A move.

So the first decade of the millenium is just around the corner, and in light of big changes and stepping stones, I am finally taking action, and moving.

This blog, of course.

I've been with blogger since I started off writing online some 5 years ago. I've ventured into livejournal for awhile, but it was private, and keeping two online blogs is just Hard Work!

And while our calender system is coterminous, i hope my shift would be too.


So yes, this is me just trying to keep up with times and all that jazz. And while this new space is still only nascent, i need to start figuring out how wordpress works.

Goodnight/day x

More of Mr. Pronounced EM-MICK

Hahaha he's so funny :D

http://www.myspace.com/valemmich

Sunlight Searchparty

Val Emmich. First spotted in Ugly Betty Season 3 as Jesse, as Betty's new love interest and hot neighbour. Looking for his album. Anyone? ;)

Hosanna

Hosanna" (Greek transcription: ὡσαννά,
hōsanna) is the cry of praise or adoration shouted in recognition of the Messiahship of Jesus on his entry
into Jerusalem, Hosanna! Blessed is
the one who comes in the name of the Lord![3] It is used in
the same way in Christian praise.

Overall, it seems that "Hosanna" is a cry for salvation; while at the
same time is a declaration of praise. Therefore, it may be derived that
this plea for help is out of an agreeably positive connotation.

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosanna

We need to be saved. We praise because our needs are fulfilled and we are, yes we are, saved.

Christmas, Birthdays, Reasons, Gifts, You, Me, Love

Merry Christmas everyone! Taking my chances before this day slips into the 26th of December stealthily, quietly :)

Can't believe it's already Christmas. Can't believe 2009 flew by so quickly. Time really zoomed over our heads and out of the window, leaving us with no clue. Time as the superglue for this year. And the next, and the next, and the next. And the next.

Thank you for your well wishes, gifts, and presence. They mean alot to me :)

So even though this holiday was not 'Christmas-sy' (it never really is anymore), it was still as special. Because I don't think I can ever stop being amazed at how wonderful life is for me. Just being surrounded by family and friends, knowing that God sent His Only Son to come, to bring peace and joy, to free the oppressed. To save. And for that I am extra-thankful on this day, for God who is Lord over all, planned for this even before you were on the blip of the radar.

You are honestly the reason for Christmas (:

Have a blessed Christmas. I hope you receive many gifts and love as you are loved - more than you can ever fanthom.




And eat more ham & turkey & logcakes & lollys.

Comme des enfants

Alors tu vois, comme tout se mele
Et du coeur a tes levres, je deviens un casse-tête
Ton rire me crit, de te lacher
Avant de perdre prise, et d'abandonner

Car je ne t'en demanderai jamais autant
Déja que tu me traites, comme un grand enfant
Nous avons trop rien, a risquer
A part nos vies qu'on laisse de coté

Et il m'aime encore, et moi je t'aime un peu plus fort
Mais il m'aime encore, et moi je t'aime un peu plus fort

C'en est assez de ces dédoublements
C'est plus dure à faire, qu'autrement
Car sans rire c'est plus facile de rêver
A ce qu'on ne pourra, jamais plus toucher

On se prend la main, comme des enfants
Le bonheur aux lèvres, un peu naivement
Et on marche ensemble, d'un pas décidé
Alors que nos têtes nous crient de tout arrêter

Il m'aime encore, et toi tu m'aime un peu plus fort
Mais il m'aime encore, et moi je t'aime un peu plus fort

Et malgré ça il m'aime encore, et moi je t'aime un peu plus fort
Mais il m'aime encore, et moi je t'aime un peu plus fort

Encore, et moi je t'aime un peu plus fort
Mais il m'aime encore, et moi je t'aime un peu plus fort
Et malgré ça il m'aime encore, et moi je t'aime un peu plus fort
Mais il m'aime encore, et moi je t'aime un peu plus fort
Et malgré sa il, m'aime encore, et moi je t'aime un peu plus fort
Mais il m'aime encore, et moi je t'aime un peu plus fort
Et malgré ça il, m'aime encore et moi je t'aime un peu plus fort
Mais il m'aime encore, et moi je t'aime un peu plus fort

If I take my heart's advice,

So I love you. I friggin' love you.


That is all I can blog about for now :)

Screw the odds!

They think that you're taking advantage of me. They think that I'm using you.
But they don't know us. They think that we're ugly but I know that we're
beautiful. And we can adapt to a hostile environment.

Lexie Grey, Grey's Anatomy

The comeback of Grey's Anatomy into My Life. I'm going slow, after all slow and steady wins the race (supposedly) and I'm halfway through season 5, yes one season lag. But I've honestly Forgotten how GOOD Grey's is! It's probably my favourite (and the Best) TV show of all time! Like it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, and it sometimes moves me to tears, and its comical, and the characters are so flawed and likable!


And apart from slowly making my way back into the contemporary world of season 6s and Fringe and popular music, I Do Not take back my "It looks lame" comment about Avatar (the movie). It IS lame, but with enough good bits to make it a pretty good movie.



Seeing that Avatar was written and developed nearly 15 years ago, with a super hugeass budget of about $235million (According to wiki) you would think that the storyline would not brink on boring, but it is in fact pedestrian, at times snooze-worthy. Lucky it's secondary 'cause James Cameron delivers and tops an average plot with special effects that makes it worth your money if you watch it in 3D.

*Spoilers!

It is 2154. You are not on earth, but on a fictional planet called Pandora, with everything else -from the money-faced fiends seeking to exploit a place they do not deserve to live on, to imperfect characters (in this case, physically) caught in dilemmas but obviously choosing to oppose the dark side in the end - in place.

Pandora is home to an indegenious species called the Na'vi. They are huge and blue, and have tails. But other than their abnormal height and bioluminescent skin, they are very much human. Enter Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi), head of the aforementioned money-face fiends, who wants to get the very expensive mineral, Unobtanium - a 2154 version of today's oil - from Pandora, but he obviously closes an eye to the name of this supposedly precious mineral (hint?) as well as the fact that Unobtanium (Lame!) is found deep underground, beneath the size 15 feet of the Na'vis.

Welcome researcherGrace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), chain-smoking, brilliant scientist who is interested in the culture of the Na'vis. She forms the Avatar programme, which creates human-Na'vi hybrids, which/who are controlled by a human while he 'sleeps'. Protagonist Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), former marine who has lost the use of his legs, is called to replace his dead twin brother, a scientist for the Avatar programme, in controlling of one of the Avatars because of his genetic match. So off Jake goes into a tiny but undoubtedly expensive machine, without experience or knowledge of the 'culture and ways of the Na'vis'. His avatar - surprisingly!! - can walk and run and do all sorts of things Jake in his human form cannot do.

Fast-forward the part where he/his avatar goes into the jungle and is seperated from the team by some really dangerous creatures, and who should save his life but our leading lady, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), a female Na'vi, your VERY mordern version of pocahontas(who dresses really skimpily) (but I cannot bear to call her hot, since she is, after all, blue and freakishly huge?).


Neytiri

Neytiri decides to trust him because some pretty jelly-like substance thingys are attracted to Jake, and she brings him to Hometree, her home where her dad rules over the Na'vis (I keep typing Nazis) They decide to accept him and teach him their ways after Neytiri's mom decides she likes the taste of Jake's blood.

