Message at 27th

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Dec 29

Homesick for Heaven

“Our homeland is in heaven.” Philippians 3:20

This home we’re in won’t last forever. Birthdays remind us of that.

Not long ago I turned fifty. I’m closer to ninety than I am to infancy. All those things they say about aging are coming true. I’m patting myself less on the back and more under the chin. I have everything I had twenty years ago, except now it’s all lower. The other day I tried to straighten out the wrinkles in my socks and found out I wasn’t wearing any.

Aging. It’s no fun. The way we try to avoid it, you’d think we could. We paint the body, preserve the body, protect the body. And well we should. These bodies are God’s gifts. We should be responsible. But we should also be realistic. This body must die so the new body can live. “Flesh and blood cannot have a part in the kingdom of God. Something that will ruin cannot have a part in something that never ruins” (I Cor. 15:50).

1 of 365 devotionals in Grace for the Moment, Volume II
Originally excerpted from Traveling Light

Maybe, this is it =)

Three

It had been 3 years since you left.

People come into your life and people leave it, but there are only a few could make a lasting impact in your life.
It's strange how people's road mapped out and collide, and their life is changed forever due to the collision.

Life would not be the same without knowing you. I truly thank God for our friendship.
And this remind me of the quote that you've once share to me:
"A lifetime’s not too long, to live as friends..."
=)

Oh, and it's 2 years since the first day I've met him too...

Someday We'll Know

90 miles outside Chicago
Can't stop driving, I don't know why
So many questions, I need an answer
Two years later, you're still on my mind

Whatever happened to Emelia Earhart?
Who holds the stars up in the sky
Is true love once in a lifetime?
Did the captain of the titanic cry

Someday we'll know, if love can move a mountain
Someday we'll know, why the sky is blue
Someday we'll know, why I wasn't meant for you

Does anybody know the way to Atlantis?
Or what the wind says when she cries?
I'm speeding by the place that I met you
For the 97th time tonight

Someday we'll know, if love can move a mountain
Someday we'll know, why the sky is blue
Someday we'll know, why I wasn't meant for you

Someday we'll know, why Samson loved Delilah
One day I'll go dancing on the moon
Someday you'll know, that I was the one for you

I bought a ticket to the end of the rainbow
I watched the stars crash in the sea
If I could ask god just one question
Why aren't you here with me

Someday we'll know, if love can move a mountain
Someday we'll know, why the sky is blue
Someday we'll know, why I wasn't meant for you

Someday we'll know, why Samson loved Delilah
One day I'll go dancing on the moon
Someday you'll know, that I was the one for you


Yes, someday, we'll know... =)

May we have enough happiness to make us sweet, enough trials to make us strong, enough sorrow to keep us human, and enough hope to make us happy.

The Jane Austen Book Club

Grigg Harris: One day, I'm like 10 years old, my dad takes me back to the shed and he shows me some magazines that he keeps back there. He says, "This is strictly guy stuff. It's top secret. Very private. Tell no one."
[he shows a sci-fi magazine and laughs]
Grigg Harris: So from then on... It was like... I don't know... It's like me and my dad and science fiction. These were the first books I fell in love with, and I never got over it.

Cute guy, I like him. =p

Carry Your Candle

There is a candle in every soul
Some brightly burning, some dark and cold

Frustrated brother – see how he’s tried to light his own candle some other way
See now your sister – she’s been robbed and lied to
Still holds a candle without a flame

Carry your candle
Run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless
Confused and torn
Seek out the lonely
The tired and worn

Hold out your candle
For all to see it
Take your candle
And go light your world

Make us a beacon in darkest time

Happy Anniversary to the Friendship at Bizarre Place!

As I was writing an email to Adam - the Aussie friend I met back in Fiji, after our last email correspondence back in 2009 New Year; much flash back of the memories came back...

It was exactly one year ago, my adventure at Fiji Island =)
I have been through good and bad times there, mostly good times. Looking at those pictures I took & the foot prints I left behind, I was indeed happy during then. I am very thankful for those companionship & support over the internet when I was extremely gloomy. Hehe!

And I could still remember clearly, me making those silly phone calls to him during my last night at Fiji... One year had gone, many things have changed.
Promises were made & broken, but life still goes on.

Be strong.

Melancholic Moment

There were some researches shows that creativity and sadness are linked. They thinks that embracing some sadness can boost creative thinking and allow for more complex relationships with the rest of the world. They also points to the great history of artists, dreamers, thinkers and innovators who derived inspiration from being melancholy.

