Grace Notes

Chennai, 7-17 Aug 2011: Reflections from Job Tan

2011-09-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here's another piece of sharing from Job Tan, member of the Destiny team that went to Chennai (he also happens to be one of the founders of Destiny). ;)

Photo: Job (right) with Bro Benjamin who was in charge of feeding all the international delegates.

Every session just got me deeper into the spirit and allowed me to enjoy the freedom in the spirit. So for me it was a renewal experience.

The sweet prayers of children, worshiping, giving praise and interceding for the nations will draw me back again....

I'm also more convinced through my interaction with the locals and looking at my family's response this time [our 2nd trip to the same place :)] that God has given us more grace to love and serve our Asian brothers and sisters, especially the children. God seems to be widening this circle of friends, we eagerly await to see what's to come...

Chennai, 7-17 Aug 2011: Reflections from Soon Yong Liang

2011-09-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

Here's the second piece of sharing from another member of the Destiny team that went to Chennai. Photo: Yong Liang (right) with our new friend Petre from HK / Malaysia.

Praise be to the Lord, for He is the giver of every good and perfect gift. The best gift that he gave us is Christ. Like in the book of Romans 5:8(esv) “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I am eternally thankful for His grace and His mercy to love an unworthy sinner person like me, that I may worship my father in heaven and also serve in his kingdom’s work.

Anne and Job from the Destiny team asked me whether I was able to go in India Chennai, for a mission trip. However I was considering whether I should be going on this mission trip because of my exams and school classes during this period. Also I was struggling with the thought that this would be the first time going with a team of people whom I hardly know or have not even met. Another doubt I had was, what was I going to do there and how is God going to use me to share the gospel to the people in India. This was not the first time I was going to India and I really love the people and their love for God there in India. Not only that, the previous time I went with my own home church (BBTC), the missionary told me that there are still many people who do not know Christ and their discipleship process was very bad because they do not have proper teaching and knowledge of the word. That really convinced me to go back to India to share the gospel through telling them or even serving them.

During the mission trip there were a few things that I observed that was worth noticing and learning. I think firstly, I really admire their hospitality towards the international delegates in India. I think during the whole trip, we really felt their love towards us. Although the living conditions were not the best, however they tried their best to keep us comfortable and happy. I felt as Singaporeans, we lack that in us as we are quite spoilt and selfish. Many times even for me, we think of our own comfort before thinking of other people’s comfort. The Indian people had very little sleep and time for themselves, however they kept serving us non-stop. As a Christian, I think I should learn this quality that I see in them. This reminds me of Christ's service to us, that he left his throne in the heavens to serve us sinners, even till death.

Another observation that I saw was how passionate they were about praying for people, through their prayer meetings and also their worship, and how they worship God with their actions and dance. They earnestly would worship God no matter how tired they were and even through the night they prayed and practiced. I was thinking to myself that these kids were rejected by people and the lowest in the society yet they were doing great things for God. I was praying for them that they will be the ones sharing the gospel to the world. Sometimes I felt pity for them because most of them do not have parents or they have been abandoned, however seeing them knowing Christ, I did not feel pity for them as they have the best gift of all which is Christ in them.

Lastly, we went to the leprosy village in the outskirts of India Chennai. I was really stunned at the people that were there. Also this was my first time seeing lepers and also praying for them. They were in the outskirts of Chennai, because society has cast them aside. When I was there, I started praying for the people. There were over 100 lepers in the village. We were also able to go into the houses to pray and even hear the testimony of the lepers. Juliana, who was one of my group members, went into a grandmother’s house, because she wanted prayer. When we went in, the house was really small, just like a size of a bedroom in Singapore. She told us that her house would be flooded during raining days because the roof was leaking. Also she did not have any money to pay her medical and electrical bills. During the duration of our stay at her house, the electricity was erratic; it came on and then turned off for long periods of time. This could be prevented if the government could just care for these people. As an engineer, a simple thing like drainage would solve the flooding problem in her house. I do see now how sin causes the world to have poor people. However, we as Christians need to be there with the lonely, the poor and the hungry, as what Jesus did when he was doing his ministry on this earth. He wasn’t just looking at these people from heaven, but He came as a man to serve us to glorify his Father in heaven. We should do the same as He did.

In conclusion, I would like to give thanks to God for his grace and his mercy to the whole team for safety and good health. As God has taught me a lot of things in India, I would like to apply them in Singapore and in whatever I do. Also I would thank my team members for making me feel comfortable and being so friendly. To God be the glory!