This he does after orders by Colonel Miles (Stephen Lang) to fit in and gain the trust of the Na'vis, ultimately persuading them to leave Hometree which sits over a large deposit of Unobtanium. However, Sully is caught between his newfound love for the Na'vis' culture and the bad guys who promises life to his legs if he is successful in his mission.

Fast-forward once again, and Sully is now initiated into the tribe of Na'vis. However, one day, Sully in avatar form wakes up and sees bigass bulldozers. He realises that the deadline is up, and finally decides to tell The People the truth, urging them to evacuate. They however, feel betrayed and ban him, and he pleads with Selfridge for another hour to save the People, but he runs out of time and passes out. Back at base he, Grace, and Norman are detained, but Trudy Chacon (Michelle Rodriguez), a pilot, breaks them out, but Grace is shot and badly injured.



Rodriguez as hot pilot Trudy Chacon


Famous for her tom-boy roles in Lost, S.W.A.T, The Fast & the Furious, and Resident Evil.


Director Cameron chose her after watching her in Girlfight

They return to the jungles, and Sully realises the only way to gain back the trust of the Na'vis is to tame and ride the Toruk, a very dangerous bird, and earns back the respect of the Na'vis. He pleads for them to save Grace through a supernatural voodoo kind of healing at a tree but it doesn't work. Not giving up, Sully stirs the Na'vis up and decides to fight back, at the same time reuniting all the clans of the Na'vis.

After some pretty awesome fighting scenes, they - of course - win, and everyone lives happily ever after the end. Oh yes, not before Sully decides to transfer his soul into his avatar.

Yes, it is a very long movie, but I maintain that the plot somehow runs out of imagination. However, the screen is definitely wide enough to blow you away. I had to stop myself from brushing away the specks of dust from the movie that seemed to be right in front of me. And yes, the effects, they make your money worth it.

Worthington, I thought did pretty good. Unknown face with good reviews. Rumoured to take Christian Bale's place in Batman 3? Even though Bale did throw a tantrum, I don't think so. Worthington will always seem like he has knobby knees to me now.

You know you've been away from Singapore for too long when...

1. You cannot remember the buses that go to the bus stop nearest to your house.

2. You cannot remember what colour line the nearest MRT station to your house is.

3. You take the train to town (City Hall) but end up at Pasir Ris.

4. You drive along the CBD and ask "Is that (a) new (building)?" like a gazillion times.

5. You are amazed at the vast amount of reclaimed land.

6. You have sudden cravings for food like cheap thai take-away from thai-la-ong2 and indomee.

7. You require the assistance of cooler people to bring you to cool places i.e Timbre

8. You are appalled that the price of a plate of chicken rice is as high as $3.

9. You HAVE to keep eating, and eating, and eating, and eating, and eating. And eating.

10. You cannot even read simple chinese.

"You brought home a stray"

Stop. 'Cause if you don't want to be with me - if this is too much for you
right now, it's okay. But you're gonna have to break up with me. 'Cause I'm
not going anywhere. I can handle the mess. So it's up to you.

You comin'?

- Alex, Grey's Anatomy

of quotes (and you)

It is a risk to love.
What if it doesn't work out?
Ah, but what if it does.

-Peter McWilliams

"this is sort of indie bluegrass"

I just love the feel of this band. They're pretty amazing, like an edgier version of coldplay.

Since returning to Singapore...

1. I have stalked so many people's facebook profiles - yes, more than I ever have so all those quizzes about me in your stalker list? Try again.

2. the furthest I have travelled to is probably Island Creamery! At serene centre! Haha so nOob!

3. I spend most of my day in my brother's room, shamelessly exploiting mioTV and being on skype! Can all of you just please finish exams already!!

4. I've spent more on shopping than I have in one month back down under.


On a sidenote, Terence, I reallyyyyyy want my hdd back? tyvm ^^

belt out the high notes

just the beginning

View all Singapore events on Eventful

Headbands?

but we've got one more night

I've been so out of touch with reality the past week, what with the breakdown of my laptop and my phone! Technology just isn't working to my advantage this whole year...but that's going to change soon, i hope!

The flight's tomorrow at 4.40pm And what's there to say? I don't feel like leaving.

It's not that I don't miss my family or my friends. It's just that I've built a life right here in Sydney and leaving for three months is like lifting a dusty lid for the first time in ten years. It's dismantling, and dusty, and it creaks unwillingly.

But on the other hand, I know Singapore will be tonnes of fun and I can't wait to just See my HOUSE and feel the humidity, hear the friendly singlish accents and try to adjust back to hokkien, mandarin, and broken english :)

And yes, I forsee a massive download sesh back home, so thank God there's no cap for the internet, goodness Singtel you rock my sockzx!

Will be back soon enough, got loads to blog about xx

I Want My ITunes Back

I'm FINALLY getting my game on, just need to get it going for the next week and then it's hello sleeping until 12pm and brunches!

God really sustains. He is so faithful, and sometimes when I'm so exhausted, I know I can find rest in Him.


1 Corinthians 8:1-3

...We know that we all possess knowledge. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God.


And I accept it. I don't know everything. It's impossible. All I do know - and therefore what I should concentrate on doing (what's that? Specialisation? FREE TRADE D: ) is loving Him!

Proclaiming His Glory. Knowing Him and Making Him known.

God Bless x

The Art of Trench

Burberry has this fantastic picture site on the Art of the Trench, and if I wasn't supposed to be studying, I most definitely would wade through all the amazing pictures up there! The photographs were taken by The Sartorialist, and just looking at all these beautiful people wearing burberry's trench with such style and ease makes me want to scream!

Visit http://artofthetrench.com/

and http://www.thesartorialist.com/

For all You are to me

Father true and merciful

Bound to me with love

Adopted in free from all sin

Jesus Saviour glorified

Your offering none could give

I stand before You humbled and in awe

And all

To You God

For all You are to me

There is nothing like

There is nothing like

Your Love

Your Love

Holy Spirit gift of God

Teach my soul to soar

Train me in Your Holy ways oh Lord

I love you forever

I love you forever

I love you forever

Lord

Teach my soul to soar

Pleasing God

Fear? Worry? Anxiety? Concerns?


They all distract you from God. They divide - Break down - your devotion to Him.

It's not very hard to comprehend, but particularly easy to miss.

1 Corinthians 7: 32-34

" I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs - how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world - how he can please his wife - and his interests are divided"

So Paul is talking about marriage, but I mean, why not apply that to LIFE?

Why should we be so consumed with worry? Why should we embrace fear? Why should we allow ourselves to be caught up in the things of the world?

I realised yesterday that no matter how smart you are, or you think you are, or others think you are - it's just smartness. It's a label the world gives. It's based on the standards of this world, this world that is passing away (1 Cor 7:31)
What truly matters is God's wisdom. And that can only come from God. Not by studying, nor books, nor from your tutors, parents, mentors, lecturers. It's supernatural.

1 Cor 1:25

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength"

And I know we're all stressed out about exams. We want to do well, we don't think we're ready.
But instead of worrying, why not focus ALL your attention on PLEASING GOD?

It doesn't mean we don't have to study and work hard, for we can definitely please God with our High distinctions. It's the heart and the attitude that we bring when we are studying. It's doing it for the right reason - for giving honour and praising God.

