I Found A Man Who I'd Be Willing to Marry in A Heartbeat*

SO A LOT of you are STILL asking why I'm still single. Well, I've already answered that a year ago with this entry. That was a long answer and the short answer is - yes, I am indeed that choosy. Plus add it to the fact that good men are starting to become extinct lately. Echoing the ukulele-strumming Jack Johnson, Where'd all the good people go? I've been changing channels. I don't see them on the TV shows. Where'd all the good people go? We got heaps and heaps of what we sow...

However, just last month, I met a man whom I'd be willing to get married to in a heartbeat. No questions asked. He possesses all the qualities I'm looking for in a potential lifetime mate and more. But the one basic thing that attracted me to him is this - the greatness of his character.

Let me tell you a few things I learned about character -

"A talent is formed in stillness, a character in the world's torrent." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German poet), 1749

"How true Daddy's words were when he said: all children must look after their own upbringing. Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands." - Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank, 1929.

"We live in a day when image is placed over character, and I'm angry about it. When the chips are down and life is down to its basics, I don't care how he looks or how he sounds. I care what he is, I care how he thinks. I care what he represents!" - Charles R Swindoll, 1934.

For me, the character of a person determines how he responds to any given adversity or temptation. It is definitely not something that can be achieved overnight, but rather the result of a long process of living and struggling through life's difficulties. In a world of moral erosion, character is what makes a man or a woman stand out.

So what's so great about the character of this man I met just a month ago?

For one, he not only knows the truth but he fights for it. He is a principled man and it shows in how he speaks and how he treats people around him. When I ask him questions, he pauses and thinks first before answering. He looks into my eyes when I'm talking. He knows how to listen well. He doesn't pretend that he knows everything, but often admits that he doesn't really know a lot. When he promises to do something, he will really do it. He always says thank you.

He is honest. He tells facts without adding anything to them. He is always quick to inform me if it's a given fact or it's just his own opinion. He is very humble. He never talks about himself. The only times he does are when he is honoring God and when he is honoring his country. He is very brave.

He is modest. He buys the same style of shoes not because they are fashionable but because they work for him well. His living room does not contain plastic action figures or photos of himself but tons and tons of books that he is actually reading. He eats healthy and encourages me to do the same. His idea of a perfect date does not involve the bed or alcohol but a day spent having good conversations over tuna sandwiches.

He is good friends with a lot of people, even those people who don't share the same beliefs or religion. When I needed to go to the toilet urgently in the middle of an open sea, he didn't roll his eyes or make faces. He kindly took me to a secluded spot with overgrown bushes and went away so I could relieve myself. He loves to sing to me while playing the piano or his guitar.

The time that he brought me to the airport and said goodbye, he touched my face with the palm of his hand not out of lust or with malice but only with pure and tender sincerity. He is a true gentleman.

He makes me good pastrami sandwiches, too.

The name of the man who I'd be willing to marry in a heartbeat is Arie Bar-David. He is 64 years old with eight grandchildren and lives in the outskirts of Jerusalem, Israel. He is happily married to Esther who looked like Kirsten Dunst when she was in her 20s. I consider Arie as one of my living heroes.

Unless I find someone who has at least a quarter of Arie's character, I guess I would never settle then.

I would be more than fine just being single. =)




*Credit goes to WJNTY's blog post for giving me the inspiration.

My Creative Christmas Gifts

Earlier this month, I promised myself not to be caught up in the mad rush of holiday gift-buying. I'm starting to find all these commercialism and profit-making attitude surrounding Christmas to be really unnecessary, not to mention detrimental to our savings accounts. In addition, this gift-giving tradition built around this season tends to make people expectant of something that shouldn't be mandatory, but which now appears to be. On top of these, I've observed that Christmas gift manufacturers deprive people of the ability to exercise creativity in their giving. Every shop I go to, I see toys, toiletries, chocolates, and basically all kinds of commodity that are already part of our weekly grocery list - only wrapped in cute boxes and colorful packaging ready to be given away. Maybe I'm missing it, but what is so cool about them?  (Note: To those who have given me those kinds of gifts, thank you so much. I sincerely appreciate it. But more than them, I cherish our friendships more. I'm not complaining. Please read on and you'll understand me.)