Chennai, 7-17 Aug 2011: Reflections from Jessie Chui

2011-09-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

We just successfully completed the first-ever Destiny overseas trip to Chennai, India from 7 to 17 Aug 2011! PTL!!

We will be posting the various team members' sharing/reflections one by one. Here's the first one from Jessie Chui. Photo: Jessie (right) with our lovely guide and friend Hephzibah.

This is my first trip to Chennai, which is a very unforgettable one where I received so much love, met many new amazing people and learned new insights which impacted my life and changed me.

First, I am not a very passionate person, I am quite cold at times, I seldom take the initiative to interact with people. But during this trip I saw how passionate these people are, especially the children. They are full of smiles and always rushes to me to say hi to me, hug me, play with me and I changed to taking the initiative to greet people with warmth and hugs even when I’m back in Singapore and I can see the big difference this little change has made, where walls between the relationship just falls and the love of God just flows freely with just a hug and a smile (:

I got to interact with some amazing pastors, missionary and passionate Christians and learned so much from their way of living, which inspired me to go deep into the Word of God and spend a lot of time reading the Word, praying and worshipping as I can see the difference in them, how they shine with the light of the Word in them and they are never weary of doing good and loving everyone passionately.

One of the most memorable nights during the conference was when we were praying for our own country on stage and Pastor Anton said to me that I am a holy child because I choose God which touches me because I am still struggling with my sins yet God sees me as holy because I never give up in fighting to be holy and God gave me the anointing to pray for the youths in Singapore, to be filled by God’s love because although most of us have parents with us but we are spiritual orphans and most of us are using worldly things to fill our voids which only God can fill. Being filled with God’s love is the only way to be changed from our sinful ways. My desire is that Singaporeans will experience and abide in the Father’s love, to be a holy country that influences the other countries around us.

One of the most precious things I gained from this trip is a heart of compassion, which is the Father’s heart. God gave me this heart when this little girl whom I love so much walked towards me, crying her lungs out during the conference and my heart just breaks for her where I hugged her tightly and kept telling her “I love you so much, you’re my precious, I am your Father, I have always been with you and will never leave you.” She cried for a long time and finally fell asleep in my arms where I wished that she would remain in my embrace forever and this is what God feels for every one of us. He loves us so much that His heart breaks deeply when we are going through hardships and how He longs to hold us in His arms forever and watching us sleep in His embrace. Until now I still misses the little girl and would pray for her each time I think of her. Thank You Father for showing me your love for us that is so wide and so passionate, that I am just in awe of your great love, how you love each and every one of us is just so amazing.

I miss Chennai so much. My heart is always wanting to go back to visit the children. To play with them, pray with them, worship with them, sing with them and dance with them! They are so different from the children I see in Singapore because they are “less fortunate” yet actually they are much richer in the spirit. It is because they have little, that they have more of God. Praise the Lord for in Him, the poor say they are rich, the weak say they are strong and God uses the poor and the weak to shake the nations. The weak shall rise up and the strong will fall so that every one will know that He is the Lord and His name will be glorified on earth. Amen!

Christmas - Unity in Love

2010-12-25T06:54:00.001-08:00

It's been a very exciting Christmas for Destiny this year! We performed at a church Christmas dinner on 11 Dec and also had 2 public performances in Orchard (ION on 20 Dec and Forum on 23 Dec).

It was truly amazing to see the love of Christ displayed through all the performers and helpers at each of these events. Most of them didn't know each other as they had participated in Destiny Music Awards in different years. But each time when we got together for rehearsals and the actual performances, not only did they make friends with each other very quickly (I overheard some of them talking about going for a movie together - haha!), the unity of the Body of Christ really shone through whenever we prayed.

At the church dinner, even though we'd been rehearsing the whole afternoon and were mostly hungry, everyone just got so caught up praying together that we must have been in the nursery for over half an hour interceding for the guests and the whole programme, oblivious to the fact that the dinner had already started and that we could have gone out to eat!

Then before each of the Orchard performances, I invited everyone to pray for someone they hadn't known before and it was so touching to see how they were ministering to one another even though they were of different ages and came from different schools/churches. On 23 Dec in particular, we also had a children's band and even the little ones (youngest was 7yo) joined in to pray with the older gor gor's and jie jie's!