We need to give our undivided attention to Him. And when we are concerned about pleasing God, all else - the studying, the cramming, the all-nighters - they just fade into the background. They become bearable. They cease to matter, for we are praising, Pleasing God!


Don't look forward to your results, to the holidays, to the end of this torturous period. Look forward to God saying "well done, my child, well done".

It's denying yourselves, laying down your earthly crowns, and giving ALL to God. Your life, your work, your words, your actions, your thoughts - to glorify Him, the one whose wisdom far surpasses our understanding. The bearer of peace, and hope, that at the end we might collapse into His joy. He is the only one worth our undivided attention - indivisible, whole, complete.

Truth is so rare that it is delightful to tell it

A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that
God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent.

John Calvin

vernacularising

If I had Anything Remotely Interesting...

"I am not alone in this. I only let him do to me what men have
ever done to women: march off to empty glory and hollow acclaim and leave us
behind to pick up the pieces. The broken cities, the burned barns, the innocent
injured beasts, the ruined bodies of the boys we bore and the men we lay with.

The waste of it. I sit here, and I look at him, and it is as
if a hundred women sit beside me: the revolutionary farm wife, the English
peasant woman, the Spartan mother-'Come back with your shield or on it,' she
cried, because that was what she was expected to cry. And then she leaned across
the broken body of her son and the words turned to dust in her throat."

-Geraldine Brooks, March

NIDL

i am missing my bed with my favourite sheets and the smell of my room. And my ikea UFO/cheap-imitation-of-a-disco-ball lights. And my own wardrobe. And the aircon. And the balcony. And the fridge. And all the different ROOMS in my house without green carpets bleah





And strangely enough, my old pair of sneakers ??

gonna be

Being faithful and thinking.


French oral exam tomoz, self-declared day off on saturhday, and then i'm up for some serious study seshs the coming week. Hoping to see whip it and praying hard that my brain is able to retain french words in sequence. Oh what's that? Sun? Bah, who needs it.

The Great Escape...

...is something we all need


Life is all about stages. You were conceived in your mother's womb, you grew for the next nine months, you were squeezed out at the expense of your mother's pain/blood/tears/pespiration, you learnt to crawl, talk, write, read, throw tantrums. You entered primary school, then high school, then college, then university. And then after when you finally become an 'adult' they say "welcome to the real world" where responsibilities and hard work seems to be on the top of your list, and the only question you have is not 'when do i get married', or 'how do i pay the bills this month', but 'when did i grow old (and boring) this fast, and how do i make it stop??'


I'm not saying we should be bitter and dread about what's coming up in life. I'm not suggesting that we should hit up the bar and drown our sorrows and talk about our secret pain over cheap peanuts. I'm saying we need to bust out the great escape. We need to do the things we've done for the past (insert number) years for one last time and make it memorable. And then just dropping it all. Leave it all behind and move on.

Yes, move on already. The real world awaits.

Joy Division

how can the weather suddenly go all sahara desert on us!?



I need fresh music. ktestonfridaybye.

Encounter

The last three days flew by so quickly. It's already Sunday which means another week of school yet to come my way.

But Encounter '09. On the first day I walked in expecting something amazing to happen, and of course, God never disappoints. The messages were all fantastic, especially guest speaker Jeremy Pearsons. He didn't just preach, he taught the word of God. He shared his revelations, not merely tell us how to live our lives. A very sincere guy with a texan accent. How can you not like him?

I think the thing that touched me the most was how ready everyone was to meet with God. All these people desperate for just one glimpse of heaven, praising and worshipping God with everything they got. It just blew me away.

And even though encounter is over, I'm sure things will not go back to the way they were before. Because our lives haven't just changed temporarily, it has changed entirely. For me especially, I've received so much from God and I'm gonna cling on to Him like Jacob did.

Did you get my message?

Do you ever wonder what happens to the words that we send

Do they bend, do they break from the flight that they take

And come back together again with a whole new meaning

In a brand new sense, completely unrelated to the one I sent

-Jason Mraz

More than Conquerors

I am in the midst of a really busy period of my life. We all are, I'm sure. And it is during this season that we should stand firm and declare the promises of God into our lives.

Romans 8 (by Paul, a servant of God)

(vs 28) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

If we are aligned with God's will, we will be blessed abundantly.

(vs 29) For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers

We are chosen by God and given the power and authority of Christ.

(vs 30) And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

If we answer and respond, if we believe, if we obey and serve, if we honour, God's blessings will pour forth.

(vs 31) What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

His name is the name above all names. He is all-powerful, almighty and awesome. The Biggest and the Best. His superiority over all.

(vs 32) He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

He is generous. Our cup overflows.

(vs 33-34) Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

The grave is empty, our Lord has risen and satan, defeated. Our battles are already won.

(vs 35-37) Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger of sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

We are unworthy. But while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He loved us even before we were created, and His love knows no boundaries. His death in return for our life. And Jesus who conquered death has made us more than just conquerors.

(vs 38) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate use from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.

An-counter: God and You.

There is an 'Encounter' waiting for every one of us.

Some have already experienced it, some wait patiently for it, others don't even know it's coming their way.

Those who have had that encounter treasure it. They are unable to put the experience into words - that moment where all else fades away and its just God and them. In a place where there is a tangible, invisible connection. A life-changing, tear-inducing, goosebumps-generating, i-want-to-fall-flat-on-my-face-in-His-glory connection.

Encounterfest '08 changed my life. That's not at all surprising - It's hard for your life to stay stagnant after a fresh meeting with The Creator. It's like meeting (insert someone you really respect and want to meet) and multiply that by infinity. Except this person isn't a snob, but really wants to meet you too.
Which brings us back to the tear-inducing part, for He is Everything, and you...well, you are everything to Him too. An Encounter transforms your life from the inside out. Your soul bursts into a new song, a song you just want to belt out to every single person you meet.

Encounter '09, I'm sure, is going to be nothing short of amazing. I don't know what's going to happen exactly, but I do know God is definitely going to be there. So, get pumped up because this is a fantastic opportunity for young people to discover, learn, gather and encounter God all at the same time, in the same place!

It's great for those who know what it's like and clamour for more. But it's even more awesome for those who have been waiting for this one moment, and imagine what a pleasant surprise it will be for those who need it but don't know they do?

Enough said. Bring your friends, neighbours, and offer to pay for your Economics lecturer.

God Bless x

when I close my eyes

During my ECOP lecture yesterday, my lecturer mentioned that the word 'Crisis' comes from the Greek word 'Krisis', which means a Turning Point.



Which also means that at the point of the 'crisis', things are changing. It is a crucial, Decisive point.



And when he said it, I immediately thought about all things Christian - lives, this world, relationships. And HOPE.

What happens during the crisis is important. I'm not talking about the circumstances you are in, but the choices you make during those circumstances, the path you choose. As all things else, there is a cause, and there is an effect.
How you act during the crisis impacts your life beyond your immediacy.


So choose well. Look not at your situation, but keep your focus on God. Because in Him, we have hope. And He will bring us through.



It is during a crisis when you are given countless opportunities to perform and act in ways that will change your world.

And after the storm is calmed, your life will be transformed. It will never be the same again.

A rush of blood to the head

It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
-- Albus Dumbledore

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets



All i want to do is just curl up on the sofa (if i had one) and read any book of the Harry Potter series (except maybe the prisoner of azkaban). Anyway I checked my exam timetable and realised that my papers fall on three consecutive days of the second week of exams! Hectic, much?





