Being strong

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"You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have." 

- Bob Marley

Thank you baby for your strong little kicks every day. Each kick reassures me of how strong you are and how strong your mama is!

Whenever I feel overwhelmed by workload, commitments, and stupid human idiosyncrasies, baby's strong little kicks give me strength to stay focused and strong!

Moreover, my God in me is bigger than any problem out there. 

Thank You Father for delivering me from evil people and matters.

Thank You Father for empowering me to do all things in Christ.

Thank You Father for resisting the proud and giving grace to the humble.

Amen. 

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Project: Reflect 52 #50-51 - My permanent Christmas wishlist

1. PEACE!

The worrywart me needs lots of peace, peace of mind. The Lord is the Prince of Peace, He shall be my Peace. Peace is everywhere in the Bible.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; and the government is upon His shoulder; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. - John 14:27

And the peace of God, which surpasses every man's understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:7

And let the peace of Christ arbitrate in your hearts. - Colossians 3:15a

And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it. - 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace continually in every way. - 2 Thessalonians 3:16a

2. REJOICE, JOY!

My name is Joyce. So I gotta be joyful and rejoicing all the time!

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all men. The Lord is near. In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses every man's understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:4-7

Always rejoice, unceasingly pray, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

3. HUMILITY!

Not the kind of humility that gives people courage to shit on my head, but the kind that reminds us how God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Don't think more highly of yourself than you ought to think.

And he who will exalt himself shall be humbled, and he who will humble himself shall be exalted. - Matthew 23:12

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. - James 4:6b, 1 Peter 5:5b

For I say, through the grace given to me, to every one who is among you, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think so as to be sober-minded, as God has apportioned to each a measure of faith. - Romans 12:3

4. ARMOR OF GOD!

For safeguard from enemies, seen and unseen, including human beings.

Finally, be empowered in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil, for our wrestling is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and having shod your feet with the firm foundation of the gospel of peace; besides all these, having taken up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God, by means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints. - Ephesians 6:10-18

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Learning to give thanks

Photo source

A while ago, I wrote about gratitude - the biggest lesson to learn as long as I'm still breathing. It really isn't as simple as it sounds; in fact, it's easier said than done. There are so many occasions whereby I fail to give thanks and instead I start to find fault and blame everything around me but myself. LOL.

So, I'm listing down some of the things I think I can do to practice giving thanks. 

1. Pray. The Lord says so in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Always rejoice, unceasingly pray, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 

2. Compliment / praise, not criticize. Every thing looks so good when I'm not being mean. Gotta look to the bright side more often. :) 

3. Accept challenges. Okay, a good example would be driving. I'm learning to accept that traffic jam is no big deal. It's a challenge but it's not life-threatening. Thank You Lord that I have a car to drive around. 

4. Remember P's and Q's. Ahhh, I should do this more often. I always take this for granted and sometimes I don't mean what I say. Gotta learn more. 

5. Smile, not frown. Ahhh, I should do this more often too. Never underestimate the power of a simple smile.

6. Appreciate what I don't have. Yeah, it's all in God's good hands and timing. Gotta let go and let God.

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8 Trusts

Photo source

Article source: Fellowship by Bro. Minoru Chen

The Christian life is an active life. If you convince yourself to be passive, you will fall into the snare of the enemy. Nothing will kill you like passivity. The Christian life is likened to a race so you cannot win this race passively. Either you are in the race to run or you are not in the race at all. No one will cause you to run. You have to "turn on the engine, step on the gas, and switch on the gear." Exercise.

"I don't care" - is a terrible way of thinking. It's really dishonoring to the Lord, does not do justice to what the Lord has given us and comes short of His grace.

TRUST - this refers to "faith". You believe. Faith is beyond reason. If you can reason it out, that's not faith. Trust means you don't see it but you still believe. I want to give you a few things related to God that we must believe. This will sustain us every day and through certain crisis times. What do we trust in? Generally, we trust in God. I mean, a very subjective trust in God. What else do you trust in - yourself? Now, you're sitting there breathing. Do you trust you're being able to maintain yourself to some degree of sanity? Is it because of you that you are still alive? It is GOD! You just have to trust in God. There's no reason to this. He is the Creator. People would say, "God is bad. Why would God let you suffer?" You can reason or explain it but in the end, I just trust in God.

