Youth Gathering 2011

On 30 January 2011, the youths had a bbq + movie gathering at St. Columba's Parish Hall for some fun-filled fellowship with one another as we welcome the new year 2011! We had some games before the event started, followed by a short sharing by Ven. Solomon to encourage the youths and then proceeded to our movie session!

Listening to the instructions

Game on!

 Say my name!

For the movie session, we turned the Parish Hall into a mini cineplex, using the church projector and our screen was the big white wall..hehe, and with about 40+ youths as audiences. The movie of the day was Despicable Me. This movie's about Gru, a crminal mastermind who uses a trio of orphan girls as pawns for a grand scheme, but then he finds himself profoundly changed by the growing love between them. It's funny, goofy & everyone could relate to the moral of the story which revolves around family, love, sense of belonging & purpose. A good watch indeed! The Parish Hall had never emitted that much noise before (especially those loud laughters from the audiences)!

                   

After the movie, it's time for makan! Eventhough it rained very heavilly (with strong winds & all!), we managed to get the bbq done but half of our manoks have to be fried instead of panggang! Haha!

The Not-so-Junior Master Chef Bajeng & his chicks

..and sidekick Blackie the church dog, faithfully guarding the coals. Could you even tell the difference? :p

After dinner & mingling, next on the program was an exchange gift session among the youths...

Some received back-to-school gifts, though some are no longer students but

I guess it's also very suitable to be used at the office too. Haha.

By 8pm, its time to call it a day! Everyone had a great time and we hope to have more to come! :D

Career Talk

On 15th January 2011, Saturday, AYC organised a Career Talk at St. Columba's Parish Hall . This talk is especially targeted to the youths who have just finished their SPM examinsations and also for fresh graduates. We invited various speakers to share on various topics on career paths, choices & what to expect from the working world. We have Ms Felecia Ngalih from Curtin University, Mr. Kong from Angela Educational Consultant and Mr. Martin Entamin from Sarawak Shell, whom have shared their knowledge and experiences with us. We do hope hope that the youths that have attended this session, went back with better knowledge on what to do next in their study/career choices! :) Here are some pictures to share....

 

12 Things I Wish I Knew At 25

Happy Friday, friends! We would like to share this with y'all. This is a sharing by Rev. James Martin, an American pastor, on his 50th Birthday.

For a lark yesterday, on my 50th birthday, I Tweeted 12 things that I wish I had known at 25. Or more accurately, 12 things that, had I put them into action, would have made my life a lot easier. Some are bits of advice that wisdom figures have told me and took years to sink in. Others are the result of some hard knocks. A few are insights from the great spiritual masters that I've adapted for my own life. Maybe a few will help someone you know who's 25. Maybe one or two will help you.

1. First up: Stop worrying so much! It's useless. (I.e. Jesus was right.)


2. Being a saint means being yourself. Stop trying to be someone else and just be your best self. Saves you heartache.


3. There's no right way to pray, any more than there's a right way to be a friend. What's "best" is what works best for you.


4. Remember three things and save yourself lots of unneeded heartache: You're not God. This ain't heaven. Don't act like a jerk.


5. Your deepest, most heartfelt desires are God's desires for you. And vice versa. Listen. And follow them.


6. Within you is the idea of your best self. Act as if you were that person and you will become that person, with God's grace.


7. Don't worry too much about the worst that can happen. Even if it happens, God is with you, and you can handle it. Really.


8. You can't force people to approve of you, agree with you, be impressed with you, love you or even like you. Stop trying.


9. When we compare, we are usually imagining someone else's life falsely. So our real-life loses out. I.e. Compare and despair.


10. Even when you finally realized the right thing, or the Christian thing, to do, it can still be hard to do. Do it anyway.


11. Seven things to say frequently: I love you. Thank you. Thank you, God. Forgive me. I'm so happy for you! Why not? Yes.


12. Peace and joy come after asking God to free you -- from anything that keeps you from being loving and compassionate.


We hope that you find this sharing helpful. Tell us what do you think of it? And do share it with others! Have a great weekend ahead!

Interesting Toons

Shared by Bro. Malachi Ningkan

A Special love for a special You!

Shared by Uncle Andrew Unal

“A SPECIAL LOVE FOR A SPECIAL YOU”

Bai Fang Li, died 93 years old, lived in poverty. Yet, he donated an aggregate sum of RMB 350,000 to universities and schools in Tianjin to help 300 poor children in need. For almost twenty years, he paddled his tricycle earning Yuan by Yuan to save up for his donations.

His lunch was two buns and plain water. Luxury to him was the sauce he put into the water. Dinner was a piece of meat or an egg. What he wore was what he picked from the dump. Any extra piece was luxury.

He paddled 365 days a year every year, in the snow and in the soaring heat of 50 degrees C. He started at 6 in the morning and finished at 7 or 8 at night.

“It’s alright I suffer,” he said, “But let the poor kids go to school.”

