Guess I'll just put my strawberry farm visiting here =) It was another pretty good weather Tuesday, and Jia Jin and me suppose to have jogging. But another senior, Wee Nien, also from Kuching, suddenly suggest to visit the strawberry garden nearby, partly it's because of their friend from Scottland visiting. So, we joined in and off we went to strawberry garden. Quote of the day:
I always thought that strawberries grow on tree.
Qi Hao
Haha. Yeps, my favorite quote that day! Here's some pictures:
Ice-cream before strawberries! Hmm, my first this-kind ice-cream in Germany?
Look carefully! It's empty at first.
Strawberries~~
My strawberry "trees" hahaha.
Lavender~
I look funny. hmm?Oh ya, the strawberries are cheap ok. My full tray cost me €1,00 =D
Will post the pictures in Picasa. But not sure yet. Ha ha.
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Day 11: Becoming best friends with God
Everyone has different view of God: God can be ones master, savior, comforter, creator, maker, redeemer, Father... etc. But guess what, your amazing God wants to have a special relationship with you - He wants to be your best friend.
We can see God enjoyed special friendship with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. There were no such thing as ritual, ceremony, or religion. Adam and Eve delighted with God, and God delighted with them too. But after the Fall, this relationship was lost. After that, not many people had the opportunity to befriend with God. Fear of the Lord, no friendship - these are more common in The Old Testament.
But thank God for wanting to change this situation! That's why He sent Jesus for us. When He died on the cross, our sins are forgiven, the veil in the temple that symbolized the separation gap between God and us was split from the top to the bottom, showing that once again, direct access to God is possible.
Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 5:11
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
2. Corinthians 18-19
Notice the two common words in these two verses? Yes, reconciliation! I remembered the first time when I heard this word. A friend of mine used it to let me know what to do after I broke up last time. The word in this context simply means: to win over friendliness; cause to become amicable - from http://www.dictionary.com/
Because of God's grace and Jesus' sacrifice, friendship with God is possible. In fact, God really invited us to be His friend. Remember what Jesus said?
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15
The word friends here does not mean our common hi-bye friends, but a true, close and trusted friendship. If God said I have called you friends, He wants to befriend with you. It's like He is holding His and out for you, waiting for your hand to join His and say, "let us be best friends forever!" And of course, being best friends means both of you have a very close contact, intimate, direct access to each other, and sharing personal thoughts together.
God desires that we know him intimately.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life
But how do we be friends with God? Befriend with someone who we cannot see? befriend with someone who is sinless while we are sinful? However, there are always ways! This is how we can befriend with God:
1. Through constant conversation. Hearing His words and talk heart-to-heart with God every Sunday's church service is not enough. You only accomplish 1/7 of the word constant. If possible, no, make it everyday and every time you converse with God. Talk to Him. Tell him your difficulties, tell Him your feelings, tell Him everything, including private stuffs like who do you love, your personal bad habits that you want to change, or even your daily activities. After all, He is your so-called secret keeper. So tell God everything. And yes, we do set devotional time of us to have one-to-one session with God, but remember, you want to make friends with God, not meeting your boss that you need to make appointment with him.
In Bible it says:
pray continually;
1. Thessalonians 5:17
When you pray to God, you are talking to Him, no? Continually means always and without stopping. In other words, we talk to God always. People often misunderstand that "spending time with God" means being alone with God. Of course, for some of us, like me, we can talk more freely and easily to God when we're alone. But then, it does not mean that we can only talk to God when we are alone. Invite God into your daily life, and make it in everything you do, you are spending time with Him. How to do this? Tell God to be part of your everything and constantly aware of His presence.
Today often we feel we must "get away" from our daily routine in order to worship God, but that is only because we have not learned to practice His presence all the time.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life
Practicing the presence of God is a skill, a habit that you can develop. Yes, I'm thinking of my badminton training last time. To play a good badminton, I must practice it often. Thus, I went for practice 6 days a week, each took 3 hours at least. Only like this, my badminton skills could grow. The same concept applies here. Train your mind to remember God. But remember, unlike badminton, we do not remember God to feel good, but to do good. We must always be aware that in reality, God always exists, and He is just nearby.
2. Through continual meditation. To establish friendship with God, we can also think of His words everyday. Relate our daily situations, scenery... everything to God. Meditate on who God is, what He had done, and what He had said.
You can't love God unless you know Him, and you can't know Him without knowing His Words.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life
Indeed we can't spend 24/7 to read the Bible, but hey! We can think of it all the time, no? Recalling Bible verses, memorizing them and apply them to our daily life.
The word "meditation" is often falsely link to some mysterious self-discrimination to a quiet place and some mystic stuffs going around. But NO!
When you think about God's Word over and over again in your mind, that's meditation.
Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life
Like I've said, best friends are like secret keeper of each other, and God will share His secrets with you if you develop the habit of thinking of His Words all day. Spend time revealing what God has said, and you will understand the "secrets" of life that most people miss out.
Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence Him. With them alone He shares the secrets of His Promises.
Psalm 25:14 Living Bible
Vincent
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