When I call finally burn those papers without a worry

Week 11 into semester~ I finally put my pen down for the last written paper in my education life ( at least for now.) That feeling of knowing that I have no papers to study for in my life was ...WEIRD. I remembered that when I was in NYP, I was so happy..i threw almost all my notes away!!

Here~ I just felt that..MAN~ i'm going to be a physio back home.. how surreal is that and I so don't wanna go into that just yet.

Coming back from Mudgee was like yesterday's thing. I got down to cooking some Thai food when I reached Lidcombe and we had too much coconut and chilli padi that night..but I enjoyed cooking after long drought of not touching the pots and pans to whip up something nice to eat.:P Then, it was full swing on for assignments and also exams. Guess what!! I didn't sleep more than 5 hours in the past 3 days all because of my habit of procrastinating that got me into a real mess with work:P Somehow, I still survived till this very point to write this blog so I pray with all faith I will do fairly well for my papers:P

I'll be moving away from Lidcombe so there will be achange of address..if anyone of u wants it..just send me an email and I'll get back to you with the new one.

Lately, my family in Australia has been seeing additions. My cousin in law got pregnant and my other cousin is getting engaged. Then, the turn came to me when everyone started asking if I was goin to be at that stage any time soon. I was stumped..i thought of that but..I don't have one to fulfil that so I kept quiet. hahaha..o well~ It's all in God's good hands..He will send the biggest and most complementing person in my life:)

getting tired..need to sleep..NITE!

Mudgee-nest in the hills~

It was our 3rd week at Country Physiotherapy!!!

As we count down our weeks to the end of the PPD, I had mixed feelings as I approached the end of the week. We are half way there- we are half way there leaving Mudgee.

The 2.5 weeks of mornings that starts at 0600h when we have to make our way to Church street of Mudgee where our clinic is located marks the crucial countdown that we cannot make any mistake at our placements. Any mistake could cost you everything.

Even so, the warmth of the country people and my clinical educator caused me to put aside all these worries. Liz gave us a surprise treat at the High Valley today!!! I was so excited when I saw that we are going for cheese tasting and a good lunch.

She said we worked really hard so it’s good time for a reward. I had a good treat of hot chocolate in the morning from her too:P I feel super duper blessed!!! Liz’s the best!! She always encourages and gives pointers on how to improve. She teaches and not expects a whole load of you (which is good so I can learn the basics that I used to ignore LOL).

Sherry and I had a great meal with Liz at a beautiful place. I must go back there again:P
Then, Sherry and I had afternoon tea at grandma Shirley’s place again. I went to pay her a visit last week and got Sherry come along because grandma wanted more company.

Grandma Shirley made COffe CAKE!! Fabulous coffee icing I must say:)!! Boy~ Mudgee placement is really a thrill for the stomach, the heart and the brain. We talked about war days of Singapore- she actually read a book on that so we can have a chat on that and also her family and her days in Sydney. Granny had a new set of teapot and I took pictures of it- amazed at the collection she has.

As Mudgee had one of the coldest days in Autumn in the last few decades, I had the most amazing warm embrace from the Australians in Mudgee.

1) Frontline Christian Centre- Pastor Robyn’s ever welcoming hugs, meeting Christopher and Caroline who prayed for me, having tea at May’s and Grahm’s place and getting a VCD of Christian songs from May, Karen who chat with me real long, Emma’s offers to ride home, Rachael’s lunch invite to her place.
2) Granny Shirley’s afternoon tea.
3) Patients who don’t mind you treating them even when you are students
4) Liz- our amazing clinical educator who drops us home almost every night and offers to pick us up on rainy days, lunch and chocolate treats, cute winks and ever ready to teach us.
5) Ash and Karla who never cease to help us out with the administrative stuff at Country Physiotherapy
6) Ash’s mother who gave us blankets and a warm heater.
7) Getting a ride from a stranger when I was walking in the rain from work.
8) Wayne’s pumpkins and FREE RANGE EGGS!!
And the list just goes on..
Father, thank you for bringing me here. It was Mudgee that brought me back to the foundation- my foundation in you.