What is it about datelines and the need to do well academically that gives people some sort of high? Students all around the world - face it - love the feeling of wanting to fling themselves off a building while rushing last minute work. No wait, i got that wrong. We love the feeling of submitting a paper that was finished five hours before, AND the fact that we can get a credit for it..! Well, Now that i've got that figured out, it's back to me switched on hardworking mode. French bright and early, oui, sans aucun doute - Bleah. But can't wait for dinner, and dessert. Did someone say mickeys?! (insert sound of stomach rumbling and saliva dripping)

A plus! x

Walking the line

Slept in so late for the first time this semester :) If only womens had room service, breakfast in bed sounds like a good idea for the first day of the mid-sem break?


Anyways, Lishan, Soo and I headed to Glebe in the afternoon and I bought so much stuff for a spanking 35$. Very proud of myself haha, and we decided to have dinner in college instead because we're far too tired and almost broke (for me anyway) to go out.

Alright, tonight I will stay in and eat junk food and watch gazillion episodes of HIMYM and maybe even a movie or two. Apex you are seriously a lifesaver!


Righto, hope you guys are having fun like i am! x

You don't know that I'm noticing

"Look, other bands, they want to make it about sex or pain, but you know,
The Beatles, they had it all figured out, okay? "I Want to Hold Your Hand." The
first single. It's effing brilliant, right?... That's what everybody wants,
Nicky. They don't want a twenty-four-hour hump sesh, they don't want to be
married to you for a hundred years. They just want to hold your hand. "

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

these lyrics, they weren't made for us

I went a bit crazy because it hit me so hard in my face i couldn't possibly ignore it but it's about 70 days till i'm going Home! It's like O'lvls countdown - i can clearly see the huge number cards (that people sometimes forgot to change each day so we got a bit confused) that they place at the old building at the parade square, just behind the podium.


Big Exo Day was Fantabulous! And I'm off to watch 500 days of summer now, aren't YOU (you know who you are) jealous!

I am hopeless, but i am free

You know how somedays you've just been stuck in your room for way too long and then you start feeling like an albino who has never seen the sun for half a decade and you start being all claustraphobic and the walls seem to be closing in on you but because you've been glued to your chair for eternity you can't even move - yes, not even to go to the toilet? And then the world seems grey and dreary and your emotions suddenly run on an all-time history-making high, and no one you really want to talk to is talking to you and every single thing becomes ever so annoying and itunes simply doesn't play the songs you want to hear. PLUS You Have No Food?!?!?!
I mean SERIOUSLY what is 2000 words and the geopolitics of oil anyway when you are 18 and young and hopeless and fragile but (Supposedly) Freeeee! That's right maria mena you tell them.



Alrightttttttt, much better lol , goodnight (:

Etudiante

Thank God His love isn't based on the amount of times I go to church each week, or the amount of times I flip open the Bible, the amount of times I am generous to the needy and helpful to the poor.

Thank God for His love so great that my failures can never overcome the death of His Son. Jesus has died and rose again, and because we believe, we are also alive and Free in God.


Have been busy these past few days, am determined to not just settle for a pass for my assignment due on Monday. It's 40% and I keep getting stuck, so thank God I managed to get a substantial amount done last night even though i had to miss powerhouse - Reggie Dabbs was amazing so i heard ! - , seeing that my weekend will most definitely be busy what with Big Exo Day and then church on sunday :(

Plus, french test tmr and i am flipping out. I really need to work harder.

Okay time for lecture, it's a hot sunny day, how blessed are we? :)

God Bless x

"The Meaning of IT"

I've tried to say it a thousand different ways. I've tried twisting the words inside out and doubling them back over onto themselves. I've tried coming up with words in different languages, because maybe they have words for this thing (I couldn't say what it is) that we're missing in this one. I've tried saying the same words over and over again in hopes that this time they'll mean what I want them to mean. I've tried writing it down and spelling it out and stressing each syllable across intercontinental static. I've filled up pages and pages of paper with what I'm trying to say, but never with what I mean to say.

-Loren Barnes

As if you actually were inside a saltwater room

We are not justified by works, but by faith. And through faith - through the simple act of believing, of allowing ourselves to believe in Someone we cannot see, but can feel, allowing ourselves to be receptive to God and allowing ourselves to submit to someone whose thoughts and ways are far greater than us - That is righteouness.

Romans 4:4 tells us that when we work, our wages are obligatory, but to those who do not work, but trust God, their faith is credited as righteousness.

It IS that simple. It means that believing is everything. And the problem is truly believing is the hardest part.

Righteousness comes From faith.
The promise of Grace comes By faith.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God"
Romans 5:1-2


However, instead of praising God for only the good things, we should also rejoice in our suffering.
But the Bible doesn't just say we should because we should. Instead, Paul tells us of three things in the book of Romans. He declares it through a peculiar, different type of faith, something I'm sure some of us can relate to, but to others in this world, it is possibly the most ridiculous thing ever.

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope."
Romans 5:3


1. Suffering produces perseverance.
Suffering - going through hardships and obstacles and pain - these we face almost everyday. But this isn't just to harm us, but is to create endurance and perseverance. I was reading The Screwtape Letters the other day, and there was this bit that said that even though God loves us so much, He allows us freedom - something the devil shuns - instead, the devil wants perfect control of our lives. But if we are in God, we will most certainly stumble, and fall.

However, I doubt Paul is implying that Suffering is good, or even okay and fine. Or that it should be welcomed in some masochistic sense. As was pointed out in the last CG, we should not boast about our sufferings. That was not what we are made for - we were not made to suffer!

Instead, I guess what he means is that, if we have met and encountered God, and our lives have been transformed, and we have received the gift of life and love - well, then suffering and death and mishappenings will not be able to obliterate it. Yes, that gift of salvation and grace given to you because you were chosen by God - it trumps all else.


2. Perseverance produces Character.
If we are to get through our sufferings, perseverance is definitely key. It is a communal quality that can be found in each of us, and it produces a character much sought for by the world (but more often than not, is lost despite its obviousness) - one that enables us to "resist hopefully and love faithfully".

"This word "character" is a word used to express refined metal that has had its impurities removed. In the same way, through patience a person has impurities removed from his or her daily living and life and is purified. In this way a person is prepared for that time of taking part in the glory of God." (Rev. Takao Kiyohiro)

3. Character produces Hope.
This is the best part, I reckon. We are justified by our faith - neccessary in all equations in this sense. Through this justification of faith, we are at peace with God. The gap of sin seperating us since the time we were formed, since the fall of men through the disobedience of the first man - it is bridged, and we are reunited with our Creator.

"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us"
Romans 5:5


This is precisely what the Gospel, what our beliefs and faith is all about. There is suffering, there is unpleasantness. They are part of the fabric that constitutes the freedom and the terror of life. Without one we could not have the other. But they are to be embraced in love, however difficult that is, not shunned. This is not romanticism. It is hope. And hope never disappoints.

Similarly, the Holy Spirit was given to us. Not only have we been redeemed by grace - the best gift ever, we are also given the Holy Spirit to come and dwell in us. So that even though our human nature and physical body might fail us, the Holy Spirit continually strengthens and renews us.