90 years old, he arranged his last saving of RMB500 neatly in a box and handed to Yao Hua School, saying, “I cannot paddle any more. I am not able to donate any more. This shall be my last …”

All teachers in the School wept …

The last image people had of him was his photo inscribed, “A special Love for a special you.” (last photo shown)

Pictures showing the students from Yao Hua School paying tributes to their benefactor.

Indeed God has work in him to help others. How wonderful our God is! May his good deeds be an example to us that we will also be able to help others in need and also to spread God's love.  

Hello 2011!!

Wow, can you believe that we're now in 2011! What a year 2010 was for AYC! And it went by really fast! This year, AYC is gearing up to live up to its theme, which is Go MAD (Make A Difference) for Jesus! We do hope to get the support we need from the youths, parents & congregation!

To start off our activities this year, we're having a Career Talk this coming Saturday. Details are as below:-

Date: 15th January 2011
Time: 830am-330pm
Venue: Parish Hall
Speakers: Mr. Martin Entamin (HSE Advisor for Shell), Mr Kong Shaw Onn (Educational Agent of Angela Educational Service) & Ms. Felecia Ngalih (Marketing Officer of Curtin Uni.)
Objectives: To equip uni. graduates to face the working life, to help the senior secondary students to plan their futher studies and understanding courses offered in universities.

*Registration is FREE.
*Lunch & tea break are provided.

Do make yourself free to attend this talk. Parents, do encourage your children to come for this.

See YOU there! :)

Buzzing with Activities!

Hello friends! We've been like little bumble bees buzzing about with lots of activities for the past few months! Whooh! We praise God that He has guided & provided for us the whole way through! We are indeed very blessed! Here are some of the pictures that we want to share with y'all. :D

Fellowship with PGA Youths at St. John's Chapel.

We had a great time with the PGA youths at their newly opened St. John's chapel. It was our first time there! We introduced to them what is AYC all about, had some ice-breaking session & a game. In addition we also had a session with the little kiddies. We taught them "I love you Jesus" action song. And they presented it in front of everyone. How adorable is that! To wrap things up, we had a light refreshment thereafter. This will be the first of many trips to the youths of St. John's Chapel ,PGA.

PGA has been put in plan to be AYC's mission field for next year! We hope to groom youth leaders & get the youth group there growing in faith! :) Do uphold us in your prayers..

Priest Appreciation Night at Mega Hotel Ballroom

On 30th October, we had a chance to say a big Thank You to our beloved priests...Ven. Solomon Cheong, Revd. Alfred Damu & Revd. Ramdan Mejem! These three wise men of St. Columba's church have been working extremely hard & they are very dedicated to their work & ministry. We have indeed seen wonderful changes and improvements been brought to the church..and we are ever so grateful to have them as our shepherds. Above all, the youths feel very privileged to have them as they are very supportive to the youths & our activities. This was our opportunity to show our appreciation!

Praise & worship by the SCEC Taman Tunku Youths. Great job!

Our priests presenting a song together! Bakat terpendam..

The AYC presented a video presentation which required several weeks of preparation (lotsa brainstorming sessions & getting the right editting software etc) and involved a group of creative & talented bunch of youths (including Blackie, the church dog). We couldn't show you the video here...it's a tad too big, hmm..we'll figure out how to show it ya! The video shows a series of interview we did with random people from the church and we gave it a lil fun twist & made it into an original piece of work... Our very own AYC production and it comes with a cover too, which each priest was given a copy!

Miri Christmas Bazaar 2010

On 4th-9th December, a Christmas Bazaar was held at Dewan Suarah Miri. AYC set up a stall selling handmade crafts (courtesy of Live-Love-Craft), maruku, books, CDs, t-shirts, decorative items from Crossway Bookstore and also calenders! It was a hectic week but we managed pretty well. Praise God! There were many other stalls set up by various churches as well. And every day we have a different church to perform songs on stage to entertain the people. It was pretty awesome to see that many churches are able to come together to take part in this bazaar!

Too tired to Pray

Have you ever been in the midst of an ongoing challenge of life whose sting never ceased? As one day faded into the next, you wondered how you would have the energy to make it through. You looked for direction asking, "What can I do that will make my situation different?"
 
I have been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt. I am a survivor of some tough challenges. Challenges that stole my energy, zest for life, and belief that things could change. In fact, I am currently living such a challenge and have been for several years.
 
During difficult days my godly friends offer wise counsel. They point me to scripture with aspirations of encouraging me and bringing hope to what I deem hopeless. My friends hold me up in prayer. They remind me to pray. However, there are times when the weight of my circumstances are so heavy, when I bow my head to pray I find I am just too tired.
 I am tired of moving forward one day, only to run into another obstacle that prohibits progress the next day. I am tired of expelling my energies trying to make a difference, only to find myself right back where I was before. Because this situation robs me of spiritual, mental and physical energy, I feel too tired to pray.

