Stepped down as Caregroup Leader

I made a decision to step down as Caregroup(CG) leader while I was on ministry break last July. In fact, I already had the intention to step down when I asked for ministry break. But I hadn't found a successor to my CG yet and I wanted to cushion my announcement with a break. This was just in case I hadn't heard from God clearly about exiting this ministry and also to ensure a smooth transition in handing over. One thing I was certain of was that my desire for this ministry was waning and I began to start feeling weary at the start of the year.

I wasn't sure why I felt that way. I just wanted to focus on my family in this season. It seemed to me that my season was changing, so that was why I felt my passion shifting. It was weird because I really loved ministry work and I loved to be a blessing in ministry. Anyway I decided to trust my desires because bible said that such desires were placed there by the Lord. But it wasn't easy making that change. Ministry work has been something I was involved in for the past three years and it was tough to lay it down. Besides, the issue of a successor hasn't been resolved yet so I couldn't see how I could go off.

Anyway I trusted the Lord to provide the successor since He was the One who told me to lay it down. The process of handing over took longer than I expected but eventually God provided another leader to take over my CG so I could step down. He is faithful. Many times there were bottlenecks and roadblocks to this process but God made the paths straight. And so, I finally handed over the baton to the new leader on 13 Feb which was my official stepdown date. Our family continued to attend the CG meetings even though I stepped down because we still needed the fellowship. But with the passing over the baton, a season in ministry has ended and I have closed this chapter. A new season, a new beginning awaits me.

Well, one could be very excited about the new season yet at the same time feeling uncertain. After all I was out of my comfort zone and I really didn't know what to expect. But one thing I know is that God's plan is to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). In fact, I came across this verse countless times since July 2014. It was as if God knew I would feel jittery so He assured me many times with this verse. I closed my previous chapter, the door behind me without seeing the door ahead open.

But I know that God must have already accomplished the work He wanted to do in my last season for Him to come and tell me to let it go and move on. He must have already laid out new assignments for me. Indeed the new things started to unfold after I handed over the baton. They are still being revealed even as I write. One of the new assignments was to compile the ministry experiences I have accumulated over the past years into topical sharings.

And so I did and completed my first book on healing and deliverance. It was written in a short time because I have been faithfully journaling all this while. I really thank God for putting my journals to good use, this also showed that my steps are guided by the Lord. I intended to share this book on my blog free of charge so that it can benefit many. This will be the first of many topical sharing in the days and weeks to come. I am sure that my sharing will be able to bless many. So do enjoy reading and I appreciate any feedback!

[After note: Due to certain copyright issues, I decided to convert this book into an e-book to be sold at USD1.99 in http://www.lulu.com/shop/avin-lee-mui-choo/flowing-in-the-spirit-in-healing-and-deliverance/ebook/product-22111858.html]

A tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew

Our founding father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away today after being critically ill since 5 Feb. When his condition took a turn for the worse, many Singaporeans wrote well wishes to Mr Lee, hoping that he would recover soon. Many of us wished that at least he could live to see Singapore celebrate our 50 years of nation building. This is not an ordinary year. It is our Jubilee year, supposedly a year of celebrations. 

But I guess he was really tired and after all, he fought the good fight and finished his race. He completed his life's work which was Singapore. This nation was his baby. God knows how much he has sacrificed for this country. And how supportive his wife and children had been. 

Ever since his wife, his soul mate passed on in 2010, his health has been deteriorating. I think he missed her so much. Yes he did say he would be strong and stay alive for as long as Singapore needs him. But I guess it has become much lonelier for him as the years passed. Just thinking about how he made it through those four years and how he could still hold out for so long is already so amazing. 

But I believe he came to a point when he realised that his part for Singapore was over. He has put in place a new generation of leaders, culture, systems and policies. He has passed on the baton to the next generation. He has truly left behind a legacy. There has never been a man like him and there will be no other man like him. If there was no Mr Lee Kuan Yew, there could be no Singapore. 

Though I do not belong to the pioneer generation, I am aware of his contribution to our country. I knew of the perils our nation went through in the early years of independence and how easy it was to give up.  We literally started from scratch and opposition was everywhere. There was a time when people said we couldn't make it but we survived.

After that we thrived and we prospered. We made significant progress in our nation. The majority of the credit should go to Mr Lee for transforming us into a first world, economically stable and prosperous country. As a result Singapore will forever be indebted to Mr Lee and his family. Mr Lee was such an inspiration to our country. He was someone who not only began well but finished well. He must have no regrets about his life as he looked back. 

Mr Lee, you will always live in our loving memories and we will never forget you! May your future generations be always blessed! May peace and comfort be upon your family and Singapore as our nation mourns your passing! 