Of course, I would not agree to embrace sadness to boost creativity, but definitely they're linked, as least for me.
Most of the time, I wrote when I'm in my melancholic mode.
And I take a peep at both my old & new blog archive, I have about 180 melancholic moments compare to 12 happy moments since I start writing.

Emo? I think I'm too grown up for that =)
Effecting others with your negative emotion is something I refrain myself from doing, it doesn't help by spreading it.

An outlet to express, I would say. A tip of the iceberg how I really felt.

Pressure of life, drained me to the uttermost.

Sunset

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us"

Song Fest 007

It had been a year already, after my last Song Fest as a participant (Thanks goodness! Need not to sing in front of people anymore!)

But can't help but to remember those precious memories... =)


I wasn't happy all the time; but I remember - I was happy when we were singing those happy songs =)

Tomorrow is going to be another happening day for the Group 2009.
All the best, and enjoy singing praises to the Lord!

Related post: Sing a Happy Song (Aug 25, 2008)

Beautifully Imperfect

"It's these small things you remember; little imperfections that make them perfect for you."

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

* Eccl 3:1-8 *

He makes all things beautiful in His time.

Yellow

Prefer Jem's version of Yellow, I find her voice suit the song and the mood very well. Hmmm... Big bright moon, Jem's Yellow, (perhaps add-on a glass of wine...) - simply sexy.

YELLOW
by Jem

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And everything you do
Yeah they were all yellow
I came alone
I wrote a song for you
And all the things you do
And he was called yellow

So then i took my turn
Oh what a thing too done
And he was all yellow

Your skin
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
D'you know
You know I love you so
You know I love you so

I swam across
I jumped across for you
Oh what a thing to do
Cause you were all yellow
I drew a line
I drew a line for you
Oh what a thing to do
And he was all yellow

Your skin
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
D'you know
For you I bleed myself dry
For you I bleed myself dry

Its true
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And all the things that you do

Competition Smile

COMPETITION SMILE
by Gin Blossoms (the acoustic version)

Looking up I saw nothing
But blue in the bluest sky
And now it's creeping across my eye
Going down in my mind, down in my mind
I'm high and I'm hopeless
So help me to get untied
Fast asleep now I'm going blind
Falling down in my mind, down in my mind
Just fine
Emulate the style
A competition smile

Now I'm running, not looking
And opening up my brain
Where it's easy to lose my name
Looking dumb in the rain, dumb in the rain
I'm hoping you'll notice
That no one else helps me grow
Oh, it's not easy to let you know
What I'm dying to show
Dying until you know
Pretending all the while
A competition smile

Now I've thrown something far
And it haunts me like a curse
I'm like a stone
Falling hard
And I'm only getting worse

Looking up I saw nothing
But blue in the bluest sky
And now it's creeping across my eye
And going down in my mind, down in my mind
I'm high and I'm hopeless
So help me to get untied
Fast asleep now I'm going blind
Falling down in my mind, down in my mind
Just fine
Pretending all the while
A competition smile
I'm hiding high...

* good night *

Why do you have to be like others?

A pretty good Thai commercial by Pantene, though the needless swing of hair at the ending performance can be a little funny.

But what struck me the most in the ad, is a conversation of the girl and the old man:

"Why am I different from others?"
"Why do you have to be like others?"

I asked God this question all the times, "Why me?", why?
Why it was me that need to go through all these tough times and not others, why I have to make such difficult choice and decision... yada yada...

And now, I've got my question answered - in a form of question. Good one.

Solitude

It adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.

Greed

This is an old story and a little humorous:

One day Abraham Lincoln was walking down the street with two small boys who were both crying loudly.
A neighbor passing by inquired, “What’s the matter, Abe? Why all the fuss?”
Lincoln responded, “The trouble with these lads is what’s wrong with the world; one has a nut and the other wants it!”

But it illustrates a big problem and the oldest one known to man -- greed.

Sunrise of Your Smile

Reject the worldly lie that says,
That life lies always up ahead,
Let power go before control becomes a crust around your soul,
Escape the hunger to possess,
And soul-diminishing success,
This world is full of narrow lives,
I pray by grace your smile survives.

For I would wander weary miles,
Would welcome ridicule, my child,
To simply see the sunrise of your smile,
To see the light behind your eyes,
The happy thought that makes you fly,
Yes, I would wander weary miles,
To simply see the sunrise of your smile.

Now close your eyes so you can see,
Your own unfinished memories,
Now open them, for time is brief,
And you'll be blest beyond belief,
Now glance above you at the sky,
There's beauty there to blind the eye,
I ask all this then wait awhile,
To see the dawning of your smile.

