Word-Filled Wednesday : I have loved you with an everlasting love

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying,
Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:
therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Jeremiah 31:3

Nothing is more powerful to engage our affection than to find that we are beloved! Expression of kindness and love are usually pleasing and acceptable unto us irrespective of who expresses it to us.

But to have the love of One Who is altogether lovely, to know that the glorious Majesty of heaven hath any regard unto us, how must this astonish and delight us, how must it overcome our spirits and melt our hearts, and put our whole soul into a flame!

Thank God for His everlasting and immeasurable love for us! It will take me a lifetime to try and comprehend it, and even then I may not fully understand it!

May you continue to know God's everlasting love and goodness in many wonderful ways daily :)

For more Word-Filled Wednesday participants, do visit Amy at The 160 Acre Woods. It will be a very blessed and encouraging experience for you.

Thank you for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements. Hope you have a blessed day!

(I took this picture at a Flower exhibition in Singapore)

Word-Filled Wednesday : The LORD's name to be praised

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised. Psalm 113:3

Thank God for each day that we can wake up to praise Him and serve Him!

May we lift up our souls in praise and thanksgiving to God daily for His love and goodness in many wonderful ways !

For more Word-Filled Wednesday participants, do visit Amy at The 160 Acre Woods. It will be a very blessed and encouraging experience for you.

Thank you for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements. Hope you have a blessed day!

(My friend and sister-in-Christ, Sau, took this picture at Saipan)

Word-Filled Wednesday : All things work together for good

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

This is my comfort through all the changing scenes in life. No matter what we go through whether joy or pain, God is able to work them for His glory and our good.

May this truth strengthen your heart and may you know God's love and guidance in many wonderful ways today and everyday!

For more Word-Filled Wednesday participants, do visit Amy at The 160 Acre Woods. It will be a very blessed and encouraging experience for you.

Thank you for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements. Hope you have a blessed day!

(I took this photo at Hort Park, Singapore)

Word-Filled Wednesday : Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning

Psalm 143:8, 10

8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee... 10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

This is my prayers every morning that God may enable me to know His lovingkindness, lead me in His ways and teach me to do His will.

May you know God's love and guidance in many wonderful ways today and everyday!

For more Word-Filled Wednesday participants, do visit Amy at The 160 Acre Woods. It will be a very blessed and encouraging experience for you.

Thank you for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements. Hope you have a blessed day!

(This photo is taken by my friend and sister-in-Christ, Sau, at Saipan. Thank God for her kindness to share this photo with us.)

Word-Filled Wednesday : We are of more value than many sparrows

Matthew 10
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

This passage of Scriptures brings a lot of comfort to me whenever I read it.

Thank God that He loves us dearly and watch over us daily. He know all about us and what we are going through. Even the hairs on our head are numbered!

God takes feed the sparrow and clothe the lilies. He is with us always and bid us fear not as we are of more value than many sparrows.

May this wonderful knowledge strengthen our hearts each day, as we strive to live for our Lord and serve Him, through all the changing scenes in life.

For more Word-Filled Wednesday participants, do visit Amy at The 160 Acre Woods. It will be a very blessed and encouraging experience for you.

Thank you for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements. Hope you have a blessed day!

(This photo is taken by my friend and brother-in-Christ, CW Fong. Thank God for his kindness to share this photo with us)

Word-Filled Wednesday : The LORD is my strength and song

The LORD is my strength and song. (Psalm 118:14)

Thank God that we can look to our Lord Jesus Christ each day and find our strength and joy in Him Who loved us and gave His life for us.

May this be our comfort and encouragement always!

For more Word-Filled Wednesday participants, do visit Amy at The 160 Acre Woods. It will be a very blessed and encouraging experience for you.

Thank you for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements. Hope you have a blessed day!

(I took this photo at a Flower Exhibition at Sentosa Island, Singapore)

Word-Filled Wednesday : What shall it profit a man?

Mark 8

34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mar 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

God has been bringing these verses to my mind recently. These are solemn reminders to me to take up my cross daily and follow Christ. I am reminded to set my priority right daily. It will not profit me if I shall gain the whole world but lost my soul. But if I have Christ and live for Him daily, even if I have little in this world, I can have the assurance of eternal fellowship and joy in the Lord.