Such generous acts of giving - life through death, and to be at peace with God - isn't it sufficient for us to have that bit of hope? And hope. Hope isn't just wishful thinking. It's knowing for sure that one day, when oour body wastes away in this temporal world, there will be our spirits rejoicing and finally reunited with God in paradise. For eternity. Hope is knowing that Jesus bore the weight of the world, that he chose to sacrifice his life, and this one act of love has saved all of us from perishing.

This hope is not easily obtained. But it is the only hope worth having. It is not simply optimism - we do not merely expel the pain for the moment, or avoid the situation, and prelong the suffering. With this hope, the agony that cannot be excised without an annihilation that also annihilates us is transformed into peace and joy. And That is what salvation in Christ means.

"His death resulted from his willingness to embrace the hated other (the
Samaritan, the outcast) and from living a life among enemies he refused to kill
but instead loved. It is for that reason that his wounds give hope. Not
because suffering is good, but because when viewed in the light of Jesus Christ
it points towards a risen life that is not captive to the forces of death, but
rather seeks transformation. It is the art of hoping against hope"

God Bless x

Two are better than one

After a brief conversation about How I Met Your Mother last night, I was just wondering what is it about these kinda shows that i like (you know, the sorts with the same jokes - though the novelty is never lost on me thank you very much - and the same storylines)

And then I realise why I love such shows is because of its portrayal of friendship. Yes - not love in the form of BGRs, but another kind of love.

"The love I am referring to is the love you have for a best friend. It’s
unique and so important to have. It’s more than just affection for someone; it’s a deep underlying connection. The
comfort of knowing you can tell them everything, and not have worry about being
judged. The first person you tell when something exciting happens, or when
something scary happens. The person you turn to when you need to vent. The
person you can laugh at because they will just laugh back at you. The person you
need to tell things to so your brain doesn’t explode. The person who can make
you feel better when you’re having a tough day, the one you turn to for advice.
. The person you can have full conversations with by merely exchanging
glances."

-Le Love Image

Friendship is important. It's really what keeps us going. How many times have you sat in front of your best friend and poured your heart out without inhibitions. How many times have you sat with your best mate checking out the chick at the next table? The little things, the big things - they are so precious.

I openly proclaim my love for my friends (not all the time). Sure, that might be creepy but Love is creepy. And I reckon underlying that whole 'thug love' thingy, is really something romantic. Not in a I-want-to-kiss-you way, but similar, like I-want-to-hang-out-with-you-talk-on-the-phone-for-hours-read-our-old letters-to-each-other sort of way.

And I Love it. I love the idea of love, I love to love. Love is something all of us can be generous about - what do we have to lose?


1st Samuel 18: 1

After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.


It's being one in spirit with someone. The NKJV version puts it even more nicely: "the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul."


Love. Friendship. Intertwined, one cannot do without another.

Also, choose your friends wisely. You don't need to have many companions, the Bible says it will cause you to stumble. Instead, cherrypick and carefully select friends that will stick with you through thick and thin, friends that will correct and encourage, not lead you to adversity and discourage. People don't understand how much influence a friend can have over you. The thing is, there is peer pressure, and very seldom can one not give in to it. So choose the right 'pressure' for yourself.

"Better is open rebuke
Than love that is concealed.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy."

Proverbs 27:5-6

Jesus saw his disciples as friends too, and defined the true meaning of friendship.

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends..." (John 15:12-15)

I love you guys - you know who you are in particular x

leloveimage.blogspot.com

"i remember my heart beating 50 miles an hour and wondering how i could sit there in his arms and feel so comfortable, like my heart wasnt completely broken inside of me and my life hadnt fallen around me months before"

What happens to a dream deferred?

"And their shape and their hair and their eyes and their smell and their voice.
That suddenly, these things can exist and you're not quite sure how they existed
without you knowing about them before."

Everyday I wake up, look at the sky, feel the sun kiss my skin, the wind zip through my hair, have water trickle through my fingers, hear the cawing of crows and the roaring of engines.

Everyday I wake up, and being alive - that is a miracle.

Breath, and laughter, and thoughts, and words, and mobility...

It amazes me how intricately we are made. Our bones and blood, the tiny hairs on our arms, the heart, pounding steadily to the rhythm of life. The brain with its capacity to hold countless of information

"I’m just an idea that happened upon love." Jason Mraz

So lovingly created by The Creator. The complex body stripped down to its very precious details - all summed up in words, and there men stood, at the beginning of times, made up of the very dust we walk upon.

You don't need to be 'perfected', you already are perfect. You are made in the image of God, you are nothing short of perfection x

We Have Met The Aliens...And They Are Us

Only two options when you come home at 12 in the AM - go to sleep, or use the computer and rave about the last movie you've watched :)


District 9, my friends, is Fantastic. You Have to watch it - probably one of the best science-fiction* films I've caught. I (and Soo) were very impressed it will probably be the most talked about thing between us for the next seven days or so lol

For once, humans were regarded as the 'bad guys' - though not entirely. Can I say I hated the kernel dude with a vengeance and was so happy he got torn apart alive by the aliens? I know, morbid as it might sound, you just gotta watch it for yourself.

But apart from the constant blowing up of stuff, and referrences to movies like Ironman and Independence Day, I felt that the movie had an acute portrayal of human behaviour. Plus, Sharlto Copley, who plays the lead character - Wikus van der Merwe (?!) was absolutely awesome. Like, he's just so awkward and selfish you can't help but like him :)

Annnndd I found it funny how Copley had the weirdest name ever, but the aliens had boring normal names like Christopher ?


To top it all up - comical. Yessssss, sexual relations with a prawn aka Alien ? Why not? And of course if that was to appear in the news, the face of the alien had to be censored, because they need their privacy don't they? Human rights and what not?


Facts:
1.One actor (Jason Cope) plays all the talking aliens in the movie.

2. Most, if not all, of the alien interaction and dialogue with Wikus during the eviction scene was improvised by Jason Cope (as alien) or Sharlto Copely (Wikus).

3. The District 9 alien homes were actually shot in a recently evacuated area of impoverished housing. The homes you see the aliens getting evicted from were homes that humans had recently been kicked out of, for real.



Question: 1. How do the aliens and human beings understand each other? That part I couldn't wrap my head around. 2. Why does it take three years for aliens to get home, isn't their technology superb? (The technology was soooo cool for once I yearned to be ugly and be able to speak geEk language of sorts)


But.
What a movie. Just the right amount of necessary elements for a film. Perfect ending, Peter Jackson, please don't make a sequel thankyouverymuchbye x

Looks are....what other than deceiving?

COME ON!!!
This person is representing Singapore in the infamous, much talked-about Miss World 2009! It's hard enough for the reputation of a great nation without the broken english, but...this?!?

Completely Embarrassing. The next time I intoduce myself and say that I'm from Singapore, people will look up and notice, and instead of the usual "Oh its a fine city! Very clean!" or "Don't they ban chewing gum there?", they'll go "Can't you guys speak English? Isn't it supposed to be your first language? Are you a bimbo? Can't you say leopard prints and hospitality without sounding like you are lapsing into a seizure any minute now?!!?"





Wore a bijini down orjerd road?