I feel so privileged to have been able to serve with such talented, passionate and dedicated young people! It is very clear that many more of them have already caught the vision of Destiny and are in fact starting to realise it through serving at such events.

Thank God for the opportunity to be used in such a glorious way! All glory to Him!!

annesoh

Reflections from a rooftop overlooking the sea

2010-11-16T06:26:00.000-08:00

What is it about the sea that's so calming
and the sky that's so uplifting?

The sea is anything but calm -
it's constantly moving
there are always currents and turbulence within!

And the sky is never lifting up
in fact it's always pressing down on us -
air pressure!

What science cannot observe or measure
our faith perceives.

The sea tells us that God is in control
the world is in His hands.
Hence we can find peace
in the midst of turbulence.

The sky points us to a better place than this
somewhere up there is the heaven we're going to one day.
Therefore we have hope
in the face of the stress and pressures of life.

What science cannot observe or measure
our faith perceives.

annesoh

God of This City

2010-11-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

The Chris Tomlin version of this song is more well-known but I personally prefer the original by Bluetree. ;)

As we sing this song, we are declaring and praying and hoping to see God work mightily in our nation. But have you ever realised that it also means that we are putting ourselves at His disposal to work mighty things through us? Yes, greater things will be done, but only if His people are willing to be used by Him to do these greater things!

How can we possibly do all that, you may ask... All it takes is for us to allow Him to work through us. It's not what we can do but what God can do through us. Great and mighty things, wonders and miracles will He perform through us. Doubt is the only obstacle, so just believe that He is able to do all things in and through us and He will do it!

annesoh

And the winners are...

2010-09-27T00:11:00.000-07:00

Best Original Song (Eng) 2009 - Your Love Never Fails by Crystal Wong (SMU)

Best Original Song (Chi) 2009 - 我不孤单 by Jessie Chui (NYP)

Best Vocalist (Sec) 2010 - Jilian Har (Jurong West Sec)

Best Group (Post-Sec) 2010 - Belīfan
Members: Ernest Tham (Hai Sing Catholic), Justin Lim (River Valley High), Ivan Ong & Jael Ong (Republic Poly), Chen Mingyi & Jaden Kezaiah Teoh (Singapore Poly)

Best Vocalist (Post-Sec) 2010 - Justin Lim (River Valley High)

Best Group (Open) 2010 - Beautiful Love
Members: Cheryn Chia (NUS), Wendy Chui (NTU), Tan Ke Li

Well done and congrats, everyone!!

DESTINY MUSIC AWARDS 2010 FINALS - Message from the Organisers

2010-09-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

This is the 3rd year of Destiny Music Festival and 4th year of Destiny Music Awards. Over these past few years, we have seen how God has multiplied the work of our hands many times over. This year in particular, He has opened doors for us to serve together with many other groups and agencies such Campus Crusade for Christ, Youth With a Mission, Serving in Mission and Celebrate Christmas in Singapore, among others.

We are indeed beginning to see the fulfilment of the vision to raise up the next generation of worshippers who will reach out to their generation through music. Many of the past and current participants of Destiny Music Awards have come alongside us to serve as volunteers in the sharing sessions in schools and churches, public outreach performances and even at today's Finals!

We continue to look to God for the expansion of His work. We hope that our youth will become a blessing to the nations in the years to come!

All for His glory!

His servants,
Jeffrey, Job & Anne
Music iLab Pte Ltd

LIVE WEBCAST OF DESTINY MUSIC AWARDS 2010 FINALS

2010-09-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are unable to attend our finals, go to our website during the show times to watch it live!

You can also vote for your favourite finalists during the shows - listen out to the instructions given by the MCs. ;)

DESTINY MUSIC AWARDS 2010 FINALS - Get your tickets now!

2010-08-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

Finals 1
Date - 18 Sep 2010 (Sat)
Time - 2.30pm to 4.30pm (Doors open 2pm)

Finals 2
Date - 18 Sep 2010 (Sat)
Time - 7.30pm to 9.30pm (Doors open 7pm)

Venue for Finals:
Tang Choon Keng Performing Arts Hall,
Anglo-Chinese School (Junior),
16 Winstedt Road, Singapore 227988 (near Newton MRT)

Click here for location details

Ticket price: $10 (Free seating)

To book tickets (collect at the door):
Call - +65-91418913
Email - destiny@m-ilab.com

To purchase tickets:
RESOLUTION
91 Bencoolen St
#01-70 Sunshine Plaza (facing Middle Rd)
S189652
tel: +65-63399877
Opening hours: Mon-Sat (11am-6.30pm)

DESTINY MUSIC AWARDS 2010 - FINALS 2 (18 SEP, 7.30PM)

2010-08-30T05:59:00.001-07:00

Our finalists are...

