Jesus you're my only stronghold,
you teach me to be strong and bold.
In difficult times you're always there,
keeping your eyes upon me everywhere.
Oh Lord thou art my light,
thou art my life,
and with your great might,
you walk with me in strife.
Sweet Holy Spirit I ask for guidance
that I may be your living witness
wherever I go with your presence.
AUTHOR: INGRID SCHEMBRI
1989
My early childhood was that of a normal kid. I have no blood brothers or sisters but we had the Bonnet Family next door to us which had two boys of my age whom I have grown up with and could call them like brothers because we did everything together, like for example, homework, playing, swimming and so on.
I went to school at The Sacred Heart Convent, St,Julian�s. My friends envied where I lived because I didn�t have a long journey to go to school! I used to listen to the assembly bell from my bedroom because I lived opposite the school. I did both my primary and senior school years at this school. After that I decided to take up beauty therapy for two years. My interests are quite a vast range, I did a one year course of Interior Design, I did three years of Philosophy, I love to paint and do hand crafts such as decoupage and tapestry. I wrote a few poems and lately even some songs. My latest hobby is shooting clips of my favourite moments with my Video camera and obviously, playing the piano and most of all singing.
My teenage years had a touch of everything. At thirteen I started the legion of Mary and carried on for about two years, meanwhile I was still doing my piano examinations and my school examinations. I had some friends I liked to go out with during the weekend. These friends where neighbours. I loved to go to dance in discos at Paceville��well I still enjoy it every now and then!
In 1987 I started to help my father at our pharmacy. In 1988 I had a very interesting encounter. Something good happened to me�� I met our dear Lord Jesus my eternal friend, father, brother and most of all the lover of my soul. I was only fifteen years old, I had just started to experience life on the outside world but my father in heaven decided to introduce me to the spiritual world of His Kingdom.
It was Friday October 14th 1988 when I received a phone call from Ruth, a daughter of some family friends. Her parents Grace and Twanny Grech are close family friends. Her brother Fredrick is an excellent violinist. This family had taken great care of me during the first critical year of my attendance to the prayer group. I had already been asked earlier on to attend by friends and even members of my own family but it wasn�t the time yet! Any way, it seems as though God used this fine friend of mine to drag me down to the Gzira parish hall to attend to my first prayer meeting. Well�.. I felt confused but happy at the same time. The first thing that struck me was the warm feeling in there. Yes, now I know, the explanation of the feeling, it was God�s presence in the house. Even though I stood by the door just in case I got annoyed I could quickly exit�..but no my dear friends quiet contrary to that, I am happy to say that that warm �feeling in there� is still there and even stronger.
During the first year of my attendance I experienced life - spiritually. I had a few vision like encounters. Once I had just received Holy Communion and I rested myself against one of the pillars in the Gzira church and found myself in a green pasture with a few trees and as I walked I saw Jesus sitting down crossed legs on the grass saying to me ��I love you, I love you, I love you��. Another great experience was when I received the gift of tongues. Apart from the Friday group at Gzira, I used to attend the Saturday group at St.Wistin in Valletta which was exclusively for youths. One special evening we had done an exercise. The people who had the gift of tongues and where close to the ones who didn�t have the gift, laid their hands on us whilst there was a general prayer going on the PA for any body wanting the gift of tongues. I had a big desire to receive this gift. So�.. I had two people praying with me and very quickly as I write �voila� there I was babbling words which I didn�t know the meaning of. From where did it come? How on earth did I do it? Yes. Yes my friends, the Holy Spirit does wonders. It felt so good, I felt closer to God. It was a heavenly feeling. It gives me a sense of security. I have some more to say about these spiritual experiences, most of these happened when I had a deep desire to know Jesus. The Holy Spirit is very gentle. When you want to know someone you look forward to being with the person and you want to share uninterrupted quality time to get acquainted, well it�s the same thing when you want to know Jesus more. So, I spent time alone with Jesus�. I used to go for walks with Him�.by the sea�.in my car�.at home�.and wherever I was I looked for that corner to meet Him. Yes, it�s a beautiful experience�.just try it.
One fine day we had a special meeting for youths at the Gzira parish church and I decided to go to the meeting. There was a big surprise waiting for me! During the meeting Edward Spiteri decided to call me and asked me if I�d like to join the worship team. I was very surprised as I had no intention to join. I was a very shy girl; I never thought I would go through all these years of singing and worshiping God. Edward helped me to get over a lot of my inferiority complex. I remember, the first time I sang in a healing service he just popped a microphone right in front of me and the only option was to open my mouth and sing! Sometimes you do need that extra push! Well, I went for the audition and I did my small part and sang. After I was ready the lady who was the lead singer at that time told me a strange thing. She was watching me whilst I was doing the audition and later on she told me that she saw a big white angel behind me whilst I was singing. After the audition I had been given a sheet with on it written a set of �Golden Rules� to follow once I had become a member of the Worship Team.