"Spring" Time in Malaysia

I'm not sure if you notice, there are plenty of trees blooming since 2 weeks ago =)

This is one of the very rare period, I will find driving a pleasant thing to do, because of the lovely sight of the greens and flowers along the road.

I often enjoy the last mile to my workplace, I'll get to see the canopy of trees as I turn into the main road where my client's office located, somehow it will just brighten my day.
And now, the trees around both church and my workplace, are blooming with pink, white & yellow flowers!
You know, it's hard to see flowers blooming in Malaysian city, it only comes twice a year! At times like this...

Of all the trees, my favorite definitely would be the Angsana tree!
The Angsana tree produces bright yellow flowers, and often provide very good shade with its large crown. The yellow flowers will fall to the ground during windy or rainy day, leaving the yellow carpet behind... =)
Gentle breeze + Angsana flowers >> Such a lovely sight! And it never fail to make me smile!

I guess, flowers and greens, are God's channel to colour our lives in a world that isn’t kind =)

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

Simply like the title...
And the journey of Alice searching for the possibility of new life.

The farewell story told by the Alchemist

A story/excerpt from the book I read recently:

In ancient Rome, at the time of Emperor Tiberius, there lived a good man who had two sons. One was in the military, and had been sent to the most distant regions of the empire. The other son was a poet, and delighted all of Rome with his beautiful verses.

One night, the father had a dream. An angel appeared to him, and told him that the words of one of his sons would be learned and repeated throughout the world for all generations to come. The father woke from his dream grateful and crying, because life was generous, and had revealed to him something any father would be proud to know.

Shortly thereafter, the father died as he tried to save a child who was about to be crushed by the wheels of a chariot. He then met the angel that had appeared in his dream in the Heaven.

"You were always a good man," the angel said to him. "You lived your life in a loving way, and died with dignity. I can now grant you any wish you desire."

"Life was good to me", the man said. "When you appeared in my dream, I felt that all my efforts had been rewarded, because my son's poems will be read by men for generations to come. I don't want anything for myself. But any father would be proud of the fame achieved by one whom he had cared for as a child, and educated as he grew up. Sometime in the distant future, I would like to see my son's words."

The angel touched the man's shoulder, and they were both projected far into the future. They were in an immense setting, surrounded by thousands of people speaking a strange language.

The man wept with happiness.

"I know that my son's poems were immortal," he said to the angel through his tears. "Can you tell me which of my son's poems these people are repeating?"

The angel came closer to the man, and, with tenderness, led him to a bench nearby, where they sat down.

"The verses of your son who was the poet were very popular in Rome," the angel said. "Everyone loved them and enjoyed them. But when the reign of Tiberius ended, his poems were forgotten. The words you're hearing now are those of your son in the military."

The man looked at the angel in surprise.

"Your son went to serve at a distant place, and became a centurion. He was just and good. One afternoon, one of his servants fell ill, and it appeared that he would die. Your son had heard of a rabbi who was able to cure illnesses, and he rode out for days and days in search of this man. Along the way, he learned that the man he was seeking was the Son of God. He met others who had been cured by him, and they instructed your son in the man's teachings. And so, despite the fact that he was a Roman centurion, he converted to their faith. Shortly thereafter, he reached the place where the man he was looking for was visiting."

"He told the man that one of his servants was gravely ill, and the rabbi made ready to go to his house with him. But the centurion was a man of faith, and looking into the eye of the rabbi, he knew that he was surely in the presence of the Son of God."

"And this is what your son said," the angel told the man. "These are the words he said to the rabbi at that point, and they have never been forgotten: 'My Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. But only speak a word and my servant will be healed.' "

No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it.

The story above is fictional, but it does has some truth in it... =)

* Matt 8:5-13 *
* Acts 16:26-28a *

Happy Sad Song

A colleague of mine sent me a link after reading my FB status.

It was a picture of clouds and sky, followed by a song lyrics.
Lemon Tree.
I never like that song, the reason is because of the suckish Mandarin version by a female Taiwanese singer... And the song was played so often during then - on the school bus radio, tv, pasar malam... basically everywhere... Ish!

But now, when I read the lyrics, I start to understand what the song writer trying to express.
It was a happy sad song, just like the Pearl Jam's Last Kiss...

The two powerful opposed metaphors. Irony of life.