DPV1 - Jeridyn Lim

DPV2 - Justin Lim

DPV3 - Felicia Haryanto

DNG1 - The Recovery

DNG2 - Beautiful Love

DESTINY MUSIC AWARDS 2010 - FINALS 1 (18 SEP, 2.30PM)

2010-08-30T04:52:00.000-07:00

Our finalists are...

DSV1 - Valerie Yip

DSV2 - Vanessa Han

DSV3 - Jilian Har

DSV4 - Louis Wong

DPG1- Tissue Box

DPG2- Belīfan

DESTINY MUSIC FESTIVAL 2010

2010-08-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

Registration is open for the workshops:

http://www.m-ilab.com/destiny/workshops.html

We have songwriting and worship leading workshops by Martin Tang, band masterclass by Moses Tan and Vocal masterclass by Babes Conde. Hurry!! Registration closes on 27 Aug (Fri)!!!

And tickets are also on sale for the finals of Destiny Music Awards 2010 on 18 Sep (Sat):

http://www.m-ilab.com/destiny/finals.html

Finals 1 featuring Vocalists (Sec) and Groups (Post-Sec) is at 2.30pm.

Finals 2 featuring Vocalists (Post-Sec) and Groups (Open) is at 7.30pm.

Call 91418913 or email destiny@m-ilab.com now to reserve your tickets!!

VOTE NOW!!!

2010-07-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

It's the last 6 days of voting for the Best Original Song 2009!!!

So hurry, vote now and get 2 free tickets (worth $10 each) to the finals immediately!!
http://www.m-ilab.com/destiny/vote.html

2010-06-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

Registration for Destiny Music Awards 2010 closes in a week on 15 Jun - so hurry up and register if you haven't done so!!
http://www.m-ilab.com/destiny/awards.html

Plus, voting for Best Original Song 2009 has started (and ends on 31 Jul). VOTE NOW to get 2 free tickets to the finals in Sep!!
http://www.m-ilab.com/destiny/vote.html

2010-06-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

We've just ended a string of very fruitful visits to share about Destiny at various secondary schools! Thank God for all the students' tears and laughter!! And thank God too for all the volunteers who played/sang with us!!

Photos can be found on our Facebook group page! ;)

Destiny Music Awards 2010

2010-04-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

Registration is OPEN!! Check out our brand new website for details:
http://www.m-ilab.com/destiny
Hurry cos registration closes on 15 Jun 2010... :)

Videos on Youtube

2010-02-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't checked this out yet...

Some of the videos from the 2009 finals and Christmas performances have already been uploaded:
http://www.youtube.com/user/destinymusicawards

More will be uploaded soon so keep checking! :)

Why we do what we do

2009-12-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've been evaluating what we've done in Destiny so far and couldn't help but feel that perhaps we could have saved some of our efforts and resources. The three of us have poured in countless sleepless nights, days of running around (sometimes with our families in tow), tens of thousands of dollars, many hours of prayer and even buckets of tears as we prayed. And none of us are drawing a salary. Then I remembered the spark in one of the participants' eyes, the 'wow!'s from some of the other participants and the joy that flowed from all these young people as they sang/played in worship. I then realised that we are helping them to fulfil the same dreams that we used to have when we were young but nobody had given us a chance to pursue long time ago... and it's worth everything that we've put in and will be putting in. After all, Jesus has given us His all so whatever that we sacrifice is nothing compared to His! And that's why we'll keep doing what we've been doing, at least until He tells us to stop. ;)

annesoh

Find Yourself In Music

2009-10-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

Music is the expression of one’s deepest emotions that are, in every sense, beyond words. Her rhythmic strokes weave easily into yearning ears and slowly but surely, into the innermost being of every listener. This simple wavelike beauty becomes magical for those who understand its language.

The beautiful reality is this: Music is created especially for us. From the rhythmic beep of the train every morning to the melodious cluck of the stilettos in Shenton Way, we are created to appreciate and find pleasure in it. Music, in its simple way, moves us. Its sparkle extends even into our lives. Not only is it an avenue where we seek solace and convey our delight in, it is also one where we learn to express ourselves in.