May this be your comfort and encouragement too!

For more Word-Filled Wednesday participants, do visit Amy at The 160 Acre Woods. It will be a very blessed and encouraging experience for you.

Thank you for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements. Hope you have a blessed day!

(I took this photo at Changi Beach, Singapore)

Word-Filled Wednesday : Be still, and know that I am God.

Be still, and know that I am God... Psalm 46:10

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear...Psalm 46:1

No matter what we go through in this life, may we always find peace and comfort in the Lord because He is our God! May this be our comfort today and everyday!

For more Word-Filled Wednesday participants, do visit Amy at The 160 Acre Woods. It will be a very blessed and encouraging experience for you.

Thank you for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements. Hope you have a blessed day!

(I took this photo at East Coast Beach, Singapore)

Word-Filled Wednesday : We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us

Thank God for His precious promises:

"... we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romans 8:37

May this be our comfort today and everyday!

For more Word-Filled Wednesday participants, do visit Amy at The 160 Acre Woods. It will be a very blessed and encouraging experience for you.

Thank you for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements. Hope you have a blessed day!

(My friend, Sau, took this lovely photo in Saipan)

Enjoying nature and photography once again

Thank God for strengthening me day by day as I wait upon Him.

Yesterday, a kind friend and sister-in-Christ, Grace, took me for a walk at Hort Park. It is a beautiful park with flowers and plant. We had a good time of fellowship together.

I am thankful to God that I can enjoy nature and photography once again!

Whenever I go through clinical depression, I seemed to lose all ability to enjoy anything. Due to chemical imbalance in my brain, I was not able to think or feel aright.

Thank God for restoring me. Now that I am better, I am so thankful to be able to enjoy nature once again.

I love nature. The beautiful flowers and plants remind me of the wonderful creation of God. God creates these beautiful flowers and plants for us to enjoy. I am thankful that I can enjoy photography once again. It helps me to capture some of the loveliness of God's creations.

God also creates us so that we can enjoy Him and His creations. I am reminded that He will take care of me and all of His beloved people no matter what we may have to go through in this world.

Thank God that He is with us through all the changing scenes in life, and He never leaves us nor forsake us. He give us grace and strength to live for Him each day. We are weak but He is strong. We can look forward to the day when we are with Him forever, no more to be burden by a weak and frail body or mind.

Recovering from depression always give me a sense of a new life in Christ. It's like being born-again or being raised from the dead.

Thank God for His presence and His Words which encourage and strengthen me daily. I pray that God may enable me to live for Him each day as He strengthens me.

Thanks for stopping by, dear friends! Thanks for all your prayers and encouragements.

Your friendship, prayers, encouragements and concerns have been used by God to be a great encouragement to me!

The thought of God and you encourages my heart daily. May God bless each of you in His special ways.

Hope you have a blessed weekends! Take care.

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

Psalm 73:25-26

Word-Filled Wednesday : Never forsaken

I have been young, and now am old: yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Psalm 37:25

I am learning to cling onto God's precious promises and His love and faithfulness in keeping them.

This is one of God's precious promises which especially encourages me in these recent days.

Thank God for the assurance of His love and care upon us through all the changing scenes in life, from our youth to our old age, and for ourselves and our children.

For more Word-Filled Wednesday participants, do visit Amy at The 160 Acre Woods. It will be a very blessed and encouraging experience for you!

Thank you for stopping by. Hope you have a blessed day!

(I took this picture at East Coast Beach, Singapore)

Word-Filled Wednesday : I am with you always

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. ...lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Matthew 28:18-20

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3

Thank God that He is with us always and He loves us with an everlasting love.

For more Word-Filled Wednesday participants, do visit Amy at The 160 Acre Woods. It will be a very blessed and spiritually uplifting experience for you!

Thank you for stopping by. Hope you have a blessed day!