PS: thanks elain for your hugs given by shirlynnJ

A hope that never disappoints

I remembered of my youth days when I used to hear of the pastor sharing about the hope that is in our Lord Jesus Christ- because of that we can rejoice even in the midst of worries and adversities.

I then took the posture to rejoice and sometimes place myself in a position of self denial- denying the sadness and disappointment if I have to in order to demonstrate an attitude of belief in the so preached “hope”. Yesterday, I realized I had never truly understood and embraced such a hope till I read Acts 27:13-44.

That chapter of Acts is really long. So long, I fell asleep while trying to finish reading it. I bet it’s the pile of work that I had to keep up with that brought about such sleepiness (I know excuses as usual.) Anyhow, it was the study at Blue Sky that gave me an opportunity to truly examine and read in depth of what this common hope Paul and I shared- that Paul embraced but I had not.

As I read of the passage, the Holy Spirit begins to convict of my heart in the never failing hope that my Father in Heaven promises. As Paul, a convict that was due to sail and stand for trial before Caesar, was caught in the storm with the crew, he was the one who had the hope and faith in God to see that they will survive the storm without anyone lost to the menacing waves.

Paul was the only one on the ship who believed that God will deliver them- he spoke to the officer in charge, having to be rejected in the face on the first attempt because (perhaps) he was a mere convict. In fact, the entire crew banged on their sailing experience and knowledge to handle the rough winds, only to lose all hope of any chances of being saved when all attempts were in vain. (27:20) Then Paul came along once again, having first encouraged and assured the crew of preservation of their lives, and providing advice on how to manage the boat to deal with the sea happenings.

Paul did not have to do that. Why?
1) He was a prisoner on his way to stand trial- this was most probably the best chance to run away and escaped from the trial.
2) He was in the least position to speak because he has a status of a convict.
3) The situation out at sea was terribly bleak
4) He was not a sailor- does not have the relevant experience to advise
5) Nobody was bothered to listen initially.

Then, why did Paul still stayed and helped?
1) He heard from God
2) He had a promise from God
3) He found the hope in God
4) He was the only one who heard of the promise from God.
5) He saw the people- not himself.

Do you feel like you are Paul? You seem to be the only person in the light while the rest are in the dark or in their world? Do you think you will be as brave as Paul to vocalize if God has called you to even though you might be the most unlikely person to speak? What did you see in your situation of adversity- yourself, the people involved, God?

I believed with all my heart that Paul positioned his hope such that he saw God first and God led him to the people.

You could be in a situation now where you are of the least likely position to comment on a situation. It could be because you are not experienced, you are the involved party and might seem to be providing a bias opinion. You could be like Paul- at a lowly position that does not offer you the right to speak in the eyes of authority because you stand at their hand of mercy. I reckoned that Paul was frustrated when the officer refused to listen to him. Could you imagine if he stopped at that and never pushed his way through to make him heard? They could most probably have lost their lives to the raging seas.

For the hope he had in Jesus that he so wanted the people on board to have, he made sure that he must be heard.

As it was like Abraham coming to God and bargaining for God to spare the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, I believe God saw Paul’s heart and because Paul was on board- His mercy came and cover the ship all because of one man.

If you are the only person in a mess/situation that has hope and faith in God’s promises, God will deliver the group from the circumstances. Because of you (the only one), He will intervene in the situation. Because of your hope and faith, He will turn things round. Because of your hope and faith, He will change things. As such, that He shall be honoured and glorified by your faith and hope.

Today, you might be stuck in a real mud mess. You are thinking- Boy, I am the worst person to comment/ provide advice or even make mention of the matter. Could you have realized that you might be the only person that has a relationship with God and hear from Him? You might be THE ONE that he will use mightily to change things around- if you will only choose to position yourself in the posture to be used by God.

It just takes one person- are you the one?

PS: Was it worthwhile to go for the plunge? Paul’s hope and faith kept the lives of the 276 onboard the ship with the centurion having spared his and other prisoners’ lives. I think it will be.