Unfortunately for me, I've already been suckered into buying a few of those re-packaged goods before I came to this realization : p. Good thing I came across this article published online by Girlfriends in God encouraging women to think about giving meaningful and creative gifts from the heart. So I thought about it and challenged myself to be different this time. If you know me personally, you'd know that one thing I truly value is friendship/relationship. It's true and obvious that giving gifts is one way to cultivate friendships but lately I realize that the gifts I've been giving people won't stand a long time in their drawer, much more so in their memories.

It's so easy to pick any item in a department store to give as a gift, but what's been a struggle for me is to give a part of my time away. Nobody should mess up with my "me-times". They're valuable and should not be wasted away with interactions outside of my comfort zones. But then again, if I remain that way, I would be depriving myself of a great investment, a lot of brainwork, and most of all a bunch of good times!

So my dear friends who are reading this, be prepared to receive something different from me this year.
Drum roll please...

These are coupons that would entail the holder to enjoy the activity printed on the card. =) I have friends who are working moms and I know the babysit voucher would be a great help.

What about you? How will you be creative with your Christmas gifts?

4pm in Israel

As soon as we arrived at the Yad Hashmona Kibbutz Hotel, in a village located a few kilometers away from Jerusalem City, we were greeted by the beautiful sunset and I was inspired to write another poem -

A magnificent gradient of red and yellow
A backdrop of shooting colors in the heavens glowed
Slack-jawed in the beauty that I see
I regret every moment when I questioned You if you truly loved me

The orange sun peeking through pillows of clouds
Creates some notions and inner doubts
Is this the sunrise which is the beginning of a new day
Or is this nighttime when all brightness fades away?
Pretty much how Your will works out
Incomprehensible at the start
Questionable in the middle
Unacceptable because I know so little
But a perfect masterpiece once fulfilled and has settled

Father, thank You for sunrises and sunsets
For fulfilled promises and seemingly unchangeable regrets
Thank You for keeping me guessing all the time
What matters now is You, the Creator of the universe, calls me Mine.

This video received 2,000 views from me :p

Ultimate crushes! Most especially the guy holding the shaker. His name is Seth Bolt. Hanep! AND he's a mathlete. *wiping drool*

A Love Affair Between a Megaphone and a Computer Mouse

This is a megaphone talking to a computer mouse...

People tell me that we are not meant to be
You are the quiet type while I'm always buzzing like a bee
You are there in your own little world, wired with binaries
Not uttering a sound, except for every-now-and-then clicking activities
So I maintained a distance away from you
But beyond my control, a voice from my heart keeps coming through
It gets louder and louder by the day
The sound of my heart beating amplified by the words you are too scared to say

My friends often say that you need to be dragged, pushed, clicked and rolled on to function
But I don't mind at all as long as we have this attraction
Even if you don't admit it, I know I make you light up too
It's not an optical illusion I see but the real stuff inside of you

Sometimes I feel that you're getting tired because I'm a nag
But honey, please understand that I just don't want this potential relationship to lag
Go on and be a wimp then
Sit there and be dense
But these loud feelings of mine could not be silenced
Never mind if you want to wait for a hand to make you move an inch to a yard
I guess I'll just be here calling your name from afar.

This poem was inspired by Sarah Kay's Love Letter series.

Maturity Checkpoints

I'm learning that maturity doesn't always come with age. What does it really mean to be mature?

Photo by punchstock.com

Here's an excerpt from a lecture given by Charles Swindoll -

You know you’re mature:

• When your concern for others outweighs your concern for yourself
• When the presence of danger and evil is felt before it’s obvious
• When there’s more than knowledge, there’s wisdom
• When there’s more than strength, there’s stability
• When there are more than high ideals, there is the discipline to carry them out
• When there is not only an understanding of the tasks of life, but a willingness to share the responsibility

Maturity is the ability to do a job whether you’re supervised or not. It is the ability to finish a job once it’s started, to carry money without spending it, and to have the ability to bear injustice without getting even. Lastly, it is being willing to change once convinced that correction is in order.