All and All

Give God your all. He doesn't ask us to give Him only what we would consider perfect. Give Him everything, every scrap, every part of us, everything you've kept hidden on the back shelf of your heart. Give him those things that you judge as not good enough. Hand over those areas of your life that appear to be too broken to be used. God can and will transform the good, the bad, what you deem the ugly. Let Him sift and sort things through. You'll be amazed at what the Master Creator can make out of what you might consider the shambles of your heart.

~ Katherine Walden ~

Pick Yourself Up

Nothings impossible I have found
For when my chin is on the ground
I pick myself up, dust myself off, start all over again

Don't lose your confidence if you slip
Be grateful for a pleasant trip
And pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again

Work like a soul inspired till the battle of the day is won
You may be sick and tired but you'll be a man my son
Don't you remember the famous man who had to fall to rise again?
They picked themselves up, dust themselves off and started all over again

The best thing about pain?

Urgayle: Pain is your friend, your ally, it will tell you when you are seriously injured, it will keep you awake and angry, and remind you to finish the job and get the hell home. But you know the best thing about pain?
O'Neil: Don't know!
Urgayle: It lets you know you're not dead yet

I like this quote =)

Mystery • God

The presence of mystery does not mean the absence of God.

Greetings from Kuwait

So, I am in Kuwait now...
Very sudden for lots of people, and in fact myself too.

My first impression of Kuwait - It is very BROWN...
Not only because of the sand patches everywhere, but for some reason, the buildings here all in brownish tone... Trying to camouflage perhaps???

Had a not-so-good experience at Kuwait initially, cos of the communication problem & language barrier...
I was outside the airport alone, trying to get to my company's hostel, but I could not communicate to the taxi driver, they speak Arabic language and I have no clue what they were saying, and as more of them coming in trying to help, some even started speaking to each other loudly, it truly freak me out a little...

Anyway, I still managed to reach my hostel safely, but that's also when I became emo... Being alone at a foreign land - is something I find it so hard to deal with, mainly because I felt there is no sense of security...

I have decided that after I let it out, I must do something to stop the emo-ness.
It's never wrong to show your emotion, it would be inhumane to be without emotion, but we must never dwell too long in it. Because it will consume and destroy you!

And I am thankful for the reminder that Morrie gave me, it's like a energy booster at your time of need.
I am even more thankful for the person who bought me the book, it helps alot =)
I feel like there is a friend encouraging me when I feel most helpless - in fact, Morrie & Mitch, remind me alot about Raymond & I... =)

So I kick myself out from the gloomy apartment, heading to the Marina nearby for lunch & walk around, ignoring those scary warning I heard - lady should never roam around alone... And I am so GALD I did!
Sun, sea and sand - always my remedy for sadness. Took a super long lunch at the restaurant next to the Marina, savouring the food, enjoying the scenery, and reading the book =)

After that, I took off my shoes, and went for a stroll at the beach.
I never thought I could walk on the shore at the Arabian Gulf like what I was doing, I began to feel very thankful for the experience, despite of the tough time I am going thru now...

Feeling extremely sleepy right now @ 9pm Kuwait time... I shall log off soon.
Remember me in your prayer, I long to see all of you again, especially you =)

Photos, maybe tomorrow... Cheers!

Thank You on this Special Day

This song always remind me of you...

Thank You (for giving to the Lord)
by Ray Boltz

I dreamed I went to heaven
And you were there with me;
We walked upon the streets of gold
Beside the crystal sea.
We heard the angels singing
Then someone called your name.
We turned and saw a young man running
And he was smiling as he came.

And he said, "Friend you may not know me now."
And then he said, "But wait,
You used to teach my Sunday School
When I was only eight.
And every week you would say a prayer
Before the class would start.
And one day when you said that prayer,
I asked Jesus in my heart."

Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.

Then another man stood before you
And said, "Remember the time
A missionary came to your church
And his pictures made you cry.
You didn't have much money,
But you gave it anyway.
Jesus took the gift you gave
And that's why I'm here today."

Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.

One by one they came
Far as the eye could see.
Each life somehow touched
By your generosity.
Little things that you had done,
Sacrifices made,
Unnoticed on the earth
In heaven, now proclaimed.

And I know up in heaven
You're not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure
There were tears in your eyes.
As Jesus took your hand
And you stood before the Lord.
He said, "My child, look around you.
Great is your reward."

Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.

Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.


How are you? I miss you dearly =)

Dirty Car

Finally, I am thankful for being a Malaysian car owner after I read this from Wiki:

Believe it or not, but it's actually illegal to drive around in a dirty car in Oman. You may get stopped by the police who can fine you OMR5, although they are more likely to just tell you to wash your ride.

I will really get fine weekly if I own a car at Oman...