Come on Singapore, you need to look beyond the neighbourhood ahlians and ahbengs. Your education system, i'm sure, is top rated. English is the language of administration in this country! Even if you can't help looking like an ahlian (it could be genetic, i mean, who knows?), or having a strong singlish accent, it doesn't mean your pronounciation cannot be at least close to correct.


Jeez-a-Boom! I need to watch that video again.


AND PLEASE, WE DON'T ALL SPEAK LIKE THAT, NOT EVEN THE POLYTECHNIC STUDENTS!

Risque

So I hope finishing three assignments and one test in the course of two weeks mean that I am able to slack off abit.



Cos that's all I have been doing today. Readings? Pftttt, so yesterday. Party? Books? Shopping? Chocolate? THICK SHAKES TO BOOT?



Finger twist and split, good bye x

Do you know...

That August is taking far too long to end?

Grapevines

*/so half of this was written a day earlier

"There is no one true reality, only different versions of the real..."


What is the truth? What is real?


As a student, that statement makes so much sense to me. Everything that we believe is real, is real only to us. Such confidence is influenced by ideology. Meaning is not inherrent, not natural. Indeed, meaning is learnt. And I agree.


After all, what you believe might be true, might not be true to someone else. Taking a fine example that dates back to my secondary school days is this : Highly philosophical in those days (lol JOKE) we were questioning if the blue that I see, is the exact same shade of blue that you see, that he sees and so on. And the thing is - we'll never really know, will we? And how we can tell that colour is blue is because of the way we were taught, i suppose our brains learn and remember that that shade of colour is called blue?


So I'm not a med student, and I don't know if what I just said is total bullcrap.

Buttttt, I do believe so. Take a very abstract example, like freedom, and love. We only understand those words as such because we are taught, in schools, at home. And the meaning we all extract from these 'texts' (im being too media-ated arent i) differ according to the values that are instilled in us while growing up, the environment we grew up in etc etc


Even talking about this makes me smart lol


BUT then when I woke up today, every single thing that I thought and agreed on....it split open into fragments and was left wasted.



OF COURSE there is ONE TRUE REALITY.

And that is the Bible - God, Jesus, Eternal Life, Love, Hope, Joy, Faith, Promises.


Every single thing about that is real. And as believers - our perceptions, our versions are all in tuned to each other. Sure, there are different intepretations, but essentially, we believe in the same - the truth.


How do we know the Bible is true? That there exists a God who created the heavens and the Earth? That there is a Jesus who came as the son of God to walk on earth in humanly form, to die on the cross for our sins? That if we believe we shall have everlasting life? That it is because of Love such is available? That we can have hope and joy in things unshakable? Such faith, such promises?



How do we know that what is real for us isn't just a big fat lie/conspiracy theory/new world order (sorry i just like that word) to others?

And then during connect last night, Soo told us about about this korean saying:

There is a guy who sells pills, and he knows every thing about those pills.

And then there's the guy who was cured from taking the pills.

Which is the best person to go to if you wanted to know about the pills?

The person who got cured, of course. It seems very simple, but isn't it true?

People are cynical. They reject what they cannot see, and if they reject it in the first place, they won't be able to feel.


We don't know the A-Zs about every single thing in the Bible, we can't answer all questions, we don't have all the cold hard facts.

So how do we know what we believe in is true?



Because we are the people who have taken the pills and have been cured. We have believed because we have experienced. We have felt and thus we can see.
Everything is a 'logical fallicy'. Nothing makes sense. Not really, it doesn't.

But how can we doubt our own personal feelings? And experiences? They are not dead but alive, and tangible. They breathe, indeed it breathes life, and it moves and acts, and works.


We know it is true, because we Do Know. We Do know - the truth and the real.


So don't let your faith be shaken, believe in what you believe in, in the things worth believing in, and trust with all your heart, might and strength. It is real. Jesus did die and rise again three days later. He did this for us -for you and me. I have no doubts xx

Homesick at Space Camp

I am homesick, and I have no idea why? It's barely half the semester, usually the homesickness sets in during the last lap of the semester.


And it's not even about the food. I just simply miss home. And the family. I find myself lapsing into 5 minutes of 'let's-think-about-what-i-miss-the-most' the last few days :)

I think only of what we lost, and I struggle to figure what is it that's missing. And the silence can only multiply by itself, growing and deepening, the both of us lost in translation.

Oh how He loves us

You ever had that moment? You know, the one where you feel so overwhelmed by the love of God you just want to sing, shout, run, cry and praise Him - all at the same time?

That moment where everything that's happening around you stops and fails, and the only thing that matters is God's presence.





Ever had that? x

It takes some work to make it work

"But the sky is in constant flux as fatty clouds billow by and the upper
atmospheric colors spin through every shade of awesome, from almond to
razzmatazz. As an earthling, living here on the surface at the edge of space,
how can you not be impressed with what’s going on around us? "


-Jason Mraz

A moment might be a thousand different things

"He shrugged off his shirt, but even so, when he
slid his arms around her again, he was thinking, I love you. I love you so
much, and I lied to you...

And the
distance between them, millimeters only, the space of a breath, opened up and
deepened, became a cavern at whose edge he stood."

— Kim
Edwards, The Memory Keeper's Daughter

si,

Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.






So many things to be done. I foresee a busy rest-of-the-week, with assignments to complete and a test on monday. I wish I could just fastforward to my last semester.... or not.

Can't believe it's already end August. Where did the past 7 months go, they just flew right over my head and out the window ?


Yah, there's nothing on my mind right now actually, except maybe






and




Good day Study hard Buy me some butterscotch and pecan ? x

Love is Blind

And I Absolutely Agree!!


So while I was moisturising myself (lol i forsee comments - i know)(I DO know) itunes was playing and then this line "that my love for you was blind" broke my concentration on applying the moisturiser evenly (the weather is extremely dry, do not judge)

AsI listened to the lyrics of this familiar famous song, I tried to figure out why Jason Wade was singing such lines.

And in that moment of pampering myself, I realised how true that is. Because love is blind.

So many times we take that line and apply it to people around us - subtly, or not.


For example, your best friend fell in love with the ugliest guy/girl you have met as of yet. Over coffee you persuade him/her to break up. He/She refuses, saying He/She loves his/her boy/girlfriend. While sipping your mocha you say "oh well. Love is blind" and shrug dismissively.

Or,

your brother/sister is marrying the clumsiest/rudest/messiest/(insert choice vocabulary) guy/girl you have met as of yet. Over dinner you attempt to persuade him/her to rethink his/her decision. He/She refuses. He/She claims that they are very much in love and nothing is going to stop them from getting married.


(You get my point)


Well, the reality is not everyone's perfect. Yet we fall in love with people and their imperfections anyway.

Don't you see? Love Is blind! That by itself, says a lot.

It says a lot about the person in love with the other imperfect person. It says a lot about humanity. It says a lot about one's ability to love.

And in that moment on my bed, I was kinda blown away. Because being loved is amazingly amazing.
But loving! That's hard and difficult and complicating. Yet, arguably one of the best things in life.


So can you imagine Love so great that death, in exchange for your salvation, is undertaken (?) ?

Can you imagine Love so intense that despite having the ability to show you the truth, freedom to choose is given?


"after all this time

would you ever wanna leave it

maybe you could not believe it

that my love for you was blind

but I couldn't make you see it

couldn't make you see

that I loved you more than you will ever know

a part of me died when I let you go"
-Blind, by Lifehouse



God so loved the world that He gave up His one and only Son.