His timing

I always struggle with punctuality. Friends who go out with me often will know that I am one that has poor estimation of the time I will take to get from one place to another. My days in junior college was way classic- I’ll reach my spot in the class line up at the ring of the second bell before the national anthem plays.

Having stayed in Australia for some time, I’ve tried my best to change that habit of being a few minutes late. Well, I must say it’s still in the primitive stage of correction :P When I made my shift to Mudgee( which was 2 weeks ago), I decided that I should put discipline into my punctuality- especially since I am on clinical placements. It has pretty much been effective in making me waking up early and getting ready for work

I like having timetables to tell me what I have happening in my day and I believed that God also has a great timetable- so that he can handle every little thing to every big things in our lives without missing anyone’s at all. I reckoned God’s a real sticker to time because the happenings of the world are dependent on when He calls for them to happen. Even the time you are to cross the particular traffic light- who knows He might have arranged to meet a long lost friend that will make a difference in your life.

My time at Mudgee, I believe with all my heart, was God ordained, orchestrated and blessed. When I arrived in Mudgee, I went looking for a church to attend on the 2nd day ( Sunday) that I arrived. The church that I intended to visit had a supposed 6pm service so I went for that. Frontline Christian Church youths met me at their venue- only for me to find out that there was no service going on at 6pm. However, a bigger piece of news awaits me.

The pastor, Pastor Robyn, wanted to invite me to the night conferences for the mid western regional churches and I agreed! She waived the fees for my attendance and arranged for people to pick me and drop me at my accommodation so that I can go out at night. The conference was in God’s timing- the last night was a night of prayer and commitment. On that very last night, God came and spoke to me about two issues, through three people, that were on my heart for the longest time. I rarely knew these people for a week but pastor Robyn, the preaching pastor and also this gentleman called Christopher came to pray for me- sharing the heart of God for my life.

Leaving Sydney at this time gave me time to review my past 10 months and also to take a break from the hustle and bustle of happenings that really got on my patience and nerves. There were so many occasions when I could take a chair and break it because I was so helpless over the behaviours of human beings- I had to find a way to vent that frustration but thank God the chairs were spared. Instead, this retreat has brought me back to the very heart of serving Jesus Christ- serving and loving His people.

It helped that I managed to escape the coldest time of the year from Mudgee- I will definitely freeze to death if I come in July.

God’s timing is so “zhun” isn’t it? Amusing as it may sound, but like it was said in

Ecclesiastes 3

There is a time for everything

A season for every activity under Heaven.

A time to born and a time to die
A time to plant and a time to harvest

A time to kill and a time to heal
A time to tear down and a time to rebuild
A time to cry and a time to laugh

A time to grieve and a time to dance
A time to scatter stones and a stick to gather stones

A time to embrace and a time to turn away
A time to search and a time to lose

A time to keep and a time to throw away
A time to tear and a time to mend

A time to be quiet and a time to speak up
A time to love and a time to hate

A time for war and a time for peace…

11 God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

14 And I know that whatever God does is final .Nothing can be added to it or be taken from it. God’s purpose in this is that people should fear Him.

15 Whatever exists today and whatever will exist in the future has already existed in the past. For God calls each even back in its turn.

I feel I am slowly walking back onto His big palms.

Vivian @ Mudgee

Greetings from the midwestern region of NEW south wales!!!

I'm currently up at Mudgee. It's in between Dubbo and Orange ( my definition of her location to people)!! It's a beautiful peaceful town that has really nice people..

I'm having placements here at the rural area- currently at a private practice called Country Physiotherapy and having a great time learning and interacting with patients.