8 TRUSTS:

1) The first thing that you must learn to trust is God's SOVEREIGNTY. God is transcendent, Almighty, omniscient, all-knowing. This God because of who He is, is all-sovereign - i.e. He is the One with sovereign authority in this universe. You just don't question that. Anyone who does is crazy/audacious. Who are you to question God? Yet, the fallen man that is one with Satan, was the first one to question God by posing a question to Eve. Learn not to question. You will come to a point where you cannot figure anything out. You have to learn to just acknowledge God's full sovereign authority. Our job is to honor; our job is to trust; our job is just to believe in God. This sovereignty has to do with His authority. You don't go around and question God's authority. That's a very serious thing. Certain things happen in this world that you don't understand; you just trust. Don't ask, "Why?" Romans 9:21 says, "Or does not the potter have authority over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?" Dare the clay question? The Potter has absolute authority over everything including you and I. Honor/submit to the Lord's sovereignty. This protects us. This saves us. A practical way of trusting in God's sovereignty, is to trust in God's timing. Many times this is what causes us to "flip-out". Sometimes it is easier to trust in God's ability than to trust in God's sovereignty.

2) We can only trust in His MERCY. Day by day, what can we trust? Lean on His mercy. Mercy has to do with compassion. In Luke, you see the compassionate Man-Saviour. That is a man living, shining God out. Anyone of us deserve God's love? No! We are sitting here today because we have been made vessels of mercy. So Paul says, "Present your body a living sacrifice." I exhort you all to be daily recipients of His mercy. Mercy kept you. Mercy saved you. Mercy is why you are still here. If you are really like this, that in itself will touch a lot of your pride. Anyone who touches this, will not be proud. His mercies are new every morning so we need to feed on it. One day, you will have no more boast. You will just bow your head and say, "Lord, it's altogether your mercy." If you are like this, you will be a more thankful person. You know why you complain? Because you doubt.

3) You have to trust in God's FAITHFULNESS. God is faithful to Himself but in particular, to His own Word and promise. In other words, trust in God's Word. Heaven and earth will pass away. Anything you lean on will fade away but only His Word will never pass away. We can be faithless but He remains faithful. He cannot be unfaithful to Himself to justify our own unfaithfulness. Time will come when you cannot believe anybody, but you can believe His Word. Feed on God's faithfulness. God is faithful to His selection.

4) Trust in the Lord's GOODNESS - i.e. trust in God's intent. His intention is always good. There is no one good but God. God is good - that is, His heart is good. There is no evil there.. Everything with God is good. Whatever happens you should be able to say, "God is good to me!" There are people who have gotten offended and mad at God because such and such happened. Outwardly, it could be unfortunate but I'm talking about our attitude toward God. God did not create a messed-up universe. We know that there is another one (Satan) in this universe - put any evil intention on the devil.

5) You have to trust in God's RIGHTEOUSNESS. God is in the realm of justice. Righteousness is the foundation of His throne. Everything God does is righteous. This means, there will be issues and wages of sin. His righteousness relates to judgment. God is so righteous that He had to have His own Son crucified. God is not mocked. You don't get away with things.

6) You also have to trust in God's DISCIPLINE. In Hebrews, it says God chastises because of love. If we were illegitimate sons, God wouldn't care but because we are real sons, He disciplines. Watchman Nee was in prison for 20 years. That was not pleasant. You know what is a real martyr? It is one who has all these kinds of trusts in God ~ all reasoning are out the window.

7) Trust in God's CARE. He has numbered our hair. He knows what we need. Don't be anxious. God cares. God supplies. God will sustain. It seems that in the good days you don't need to trust that much but in the difficult/shaky times, I hope these things keep us so that no word of doubt, no murmuring, no reasoning comes out of our mouth. WE HAVE ONLY ONE REASON FOR EVERYTHING - GOD! How you are, how you go on, has a lot to do with how you treat these things and how you think.