Simple as that.

That whoever believes in Him will never perish, but have eternal life.


A Gift! Love so great and powerful. The gift that keeps giving :)


We are sinners. We are imperfect. Look around you - we are still able to love each other freely and unconditionally. Agape love.


See? We are but the residue of Our Father's love.

Love is blind - those three words focuses not on the imperfections, but on the perfections. The perfections of the one loving. It is possibly the best kind of love to have.


"that I loved you more than you will ever know"


Sayonara x

The power of Your story

I couldn't get to sleep last night, and my mind was just wandering and wondering, the different parts of my brain acting up at different points of time, skipping and dwelling - that's the way it works, so deal.

But yeah i was thinking about Evangelism, which is a huge focus for the church, especially now.

So during connect last night, we were talking about it, and it was said that evangelism isn't just sharing the gospel. In fact, Our work is only done if we ask that person we are administering to The Question.

The question of decision. Of choice.

Concerning the rest of your life on earth and the eternally long time after.

And it's so much easier living for and in what you believe in, and telling people about it. But how many times have we actually stopped to ask that person if they will believe?

I've had conversations over the years, sharing the gospel, even inviting friends to church. But is that enough? Convincing, yes, but do you ask if they will accept Jesus as their saviour and Lord?

The Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 tells us to make disciples. Yes, asking them to make a decision. Believe, Follow, and Obey. Taking up the cross daily, denying yourself. And for us, it's All About Decisions. It's either a Yes, or a No. I doubt there's a maybe shoved in the middle. No sitting on the fence for this.

Anyway, we also talked about practical ways of evangelising. And it all boils down to stories.

Your story. The story of Your life. Your testimony.

As with the blind man who got healed by Jesus in John 9 - He didn't have all the answers. But he did have his story.

And I reckon that's very important. Because people Love stories. Especially real life-changing ones.

And what better life-changing story than your encounter with God?

That's what people can relate to.

You can have a long debate over say, the truth about the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (who has a new book coming out!)(i'm a fan of his writing) and the discussion can go on forever.

Well, instead of coming up with a list of arguments to refute your opponent, why not stop and say: "I can't answer all of your questions. But I have encountered Jesus. And that's how I know He's real and alive. Because my life has been changed, and it has and will never be the same again."

And what can they say to that?

"You must be joking" ?

It is hard to ignore and deny that our lives has changed. It is hard to argue against someone's experience. And experiences is what we have in abundance.


The book of John ends saying:

This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down.




So, testify.

High Art

The talk and thoughts of men - they leave such deep scars. The scars, they 'shine like stars'.

But the sun.

Oh the sun, in all it's glory. The biggest star of them all. The sun brings hope. The sun shine hits us and we fall faster and faster and faster. All these happening in the passing, the life we once had will very soon be gone.

And then there will be eternity.

The scars we once prided, they leave but a trace. A fleeting moment of a ripe old age.

The sun is what matters.

Deep breaths

"and when at last you find someone to whom you feel you can pour out your soul,
you stop in shock at the words you utter - they are so rusty, so ugly, so
meaningless and feeble from being kept in the small cramped dark inside you so long"

sylvia plath

Like an open book

"Because, as Saussure pointed out, reality, the world, and material conditions
are not given, but rather are produced as meaningful through signs. What this
means is that there is an important relationship betwen the dominant value or
meaning of the signifier 'woman' and the way women are treated in a cultre. If
'woman' is associated with emotionality, lack of reason, unprofessionalism and
domesticity, then it is very difficult to change the material conditions in
which women find themselves, difficult to help women gain access to different
areas of a culture (government, professions, the public sphere) which supposedly
require qualities such as reason and professionalism, and difficult to get a
culture to revalue those tasks traditionally performed by women (domestic
duties, for instance). This is because, as the (circular and patriarchal logic
would have it, those tasks are performed by women, women are emotional and lack
reason, therefore those tasks are not valuable."

Schirato, Tony and Yell, Susan (1996), 'Signs and meaning', in their Communication and Cultural Literacy: An Introduction, Sydney, Allen & Unwin, pp.22-42





And what the hell are we going to do about that, Seriously, Susan Yell (?) ?!

These dreams they told me...

Okay, so my phone is kaput. It's currently undergoing some tough times, and therefore I am uncontactable. And very very handicapped for that matter, since I use my phone for various reasons like, as an alarm, and to text and call, and to check the time etc!


But whatever, because school starts in 15 minutes (i know why am i still home?) but ends in 3 hours (:


And today.

Today, the sun still shines, and the skies are still blue. And the law of gravity is still fundamental to science. Nothing's changed. Universe's still expanding yadayada..

And. God's still good. And despite all of this, I'm going to keep trusting. And smiling for that matter.

I'm so thankful for everything. Even though it's so terribly hard.


Have an awesome day xx

He Chose You

"I just finished a book by Max Lucado titled "And the Angels were Silent". I understand that every time you purchase a book you are entitled to photocopy or reproduce up to one chapter of the book. So I'm gonna make use of that today, and I hope this speaks to you as much as it spoke to me. Do take some time to read it through if you can?

--------------


Thursday night. Midnight.

The week has been full of finalities. The final visit to the temple. The final sermon. The final supper. And now, the most emotional hour of the week, the final prayer.

The garden is in shadows. The olive trees are knotted and gnarled. They twist five or six feet into the sky. Roots sprawl from the trunks and claw deeply into the rocky soil. The spring moon casts the garden in silver. Constellations sparkle against the black velvet of the night sky. Fleets of clouds float. A breeze cools. Insects sing. Leaves stir.

That's him. Jesus. In the grove. On the ground. The young man. The one in the sweat-soaked garment. Kneeling, imploring. His hair is plastered to his wet forehead. He agonises.

A sound is heard in the trees. Snoring. Jesus looks across the garden at the dearest friends he has. They are asleep. They lean against the broad trunks and slumber. His yearnings don't stir them, his distress doesn't move them. They are tired.

He stands and walks through the shadowed trees and squats before them. "Please," he asks, "please just stay awake with me."

The Lord of the universe doesn't want to be alone.

Jesus knew that before the "war" between God and Satan was over, he would be taken captive. He knew that before victory would come defeat. He knew that before the throne would come the cup. He knew that before the light of Sunday would come the blackness of Friday.

Imagine, for a moment, yourself in this situation. Your final hour. What do you say? What do you do? What words do you choose?

It's worth noting that Jesus chose prayer. He chose to pray for US. "I pray for these men. But I am also praying for all people who will believe in me because of the teaching of these men. Father I pray that all people who believe in me can be one...I pray that these people can also be one in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me." (John 17:20-21)

You need to note that in this final prayer, Jesus prayed for you. He said "I am also praying for all people who will believe in me because of the teaching." That is you. That is me. As Jesus stepped into the garden, you were in his prayers. As Jesus looked into heaven, you were in his vision. As Jesus dreamed of the day when we will be where He is, He saw you there.

His final prayer was about you. His final pain was for you. His final passion was you.

It then talks about Jesus' soul being "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death". Never has he felt so alone. He confesses that the "spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak". His humanity begged to be delivered from what his divinity could see. Jesus, the man, implores. He peers into the dark pit and begs, "Can't there be another way?"