Unbroken communion with God

At times when my heart was troubled, The Lord kept telling me to stay in close communion with Him; not to listen to what others told me. Just pay attention to what God told me. I believed God was the One to lead me to read the book by Max Lucado titled 'More like Jesus' today though Heng bought it before. It was no accident. I was reading this part written not by a monk but a busy educator and I realized that when my heart was troubled, I lost the most important thing in the world. My close and unbroken communion with The Lord and the joy that came out of it.

As he wrote, I could identity with what he experienced. I didn't know this was unbroken communion with God until now. He said he was feeling God in each movement, by an act of will, willing that God shall direct his steps and the words he typed. This sense of being led by an unseen hand which takes his hand while another hand reaches ahead and prepares the way, grows upon him daily. He has tasted a thrill in fellowship with God which has made anything discordant with God disgusting. The possession of God has caught up with such sheer joy that he thought he had never known anything like it.

God was so close to him and so amazingly lovely that he felt like melting over with a blissful contentment. The thrill of filth now repelled him for he knew the power to drag him from God. And after an hour of close friendship with God, his soul felt clean again. Oh this thing of keeping in constant touch with God, making Him the object of his conversation, is the most amazing thing to him. He now thinks more clearly, forgets less frequently. Things which he did with a strain before, he now could do easily and with no effort.

He worried about nothing and lost no sleep. He walked on air most of the time. Even the mirror revealed a new light in his eyes and face. He no longer felt in a hurry about anything. Everything went right. Each minute was met calmly as though it were not important. He remembered how as he looked at people with a love God gave; they looked back and acted as though they wanted to go with him. He saw for a day, a little of the pull Jesus had as He walked along the road day after day radiant with the endless communion of His soul with God.

As for me, I couldn't even remember the number of times I felt so overwhelmed by a revelation of His love for me and how I was swept away in a world of just me and my God. Still reeling from the intoxicating love I experienced from God, I saw the world with brand new eyes. Suddenly everything became more beautiful and the world became a much better place to live in. I knew I must be looking at people with the love God has given me. Other times when I was not so intoxicated with this great love, I went about my day with a blissful contentment of His nearness to me.

It was like I wasn't alone in doing my chores. Jesus was with me every moment in everything I did. As a result, there was a freshness and delight to the mundane tasks I had to do like ironing, washing and hanging clothes. As I did my laundry, I thought about His thoughts. It was like an endless conversation I had with God even after I ended my quiet time with Him. I was so conscious of His thoughts in my mind and I simply loved them. There was a touch of divinity in the little mundane things of life. As a result, the things I used to find it a strain now became enjoyable. It was lovely.

Other times I felt as if led by an invisible hand guiding my steps. It was all so subtle but if one was sensitive enough, he would know it was the hand of God. Oftentimes God worked through desires in my heart, even giving me ideas on where to go, what to do. As such I did not plan my week in advance. I did not worry about what to do as I woke up each day because I knew my steps were guided by The Lord. I knew He would put ideas in my mind as to what to do. Sometimes I felt a desire to go out and run some errands, other times I just felt like staying home. I just went with the flow.

It was so amazing to be in the flow with the Holy Spirit. Like that educator, I think more clearly nowadays and I forget less easily. I would be doing this thing and suddenly a thought would pop up reminding me to attend to something like pay a bill or what. I would try to respond promptly because there were times I pushed it aside and then I totally forgot about it. So I couldn't say The Lord didn't remind me. At other times I would be busy with my chores and The Lord would plant a thought that made me smile. He always channeled my thoughts to all things beautiful, praiseworthy, lovely, noble (Philippians 4:8).

Those days I walked in close communion with The Lord, I also walked with a skip in my steps. I found myself breaking out in songs frequently, if not whistling. I worried about nothing and lost no sleep. I was often not in a hurry and almost nothing could ruffle my feathers. As such I was able to meet calmly whatever news that came my way. In the past my usual mode would be to react and fret, jumping quickly to fix the situation. Nowadays I chose not to react so quickly. I took time to commit the matter to The Lord in prayer first and I waited upon Him to listen for instructions, whether He wanted me to act. Most of the times He would tell me to rest for the battle belongs to Him. And true enough, the matter was resolved before I needed to do anything about it. Praise The Lord!

What a sweet thing to be constantly in communion with Him! I am made happy by the Lord's presence every single day. Being with The Lord always makes me happy, no wonder bible says that in His presence is fullness of joy. It's really fun to be with The Lord. There is never a dull moment with Him. I believe it is the Lord's desire for every of His beloved child to draw near to Him and be in unbroken communion with Him everyday. It's really the abundant life that Christ has come to give us. Dear friends, why not make this decision to draw near to God today. Jesus is waiting for you.