I'm very satisfied with what Ivy and I have covered for wedding prep so far..
I'm really excited and looking forward to the day, and the preparation has been great thus far :)

as I meditate on the past couple of weeks and the road ahead
I'm reminded of a few simple truths that can be so easily put aside in the midst of something joyous

recognising the sovereignty of God
the thought that keeps coming to mind is that,
I may be gone the very next minute, or even the woman that I love
our life on this earth is so vulnerable and frail
and it's extremely vital to recognise and to constantly, consistently seek the Lord's plans above ours

He gives, and He takes away

1 Samuel 2:6-9
"The LORD brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.

The LORD sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.

He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.
"For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's;
upon them he has set the world.

He will guard the feet of his saints,
but the wicked will be silenced in darkness.
"It is not by strength that one prevails;

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Although it is still quite some time to the wedding,
let this post be a reminder of the things that I need to pray for:

1) For salvation to come upon both our parents, especially so for Ivy's parents
2) For the salvation of the friends who have yet to come to know Christ
As I listed down the friends that I hope to invite, I felt really ashamed of myself for not having reached out to them. A feeling of helplessness
And some times, I do entertain thoughts that these are secondary issues, but Lord, please remind me not to take your command lightly.
To be honest, I feel really weak in this aspect,
Lord, I really pray that You will equip me with wisdom to share with them, humbly, and with genuine concern
I also realised that I'm not really much a people person and can get very task oriented often, but as I reflect back, I felt that this is not the way ahead.
God, please teach me

3) For smooth wedding plans - lots to take care of, and it's a time where many people are involved, with quite a number of tasks to coordinate.
I pray that whatever that Ivy and I do, we will be alert to what God is speaking to us, that He may be glorified in the process

4) important - the road ahead for both of us.
Wedding is not a goal, but a beginning of a journey
What good it is for an army to have the greatest NDP parade with perfect precision drill, but the military combat readiness of the soldiers is ground zero
it will be a new journey together, and we really need God's grace to lead us together..
often we quote and encourage the church that there is power in unity
I was reminded that same applies for marriage
it should not be of our selfish ambitions,
but when both of us walk together, it will be double the power that God can grant us
It will be a very sad day for God if after the wedding, we become so absorbed with ourselves that we failed to see the greater plans God has for us as a couple

Lord, teach us how to love You first, and love each other

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Hebrews 12:1-2
The Race of Faith
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight,
and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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Lord, I acknowledge how weak and feeble I am without you
And I pray that even as I seek you,
You will unveil your plans for both Ivy and I
You are God and You are Father
May everything that we do bring You Glory,
for You alone deserves it.

In Jesus name I pray,
Amen


~Zhong