrecked children come out from their shells and arise in confidence. I am privilege to witness the milestones they reached.

Desperate Need

2011-04-21T04:56:00.004+08:00

The hunger for God’s presence is a sign that we are healthy. This hunger can only be satisfied when we reach into the deep presence of the Lord. A hunger that no one and nothing can satisfy. The world and all its trappings leave us gasping for more; leaves us feeling empty and disgruntled. The little birds are solely dependent on the constant feeding from their mothers. This conjures an image of their helplessness and vulnerability for their mother is their only source and lifeline.

We need the Lord desperately. When we are fully dependent on the Lord, He not only comes through for us, He leads on an amazing journey of faith. We no longer live by sight; we are full of hope, optimism and endless opportunities because when God opens a door, no man can shut it. We serve a God who knows no boundaries; He is matchless, incomparable and utterly awesome and all-powerful. We the redeemed shall be strong and we put our complete trust in a God who never fails. He is ever faithful and true to all who call upon Him.

Each Precious Moment

2011-04-20T05:25:00.002+08:00

I have enjoyed 12 years of marriage to Monte. The Lord has seen us through as one everyday of the past 12 years and we are greatly indebted to His loving kindness and love.

When a couple is with each other for a long time, each day gets more precious for the simple reason that we are mortal beings and at anytime one can leave this temporal place at a snap of the fingers. Life may be fleeting but the Lord makes each day meaningful and precious because He desires to live in and through us. When I see the hand of God upon us we can only bow down to the one who has blessed us so abundantly. We savour each moment together, living on His goodness and grace that he lavishly pours on us.

Inspiration

2011-04-18T16:02:00.003+08:00

Currently, I am conducting Debating cum Presentation Skills to an amazing group of 11-year-old children in a school in Tampines. My class is from 4.15 to 5.45pm. The kids are in the morning session. By the time I am through training each week, they are very exhausted. What amazes me is that they do not show it on their faces. I am greatly encouraged by them. In many ways, they have inspired me on. I enjoy my work.

Embracing Change

2011-04-18T08:42:00.002+08:00

The eagle has always captured the hearts of people. It radiates with strength, beauty, grace and magnificence as it soars through the sky. Many of us may not be aware that the eagle goes though some hard knocks of life in its lifetime.

At about 40 years old, the eagle has to make a choice between life and death. It goes through rebirth. It will fly alone to a very high place. At this place, it goes through transformation. The eagle breaks its beak and pluck out its feathers. For a long 150 days, it goes though the gruesome and painful process to stay alive. A new beak is grown strongly and a new coat of feathers now adorns the majestic eagle. Finally the eagle takes one of the most significant flights of its life as it soars powerfully into the sky. Through rebirth, the eagle adds another 30 to 40 years to its life. On the contrary, if the eagle chooses to resist change, it will die.

The eagle teaches us the importance of embracing change. The Lord puts us through some experiences that require us to go through change in different times of our life. We may resist change because it is challenging, humbling or even uncomfortable. We can respond to the work of God and embrace change gracefully by His grace. Ultimately, we grow stronger in Him. We emerge with triumph for He enables us to overcome and soar with wings up high to the sky.

We are on Pilgrimage

2011-04-17T07:40:00.005+08:00

Scripture tells us that we are mist that appear for a little while and then vanishes. This morning, I looked out of my window and what welcomed me was an amazingly misty day. What a glorious and beautiful morning! It is a timely reminder that we are on pilgrimage. God in His goodness has put eternity in our hearts. We are set apart. We are eternally indebted to the loving Father for declaring His everlasting love for us. We were condemned to death and degradation. God is His mercy picked us up from the miry clay and gives us the real meaning of living in and through Him. As pilgrims, we abandon everything and anything that hinder us from tracing the footsteps of our master. There is no greater calling than to abandon ourself completely in His loving embrace. There is no greater joy than to hear His heart beat. Focusing on the race means that we allow the Lord total access into every aspect of our life. We press forward to finish the race for the Lord leads us on to greater heights and deeper depths by the power of His Spirit.