If you ever watched those old English films with those small towns with maple trees lined along your roads in autumn, those brownish red maple leaves falling- yea! that's Mudgee for you:)

I'm surrounded by the mountains and hills and every morning i see a differnt outlook of the moutains. It's getting colder but still tolerable..:P i think i've gotten used to the weather fairly well. The thought of returning to a humid weather kinda makes me upset a little but that's not gonna stop me from wanting to come home!!! I must confess- I do miss everyone back home in Singapore. Nevertheless, I shall make full use of my time here:)

After this stint, i'm heading back to Sydney. I must say a million times THANKEW!!! to people at 6A/6 Georges for that emo farewell( i didn't cry fyi) but i really enjoy the love and hugs and the pretty card. I will write love letters to u..LOL~ am so lookin forward to your arrival at Mudgee~

Alrightey~ it's been a long week..one week down..4 more to go~ looking forward!!

Luke 24:30- my year in Sydney

It may seem a little too early to reflect..but just felt a tugging in my heart to conclude my year ( as I make my permanent exit from 6A/6 Georges Avenue:P)

Luke 24:30
“As they sat down to eat, he took a small loaf of bread, asked God’s blessing on it, broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. And at that moment He disappeared!”
As I spent my first Good Friday out of home and Trinity, I recounted the many “firsts” I have had thus far after arriving in Australia to pursue my studies. First Chinese New year with friends, first Christmas party I organized, my first meal that I cooked myself and my first baking session when I nearly burnt my house down. I had the very first taste of living overseas alone, living with friends who became strangers overnight and having to learn to cope with the many “sudden” incidents. How exciting is studying overseas!!
Having been in Australia for close to 10 months, my experience is like that described in verse Luke 24:30- Taken, blessed, broken and given. I was taken into the hands of God and received prayers and letters of blessings before I left Singapore. The first few months in Australia was close to a scary place called hell..haha.. The misunderstandings that arose from different lifestyles and values made 3 of my housemates shift out of my current accommodation. The struggle to fit within the church and the campus ministry and dealing with school demands did not really help with the process of settling down. I never felt so vulnerable, and all I could do was call upon God’s name and pray even though I witness the deterioration of relationships and circumstances. After one incident has appeased, another came along. Those were not big hurdles. The greatest one came when a very treasured friend whom I really trusted, broke an important promise and got me hit rock bottom. It got so bad, I did lose my faith in believing that God will come and rescue me. My desperation drove me to tears and I will sit in my room calling out to God silently because I was so afraid He will not answer. Then He came and called out my name, whispered into my ears, “I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn, before you have harvested your grain and before the grapevine, the fig tree and pomegranate and the olive tree have produced their crops. From this day onward, I will bless you.” Haggai 2:19
Bearing the brunt of all the rumours from the happenings was really challenging. I was challenged not to retaliate in language even when I underwent verbal attack from people whom I thought were good friends, I was challenged not to hate when they set out to teach me a lesson for the flaws that I had. The anger crept into me and made me gave up in believing these are people that deserve forgiveness. However, He called me to love them in all circumstances because Jesus did. 1 Corinthians 13: 13 “There are three things that will endure- faith hope and love and the greatest of these is LOVE.” When He chose to die on the cross even when people did not accept Him, it was love that kept him on the cross for men’s sake. If Jesus could still love these scary people who crucified Him, surely I can love these people no matter what they had done- Love the sinner and not the sin.
It was a humbling process- breaking of pride and surrendering my rights to hate and fight for what was my rightful way to address the grievances I suffered because of people’s actions. I asked God why I am the person who has to go through all these things. The breaking of every aspect of my life took a toll on my emotion basket. I got into really weird moods that my friends could not bear to see at times. 2 Corinthians 12:8- “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time He said, “My gracious favour is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.”
I really did not want to love them for all the bad reasons I could give. I chose to but I struggled to love. My daily prayer was like Jesus did when He hang on the cross- Luke 23:34 “Father, forgive these people because they do not know what they are doing.” Then I looked upon that cross and He asked me- John 21: 15 “Do u love me?” 21:17 “Lord you know everything. You know I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.”
I envisioned that coming to Australia will be all fun and rosy, exciting things that will happen in my life. Fun and rosy things there were, but the tough times that came along were really tremendous testing of my faith in Jesus, my love for people and my focus on the race. 1 Peter 1:7 – “These trials are only to test your faith to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold- and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. If your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trails, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
The most amazing part of this journey- The love I chose to show, to people who were against and misunderstood me, liberated me from fear. “Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of judgment and this shows that His love has not been perfected in us.” 1 John 4:18-19
“Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” 2 Corinthians 12:10”
As I look back on the things that have happened, it may seem like it’s all over but the hurt that has been done will take time to heal. The greatest joy was to know that even as I endured the past 10 months of seemingly never ending pain- I grew stronger because of the love of God that taught me to forgive and love. As Luke 24:30 states, as I was taken into the hands of my Father, blessed and broken by His grace, so that I can be given to do the will and work of God in this world that so needs the love of our Father in Heaven.