I believe it is not just one of those points, but all that was given. And just like love or a good stew that needed a long simmer, maturity shouldn't be rushed, but it shouldn't be intentionally delayed either.

I hope we're all on the way there  =)

Having my breakfast with a heavy heart

Well done, Mr. Steve Jobs. Thank you. You did a good job.

Quotable Quote

I ONLY care what you think of yourself. If you feel your value lies in being merely decorative, I fear that someday you might find yourself believing that’s all you really are. Time erodes all such beauty. But what it cannot diminish is the wonderful workings of your mind – your humor, your kindness, and your moral courage. These are things I so cherish in you.

- Mrs. March, Little Women

Walang Pamagat

Ibang klase talaga ang tulin ng panahon. Ang takbo nito ay parang tren na dumaraan at tumitigil lamang sa bawat estasyon upang maghatid at magsundo ng pasahero. Pambihinrang tulin at Setyembre na naman! Ilang tulog na lang at Pasko na. Ako man na napapalibutan ng kalendaryo sa opis ay nabigla pa rin.

Ilang linggo na lang pala at kaarawan ko na. Parang hindi yata tama dahil hindi pa ako handang tumanda nang isa na namang taon! Ibig sabihin kasi nito ay karagdagang responsibilidad, karagdagang puting hibla ng buhok, at syempre, ang paulit-ulit at walang-katapusang pag-udyok ng mga tao sa akin na mag-asawa na sa lalong madaling panahon. Eh kung kasing bilis lang din ba ng rumaragasang bus sa EDSA ang pagkilos ng lalaking makisig na gusto ko, sana ay matagal na akong nalagay sa tahimik. Pero sandali lang, tahimik naman ang aking buhay sa ngayon at wala akong reklamo. Ang lalaking makisig na binanggit ko ay marahil naliligaw pa at hindi ako matagpuan. Sana hulugan siya ng mapa ng Singapura ng Diyos at nang makita na niya ang daan. O kaya naman maisipan niyang i-google kung saan ako matatagpuan. Hehe.

Pero walang biro, masarap ang maging single. Kung aking babalikan ang mga nangyari sa akin at ang mga proyektong (parang konsehal lang) aking pinapasukan, maging ang iba't-ibang lugar na aking napuntahan na, naiisip kong ako ay lubos na pinagpala dahil nagawa ko ang lahat nang iyon.

Masarap mabuhay, lalo na kung napalilibutan ka ng mga mabubuting kaibigan na mahilig tumawa at magpatawa (at maglaro ng Pinoy Henyo). Masarap mabuhay kung malambot ang kama at mabango ang punda ng aking unan. Masarap mabuhay kung bawat linggo ay nakakabili ka ng sorbetes na pinalaman sa dalawang manipis na biskwit, Wall's ang tatak. Masarap mabuhay kung ang amo mo ay pinapayagan kang umuwi nang maaga para mapanuod ang lumang pelikulang Hudyo na may subtitle na Ingles dahil lang gusto mo. Masarap mabuhay para makinig ng musika sa mga kasangkapang gawa ni Steve Jobs at maglaro ng Angry Birds. Masarap mabuhay, lalung-lalo na kung alam mong sagot ka Niya. ;-)



 nuong Bente Singko pa ako

P.S. Naaalala niyo pa ba yung kantang, ♫ Tatlong bente singko lang ang aking kailangan, upang makausap ka kahit sandali lang... Tatlong bente singko sa isang araw, tatlong beses ko ring maririnig sa iyong mga labi... ♪

Paalam!

CEASE AND DESIST

...your phone stalking activities. That's not very cool, bro.

Seriously.