Entering into the Twelve Year of our Marriage

2011-03-20T09:56:00.003+08:00

Today marks the twelve year of our marriage. Monte and I have spent twelve wonderful years together. We cherish each day that God gives us. Our hearts well up with thanksgiving for the Lord’s goodness and the wonderful gift of each other to journey through life. His faithfulness reaches to the skies. He leads us daily in His path of love. He shows us how to support and spur each other on to put Him first in our relationship. As long as He is in the centre of our marriage, we can rest assure that everything is in place. Our greatest joy is to see His hand of love working in and through us. We continue to allow Him to take His rightful place on the throne of our heart.

Unbreakable

2011-03-09T09:48:00.002+08:00

Lingering in the Lord’s presence not only brings us tremendous peace and joy; the Lord also renews our focus, sharpens our vision and renews our love for Him. The energizing power of God tears down every stronghold and builds within each of us an unbreakable heart and spirit. He empowers us to overcome every challenge that comes our way. We triumph valiantly through Christ who has made us more than conquerors. We grow from strength to strength displaying the banner of victory in Him who reigns forevermore.

Life on the Edge

2011-02-28T23:25:00.003+08:00

As children of God, we live our lives on the edge all the time. Time and again, the Lord comes through for us. The eleventh-hour experience characterizes our life because the life we live is far from being natural. For our supernatural God works wonders in seemingly impossible circumstances. Nothing is too difficult for the Lord. He stretches our faith and teaches us to trust Him increasingly. He shows us His greatness and strength when we depend on Him totally. The arms of flesh have no place in the presence of the Lord. But contriteness and humility open the door for the Lord to unleash His power and might to conquer every raging battle.

How could I Live without You

2011-02-25T08:57:00.004+08:00

How could we live without You, Lord. You lift us up with Your love. You immerse us in the river of Your spirit. You pour your abundant grace into our lives. You turn our mourning into dancing. You bring us unspeakable joy. You give us undying hope and help us to persevere until the end. Your promises unfold beautifully before our eyes as we live in Your light. Yes, how can we ever live without You. When we have You, we have everything. We thirst for Your living water. We long for Your presence. Teach us to lean closer to You. Teach us to hearken unto Your voice. Teach us Your way so that we might walk in Your path all the days of our life.

How Could I Live

How could I live without You

How could I survive

Without Your love

Without Your touch

You're the One that heals me

And cleanses my heart

And sets me free

Now i come right before You

With my hands lifted up

With my heart humbly bowed

At Your work on the cross

As You hang there and die

You were paying the price

For my life, For my life

For Your love is higher than the heavens

Deeper than the seas

And all I want is You in my life

No one else can satisfy my soul

Can make me feel this way

Only You Lord, only You

Join me in this amazing song How could I live without You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1HBydNGNAA&feature=related

The Earth is Full of His Glory

2011-02-14T05:29:00.010+08:00

The pictures of these terrace fields from round the world make me speechless. They bring back beautiful memories of the terrace fields that I saw in the Philippines. The view was breathtaking. The Lord displays His beauty, splendour and glory in all the earth. We shout for joy for the Lord is majestic and awesome. He shows us His greatness and might. And we stand in awe of Him who reigns forevermore. Our limited vocabulary is inadequate to express how great He is. We immerse ourselves in His glorious presence as we behold our great King, full of goodness and grace. We proclaim His greatness throughout the earth. We bow our knees and give Him all the praises of our hearts.

Living Life to the Fullest

2011-02-13T06:16:00.003+08:00

A scan of the daily paper often yields a string of news of tragedy, pain, destruction, fights and disharmony. We live in a painful and harsh world plagued with bleakness and hopelessness. Yet, the Lord enables us to live in the toughest environment. Despite of the difficulties life poses to us, we can rely on the Lord’s grace, not just to pull through each day. On the contrary, the Lord desires us to live each day fearlessly for He strengthens our feeble legs and empowers us to live victoriously through Him. We can live life to the fullest as we abandon our total being to our great God. We can lift our heads and walk tall and confidently to face every battle in its face. Optimism coupled with courage and hope in God propel us to greater height and dimension in our walk with our maker.