Christian Principles For Dating

By Patrick Zukeran

What Is Love

We were made to love and be loved. God is love(1 John 4:16). Among the spirtual virtues found in the bible, love stands preminent. It is no wonder the devil has worked hard to distort its meanings.Today, the word love has been misconstructed in several ways. One misconception is, love is sex. Hollywood has bombarded the media with this definition. When two people are "in love" in the movies, they immediately get sexually involved. Biblically however, the proper place for sex is in marriage. There are at least two commitments involved in the institution of marriage. First, there is the commitment each partner makes to honour, protect, and be faithful to the other for life. Second, true marriage involves a commitment to the larger society to abide by these principles.Remember, Hollywood protrays a distorted view of reality. But we often laugh when we see scenes that are factually ridiculous. For example, one scenario we often see in movies are when a group of skilled soldiers hidden behind trees and armed with machine guns open fire at the hero who is in close range and fully exposed. Even so, the trained marksmen all miss him, but with a single pistol in his hand, the hero annihilates his enemies. We laugh, knowing that this is the fantasy land of Hollywood. However, people buy into the scene of two people falling in love, getting sexually involved, and then leaving one another without any consequences. Just as the first illustration was absurd, so is the second. Yet, too many people have been deceived into this type of thinking that no harm is done when in reality, sexual involvement can lead to such consequences as emotional pain, feelings of exploitation, guilt...etc. Do not buy into the definition that love is sex.

A second misconception is that love is a feeling. Love needs to stir up emotions of excitement, happiness and passion. It must make me feel good. When we define love as an emotion, we inflate the accuracy of emotions.True, there are good feelings associated with love, but love also involves self-sacrifice and perseverance in difficulty. Love is a commitment to do what is right even if there is pain. Love defined as an emotion is not love at all, but a self centered desire for pleasure.A third mistaken view of love is the belief that love is conditional: I love u if u meet my expectations. It requires the other person to perform up to a desired level before my love is given. This love is shallow and self-centered. In the end, conditional love proves to be destructive.True love begins with God. Only His love can fill the emptiness in our heart. The people we date and marry can never meet our deepest needs. In 1 John 3:16 we read, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us." God valued us so much, He was willing to suffer and die on the cross so that we could have a meaningful relationship with Him. He loves us unconditionally, even though we can never repay Him. God's definition of love is a commited, sacrificial and unconditional love. This is the kind of love that any solid friendship, dating and marriage relationship must be built on. God's way of love is the key to a significant life and to meaningful relationships. In order to love God's way, we must first experience God's love personally. Only when we know we are loved just for who we are, and we are secure in God's love, can we share that love with others.