Did he know the answer before he asked the question? Did his human heart hope his heavenly Father had found another way? We don't know. But we do know he asked to get you. We do know he begged for an exit. We do know there was a time when, if he could have, he would have turned his back on the whole mess and gone away

But he couldn't.

He couldn't because he saw you. Right in the middle of a world that isn't fair, he saw you cast into a river of life you didn't request. He saw you betrayed by those you love. He saw you with a body that gets sick and a heart that grows weak. He saw you in your own garden of gnarled trees and sleeping friends. He saw you staring into the pit of you own failures and the mouth of your own grave. He saw you in your Garden of Gethsemane...and he didn't want you to be alone.

He wanted you to know that he has been there too. He knows what it's like to be plotted against. He knows what it's like to be confused. He knows what it's like to be torn between two desires. He knows what it's like to smell the stench of Satan. And, perhaps most of all, he knows what it's like to beg God to change his mind and to hear God say so gently, but firmly, "No."

For that is what God says to Jesus. And Jesus accepts the answer. At some moment during that midnight hour an angel of mercy comes over the weary body of the man in the garden. As he stands, the anguish is gone from his eyes. His fist will clench no more. His heart will fight no more.

The battle is won. You may have thought it was won on Golgotha. It wasn't. You may have thought the sign of victory is the empty tomb. It isn't. The final battle was won in Gethsemane. And the sign of conquest is Jesus at peace in the olive trees.

For it was in the garden that he made his decision, because he would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you. "


God Bless xx

Death: Body failing, spirit expanding

You know what?

It's not enough to KNOW God.


For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse

Romans 1:20

See, "men are without excuse". They do know Him. Indeed, I'm sure almost everyone you've met knows About, or at least has heard of our God. Yes, the 'Christian' God. They have no excuse not too.


But that's not enough, is it? Everyone knows him, yet so many people choose to turn their faces away from the righteous one. Even if "God has made it plain to them" (Romans 1:19)

SIN. The big, three-letter word.
And why we sin...the reason WHY is almost too simple.


"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened"

Romans 1:21

And therefore, God "gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts"; "gave them over to shameful lusts"; "gave them over to a depraved mind"


It just got me thinking.

Glorifying, is basically giving honour, and praise and worship. It is exalting something or someone.

Do I glorify God?

Yes, I mean, i do.

But.

Do I REALLY glorify God? In all that I do? Do I honour Him, and His name with my actions and words, and thoughts? Do I make Him proud of my ways? Do I exalt Him constantly?

Indeed, do I glorify other things/people?

Do I give thanks? Or is the first thing I do while facing a difficulty/problem, to complain? Do I thank God for all that He has done, for Salvation, for His love and freedom?

For my trials and obstacles? For the hardships and heartache? Do I give thanks for them?

Tough questions. I admit, my answers are mostly in the negative.

Because it's not enough to know God. Actions speak louder than words.

It's not enough to know that I should glorify and give thanks.
I should glorify and give thanks. In all that I do.

So this is my new resolution: honouring and exalting God in all that I do. Even the little nitty-gritty things.

Good day x

I've got nothing left to say, just take me away

I'm back in Sydney. School starts tmr Have a lecture at 1pm Thank God there's no 9am tutorial.




I am settling in just fine. The holidays have been amazing but I realise there's nothing much to be gained from sitting around wishing uni doesn't start. The weather's been damp and gloomy and really cold but thank God for friends.


I'll hit the sheets asap i'm too tired, hopefully have something interesting soon-ish :)



And yes, despite my reluctance, and diving into the deep end of the pool without knowing my limits or how close the floor is to the surface,


I am Happy, thanks to You (:

God bless x

Do you remember your password? Do you remember Anything at all?

So much has happened over the last week. My absence from this blog due to the fact that i am busy observing....not.



So, there was the bombings, my two day rendezvous to Malacca with the family and friends, falling sick, the fact that Manutd beat the malaysian local team ONLY 2-0, swine flu/H1N1, a few passing ons, Sims3, and then some...Oh and I guess I could heap "Harry Potter and the half-blood prince" in the same category lol ?



Shame about the Jakarta bombing. Had a friend who flew there in hopes of watching Manchester United play, but the team didn't show up. But that's not the point. The point is nowhere's safe anymore, is it? And Singapore - well, all it takes is just a small one to go off on the expressway at 8 in the AM, or at Dhoby Ghaut MRT, and the casualty rate would've shot through the roof in a matter of minutes. It is scary, but it is true.

Malacca on the other hand was heaps fun. So the family drove in with dad's two other colleague's and one of his colleague's wife. It was a really good trip - we ate a tad too much I reckon, but enjoyed the sun nonetheless. Did a fair bit of shopping even.


Anyway, two more days left, I wonder if it was always this hard to leave? I always seem to enjoy Sydney anyway(: But yeah albeit being too relunctant, I guess I'm prepared. I have to be. This is what I paid for - no pun and not literally.

Good day awesome people. You are greatly missed x

Don't you die a little bit on the inside

Rachel Weisz's coat! And shoes!


Yahhh funkaye to a whole notha level me friend

She pulls of The tie!

C-O-A-T

The hats! The coats! Everything!


[lookbook.nu]


[lookbook.nu]
Who's this ? ;)


And then there's the new Harry Potter movie coming up. I adore Hermoine Granger, I do. And I'm so happy Emma Watson is returning to play the bushy haired apparently bland-looking bossy Granger. She plays her so well. Even if she's too pretty.

Sidenote: JKR chose the name Hermione from a character in Shakespeare's play "A Winter's Tale;" although she says that the characters are not at all similar. She thought it made sense for a couple of professional dentists to name their only daughter something like that to show how clever they were.


Emma Watson's so chic too. I follow her on gofugyourself.com (:


!!!!!




Now let me sleep to dreammmmm (:

Saw your face on the corner of my mind

x

The Brothers Bloom

It's been awhile since I chanced upon a movie that blew me away. But this:





like, hello? It's soooooo goooodddddd!!


Adrien Brody is the new McDreamy, or maybe the original one.




Yes, yes, he is the lead actor in The Pianist, for which he won an Academy Award for best actor, and got nominated for a whole bunch of others, including the Golden Globes. Other 'famous' (to me) appearances include King Kong and The Darjeeling Limited.


But yeah, the movie was so refreshing. Potentially confusing (what was that about the Diamond Dog?), but indeed very raw and a breather from the rest of the new releases out there. Not what I expected. The cinematography was particularly fascinating for me, especially how the scenes were shot and the angles were used. The music, despite not to my liking, was better than half of the movies that I've watched.


But apart from the comedy - it made me laugh so hard, Rachel weisz you are most hilarious, the outfits were to die for. Honestly, all that they were wearing.... only a dream come true. The cutest coats and the funkiest shoes!! I WANNNNTTTTTTT


I reckon it was a stellar cast, with Rinko Kikuchi who played a mute Bang Bang (like she played a mute role in Babel too) as the quirky sidekick for Stephen (Ruffalo) who eased charm and who longs to create the perfect con, "to tell a story so well it becomes real."


So artsy fartsy. A tad overdone maybe, but just the way I like it. And I might even go so far to say that it lacked in logic. Definitely not the smartest movie, with overkills in the wit section, but I still say Superb, and very delightful.

So two words: Random, and Snowflakey. Not too sure about the 2nd. Goodnight x