8) Finally, trust in God's POWER. Today, of course, this power is in us as the God of resurrection. With man all things are impossible, but with God, all things are possible.

Learn not to ask so much.

Just THANK
EXTOL
EXALT
BOAST
BLESS
Him for all that He is -
He is the I AM.

If we say ,"Lord I cant overcome," the Lord will say, "My child, whatever you can not do, I will do it for you. I resist the proud, but give grace to the humble."

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Fill in the Blank Friday - Some recent factoids

This week's post for my Fill in the Blank Friday series.

1. My best quality is that I'm fiercely loyal, but I limit my loyalty to people and things that matter in my life. 

2. One of my less flattering qualities is that I'm too full of empathy. Empathy is the power of identifying, understanding, and imaginatively entering into another person's situation, feelings, and motives. I guess I'm too full of imagination so some people get turned off. 

3. I'd rather be singing than be sighing. I remember this line from a church hymn. 

4. Something I have been challenged with lately is to take it easy and don't stress myself about how-difficult-it-is-to-get-pregnant. I gotta believe all is in God's good hands and timing. 

5. I am looking forward to celebrating Christmas! This would be my first Christmas as a wife! The hubby and I are going to hunt for our first Christmas tree soon. :) 

6. A super random factoid about me is I have my first taste of beer and vodka when I was 28 years old. 

7. I want to make a blueberry cheesecake and roast a chicken with vegetables and herbs!

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Project: Reflect 52 #40 - Betapa Hatiku

I enjoyed singing this hymn when I attended a mass this weekend.

For those who couldn't understand Bahasa Malaysia, I have inserted the English translation below each line.

Betapa Hatiku

(Oh How My Heart)

Betapa hatiku

 (Oh how my heart)

Berterima kasih Yesus

(Thank You Jesus)

Kau mengasihiku

(You love me)

 

Kau memiliku.

(You own me)

Hanya ini Tuhan persembahanku

(This is what I have to offer to You)

 

Segenap hidupku, jiwa dan ragaku

(My whole life, heart and soul)

 

Sebab tak ku miliki harta kekayaan

(Because I don't have material possessions)

 

Yang cukup bererti 'tuk ku persembahkan.

(That are meaningful to be offered.)

Hanya ini Tuhan permohonanku

(This is what I ask dear Lord)

 

Terimalah Tuhan persembahanku

(Please accept my offerings)

 

Pakailah hidupku sebagai alat-Mu

(Use my life for Your gains)

 

Seumur hidupku.

(As long as I live.)


Isn't this a simple yet wonderful hymn?

Please practice what you preach and walk what you talk. Don't just talk and preach big phrases and principles when you can't even bring yourself to really care about others' welfare; not just asking them to attend church meetings without finding out the real reasons that hold them back.

Think about it, think really hard. If you say thinking is of the soul, then please pray with your spirit about it.

 

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Project: Reflect 52 #34-35 - Life partner

"Life's a journey. Pick a partner that'll be with you all the way."

I saw this poster in one of Maybank's branches. I know the quote is referring to the bank itself, but I have a stronger feeling to relate this quote to the quest of finding our real life partner.

Nothing is easy in life. Life's journey ain't easy. Finding a life partner is even harder. Wishful thinking doesn't help. Having expectations makes things worse.

In the end, despite how much I loathe hearing these statements: "When the time comes, your right someone will appear out of nowhere", "Your someone will appear the moment you stop looking", I have to agree these are the best answers to anyone asking, "How do you know that someone is the right one?"

I don't know how, but I'm glad the Lord knows everything. He has His perfect timing and arrangement despite our doubts, worries, and uncertainties.

The Lord has found my life partner and we are now married. :)

Here's a very encouraging Bible verse:

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint."

Isaiah 40:31

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Project: Reflect 52 #26 - I won't give up :)

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I'm a bit slow to discover Jason Mraz's I Won't Give Up and thus, I have been listening to it again and again for the past few days.

