Of Raging Seas and Victories (a.k.a. Song Of The Day)

Ooh, rhyming title there! I'm in a wacky mood this past week. I don't know if it's lack of sleep, too much thinking or both. I went by the beach with a few friends yesterday evening. The sea was rough, but the waves that crashed in was just marvellous. My feet in the sand, the warm evening waves rushing in, this is truly a great creation from our God of Wonders.

It's funny how this song came to me earlier in the week. Having not listened to this song for a while, I only knew how the chorus went, but not the verse. I got to HEAR it in my hostess' house just this Tuesday. What a coincidence! I think God prepares His children ahead of time. I mean, I'm reminded of my friend's blog entry, in which she wrote about what she read in Amy Carmichael's book. It said: We only see today. He whom we worship sees tomorrow.

I'm being a little overwhelmed with thinking about work, friends, life..... the usual. Assumptions are dangerous, I know that for sure, but not knowing what the future holds intimidates me a bit. OK, maybe a lot. I try not to think of what may come, though good or bad, except to bless the Lord and trust that He only gives His children what is best.

You Are - Hillsong

You are my light and salvation

Whom shall I fear?

You are the strength of all my days

And whom shall I be afraid?

Though war may rise against me

Of this will I be sure

That I will bless the Lord forever

I'll bless Your holy name

Yes, I will bless the Lord forever

I'll bless Your holy name

Lord it is You I desire

It's You that I seek

To live with You in Your house forever

Beholding Your beauty

And in the time of trouble

Of this will I be sure

You ask me who do I

Say that You are and I

Say that You are the Christ

Son of the Living God

'Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.' - James 1:17

Be blessed!

Girls' Night In & More

'How do you solve a problem like Maria? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?'

Sound familiar? I thought it would. It's a family classic dating back to 1965 and is three hours in length. Yup, that's 'The Sound of Music'. Yesterday, a few ladies, well, about 10, sat in a living room of our gracious hostess to eat, watch and sing-along to the music of yesteryear. What a fun event that was.

On a not so happy note, three of our friends will be heading south for their further education in a few days' time. I would like to take this opportunity to leave them each a message. I'll be using initials to 'protect' their identities! haha.....

SY, thank you for your laughter and your joy. You can lift anybody up with that contagious laughter of yours. Keep on laughing and keep on smiling. I'm grateful for your friendship.

MP, it has been a pleasure to be able to help you along these past few months. You have been a joy to work with and to be with. Thank you for your friendship and your thoughfulness. Hope to see you more often when you're on your break!

SM, last but NEVER least! What an honour! To see you playing better and better each week, it's really encouraging. Thank you for being who you are and for your support as well. Come back more often, ya!

Sigh, saying goodbye has never bode well with me. But this is more of a "see you soon" kind of situation. At least, I'd like to think of it that way. 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder', which is quite true indeed.

Visibly Invisible

This song was shared with me by a dear brother-in-Christ quite some time ago, and I happened to review the song again today. It spoke to me at the time when I was first introduced to the song and it still speaks to me time and time again. The message is simple, are we portraying God justly in the eyes of the lost? God created us in His image, and in His image, we are to be like Him.

I've always wondered, do people see God in me, in the way I speak, in the way I carry myself, in the way I react or don't react to circumstances and situations thrown at me, in my friendships and relationships with friends and family? I struggle but I know not to struggle for His grace is sufficient for me. It is also sufficient for you.

God is love. Unconditional love. And, I guess, in order for people to see God in us, we must also learn to love, unconditionally.

For Who He Really Is - Steven Curtis Chapman

"Too many hypocrites," I heard her say,

"I even saw it in the headlines today;

How can I follow God when His own people turn away?"

"Nobody's perfect but I just want to see

Somebody living what they say they believe;

If they've got all this world needs like they say,

I wonder why won't they give some away."

Can she see God for who He really is

In what she sees in you and me?

Can she see God for who He really is,

For who He really is, is all she really needs to see.

He slips into church and he puts up his guard;

They look so happy but his life's been so hard.

He keeps his distance so they won't see the scars;

It's just religion that's all dressed up in white,

And "God is love as long as you're living right."

But does he know that Jesus also has scars,

And His love can reach Him no matter how far.

Can he see God for who He really is

In what he sees in you and me?

Can he see God for who He really is,

For who He really is, is all he really needs to see.

The skeptics are watching to see who will fall,

While those disillusioned search for the Truth in it all;

Maybe today we'll cross their paths unaware,

And they'll stop and look at us. What will be there?

Will they see God for who He really is

In what they see in you and me?

Will they see God for who He really is,

For who He really is, is all they really need to see.

Song Of The Day

Ever had a song or two on your lips or in your head at the start of the day? Actually, I had this song in my heart yesterday evening, standing on top of a rock up a hill overlooking the coastal line in Batu Ferringhi. It just came to me and it's still stuck in my head today. It's a wonderful song. A song about safety and security. As humans, we tend to want to run away from the things that are hurting us, confusing us or distracting us. This song, is a song about running to the One who has always had His arms open for us, just waiting patiently for us to go near to Him.

Secret Place

Lord of my life I love You
Lord of my days I trust in You
Living beneath the shelter of Your wings
My heart's safe

For when I am lost You find me
When I'm in need You shelter me
Lord of my life
You are my Secret Place

Clothe me in Your presence Lord
Draw me near to You
All my heart I long to give to You
Living to be near You Lord
I long to see Your face
Lord forever You're my Secret Place

You're my peace, You're my rest
You're my Secret Place

It has not been an easy journey, to reach to the point where I don't rely on what I can do, but more of what God can do. Many times, I've rejoiced alone or with my friends but not with God. Many times, I've kept all my hurts to myself or share it with a few friends but not with God.