(This photo is taken by my friend and brother-in-Christ, CW Fong. Thank God for his kindness to share this photo with us)

Therapeutic Walks and Photography to cope with Depression or Bipolar Mood Swings

Recently, I was feeling rather tired and stressed up after several weeks of manic plus stress at work, etc etc. I could feel that my moods were swinging. When I am too tired or stressed up, my moods tend to drop. Having a mood disorder like Bipolar Disorder, I realized that I need to take steps to slow down and prevent these mood swings to either escalate into manic or plunged me into depression. I realized that in the past because I failed to notice my mood swings or indicators that I am overly stressed or strained, over a period of time I eventually plunged into severe clinical depression that can last for 3 to 6 months or longer.

I am learning now to recognize early signs and symptoms of possible relapses or trigger factors to depression or mood swings. I am learning to manage stress better and if necessary to cut down on stress level by eliminating the things that are stressing me up. So I have cut down on some activities and scheduled more down time. I also turned down freelance assignments which I don't time I can manage or complete on time.

I cut down a little on blogging. But I found that as blogging is therapeutic to me, it's hard to really take a complete break. I love to write and writing is therapeutic to me. So I am still blogging and sharing my thoughts, feelings, experiences and what I read or find useful. Visiting my blogging friends and having them visit me is a means of support to me. This is a crucial part of my recovery and maintenance of mental well-being.

I also need to do things that will help me to relax and cheer me up. Besides praying and reading God's Words, and rest, I have been able to spend some time with some hobbies. Some activities that I have found to be therapeutic are taking walks to enjoy nature and develop my interest in photography.

So recently, I took a walk past Woodlands Town Garden which is adjacent to Bukit Timah Expressway. I didn't really go into the Garden because I was alone and I didn't want to walk alone there. Although Singapore is a safe place, it is still not wise to go to quiet places alone. So I admired the Garden from the exterior surroundings :-)

If you go to Woodlands Town Garden, you can enjoy the greenery and the unique design of the park amenities which has both Malay and Chinese elements. Sungei Mandai Kecil, a river that flows through the park, was also integrated in the design of the park. Part of this river that flows into the park was enlarged into a lake, irregularly-shaped for a natural look.

I enjoy photography a lot and so I took that opportunity to catch a few shots :-)

I really enjoy nature a lot and I love to walk or go briskwalkings. I hope I can schedule more such time as it is always refreshing to me.

How about you? Do you go for walks? What do find to be therapeutic when you are feeling down or stressed up?

Photography - Another therapeutic Hobby

Thank God that with medical helps, counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, regular exercise, Omega 3 fish oil, managing stress level, etc etc my bipolar disorder is under control now and I am able to live a more stable and productive life. I also pray and read the Bible daily to find comfort and strength from God.

When I started to do brisk walking regularly end of last year, I began to discover the beauties in God's creations in many wonderful ways. I am always comforted to remember that God Who creates all these lovely creations, has also created me. He loves me and is taking care of me daily. Through brisk walkings, I also began to enjoy photography as I will try to take photos when I go brisk walkings.

I have never expected myself to be able to take pictures. But with the help of advanced technology that the digital camera provides, I am so delighted to be able to capture some of these beautiful creations of God and precious moments with my family and friends. It gives me a lot of joy when I can take good photos.

I find that it is very helpful and therapeutic for me if I can find activities that I enjoy and which can enhance my life so that I can relax, enjoy it and have a sense of achievement. It helps me to de-stress. I can forget about all my stress and problems and just enjoy this hobby or recreation or activity. Photography is one of these activities. I look forward to snap some photos whenever I can and I am eager to go new places or try taking new objects or places.

In particular, I love to go to the beach and watch the waves. Somehow they have a soothing effect on me and I feel very relax. I loved to take photos of the beach and the waves. I also love to take photos of flowers, plants and animals.

I am also finding much joy in using these photos to make bookmarks and other crafts. This is another therapeutic hobbies for me! For some Free Bookmarks Templates, visit my Homemade Bookmarks Blog :)

Visit my "Around Singapore" blog to see more of the photos I have taken and that of my friends.

1) I took the first 4 photos at East Coast Beach, Singapore.
2) I took the next 2 photos at Changi Beach, Singapore.
3) I took the last 4 photos at Sentosa Flower exhibition at Sentosa Island, Singapore.