Now that 2008 is over, what better way to welcome the new year by remembering that we serve a very faithful and wonderful God who has poured out blessings upon blessings into our lives? I bring to you some of the thanksgiving/testimonies attesting to God's wonderful blessings and faithfulness from our very own Petra-lites!
Firstly, Spencer says:
God's been good to me because I topped the class in Physics, when it was completely unexpected and I didn't exactly deserve it too. God's grace is enough! =)
Ee Ling says:
2008 seems to be a bad year for the world, with economic recessions and all, but I thank God
for all the blessings He has given me this year-- my grandma's quick recovery from cancer was a prayer answered, and praise God, she is healed and in the pink of health now. =) This year, God has blessed me with good grades and a scholarship too, so thank You, God! God's been so faithful even when there were many times I had grieved Him because of my unfaithfulness. But like the story of the prodigal son, God beckons me back and forgives and loves me all the same. And for this, i can only say "Thank You, God" from the bottom of my heart.
Isaac has a testimony to share, and he says:
How God worked in me
As all of you know, I broke my leg on the 10 of October due to army and I think it truly was a blessing from God in more ways than one. Through this experience, God has really taught me the power of prayer and how He can work in your life if you seek Him with all your heart.
At first I did not need surgery but by being eager to get well soon, I made the wrong decision and went to see a Chinese doctor for 2nd opinion. I went for 1 treatment and that worsened my fracture and subsequently required surgery to rectify the problem. You see, God gives us choices and allows us the freedom to make decisions. Unfortunately, I made the wrong choice and that was the first lesson God taught me, as Psalms 27:14 puts it, “Wait for the Lord, be strong take heart and wait for the Lord”. I took things into my own hands and had to pay for the price. We should all wait for the Lord.
I continued to pray earnestly for God to heal me through his miraculous powers. But it soon became apparent that operation was the only way to go. I kept asking God to heal me, not knowing that His choice of healing was for me to go through surgery. As the western doctors continued urging me to go for surgery, I was extremely reluctant due to the pain and suffering that I would have to go through. My family pressured me to agree to surgery too! After 1 month, I agreed to the surgery out of frustration not knowing how God would so mightily work in me in the following days. As I made the decision on one of the review appointments, a Tuesday, the doctor immediately told me to get ready and be warded to have operation in the afternoon on the next day. It came as a total shock. I was stunned for the whole day asking myself what I got myself into as everything was just so sudden. It was God’s way of dealing with a stubborn me.
I continued to find means and ways to get out of surgery and on that night, I heard that the surgeon would come to my ward and check on me before bringing me to the operation theatre. I planned to ask the surgeon to release me on the next day citing all sorts of random excuses. As the next morning came, at around 830am, before the surgeons came, the nurses got me ready for operation as the surgeons were awaiting my arrival without coming to check on me! God did not even give me the chance to get out of it!
After the operation, I was so relieved that tears of joy just rolled down. The subsequent days were not as bad as I anticipated and the pain was virtually non-existent thanks to the healing power of God. Just as God has promised in Deuteronomy 31:6, He will never leave you or forsake you.
Thank you God! =)
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This is end of Thanksgiving Part 1, and there are still a few thanksgiving works in progress (ie have yet to receive it yet). If you would like to write something, can be a song/poem, testimony or even a few short sentences, please email me at ypmpetra@gmail.com.Looking forward to hearing from you!
In the meantime, my dear Petra-lites, may 2009 be a year of breakthrough for each of us, for Petra and for YPM! Continue to grow in the Lord, and may you love Him more and more each day!
Seeya guys on Saturday and remember to wear your camp T-shirt!
Love lots,
Ee Ling