We are indeed, what we listen to. The kind of music that we relate to is very telling of who we are. Many teenagers like you and I express our identity and individuality through music and often, it is this identity that is truest to our self. In music, there is no need to pretend or put on a mask; we are free to express ourselves in the ways we want to. The best thing is that no one person interprets the same piece of music the same way. Through music, we find our uniqueness and personality.

Music is essentially a channel where we discover ourselves, a creation for us to conduct our search for our destiny in life. This meticulous and thoughtful medium can only be created by someone as loving as God. The Creator of the world, He has also produced such breathtaking complexities that will one day, capture many wandering hearts and become a signpost to many lost entities. All the intricacies of music are there to direct us to His beauty and His splendor. The magnitude of God’s love has propelled Him to create music for us to find Him in.

Music. It is undeniably a language. It is a language of God’s love for you.
Do you hear it?

sarah

在音乐中找寻自我

音乐可以表达我们内心最深处的情感。
音乐是一个独特的语言。
音乐的节奏飘落到每一位听众的耳中，再渗入心灵的最深处。
音乐带给知音人的魅力确实是超越一切言语。

最美好的现实就是：音乐是特别为我们所创造的。
无论是每日早晨听见地铁的哔哔声，或是高跟鞋的嗒嗒声，我们都可享受并欣赏这些美妙的声音。

音乐可以带给我们很简单的感动，深深地触动我们的生命。
音乐不止能安抚我们的伤痛，也能传达我们的喜悦，更能使我们学会表达心声。

我们喜欢的音乐跟我们的个性是息息相关的。
人们往往可以从我们喜欢的音乐来了解我们。
许多青少年就如同你和我一样，借助音乐来表达自己的个性。
很多时候，这竟是我们内心深处最真实的个性。

在音乐的世界里，我们无需掩饰自己或戴上任何面具，可以自由自在地表现自己。最好的是：不同人对相同一首音乐的理解都是完全不一样的。
通过音乐，我们确实可以找到自己独有的个性。

音乐可以引导我们找寻到自我。
音乐也可以让我们找寻到自己生命中真正命定。
音乐如此精确又细腻地指引我们，只能出自于一位深深爱着我们的创造者-神。

神创造了宇宙万物，又创造出美妙的音符。
这些美妙的音符如此动人，如此扣人心弦，让我们尝到创造者伟大的心思和爱。
这些美妙的音符有朝一日必定指引每颗流浪的心归向音符的创造者。
我们的创造者通过音乐，让我们在音乐的世界里，寻找到这世界的创造者-深爱我们的神。

无可否认，音乐是一个独特的语言。音乐藏着神爱我们的语言。
这么神奇的语言，你听见了吗？

Chinese translation by edmund

Making History

2009-09-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

This year, we have witnessed a dramatic increase not only in the quantity of participants in the competition but also in the quality of the competitors. It is heartening to see how much talent God has given to these young people as well as the dedication and determination that they show in developing their God-given talent.

In this day and age where the future appears bleak, what with rampant natural disasters, terrorism, diseases and the financial crisis, we must continue to hold on to the hope that God has given us through the younger generation (that’s YOU!)

As long as God keeps gifting us with talents and abilities, and we are committed to keep growing and putting these gifts to use, He can work miracles through us. As our opening song tonight says, “I’m gonna be a history maker in this land.” Let this be our cry to God – enable us to make an impact in this world and change history for the salvation of all mankind!

Your fellow history makers,
Jeffrey, Job & Anne
Music iLab Pte Ltd

P.S. We indeed made history on 11 & 12 Sep. The finals of Destiny Music Awards 2009 were webcast live on both nights and the total number of hits for our live video streaming was over 20,000!!!

Winning the Race

2009-08-03T06:59:00.000-07:00

“Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.”
–1 Corinthians 9:26

Life is like a rat race – you jostle to get ahead of the pack and they say you are “really there” only if you clinch the coveted trophy, earn big bucks and socialize with the most popular and powerful people.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” - 1 Corinthians 9:24

We run the race to get the prize. But is this the prize, or are these the prizes we are running for? No, the prize is to complete our ultimate calling in life.

True winning comes when we run with our God-given destiny blazing before us, not from blindly chasing things that do not have eternal value. Run, but with your destiny.