I'm learning to rely more on Him now. It's still not that regular, but it's coming along slowly. Running away or being in denial is pretty much the normal thing to do, but it won't be as effective as running to Him who can help you in ways better than any friend could.

Have a great week ahead.

(Editor's Note: I'll try to make this as a series, if possible. Be blessed!)

Unfortunately.....

I've just found out from my friend that I'm UNABLE to go for the seminar in Singapore ("Romance, Courtship and Marriage") because apparently, I would've had to have a partner in order to sign up for it. As most of you know, I'm currently and unabashedly single! Yeah, unabashedly..... There's nothing wrong with being single. In fact, it gives you the freedom to get to know your surroundings, mingle around with people and just enjoy singlehood.

I know my partner will come. It's just a matter of WHO, WHEN and WHERE!

I'm still hoping that I MIGHT be able to get to the seminar to learn a few things. If anyone is open to me using your name, let me know!

I'm just kidding.....

The Businessman and The Fisherman

I just got this off an e-mail sent to me by a colleague. Interesting read.....

There was once an American businessman who was sitting by the beach in a small Mexican village. As he sat, he saw a Mexican fisherman rowing a small boat towards the shore. He noticed that the fisherman had caught quite a number of big fishes known to be a delicacy. The American was really impressed and asked the fisherman, "How long does it take you to catch so many fishes?"

The fisherman reply; "Oh, just a short while."

The businessman was astonished.

"Then, why don't you stay longer at sea and you could catch even more?"

The fisherman simply does not agree, "This is enough to feed my whole family", he replied.

The businessman then asked: "So, what do you do for the rest of the day then?"

The fisherman replied: "Well, I usually wake up early in the morning, go out to sea and catch a few fishes, then I would come back and play with my kids. In the afternoon, I will take a nap with my wife. When evening comes, I will join my buddies in the village for a drink. We play guitar, sing and dance throughout the night. My day is ever so complete and carefree."

The businessman does not agree with the fisherman's way of life and offered a suggestion to the fisherman.

"I am a PhD holder graduated from Harvard University, specialises in business management. I could help you to become a more successful person. From now on, you have to spend more time at sea and try to catch as many fishes as possible. And when you have saved enough money, you could buy a bigger boat and catch even more fishes. As you go on, you will be able to afford to buy more boats, recruit more fishermen and lead a team of your own. Soon you will be able to set-up your own company, your very own production plant for canned food and do direct selling to your distributors. At that time, you will have moved out of this village and to Mexico City. And then expand your operation to LA and finally to New York city, where you can set-up your HQ to manage all your other branches."

The fisherman asks, "So, how long would that take?"

The businessman reply: "About 15 to 20 years."

The fisherman continued, "And after that?"

The businessman laughed heartily, " After that, you can live like a king in your own house. When the time is right, you can go public and float your shares in the Stock Exchange. You will be rich, your income will be coming in by the millions!"

The fisherman asked, "And after that?"

The businessman said, " After that, you can finally retire. You can move to a house by the fishing village, wake up early in the morning and catch a few fishes. Then return home to play with the kids and have a nice afternoon nap with your wife. When evening comes, you can join your buddies for a drink, play the guitar, sing and dance throughout the night!"

The fisherman was puzzled, "Isn't that what I am doing now?"


So, what does one really hope to achieve in life?
Do we really need to work SO hard in life?
What do you hope to accomplish in the end?

Marriage 101

I watched Mr. & Mrs. Smith, starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, a couple of nights ago with a group of church friends. I'd have to say, however action-packed their life is like, (mind you, it IS!) and dangerous, I thought that was a cool couple right there. I quoted to a friend that I wouldn't mind having THAT kind of marriage! Only the action and the secret compartments part, not the 'married to a stranger' part!

I don't know about you guys, but, until I'm proven wrong, I'd like to KNOW who my future spouse would be first BEFORE taking the plunge. Know as in REALLY know him; his background, his family, his friends, his habits (good and bad), his thoughts, his life. Literally, KNOW him! I mean, 'love at first sight' is very romantic, and though I can't say that I'm totally against it; realistically, I'm not all FOR it either.

My idea of a good marriage is that really basic yet strong foundation found in being friends first. When you get married, you don't LOSE a friend, you GAIN a lifetime companion and THAT is something worth working toward. A couple cannot be a "couple" until they've had their first major argument and learn to settle things amicably and still live through another day without carrying the grudges of that argument. (Uh-huh, that's MY side of it and I'm sticking to it!)

Funny I should be talking about this, as I'm looking forward to travelling down South to Singapore to listen in on a seminar on "Romance, Courtship and Marriage". It's not a bad thing to gain information on Godly relationships. I am totally up for it, like, totally, dude!

Welcome! Bienvenue! Wilkommen! Selamat Datang!

Welcome to another blog of mine, which is less havoc-wreaking than the other one, although they BOTH reflect who I am, a bit. Anyway, this is going to be a bit more relaxing, less mind-boggling (language AND content) and just nice enough for a little light reading, I hope. Do leave comments as I go along, because I appreciate feedback. It helps me improve. Improve on what, we shall see.