Romans 1 Paraphrase

 As we start our BSF study on Romans, I was inspired to write a poem...
 
When ocean waves crash onto shore
When wildlife thrive in holes and burrows
When autumn leaves start to fall
We know there is God

When the sun rises each day that comes
When life-giving air fills our lungs
When our eyes see beauty in millions of pixels
When we taste snowflakes with our tongues
We know there is God

When spring rains make flowers bloom
When a bride marries her groom
When an embryo forms in a mother's womb
We know there is God

When man makes castles from stones
When the sky paints stars and rainbows
When tomorrow is always untold
We know there is God 🌈

When darkness turns to light
When grace replaces guilt
When love covers sin
When faith quenches wrath
We know there is God.     


Postscript by cousin Aileen Dujon:
 
When a neighbor greets you with a smile
When a stranger helps you from afar
When good men stand up against injustice and war
We know there is God

And even if all these fail to exist
And hope is all there is
We know there is God

When I Know You the Most

I hear You the most
Not with the beating of the drums
But in the stillness of the early morn as the birds chirp away
I sense You the most
Not in parades and concerts
But when lovers, mothers and fathers and children, and friends
Exchange I love you's and hugs
I feel You the most
Not when in flamboyant worship
But when witnessing someone help a fallen man get up
I know You the most
Not through dramatic sermons and lectures
But through tongue-tied, ineloquent stories
Of people who arrived at the truth
I see you the most
Not in grand, sparkly, glittery fireworks and celebrations
But in the mundane, raw, repetitive grind of existence.

I'm So Filthy Rich!

 

My mini and me.... (I kid!)

OUR family has never been rich. I remember back in grade school, we lived in a one-bedroom apartment and I used to sleep in a bug-infested couch. While my classmates from this private Chinese school I attended spent their weekends in the mall watching movies or shopping, my sister and I were stuck in our house trying to entertain ourselves. We could only afford to buy new clothes and shoes once a year - during Christmas; and for our birthdays, we were treated to a Goldilocks cake and homemade spaghetti with hotdogs.

It wasn’t that life was hard and we needed to borrow money all the time to survive, but when you were surrounded by people who had more, you somehow believed that you were in lack.

Eventually we were able to make it through university, thanks to my parents’ and God’s provision, but all those time without having any excess. Our fridge would oftentimes contain only ice and dried vegetables, no leftovers. Shortly after graduation, I decided to work overseas for a couple of reasons, and one of them was to have more than of what I could earn at home. Suddenly I found myself in the 3rd richest country per capita, a place where materialism is inevitable. Yet, despite the wealth, it appeared to me that most people I met did not seem fulfilled. 

While I was there, I was not able to accumulate a massive amount of wealth, but I found my greatest treasure. I understood and witnessed how God loves me and has been taking care of me all those years I was oblivious to His love. Apologies for sounding corny but that is just the truth. He has given me confidence and peace. His Word has given me wisdom, courage and comfort. His Spirit has convicted me and made me aware of my wrongs.

Sure, now we are no longer struggling like before and food is plenty, but I am still what you would call average and middle class. I don’t own properties and I am not even close to being famous, but life becomes sweeter and more abundant when you know who’s making your sun shine. When you experience redemption and grace, you would not exchange it for anything, not even for a billion bucks. =)

“Comparison is the thief of joy”. Theodore Roosevelt

“May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:19

The Bride and Our Bridegroom

Last night, we threw a bridal shower for our dearest friend, Nips. She is getting married in three days and we couldn't have been happier and more excited as we blessed her with touching messages and meaningful bridal gifts to "send her off" to the next season waiting for her. Joanne, Nips' best friend since college, facilitated and gave a message centered on Revelation 19. Jo used the upcoming wedding of our friend and all the phases leading to it to create a beautiful metaphor of what our relationship with our "Groom" should look like. She asked us tough questions and I sensed my heart coming undone. 

  

You see I've been going through rough valleys these past few months. I was filled with negativity, anxiety and weariness. Things were not looking up and I sensed myself to have fallen behind this race. The prayers coming out of my mouth never seemed to get past the ceiling. I was close to the Fire but my heart's never been this cold.

Jo reminded us last night that Jesus performed his first miracle in a wedding (at Cana). Why of all occasions, a wedding? Because a wedding or a marriage is the closest depiction that we will ever have of an invitation from God. Jesus has sacrificially and lovingly chosen us to be His bride. He redeemed us and clothed us with white garments of holiness and righteousness - qualities impossible to attain.

As I sat there listening to Nips talk and witnessing her prepare for one of the most important events in her life, my tears fell as I also witnessed God's love and beauty. He has truly made everthing fell beautifully into place for Nips. The mistakes, the heartbreaks, the waiting, the struggles - God used all of these to bring her to this point. Right at that moment, I felt Him so real again and I couldn't help but worship and fall in love all over again.