Now, you are ahead and the eternal prize will be yours.

esther

赛跑大赢家

“所以，我奔跑不像无定向的；我斗拳不像打空气的。” - 歌林多前书 9:26

生命就像一场赛跑竞赛。只有当你赶在前方、赢得万众瞩目的奖杯、赚大钱、周旋于达官贵人之间，大家才认为你成功了。

“岂不知在场上赛跑的都跑、但得奖赏的只有一人? 你们也当这样跑、好叫你们得着奖赏。” - 歌林多前书 9:24

我们参加赛跑竞赛是为了得到奖赏。但我们所要的奖赏是这些名和利吗？不是的，我们所要的奖赏是完成自己生命中的真正命定。

真正的赛跑大赢家向着上帝赐予自己真正命定奔跑，而不是盲目追求没有永恒价值的东西。我们要奔跑，但是要向着真正命定而跑。

只有这样你才算赶在前方，永恒的奖赏将是属于你的。

Chinese translation by edmund

Destiny Music Awards 2009

2009-06-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that the third Destiny Music Awards will be held this year.

This is a music competition open to all students attending educational institutions in Singapore within the following age groups:
Secondary – 12 to 17 years old
Post-Secondary – 17 to 20 years old

The competition categories include:
Best Original Song (English/Chinese)
Best Vocalist (English/Chinese)
Best Group (English/Chinese)
Best Dance

Interested students must register for the Awards by 18 Jul 2009. The auditions for all categories of the competition will be held from 27 to 31 Jul 2009 and the finals on 11 Sep 2009 (for Secondary) and 12 Sep 2009 (for Post-Secondary). Attractive prizes worth over $6000 are up for grabs! Registration forms are available at the official website: http://www.m-ilab.com/destiny

For more information, please email: destiny@m-ilab.com or call hph: 91418913.

Destiny is on Facebook!

2009-04-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

If you have a FB account, join us at
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=68494552274
If you still don't have FB - go get one!! Then join us. ;)

Destiny Music Festival 2008 is over!

2008-12-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

Here's a short video clip featuring the workshops and auditions held during the Festival:

The finals were really exciting and the judges and voters proved to be of the same mind on both nights when the results were announced.

The Best Vocalist, both Judges' Choice and Voters' Choice, was Bever-leigh Kam.

The Best Group, both Judges' Choice and Voters' Choice, was Ondayseven.

We also had a lot of fun with Daphne Khoo!

And by ourselves ;)

Keep watching this space for more videos and photos coming up... ;)

One week to go...

2008-11-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

It's just 7 days to the finals!!!!

7.30pm on 21 Nov (Fri) and 22 Nov (Sat). btw did you know Daphne Khoo will be there too? ;)

Have you got your tickets yet?

If not, you can buy them from the places listed here:
http://www.m-ilab.com/destiny/tickets.html

Or you can simply get them at the door on the 2 nights.

$2 each ONLY!

See you there!! :)

annesoh

2008-10-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here's the poster - creatively designed by Esther!!

God also sent an angel to help us edit it at the very last minute when the printer found out that the resolution wasn't high enough and we didn't know what to do about it. This mystery lady worked till 4.30am to touch up the poster for us - pixel by pixel - out of her own initiative!!!

God is soooo good :)

btw, remember to check out our website at

http://www.m-ilab.com/destiny/

;)

annesoh

The new Destiny website is up!!

2008-10-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Raymond and Joanne! They've worked hard to design the new layout and put up all the updated info. :)

So make sure you visit the page at:
http://www.m-ilab.com/destiny

You can vote for your favourite song from Destiny Music Awards 2007 and stand to win attractive prizes!

Or if you want a piece of the action, join the Awards 2008! Registration forms can be downloaded from the website.

Deadline for both is 9 Nov 08, so HURRY!!! ;)

annesoh

A Season for All Things

2008-03-17T03:32:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, being young is a blessing. You can make mistakes and nobody would blame you. You have the energy to try all things new. You have the physical strength.
But sometimes, being young can be a curse, especially when too many new things in life try to bog you down.

Being young offers you many opportunities to try new stuff. But one has to be careful to not fall into the trap of burning out oneself, so much so that time alone with God gets sacrificed.

Here is an exercise you can consider doing. Write down how you spend your time each day.
How many hours do you put in your studies?
How many hours do you spend on the Internet or TV?
How many hours do you spend in church serving ministry?
And how many minutes do you give to God, alone?