Thankful

2011-02-11T09:25:00.018+08:00

I enjoy vocal training all this time. Sometimes, one of my trainees is about 65 to 70 years of age. Many are already established in the musical aspects, some can sight-sing, some can play more than one instrument and many have been singing for years. It is very humbling to train people who are light years ahead of me. I thank God for the opportunity to work with each trainee and workshop participant.

I deeply appreciate every testimonial that I have received up till today because these people have taken precious time to pen down these words:

"Dear Sister Jee Fong, Your lessons benefited me tremendously, especially for someone like me who sing each Sunday without previous training. I tried hard but could not identify areas which needed fine-tuning. Your vocal training sessions helped me understand myself better. I have yet to grasp everything you taught us but I am more confident already. You are a conscientious trainer. I am sure every of your students have gained greatly from you.”

Betty Yeo, His Sanctuary

"Jee Fong is a very committed teacher and comes prepared for every lesson. With her engaging and bubbly personality, she makes lessons interesting and fun and inspires one to try and do more.“

Shauna Law, His Sanctuary

"Sister Jee Fong came well prepared for each lesson. Her tips and techniques are very useful and enriching. I did not even know the "ahem" will spoil our vocal chords! All in all I had gained lots of knowledge and techniques. Thank you Sister Jee Fong."

Simon Loh,Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

Joycelyn Lee, Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“Jee Fong is an articulated and resourceful trainer. Although I had attended vocal training before, I had picked up many new information and techniques which help to enhance my vocal health.”

Randall Goh, Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

Richard Tan, Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

Rosie Lee

“Hi! Your vocal training has helped me in singing properly and with confidence. I will continue to use the techniques to improve on my weak areas. I used to have sore throat after two hours of singing. I have learnt that I have exerted on the wrong muscle and lack warming up. Now with proper practice and knowledge of taking care of my vocal cord, I am able to speak properly after 2 hours of singing. I must thank Jee Fong for her Marvellous GIFT in Vocal Training."

Hong Demei, Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

"I can feel the passion that Jee Fong has in wanting to impart all the knowledge that she has to the participants that come to her class. Personally, her desire to make sure that her participants understood and grasped what she was teaching touched me the most"

Lilian Lee, Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“Indeed I felt that the training is fruitful and useful to me. Sis Jee Fong has made it so interesting and practical that I can put into practice right away. After attending the training, it has given me more confidence in delivering the songs and able to express better. Thank u Sis Jee Fong. Hereby, I would like to give thanks and praise to the Lord for giving me the opportunity to attend this training. God bless one and all!”

Cheralyn Lim, Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“A committed and dedicated teacher to her craft, Jee Fong believes that everyone has a singing voice that just needs the correct techniques to bring it out. I thoroughly enjoyed the training sessions with her and gained a better understanding on how to "stretch " my voice.”

Michelle Chau, Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

Janet Koh, Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“I begin to enjoy singing with a louder voice. Thank you Sister Jee Fong.”

Paul Png, Chapel of Christ the Redeemer

“My greatest achievement is knowing Christ. And that He loves me and you.”

Goh Hong Eng, Church of Our Saviour

“It is most liberating to be able to sing with confidence without getting hoarse or worse, a sore throat. Now I can worship with greater joy!”

Frances Goh, Church of Our Saviour

After several meetings, I can sing loudly and confidently. It is an enjoyable experience to work with you.”

Clifford Mario

"Jee Fong's classes enabled me to learn how to use my voice better and to realise that good speech not only included using one's voice correctly but that it was necessary to have the right posture and use correct breathing techniques as well. Jee Fong's personality is also warm and engaging which made the personalised classes all that more enriching to attend."

Bhawani

"It was an eye opener for me. I was not aware of the intricate details of maintaining vocal quality. A great help for me, as a trainer."

Selvarajoo Vadivelu

Vincent Kwok, Living Faith Church

Nancy Choo, Michelle Pillai & Pearl Yeo, St John’s St Margaret’s Church