On Running

I hate running. I don't know but I just don't like the feeling of being out of breath, of gasping for air while looking ahead at a vast stretch of pavement I have to cover. I'd rather hit the pool any day or lift weights or walk the cat than run. Truth be told, I fear running. I think it's because when I was younger (around 12 or 13), I used to have a recurring dream (more like nightmare) that I was running away from bad people but instead of moving away from them, I was still in the exact, same spot as before. I was running in place! Since then, the thought of running has given me a silly fright. So I don't run to exercise, more so run in a race. I had actually listed to run a marathon as one of the top 30 things to try before I turn 30. But I knew at the back of my head that I would never get around to doing it :D But just last night, for some reason I felt the need to run. So I went to the NUS field and ran. With wisps of hair being blown by the wind, with my heart pounding, and arms flailing, I willed my legs to work.

I often hear people use running as a metaphor for life. I'm guessing it's because the essentials of running well and running fast are exactly what the latter requires of us – hard work, endurance, and focus. Perhaps it's also because the running field consists of the same elements that life is filled with – competition, distractions and motivation. Or maybe because people, even if we don't admit it, are always running after something (or someone).

Several minutes into my graceful-warm up-that-quickly-turned-into-panting session, my mind went blank. I lost thoughts of work or dinner and found myself just staring out at the open space before me. My feet moved mechanically and the rest of my body seemed to follow the rhythm they created. I was running. Without the familiar fear.

I now understand why most people are fond of running. It's exhilarating. It makes one feel strong and powerful. Running allows for an exhibit of youth and vigor. But one gets tired, too. Eventually. Then one would become fully aware of its limitations. Five kilometers, 10, half a marathon... It then becomes a series of conquests that are dependent on physical strength and commitment.

I started to slow down as I felt my lungs struggle for oxygen. The slight chill brought by the evening breeze was a contrast to the heat that every pore in my body was giving off. And then I sensed it, creeping in a stealthy form until its full sharpness engulfed me. Pain arrived.

Yet, as tears began to roll down my flushed cheeks, and though my heart was racing like a freshly-tuned engine, I smiled in spite of the pain. Conscious of my finiteness, I reveled in my frail existence. I ran with weak knees, short breath, and exhaustible strength. Then it dawned on me what this was really about. Having faith is what running's all about.

A Day at the Museum

If you're a tourist and you're interested to learn about Singapore - how it became a metropolitan melting pot, the story behind its delicious chicken rice, and how advanced this nation is - you should go straight to the museum first and let Sentosa wait!

"An enjoyment and appreciation of the arts [hinge] upon your willingness to absorb and reflect upon the artistic endeavors of others. No one who has not partaken, on a regular basis, of the rich heritage of those who have gone before, or of our own talented contemporaries, can truly be acquainted with or appreciate the human species as a creative creature. This enjoyment of others is as essential to understanding and developing our own creative ability as the work we do ourselves. The museums and galleries of the world cry out for inspection.... To ignore these in total is sad indeed." - Frank Schaeffer, 1981

Don't you just love the Singapore National Museum's Victorian facade? Sorry, Roark; I know you hate this stuff. :p

My darlings Riva, Emerald & Rhoda

 Entitled, 20 Tonnes. My caption - London's Stonehenge wannabe

 

Rotunda Dome - ceiling of the museum's lobby

We were greeted by the moving chandeliers entitled, Contours of a Rich Manoeuvre. Creepy much!

A photo of our tour guide in brown shirt. She kept reminding me not to touch things :D

I like how the museum caters to all your senses.

Yes, even to your olfactory gland!

Spices, roots, herbs, etc

Poverty-stricken Singapore. Gazillion years ago...

and this was their toilet

Sir Stamford (a road name) Raffles (a road name and an MRT line) is so pogi.

During the 1940's, the colour orange was so rockin'!

Learned a new word that day - horology...

It is the art of watchmaking from the Swiss pioneers. That era was during the Calvinist Reformation, Jewelry were considered ostentatious so craftsmen shifted to watchmaking.