Remember, there is always a season for what you are supposed to do. In Ecclesiastes 3:1, it is said that “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”.

In different seasons of our youth, we are called to do different things.
So be focused.

Learn to say no to new things if God does not give the yes.

esther

人生的季节

人们常说，年轻就是本钱；年轻是种恩典。年轻人犯错常常能得到他人宽恕，更有那无穷无尽的精力和力量。但是，年轻人也可能因为周遭围绕着太多新事物，而受诱惑以至迷失方向，年轻也因此成为一个人的咒诅。

青春带给我们许多尝试新事物的机会，但千万要小心哦，不要因为太过积极尝试新事物而忽略了与神独处的时间。

大家不防试试，按照下列问题思考应该如何分配时间，就能事倍功半！
你在课业方面花多少时间？
你有多少时间是用于上网及观看电视节目的？
你花多少时间服侍上帝？
你与神独处的时间又有多少呢？

切记，每一个季节都有每一个季节需完成的事。
“凡事都有定期，天下万务都有定时。”传道书 3:1

在年轻的季节里，神对我们的生命都有不同的安排。仰望上帝，寻求生命的命定，
若神不点头，我们也不能点头。我们要学习拒绝上帝不接受的事物。

Chinese translation by cheri

God – Our Weatherman

2008-03-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

In December 2007, my church mates and I went to Perak, Malaysia for an outdoor adventure trip. During that period of time, news of Malaysia (our destination) being flooded, well, flooded the TV. The torrential rain even caused some places to have landslides! Yes, the rain was that terrible.

So, on our first day, we all shouted in unison to the hills of Perak, praying for great weather for all our activities. Guess what?
During the 3 days 2 nights of our trip, we were never soaked in heavy rain! What’s even more amazing was that we even got the scorching sun on our last day of activity!
God is awesome!

In the Bible, Jesus calmed the life-endangering storm as well. If God is in control of these natural occurrences, we can trust in Him to help also calm our emotions when the going gets tough.

During stressful periods, proclaim that He is the Prince of Peace. During times of depression, proclaim that He is Your Hope and Joy!
Feeling under the weather?
Proclaim that God is our great Weatherman and He is in control!

esther

上帝：我们生命的天气测量师

去年年终，我和弟兄姐妹们到了马来西亚的霹雳州，参与户外探险旅程。当时，新闻常播报霹雳州常下雨，导致许多地区淹水甚至还发生土崩。

我们已到达目的地，便齐声向众山呼喊祷告，祈求上帝赐予美好天气。
上帝垂听了我们的祷告。在那三天里，不但没下雨，甚至在进行户外活动时，我们都沐浴在温暖的阳光里。这正是奇迹，更是神大能的障显！

圣经里提到，耶稣使狂风暴雨停歇下来。若天气及天地万物都在神的掌管下，我们必然能够在生命面临困难及苦难时信靠他！在面临压力时宣告耶稣是和平之子，那带来平安的上帝；在面临苦难时宣告主是你生命的盼望及喜乐！

你的生命是否在面临狂风暴雨的吹袭？和我一起宣告，神是掌管天气、掌管万物的神！他是我们生命的天气测量师

Chinese translation by cheri

Love is in the air

2008-02-13T23:30:00.000-08:00

It’s that time of the year again – flowers, chocolates, cards flying all over the place! ;)

But did you ever wonder where our need to love and to be loved came from? Why is it that we go all ga-ga over cute little babies and shower our love over family and loved ones? And what about the yearning for that special someone who will be the love of our life? How can it be that this peculiar feeling called love is found only in us humans, especially when some scientists would have us believe that all living things evolved from some mutant bacteria or algae?!

Well, my dear friends, the answer is simple. These scientists are wrong! We were created in God’s image, not some ape’s! It seems illogical and far-fetched but isn’t that exactly what love is? God is love and He made us with the same capacity that He has - to love and feel loved. So as we celebrate the season of love, let us also remember to rejoice and give thanks for the love that our Creator has put in us!

annesoh

爱的季节

一年一度，鲜花、巧克力、情书满天飞的时刻又到来了！

你是否曾想过人为什么会爱和想被爱呢？这爱又来自哪里呢？为什么我们看到可爱的小宝宝时会忍不住想去疼他、呵护他？为什么我们会懂得关怀我们的家人？为什么我们会渴望遇见生命的挚爱？为什么许多科学家千方百计的设法证实人类的根源来自细菌的变异及海藻的进化，却无法解释为什么万兽当中唯有人类才能拥有“爱”这种独特的感觉？