Super lovely lyrics.

When I look into your eyes

It's like watching the night sky

Or a beautiful sunrise

Well there's so much they hold

And just like them old stars

I see that you've come so far

To be right where you are

How old is your soul?

I won't give up on us

Even if the skies get rough

I'm giving you all my love

I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space

To do some navigating

I'll be here patiently waiting

To see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn

Some even fall to the earth

We got a lot to learn

God knows we're worth it

No, I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily

I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make

Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use the tools and gifts
We got yeah we got a lot at stake

And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend

For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn

We had to learn, how to bend without the world caving in

I had to learn what I got, and what I'm not

And who I am

I won't give up on us

Even if the skies get rough

I'm giving you all my love

I'm still looking up
I'm still looking up

I won't give up (No, I'm not) on us (Giving up)

God knows I'm tough (I am tough), He knows (I am loved)

We got a lot (We're alive) to learn (We are loved)

God knows we're worth it (And we're worth it)

I won't give up on us

Even if the skies get rough

I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

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We're Married (Part 3): Our Wedding Mass

This post is a continuation from my previous posts:

We're Married (Part 1): A Thank You Note 

We're Married (Part 2): A Summary

  
A Catholic wedding Mass has a universal order. However, the couple has the choice to select Bible verses and hymns.

Here's the content of our wedding Mass booklet.

ENTRANCE PROCESSION

The Bridal March: As the Deer (Instrumental)

Entrance Hymn: This is the Day

INTRODUCTORY RITES

Penitential Rites

Opening Prayer

LITURGY OF THE WORD

Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39

Psalms 112: 1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8, 9

Mark 10: 6-9

Homily

RITE OF MARRIAGE

Declaration of our consent to marry

Blessing & Exchange of Rings

Prayer of the Faithful

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

Offertory Hymn: Take Our Bread
Invitation to Prayer

Prayer Over the Offerings

Eucharistic Prayer

Doxology of the Eucharistic Prayer

Nuptial Blessing

Communion Rite

Sign of Peace

Breaking of Bread

Communion Hymn: One Bread One Body

Thanksgiving Hymn: Give Thanks

Prayer after Communion

CONCLUDING RITES

Final prayers and blessings

SIGNING OF THE MARRIAGE REGISTER

Concluding Hymn: In Moments Like These

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If you are planning to have a Catholic wedding, I have written this: A Guide to Catholic Wedding Preparation in Malaysia

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Joshua 24:15b

But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

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We're Married (Part 2): A Summary

This post is a continuation from my previous post - We're Married (Part 1): A Thank You Note

A) Venues

• Wedding mass (morning) at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Kelana Jaya
• Wedding luncheon (1st reception) and tea ceremony (family members only) at Rahsia Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur
• Wedding dinner (2nd reception) at Ocean Restaurant, Kuala Terengganu

B) Attire

• Wedding gown and long veil from Just Wardrobe, Damansara Uptown
• Lace cheongsam from Cove, Damansara Uptown
• Tailor-made wedding heels from San Lee Shoes, Taman Midah, Cheras
• My accessories are my mom's pearl necklace and bracelet, and my sister's pearl earrings
• Hairdo and makeup (during wedding mass, luncheon, tea ceremony) by Juanne Pang
• Manicure and pedicure by Posh! Nail Spa, TTDI
• Tailor-made groom's suit from Amcorp Mall
• Groom's white long-sleeved white shirt and tie from Robinson's
• Hairdo and makeup (during 2nd reception) by Pam, Kuala Terengganu

C) All floral arrangements by my mother-in-law

 

• 7 main arrangements (sunflowers, yellow gerbera, carnations, chrysanthemums, ferns)
• Bridal bouquet (sunflowers, yellow gerbera)
• 20 church pew ends
• Maid-of-honor and 4 bridesmaids' bouquets (yellow gerbera)
• Groom, best man, and 2 groomsmen's boutonnieres (yellow gerbera)
• Giant single sunflower for wedding bands

D) Wedding bands

• Gold bands from Tanah Merah
• For those who ask, my engagement band is from Dublin, Ireland