Two of the photos from famous photojournalist, Abbas under the category, Muslims.

This was displayed between cheongsams and saris.

Decrease in unemployment rate in Singapore over the years. Lord, i pray for this to happen in the Philippines, too.

Entitled, Transformation

Long outdoor escalator. Electrocution waiting to happen??

Sad that i was not able to take more photos of the inside as my antique cybershot has conked out at this point. Photos now courtesy of my iphone.

Now, let's look at another art - the art of planking! :p

Riva's such a risk-planker! Hehehe

Awaken

This slumber's been long and sweet
Tucked in a blanket of great cowardice
I am just a dreamer behind these linen sheets

Sleep's like opium to my weary bones
Seemingly a mute medicine, a cure
That quietly numbs my senses' moans

In oblivion I taste the honey-heavy dew* of rest
Unaware that in the stillness of my being
I decay and digress

This slumber's been long and sweet
Pressed against a mattress of the mundane
I am just a dreamer whose visions are vain

Please rub the sleep off my eyes
Awaken me to the love which death, it defied
Move my lethargic soul
Make it tremble
Hurl it to a worthy goal

Shake off an accustomed stupor
Stir up my heart
For what it's beating for

Interrupt this aimless dreaming
Greet me with the rousing heat of the sun
Like a new summer morning


*William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Top Ten Reasons Why I Want to Be Like Her.

Aside from the obvious, glaring fact that she's beautiful within and without - everybody already knows that about her - these are my personal reasons why Mummy Ana, my friend and spiritual mentor, is one of the few women I look up to...

1. Because she is teachable and unassuming

2. Because she listens and remembers

3. Because she is smart for her age! haha
4. Because she taught me how to cook baked mussels
5. Because I can call her in the middle of the night just to whine about my ex
6. Because she always asks about my love life *giggles*
7. Because she knows how to have fun
8. Because she gives me the kind of trinkets I'd wear ;-)
9. Because her love for God is infectious
10. Because she still appreciates the little, simple things in life.

Happy birthday, Mummy A!

Top 7 Reasons Why I Prefer a Printed Book Over an eBook

I WORK in a publishing firm, and although I've seen how the e-book business has grown exponentially over the last two years, I still carry with me those bulky, often rectangular-shaped objects made of paper that contain words arranged by a typesetting machine and produced by a printing press. This is just in case some of you may have forgotten how a printed book looks like : p  

Photo by www.blog.designsquish.com

In this day and age when information come in as fast as you say the word fast and as cheap as my favorite perfume (Green Cross Rubbing Alcohol), more and more people are patronizing anything that's electronic. I'd say if it will save your money and time, go for it. But not with books. Here are my personal reasons for being [print] bookish -

1. I just love making dog-ear marks on all my books. (Although with the more expensive ones, I often use a bookmark). Yes you can flip a page and bookmark it digitally but folding a pixel-made up page is useless and not fun.

2. Reading an e-book using your mobile phone or ipad is distracting. Especially when you have push notifications.

3. Information retention becomes shallow when I read electronically. Observe it yourself. I guess this is because we tend to just skim through the page if it's online or cradled by a gadget instead of to really pore over the text. In my case, (because I'm a girl) my brain is struggling to compartmentalize information. I tend to associate my laptop or iphone with trivial stuff. I don't know, but I just can't focus on a novel or take Bible verses seriously if I'm reading them in a gadget I play Angry Birds with. You with me?

4. Printed books are showcase-worthy. True, Shelfari does this function but nothing beats having physical bookshelves with pretentious titles only your dad would read for house guests to look at. Plus, when electric power runs out, you can read with a candle.