What have I been doing all along? Wallowing my life away because of the things I do not have when I needed to prepare for a special event myself? His coming.

Last night, I felt something within me opened up, and for the nth time in my tender age of 29, I surrended to Him again. God is really mind-blowing. He has this uncanny way of putting you in seemingly dry areas but always providing sweet, romantic oases along our deserts' way.

Yes, I am head over heels with the One who has been head over heels in love with me first.

Are you head over heels in love, too?

Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving

ONE week to go and it's Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving is a festival started by the early settlers in North America to celebrate a good harvest. But I wonder how it was like when there was famine or when the harvest wasn't good. Did they ever think about having a Moan-Day or Whine-Giving Day?  Truth to tell, I feel like grumbling instead of giving thanks. There are so many things that I am anxious about right now. One only has to read the news and the most optimistic spirit can become dampended.

But as a counterflow, I decided to do a stock take. This year actually consists of answered prayers, lessons and God-given favors that are nothing short of miraculous - something that can be easily forgotten unless I strive to remember. Maybe that's why traditions are important. They give us access to a flashback button which transports us to when the harvest was more than good.

That missions trip in General Santos City, Mindanao was truly memorable. Our team of volunteers was able to provide medical supplies, food and vitamins, and some clothes to four communities in the city. It was a manifestation of God's love and His just-in-time provision.

What about the house that I've been praying for for five long years? Last year, my mom became friends with our neighbor who is an engineer. He offered to complete our house at a very affordable price. We didn't even need to loan from a bank anymore. Awesome or what?

                         

And that pipe dream to go to the US, watch a Broadway play and celebrate with my close friend on her wedding day? Well, I asked and I received!

I wish I could show you pictures of the other things I am most grateful for, but they are either too abstract or complicated to photograph  - my family's good health and mine, new and old friendships, my job, our church, my skin (oh yes! it tightened when I went to NY haha), daily struggles that teach me a lot about humility and character-building, and everyday reminders of hope and God's mercies.

What about you? What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Press that flashback button now :-)



Peanuts Cartoon by Charles Schulz





Creativity Sparks Creativity

One of the things I learned in our creative writing class is that a creative mind can ignite another. Like an electric current, inspiration comes to those who are exposed to another person's imaginative work. It's actually quite obvious to miss - how many times have we been captivated by a landscape painting, which captures the perfect creative work of nature's Creator? How many classic love songs have been composed which talk about a woman's physical beauty? Therefore, if we want to have more creativity, let's soak ourselves in another's. 

Painted by Jen and Cliford @ EN Central
More prophetic paintings at  https://www.facebook.com/Kree8SG

Rainbow Love

As I abandon myself in worship

I sense the sweetness of heaven drips

As I yield in adoration and praise

I feel the fresh morning dew dampens my face

I close my eyes to listen to a melody

And suddenly I begin to notice Your beauty

A flood of colors come from nowhere

Showers my dim space which was once bare

Pastels of glory invade the air

The rain flows like a river from my eyes

But crystals of sunshine balm my heart.

Creativity = Ctrl + C?

Photo from www.creativehuddle.co.uk

Apologies in advance, my friends

If I'll be raising up a lot of questions and problems

I've been troubled by them last night while in bed

And I also want to know the thoughts in your head

How do we remain creative in times like these

When greater concepts and ideas 

Are only at arm's reach?

How do we develop an entirely new thing

When all's been recycled, rehashed and repeated

Can we just add to it a bling?

How can we draw the line 

Between your idea and mine?

How do we determine originality from mimicry?

When everything is as easy as Ctrl + C.

Is there anything else yet to be done

When the wisest King had said -

There is nothing new under the sun?

Can we really create something new?

When ours is a generation 

Of something borrowed,

Hand-me-downs,

Ripped off and glued?

I see parents encourage their kids

They give them crayons, canvass and paints

They tell them to create something nice

To let their imagination run wild

But when they grow up, a dilemma arises

"Mommy, Daddy, I want to be an artist!"

Oh sweetie, can you think first before you do this?

What about being a doctor, an architect or a lawyer?

A dentist, an engineer or a banker maybe?

I think an artist will only earn nuts from peas!"

From what I'm reading it's great to be creative 

But make sure what you do becomes lucrative. :-(

Hang on a minute, a bird just whispered in my ear

If there is nothing new under the sun

Then should we stop looking for ideas here?

If what we can think of under the sun has already been done

Then should we look above and beyond?

Human wisdom is limited and what we'll conceive - others have seen before

So shall we step out of ourselves and knock on Heaven's door?

The important thing is not to stop questioning.

- Albert Einstein, 1879-1955