E) Wedding car

• My father-in-law's Prius
• Car decoration by my mother-in-law

F) Photographers

• Firdaus Feeq (Creative Visual Studio)
• Ceavs Chua
• Eric Fong

G) Wedding luncheon venue decor

• Same floral arrangements during wedding mass in church
• Church pew ends tied to VVIP chairs in restaurant
• Canopy and stage by Rozman Canopy
• Table numbers by Leona
• Glasses (doubled up as vases) from IKEA
• Wedding favors (cream rosebuds soap from Kuala Terengganu)

H) Guests registration table

• Guest books from Borders
• Jigsaw puzzles from Puzzle House (they were initially blank but hubby spray-painted them with 4 colors - yellow for joy, red for love, blue for health, orange for abundance)
• Pre-wedding photobook by Creative Visual Studio

I) Entourage

• My godfather Uncle Francis walked me down the aisle during wedding mass
• Maid-of-honor: Judith
• Bridesmaids: Cheryl, Patricia, Leona, Melissa
• Wedding mass commentator: Jian Xin
• Wedding luncheon registration table caretaker: Windy
• Best man: TK
• Groomsmen: Merce, Fly
• Wedding luncheon MC: Chris

J) Wedding invitation cards

• The story
• Storybook, Tropicana City Mall

K) Wedding booklets

• Booklet covers from Salvation, Summit
• Photocopy at SS15, Subang Jaya

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Numbers 6:24-26

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

In His Love,

David & Joyce Bates

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Update:

We're Married (Part 3): Our Wedding Mass

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We're Married (Part 1): A Thank You Note

A lovely note from Father Gerard Theraviam

Wishing you JESUS on your escapades through LIFE + LOVE

A lovely note from Uncle Pakiam and Aunty Angelique

Wishing you God's blessings
as you start your life journey together,
And may He always be
the heart of your marriage,
the light of your home,
and the ever-present partner in your
life together.


****************************** 
 

We would like to express our most heartfelt thanks to:

Our Heavenly Father, for joining us together in faith and love; for blessing the day we begin our lives as one; and for being our true source of hope, joy and love, always.

Father Gerard Theraviam, for graciously celebrating our Wedding Mass and making it a true celebration in God's presence. This is indeed the day that our Lord has made.

Our beloved parents and family members, for your unconditional love in bringing us up and selfless sacrifice for both of us all these years. We hope to walk in your footsteps.

Our dear relatives, for your strong support and taking time to bear witness to our sacrament of marriage.

Our entourage of bridesmaids, groomsmen and helpers, for your great effort and timely help.

Our friends and colleagues from near and far, for taking time to attend our wedding luncheon and reception.

May God bless you with everlasting joy, always.

Thank you all for your well-wishes, gifts and prayers.

Thank you!!!

In His Love,

David & Joyce Bates

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Updates:

We're Married (Part 2): A Summary
We're Married (Part 3): Our Wedding Mass

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Project: Reflect 52 #23-24 - Good, good life!

After a long well-spent hiatus, I'm back. :)

The past one week plus was exhilarating - our wedding mass and receptions, honeymoon, and my birthday. Good, good life indeed!

Now that we're back in KL, stay tuned for more blog posts. You know you want to read 'em. ;)

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your guidance, protection, good graces, and so much more. All glory, thanks, and praises to You, Heavenly Father. Amen!

♥

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A Couple's Prayer

Dear God,

As we begin our journey, we invite You to be our strength and guide. We surrender ourselves to You and pray with confidence that You will always be there in our daily lives. We pray that we will be Faithful to our Commitment to each other willingly, with understanding and honesty. We also pray that we will have Your attitude in communicating in thought, word and deed. Teach us to follow in Your footsteps, in loving and trusting each other. Help us realize that we are called to be a blessing to each other.

Amen.

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Project: Reflect 52 #9 - Le planning freak

 
Yes, I'm a planning freak, but not a control freak. The two are different you see. I can plan things ahead but I can't control what's gonna happen two weeks down the road, can I?