5. You know how it is during college - my friends and I would borrow thick textbooks from the library and walk the corridors with our arms wrapped around them and wait for some guy to help us carry them. They make chivalrous men. But seriously, printed books may be old-fashioned but they help shape a (academic) culture. Just recall how many people from the library you need to befriend, my fellow LaSallians out there ;-)

6. Back when I was a frosh, we were taught the art of annotation. The professor would ask us to underline or highlight the portion of the text where an author's main point and a novel's theme lie. I was trained how to write commentary notes and critical analyses of the book, an exercise that is neglected with an e-reader. Today, when we encounter a certain passage that is too good not to share with our friends, all we need to do is type Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V. We usually don't bother paraphrasing a quote with our own words, hence, a thought process is eliminated.

7. From an author's perspective, a printed book is like a newborn child or a creative masterpiece or a dish he/she has finally perfected cooking. It's similar to an artist releasing an album or a record instead of selling 99-cent mp3s. Tied in with number 4, this particular quality of a printed book provides the writer a physical trophy that won't be easily copied or be lost in (cyber)space.

Three Takeoffs in a 4-Hour Delayed Flight and other Balinese-themed (Mis)Adventures

The Bali-bound Jetstar aircraft was just about to takeoff and I was starting to feel that familiar but queer sensation in my stomach. The upper half of me was being taken upward while the other (heavier) half was still battling with gravity. But just when the wheels of the plane were about to leave the runway, the pilot shifted gear (or at least that's what it felt like) with full force and the plane landed with a loud, clumsy thud. I do not know any aircraft lingo but what happened to us in that flight was more than a yawing motion. It was not due to any air pockets; it was intentional. The captain held back in mid-takeoff because according to him, one of the generators was sending an error signal. Time check: 11PM

At this point, we were already restless because this same flight had already been delayed for four hours and nobody from Jetstar informed either one of us (the four of us were holding two separate booking references) prior to the original 4pm flight. We talked to the counter/ground staff but they said that they just learned about the new timing and we should call the Melbourne office to complain. After an hour of holding the customer service phone line, a certain Kish (who said that it is company policy not to give her full name) told me that they were also not aware of this until then, when I asked them to go into the system and check the re-timed flight details. She even said, "If I were you, I would talk to the ground representatives about this..." Huh?

Fast forward to the failed takeoff incident... The captain then called a couple of engineers to look into the problem. They asked us to alight the aircraft so they could perform tests. Several minutes later we were back on our seats and ready to experience another takeoff. The passengers who I reckoned were mostly Aussies did not even utter an unpleasant word. Time check: 12 AM.

We circled the runway for what seemed to be a dozen times and just when my eyelids were starting to droop, I sensed that we were about to ascend again. WHIZZ......WHIR.......YANK....THUD! Ding dong...This is your captain speaking. We are having the same technical problem that was supposed to be fixed by the engineers but still isn't and here we are back on the bar....

And we never heard him speak again. Twenty minutes later one passenger carrying a kid said, "You're crazy to stay here, guys." He left the plane shouting, "It's okay if you don't want to spend a penny on our hotel." Time check: 2AM.

We later found out that it was still safe to fly even with the generator blinking an error signal. But because our pilot needed to abide by the airplane protocol, he had to hold back. More than 20 of the total passengers left. A few were bombarding the pilots and crew with questions. I myself was not at my nicest that night. They left us uninformed for 30 minutes. The pilots were inside the cockpit without updating the passengers and without any effort to ease us up. The cabin crew gave us....water.  Nothing else.

Jetstar pilots and crew could have handled the situation better but did not.

Nevertheless, we stayed for the third takeoff because:
1. Murphy's law is not valid. Come on, our flight was only delayed for four hours, and we only had three takeoffs. They are pretty normal, ok.
2. The captain assured us that it was still safe for the third time and if it wasn't, he would not risk his own life, too. He has a family. Plus, it appeared to me that he was pretty calm that night. He's just not a good communicator.
3. It's our first time to go to Bali aka Surfer's Paradise. Need I say more?
4. I personally believe that in this life, nothing will happen to us apart from God's will. And according to Izanne, if God was forbidding us to go to Bali, He should have let Jetstar cancel the flight in the first place. Made sense to me, too :-)

So in the end, a three-hour flight turned out to be an eight-hour one. But we were ready to have fun in this beautiful place. Nothing else could go wrong anymore. Or so we thought....