This is what the paper said��hey members of the worship team this is good for you to note;
WORSHIP SESSION (REHERSALS)
We come here for the sole purpose to worship God, to have fellowship with the Holy Spirit, to lift and exalt the name of Jesus. For no other reason do we come here except this � to enter His presence, to give Him our whole being without reserve (Romans 12 v 1). We have to come before Him with the sole purpose of worshipping Him (Hebrews 12 v 28-29), to bless His name in Spirit and in truth (John 4 v 24), and that we acknowledge that He is our God Almighty who deserves all praise, all the Glory and all the Honour (Revelations 5 v 13). He deserves every second of our lives and especially during these two hours, which are dedicated solely to Him. In this time we will receive His blessing, and the way we respond to Him during this session will reflect on our worship during the Friday meeting. Worship is a very high calling; in fact it is the highest calling, so let us not take it lightly. Let us be aware that to enter into worship we must be at peace within our heart. Therefore �
1) If you have an argument, settle it before coming to worship (Matthew 5 v 23-24)
2) If you have unforgiveness in your heart, make sure that you forgive the person involved (Matthew 6 v 14-15) Be honest with God for He rejoices with a person who is honest before Him ( 1 John 1 v 9)
3) If you are troubled with sin, repent of your sin and confess it � know that God has forgiven you. You cannot enter into worship with sin in your heart so rid yourselves from known sin (1 John 3 v 21)
4) If you have any emotional problem troubling you, give it to Jesus (Matthew 11 v 28) Do not come with emotional burdens on your heart: Problems should be dealt with before or after the session, but not during the session.
5) If you do not come to worship session (without due reason) you may be stopped from singing with the worship team on the following Friday.
It is written very crudely and straight forward. I doubt if any body would be so interested to join after reading it! Truly, it does contain good points.
Anyway, my life carried on singing along and worshiping God until the time came for me to start leading the worship. It was one of those special conferences we held way back at Paradise Bay Hotel. Those where the days�.. We were a small group of people, we enjoyed each others company very much. Some of the faithful members attending at that time are still committed in the here and now. During this week-end I was prayed over in a special way and after that I started to lead worship. Then, followed a long stretch of worship sessions during community meetings and healing services.
�Worship is the highest call� they told me. When you sing you are praying twice. One of the secrets of worship is to keep it plain and simple. With the hassle and bassle of our daily life it is so comforting to turn to God and worship Him devotedly, heartily and very simply just by being yourself. A worship leader said these words �keep it simple stupid� K.I.S.S. Also, another worship leader and preacher Mike Pilavachi said �Learn to be natural before God�. Let�s be ourselves when we worship. Certain details are noticed every time we do our quiet time with Jesus. When it�s time to sit quiet with Him you are all alone and when you are alone you do certain things that become natural for you to do them like for example; you prepare to go to sleep. What do you do? Wear pyjamas, read, watch T.V. maybe take a camomile or a cigarette (by the way this is just an example, cigarettes are bad for your health). Now these are the things that you do quiet naturally with you and yourself. So when you decide to do quiet time there are other things that you naturally do. Like for example; go out for a short walk and ask Jesus to come with you. You take with you a prayer book or The Bible. You can also smoke a cigarette or take a camomile at home. So here, now we�re talking about things you naturally do not only alone but with our dear Jesus. Worship is all about you and God. How do you look at God? Who is He for you? What is He for you? Do you look at Him high up or is he right in front of you? This is the reason why we get stuck at one level and cannot move to such intensive worship together. It is because we see God differently. My greatest desire is to see people worshiping God so freely and without hesitation of what others think. Here I am trying to say that most of the times it is not the music or singing that jams you! But you�re jamming yourself! I remember how wonderful worship was when we only had one guitarist and did great sessions of worship. Another worship Leader said �music is the tool and not the goal�. The worship team has blown into a wonderful group. We have skilful musicians and good singers but still, it is not everything. The heart of worship lies deep in your heart and in His. It is when you decide to love Him�..that�s when it all happens. This is my favourite subject. WORSHIP. It sounds like music in my ears!
My life had some other facets apart from worship. In my teens I was just like any other young lady, I dated and even had some short relationships which lasted for a couple of months here and there. As I grew up, my teenage years had finished quickly. Two months before my twentieth birthday, I met my X husband. His profession is an accountant and is an excellent guitarist. We courted for a few years and got married, but unfortunately our marriage wasn�t a success. We are separated. However a new life waits ahead of me with new surprises to come��.who knows maybe I�ll get married again in one of our beautiful churches. Thank God I am happy with my life at present. God has given me a lot of people who love and respect me and it is a great feeling to feel loved around you.
There is plenty more to write about but I think I�ll better stop here. I�ll finish with a word of praise to our dearest Lord Jesus. You can join in with me if you�d like to.
Thank you Lord for the wonderful life you have given me so far. I can see that you have walked with me in all paths. You watched over me in times of trial and when I thought you left me walking alone, now I can see that you carried me in your arms and those set of foot prints I saw all by themselves on the beach, I was mistaken to think that I was alone because those foot prints where yours my Lord. You where carrying me in your arms.
INGRID SCHEMBRI
December 2004
The Love of God is so wonerful,
it embraces us with a song so joyful,
pulling us together
as brothers and sisters forever.
God loves us so,
that His Son saved us from our woe.
We lift Him up to the sky,
to bless us and be purified.
Jesus came upon this earth,
and thought us to abide,
but His love was so great,
that He opened His arms and died.
AUTHOR: INGRID SCHEMBRI
1988
Friendship is good to treasure,
cherish it with care
for it is rare
to find a friend to measure.
When life's chores are hard to bear
that's when a friend comes in
with pleasure
to embrace a change and make a stir.
AUTHOR: INGRID SCHEMBRI
2002
Jesus I need you,
wrong is all I do.
You're the only one who cares,
you're the only one who bares.
Your love is so eternal,
makes the devil go infernal.
Your love is so wonderful,
for that I'm so grateful.
Jesus I thank You,
Jesus I praise You.
AUTHOR: INGRID SCHEMBRI
2004