So, I come out with many plans, i.e. the main plan, the alternative plans, the back-up plans. As long as I don't have to grope in darkness and wait in agony, I'd rather spend much time doing planning, even if most details will change sooner or later. Planning, no matter how absurdly early it is, gives me some sort of emotional stability, something I can cling to when things do go awry. Well, perhaps I should insert God somewhere along this line.

Okay, the above is all about ME. But to make a relationship or partnership works, we need the WE.

So, what we have done so far with our DIY wedding planning is to keep a record of all our wedding-related expenses, i.e. my wedding gown, wedding favors, wedding reception venue's booking fee, and many other expenses. I keep bills, receipts, and credit card printouts in a little red scrapbook with oriental design on its cover.

Also, it's now 13 more weeks to our big day. So, I have a 2012 diary with weekly view in which I keep tab of our weekly accomplishments. The diary is a thoughtful 2011 Christmas gift from Riyuna. Thanks babe!

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Let's say a prayer:

Our Father,
Who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name;
Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

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A Guide to Catholic Wedding Preparation in Malaysia

Church requirements

If you intend to conduct your wedding ceremony in a Catholic church, here are some guidelines.

I'm sharing our wedding preparation experience for our wedding in St. Ignatius Church, Kelana Jaya in June 2012.
 
Basics

Either the bride and/or the groom must be a baptized and confirmed Catholic.

If both the bride and groom are Catholics, a full Wedding Mass will be conducted. If only the bride or the groom is a Catholic, a Wedding Service will be conducted.

9 months (at least) before your intended wedding date

• Go to the parish office to get the Wedding Enrollment form & check if your intended wedding date and time are available.
• Sign up for the Catholic Marriage Preparation Course (CMPC), a 7-week program for couples intending to get married.

6 months before your intended wedding date

Submit your Wedding Enrollment form with:

• A copy of Baptism certificate by the church where you were baptized.
• A copy of Confirmation certificate by the church where you were baptized.
• Recent passport-sized photos: one for each person, to be used in the Banns.
• A copy of CMPC certificate.
• A copy of IC of 2 witnesses; one for the bride and one for the groom.

3-4 months before your intended wedding date

• Arrange with the parish office for Prenuptial Inquiry (PNI).
• After PNI, proceed to apply for the Civil Registration of Marriages. Refer Legal requirements (Civil Registration of Marriage) below.

1-2 months before your intended wedding date

• Arrange for a commentator, a lector (reader), and the choir for the Wedding Mass.
• Prepare your wedding booklet.
• Arrange for a florist (with the church or external).
• Arrange for a wedding rehearsal with the sacristan.

1 week before your intended wedding date

• Provide a copy of your wedding booklet for the priest to review.
• Wedding rehearsal.

Legal requirements (Civil Registration of Marriage)

Catholics have the option to conduct their Civil Registration of Marriage at Assumption Church, Petaling Jaya.

• Make an appointment with Jessie at the Assistant Registrar of Marriage's office and she will provide the JPN.KC02 form for you.
• Set your intended registration date and time with her.

1 month before your intended registration date

• Fill up the JPN.KC02 form.
• Prepare one color photograph (32mm x 38mm) against a BLUE background for each person.
• Prepare photocopies of IC (both bride and groom).
• Make an appointment to meet the Commissioner of Oath to get their signature. We're getting ours done by Helen Koh (Damansara Uptown). More information here.
• Visit any Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) branch to get your form certified. If you want to go on a Saturday, only the Putrajaya branch and ibu negeri branches are open. More information here.
• Prepare photocopies of 2 witnesses' IC (to be brought on the day of registration).
• Submit the signed and certified form to Jessie, at least 3 weeks before your intended registration day, so that she can put up the Banns.

On the day of registration

• Witnesses have to be present.
• There's no strict dress code. The ceremony can be either simple or grand, it's up to you and your spouse.
• Then, remember to submit a copy of the civil certificate to the church where you've submitted your Wedding Enrollment form a while ago.

Most importantly, enjoy grace in the process. These priceless experiences bring you closer to your spouse and to God too.

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