(mis)adventure stories to be continued...

P.S. What about you guys? What would you do in this situation? Would you still go for a third one?

Creativity from the Church

 Disclaimer: I'm not one who is expert on both Cs. This post only contains a few personal realizations.    

THERE is a colloquial term coined in the 1800s that comes to mind as I begin to write this post - Sunday best. For the longest time, we may have carried the notion that being a part of a church requires a 'member' to be in his/her finest, within and without - appearing in wrinkle-free clothes, taut collar, polished shoes and an invisible halo to boot. The people worship God by singing hymns in unison with nasal voices and raised hands as part of the 'holy requirement'. They listen to the preacher speak about God's Word just to gain some sense of spirituality, a concept that is seemingly irrelevant to their activities on the rest of the days of the week. Some of us may have even felt that the the church is constricting, if not something worthy of a yawn (or two or three). The church could not possibly have room for the unruly, the liberals, or have space for individuality or creativity. After all, it is a place of order and rhythmical customs (read: bore).

So how does one who is as cool as an ice cube and too slick to follow the 'holy requirements' stated above fit in? A confession is probably due to be able to bring enough flesh into this blog entry. Well you see, I used to believe I'm cool, too. I listen to cool music, I hang out with cool people, and I think cool thoughts (?!). I go to church to satisfy an obligation and keep the other aspects of my life reserved to maintain this state of coolness. But as I became more and more attracted to Christianity, I found out, without dismay, that I'm not really that cool at all.

Like a train running on a single track, my mind is used to the idea that worshiping God only entails prayer and harp-playing. Okay, maybe add the xylophone, tambourine, and those instruments we would never ever hear in a Justin Bieber song. But recently, our church has started to teach us that worship is a lifestyle. The output of all our endeavors based on our skills, talents and profession must be utilized according to the purpose of the One who has given them.

But it took some time for me to reconcile with the idea that creative arts can be used for worship too. For me, it means breaking all the rules; it is almost vulgar to do so, and un-holy to say the least. But then as I observe the works of the Master Artist in nature and in people, I couldn't help but blush. The result of our ingenuity is only a by-product of our encounter with nature. All that our hands can make or our minds can conceive are mere consequences of our being brought out into existence by our Creator.

These realizations have started to influence how and why I should do things. Worship is way more than singing songs on a Sunday morning, and the church is not just a place for confession, communion and prayer. It should be a place where talents are being harnessed and where creative minds converge. I realize that I am actually worshiping with this blog, being grateful to Him who has given me the ability to articulate my thoughts through written words. I now go to church looking forward to a release of even just a tinge of God's creativity on me, expecting that this is the best I could get on a Sunday to be used for the remaining six days of the week. ;-)



Click this LINK to have a preview of what other artists are doing in our church. 

Meanwhile, I received this idea as we were singing worship songs -

Threads of fabric being woven
Lives interlaced, overlapping
Not by mere randomness
Our purposes in transcendence

Like gradients of hues painted in the heavens
It can't be noticed where one begins and where one ends
Linked with a perfect love the whole world has not yet known
We have each other; we're never alone.

Love Letters

He writes me love letters
Sends each romantic note
Through a number of different couriers
The messages are consistent
Speaking with passion and tenderness
His words profound and eloquent

He writes me love letters
Like dew drops of every morning's first
Giving mirth to my clouded face
Like red-orange gradients at every sunset's end
Serves as gird to my troubled faith

He writes me love letters
With tales of beauty and cavalier
Telling of struggles and triumphs
Of unreserved praises and promises
Love carved out into songs and psalms

He writes me love letters
His methods unlike anyone I know
Or remember
Bringing my heart to wild abandon
Taking all this life's care into sweet oblivion.

He is jealous for me.

Rock and roll!