I am too tired to pray until I remember a man in the Bible. This man found himself in a challenge that had the potential to rob him of spiritual, mental, and physical strength. He ran into one obstacle after another and worked hard each day trying to make a difference. Unlike me, this man was not too tired to pray.

The man is Nehemiah. He wept and mourned over the condition of Jerusalem after the exiles returned from Babylon. He was motivated to help his people rebuild. Having the favor of the king and the presence of God on his side, one would assume the assignment would not be a challenge. However, government officials Sanballat and Tobiah, made it their personal business to undermine the rebuilding progress. Nehemiah responded to each insult and obstacle the same way: he prayed.

Nehemiah and the Israelites found praying was the needed prescription to revive them, restore their energy and continue building! Through the power of prayer their enemies were defeated and the wall was rebuilt. What a wonderful lesson for anyone struggling through life's challenges, too tired to pray. Let's examine this prescription for those who are overwhelmed.

We can simplify Nehemiah's prayer prescription as SAP (Stop and Pray). According to Dictionary.com the word sap means energy and vitality. Vitality is defined as exuberant physical strength or mental vigor; power to live and grow. Nehemiah had it right. He made prayer his first choice, not his last resort. He discovered prayer would revive his spirit and restore the mental and physical energy needed to overcome challenges.

Do you find yourself facing a challenge? Have you felt just too tired to pray? Join me today as I SAP— stop and pray. Let's allow the power of prayer to revive our spirit and restore our physical and mental vigor. By following Nehemiah's example we will have the energy needed to defeat the enemy and thrive in the midst of our challenges.

Dear Lord, through the power of prayer, today's challenge can be tomorrow's victory. Forgive me when I make prayer my last resort instead of my first choice. Help me remember the truths You have taught me today. Help me SAP when adversity comes my way. Thank You for prayer and the power I receive when I turn to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Application Steps:

Write the word SAP and its meaning (energy and vitality) on several note cards. Place them in your home, car, work and Bible, to remind you to SAP.

Each time a difficult situation occurs, no matter how small, SAP.

Reflections:

How do I feel about my prayer life?

Am I willing to SAP whenever a situation occurs? If not, why?
Am I currently in a tough life challenge? Do I really believe prayer can change it? Why or why not?

Power Verses:
Daniel 9:19a, "O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act!" (NLT)

Habakkuk 1:5, "Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." (NIV)
Ephesians 3:20, "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." (NIV)

Romans 8:26-27, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." (NIV)


Devotion taken from: Encouragement for Today by Proverbs 31 Ministries

Gone too soon...

The sky is a darker shade of grey on this day...sadness & grief is felt in the hearts of many youths today. We have lost a great friend, a dear brother....Billy Joe. He left us to be with the Lord. It was tragic, the way he left us..so sudden & we are all in shock & are deeply saddened. But, we know, above all things, God is in control & He has plans for everything. What God's plan is in this, we may not know but we rest in the assurance that we shall see him again because of that hope we have in Jesus...we are promised victory over death and the grave!

We will always remember you in our hearts, Billy. We will always remember you for that great smile you have, that goofy funny side of you, your great voice, your big heart for the youths, your even bigger heart & love for Jesus! We are thankful to God that we indeed had a chance to know you and we are proud to be your friend. We take comfort that you are now with Jesus and in a better place where there's no more pain & suffering. 

Until we see you again someday soon...you will be greatly missed.

We pray that God's strength, peace & comfort be upon his family at this time of loss.

May you rest in peace, Bro. Billy...

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

God is always there

Do You Believe This ???

A girl went to her friends house and she ended up staying longer than planned, and had to walk home alone.

She wasn't afraid because it was a small community and she lived only a few blocks away.

As she walked along under the bike trail Diane asked God to keep her safe from harm and danger.

When she reached the alley, which w as a shortcut to her house, she decided to take it.

However, halfway down the alley she noticed a man standing at the end as though he were waiting for her.

She became uneasy and began to pray, asking for God's protection.

Instantly a comforting feeling of quietness and security wrapped round her, she felt as though someone was walking with her.

When she reached the end of the alley, she walked right past the man and arrived home safely.

The following day, she read in the newspaper that a young girl had been raped in the same alley just twenty minutes after she had been there.

Feeling overwhelmed by this tragedy and the fact that it could have been her, she began to weep.

Thanking the Lord for her safety and to help this young woman, she decided to go to the police station.

She felt she could recognize the man, so she told them her story.

The police asked her if she would be willing to look at a lineup to see if she could identify him.

She agreed and immediately pointed out the man she had seen in the alley the night before.

When the man was told he had been identified, he immediately broke down and confessed.

The officer thanked Diane for her bravery and asked if there was anything they could do for her.

She asked if they would ask the man one question. Diane was curious as to why he had not attacked her.

When the policeman asked him, he answered, "Because she wasn't alone.

She had two tall men walking on either side of her".

Amazingly, whether you believe or not, you're not alone. People will not stand up for God..

PS: God is always there in your heart and loves you no matter what.