Principles To Remember

When I began dating, I didn't have a clue what God's Word said on the subject. As a result, my first few dates caused both parties a lot of unnecessary pain. These hurtful experiences could have been avoided, if I had followed two principles from God's Word.The first principle comes from 2 Corinthians 6:14 which states, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" Paul draws on the analogy from Deuteronomy 22:10 which prohibits harnessing an ox and a donkey together for ploughing. The result would be disasterous since they would pull a plow at different speeds and end up going nowhere.It is impossible for two different species of animals to pull a plow properly since they have too many incompatible traits. The same is true between a believer and an unbeliever when it comes to dating. The differences are so great Paul contrasts it to light and darkness.This principle applies to christians as well. It is possible for two christians to be dating and still be unequally yoked. One person may be commited to the Lord while the other may be worldly. It is not enough to date someone who goes to church. We must see if the other person's life reflects a heart for God. The first girl I dated was a pastor's daughter. Although she spoke the right words and outwardly lived a good life, I soon discovered her heart and mind were not on the Lord. After a few weeks, our worldly and frustrating relationship came to a bitter end.The application of this principle is simple. A christian should never date a non-christian for any reason. That does not mean we cannot be friends with unbelievers. How else would we win them to Christ? However, we should not be in a dating relationship with non-christains. Missionary dating, dating someone with hopes u will win them to Christ, is always an unwise practice for christians. The person u want to date is someone whom has shown himself or herself to be faithful and growing in the Lord.The second principle is what I called the 3 M's: Master, Mission, Mate.The first priority in a Christian's life is to know his or her Master, Jesus Christ. Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." From this relationship, all of life falls into its proper place.After knowing your Master, u need to discover the wonderful Mission He has for your life. Ephesians 2:10 states, "For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do." Your future partner will compliment the mission God has called u to.The third M stands for Mate. This must follow the first two priorities. The best dating relationships come when two people who know God and know their mission, are walking down the same paths towards the same goal. Somewhere down the road their paths will connect. From that point, they march together on the same path. That meeting point will be determined by God at the Best time.

Marks Of A Healthy Relationship

I am often asked, " How do I know if I am in a healthy dating relationship?" Here are a few ways to tell. Proverbs 27:17 tells us, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." When two swords rub against one another, they result in two even sharper and better swords. The same should be true when two believers are together. They should make each other stronger in the Lord. They do this by encouraging the other to grow in the Lord, exhorting each other to become more like Jesus each time they are together. Postive constructive changes are produced in one another. A healthy relationship looks like a triangle. The man and woman stand at the bottom corners. At the top of the triangle is God. As each person moves closer to God, they move closer to each other. The focus of each individual is the Lord.When I first entered the ministry, I was goal-oriented and insensitive to others. Its not that I didn't care about others, it was that I was so focused on the goals that I often ran over other people to accomplish the task. As I started dating the young lady who became my wife, she pointed out these flaws, and through her 'sharpening process' I have become more balanced.The question to ask about the person you are dating is, "Do I get closer to God as a result of being with this person?" or "Do I love Jesus more today because of our time together?" If you answer yes, u have the markings of a healthy relationship.A second indicator comes by looking at the relationships around you. Look at your relationships with your friends, your parents, your pastor and older mentors. Are these relationships being strengthened or weakened as a result of your dating relationship? In a healthy relationship, these friendships are strengthened. In unhealthy relationships, the couple often isolate themselves from others.This is unhealthy for several reasons. One person cannot meet all your needs. There will come the time when you need other friends. Yet, unless you take the time to build other relationships now, later when you need the friendships of others, they may not be there. Often, one person in the relationship will try to dominate the time of the other. Because this person is insecure, they will be very possessive of the other. This leads to a relationship built on selfishness, distrust and insecurity. When I see relationships deteriorating between the dating couple and their parents, older mentors or pastors, it is often because the dating couple has something to hide. Integrity, sincerity, honesty and truth are the marks of a healthy relationship. When I was involved in unhealthy relationships, I saw key relationships around me deteriorate. As hard as I tried, they continued to decline and soon I knew this relationship was not of the Lord. If you are in a healthy relationship, both of you will be growing in character and in the Lord, and your relationships with other people will be enhanced and strengthened.

How Far Is Too Far ?