亲爱的朋友，答案很简单，那些科学家都错了！我们并不是猿猴，而是神的孩子，是他按照他的形象所造的。这虽然听起来毫无逻辑，也有些牵强，但爱不也是毫无逻辑，无法用言语解释的吗？神是爱，他在创造人类时，同时也让我们就像他一样拥有爱。因此，我们不要忘了，怀着感恩的心与神一起共同庆贺这爱的季节！

Chinese translation by cheri

Awkward Teenager No More!

2008-01-31T09:18:00.000-08:00

A few years back, I was an awkward teenager.
I wore braces, donned large gold-rimmed glasses that took up half my face, had broom-like hair – dry and limp.
I had no fashion sense. Nada. Zilch.

So, back then, to make myself feel better, I came up with this list in my diary on what I like about myself.
Here are the things I like about myself:
1) Good sense of music/ keen sense of rhythm
2) Ability to be a peacemaker
3) The “leader” in me
4) My neat handwriting
5) My ability to draw and blend colours

I was always the quiet and awkward one whilst my younger sister was the more popular, more outspoken one, and still is. But I’ve learned to capitalize on other strengths and gifts that God has given me, instead of focusing on my inadequacies. Because of that, I am confident about myself.

Look through your life and count your blessings. Make up a list of them!
God has different purposes and gifts for various people because He loves diversity in His big family.

Have you found yours and capitalized on it?

esther

潇洒走过青春岁月！

多年前，我是个毫无信心的青年。当时的我，戴着牙套，戴着一幅占据半边脸的金筐眼镜。头发更别提了，像家里的扫把一样，又干又扁。更糟的是，我不懂得打扮。咳！

为了增加自信，我便在日记簿里写下自己的优点，例：能欣赏音乐、善于协调纠纷、有领导能力、书写端正、知道如何搭配颜色。

妹妹开朗大方，很受欢迎，而我比较内向，但我不在乎这一点，而是专注于发挥上帝赋予我的潜能。我的信心也因此而大大增加。
大家切记，要回顾过往生命，数算恩典，甚至将它们记录下来作为提醒！上帝喜爱一个多元化的家庭，因此赋予每个人不同的使命、不同的命定及不同的恩赐。你是否已寻见自己的命定与天赋并将精力投资其中？

Chinese translation by cheri

New Year Prayers

2007-12-26T08:03:00.000-08:00

1. We've been trying to record the songs for the CD all Dec but faced some obstacles along the way, including our vocal trainer's home got flooded when the water pipes burst, the person IC of the studio we were supposed to be using FOC mysteriously went missing, and when we tried to record at home on the 1st try the computer/software just wouldn't work properly. But thank God that we have managed to get some songs done and will continue to record for the next few days and into Jan next year. So our 1st prayer for next year is for the recording to be completed smoothly, on time and for Job to have time to do all the editing so we can produce a professional (or at least near-pro) quality CD at the end of it.

2. Even though our estimated budget for the whole project (ie incl both the Awards and Festival) seems really big, God reminded us that He has and will continue to provide for our finances at the right time. Our prayer is that we will not fail Him and will continue to do our part as we wait upon Him to do His part.

3. We saw the Parachute Band when they came to Singapore in Nov. They started like 20 years ago as a worship music festival and the current band is actually the 2nd generation consisting of the son of the founders of the festival and band! It was as if we were looking into the future of Destiny Music cos that's almost exactly the same vision that God has given us! We pray that God will use us to inspire and lead the young people of Singapore (and Asia!) to worship Him with the same passion and energy (as you can see from the video I took - with my hph so poor quality but can still see all the jumping and bopping):

annesoh

Photoshoot

2007-11-27T00:52:00.000-08:00

We had a great time yesterday with Gabriel (photographer) and J (make up). Really thank God for them cos they gave up precious time to do this for us (they're both in high demand in their own fields!)

Here's a really awesome slideshow!
http://www.m-ilab.com/destiny/slideshow/index.html

Sorry that we couldn't get everyone on the team to be in. Pray that we will have another chance to shoot the rest sometime soon... :)

annesoh

Destiny Music Awards

2007-09-12T11:15:00.001-07:00

Poster design by esther