Bittersweet

Don’t get stuck. Move, travel, take a class, take a risk. Walk away, try something new. There is a season for wildness and a season for settledness, and this is neither. This season is about becoming. Don’t lose yourself at happy hour, but don’t lose yourself on the corporate ladder either. Stop every once in a while and go out to coffee or climb in bed with your journal. Ask yourself some good questions like: “Am I proud of the life I’m living? What have I tried this month? What have I learned about God this year? What parts of my childhood faith am I leaving behind, and what parts am I choosing to keep with me for this leg of the journey? Do the people I’m spending time with give me life, or make me feel small? Is there any brokenness in my life that’s keeping me from moving forward?”

Now is your time. Become, believe, try. Walk closely with people you love, and with other people who believe that God is very good and life is a grand adventure. Don’t spend time with people who make you feel like less than you are. Don’t get stuck in the past, and don’t try to fast-forward yourself into a future you haven’t yet earned. Give today all the love and intensity and courage you can, and keep traveling honestly along life’s path.

Taken from Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist Copyright © 2010. http://www.zondervan.com/

Grateful for Twenty-Ten

I was at my heaviest last year. Literally and metaphorically.

With every ounce of blessing I received from God, my weight seemed to have followed accordingly.

Last year, He blessed me with several opportunities to travel (and eat, needless to say), the chance to be part of a world conference with 18K+ attendees, the time and resources to join a missions trip, the honor to lead a growing group of young women striving for excellence, and the ability to complete a 10-month Bible and leadership training.

My plate has indeed been full of God's goodness and favor.
Here are a few pictures which would hopefully speak a thousand more words -

We kick-started the year off with a 7-day backpacking trip in 7 cities in 3 countries (Vietnam, Cambodia, & Thailand)

 You can read about our adventures there here and here.


Meanwhile, our ministry at Kids Church was in full swing ...

By midyear, we were having random beach trips to Malaysia (Tioman and Borneo)

 

I'm so blessed to have been a part of the Every Nation World Conference -

Our missions to Penang, Malaysia
This is one big highlight for the year, because I was reminded of my prayer last 2009 which was to be able to celebrate my birthday in an orphanage. The trip was even funded by my office mates!

In the midst of working full time, I'd find myself in a weekly leadership course trying to fight physical exhaustion. Now that I have graduated, it still seemed surreal that I was able to complete this. 

I used to think that I don't need to learn more about the Bible and God, because He is very personal. But I learned that living out Christianity may not have a formula, but the Truth is absolute. Whoever wants to be a leader must first learn what the truth is. And a true leader is characterized by his/her servant-leadership. True leadership is not at all about exercising authority and power; it is all about serving.


And definitely not the least - the greatest responsibility that God gave me this year is to minister to these beautiful ladies who are hungry for the real thing.

Truth be told, there were times when I would be thinking of throwing in the towel out of frustration. I used to feel that there was not enough level of commitment being given by the girls, but I learned later on that I was not really in control after all. God is. I know that God is and will be working in them even without me. We are all going through different stages with our faith, and I realized that I need to allow them to grow at their own pace. 

And being awesome as He is, God even made sure that there were icing and toppings on my cake, too. On top of the highlights of last year, there were some little, pleasant surprises that gave me more reasons to smile about - encouragement from people who matter, salary increase, material gifts which were in answer to a dilemma of whether to buy them or not, and unsolicited assurance from men that only strengthened my belief on how I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Go figure). ;-) God really do provide all our needs, and then some. :-)

But on a serious note, what I would consider the greatest-est blessing I have received is not actually pictured here. It can't be captured by any camera or be described with written words. The thing I'm most thankful for happened inside of me. I can't say it's love or growth or contentment - it is way more than those things. Perhaps it's a mixture of the learning experiences I underwent and the God-given grace that keeps on 'pruning' my character. I'm sorry I can't articulate this further; it's really beyond me.

But just the same, for all of these I am grateful.

I'd like to leave you with a song.

May this inspires us to believe even more...

It's now that I feel 

You're graceful like rain

From every fingertip...