When I speak on dating, one of the most frequently asked questions is, "how far is too far?" In other words, how physical can I get with my date and still be obedient to God? The answer is found in Paul's exhortation to young Timothy is 1 Timothy 5:1-2. "Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, with absolute purity." Paul's words remain clear. As christians, we are all part of one family belonging to the kingdom of God. He says to the men to treat younger women as sisters with absolute purity. There should not be even a hint of sexual immorality in the dating relationship. Women are to likewise treat men as their own brothers. Righteousness should be the hallmark of christian dating relationships.My basic guideline is this. The more physically involved the dating relationship, the worse off it is. Over the years, as a pastor of students, I have seen many relationships destroyed because the couples were too physically involved.In marriage, sex is the most intimate expression of commited love which binds two people together. Outside of marriage, it has the opposite effect. It becomes a hindrance to the development of mature love. Sex hinders the development of solid communication. The ability to communicate at a deep level is vital in a relationship. Couples must be able to solve difficult problems, discuss deep issues, resolve conflict and PRAY TOGETHER. To think a kiss or a hug can solve a conflict rather than communicating and praying together is like putting a band-aid on a broken bone.Solid relationships are built on mutual trust and respect. When a couple makes the commitment to wait until marriage, a strong mutual trust develops which carries over into marriage. Security and harmony define the relationship because both know the other will remain faithful even in difficult times. Should one partner even be disfigured in an accident, the other will be there because they have a proven commitment. Mutual respect is developed when both parties proves themselves to be people of character who will not compromise their convictions, honour and obedience to God.The best way to keep from sexual immorality is to develop the conviction to have a pure relationship from the beginning. Establish your convictions and limits at the beginning, then maintain them throughout your dating relationship. Although it may be difficult, there is a tremendous reward that awaits you in marriage when u honour the Lord in your dating life.

How To Know You Are Really In Love

Another question I am often asked is, "How do I know if I am in love or just infatuated?" Is this relationship worth pursuing, or is it just two people infatuated with each other? Relationships do often begin with infatuation, but healthy ones move on to mature love. Too often what appears to be love is simply infatuation. Here are some ways to know the difference between the two.Real love edifies. Two people in love seek the best for the other person. Their attitude towards each other is "How can I help make you everything God has ever intended you to be?" The two have found their fulfillment and security in Christ, and as a result, they can securely serve with the other's best interest in mind.On the other hand, infatuation is selfish and driven by the desire to have your own needs met. Infatuated love insists upon continual reassurance from the other person. It makes unreasonable demands that stems from possessiveness and insecurity. Charted on paper, it would range from high peaks of certainty to valleys of doubt. Unstable in its duration, infatuation is like a seasonal monsoon:it comes, blows fiercely, and moves on.Second, love is based on knowledge. One must first get to know the other person over a significant period of time and in many different circumstances. As u see the other person's character strengths and weaknesses, ask yourself, "Do I still feel strongly attracted to him or her?" Try this, list as many attributes of the other person as u can, including strengths and weaknesses and the evidence to support your claims. If you have a good-sized list, u probably know the person well and are basing your decision on knowledge. If it is infatuation, your list will be quite short. When people are infatuated, what they are often attracted to is an idealized image of the other person.Third, ask yourself, "If I were blind, would I love this person?" In other words, can I love this person without any physical expression? Is my desire for him or her based on quality of character or just physical attraction? If you can't express your love apart from the physical element, it is not true love. Physical involvement will distort two people's perspective, and it often leads to unwise decisions. Physical involvement can make people feel close, but upon careful examination, the only thing the two may have in common is lust.Finally, real love endures. Over time, real love grows and matures. Two people in love can wait for God's time, no matter how long it may be. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is patient and love always perseveres or is long suffering. True love endures the tests of time and difficulty. Infatuation is marked by impulsive and emotional decision marking. It wants to rush into things before prayer or wise counsel is considered. True love is willing to wait on God's time and allow the other person to grow and become the person God desires him or her to be.As we conclude, remember this truth: God loves you and desires that your relationships be joyous and meaningful. He will not let you go wrong in the area of dating if you let Him be the Lord of every aspect of your life.

About the author*******************Patrick zukeran graduated from Point Loma Nazarene College in San Diego, California, and holds a Th.M from Dallas Theological Seminary. He speaks and writes for Probe Ministries and serves as a youth pastor for a Chinese church in the Dallas region.