Breathe into my soul.

MIschung von Gefuele

2010-10-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

It has only been a week, yet i feel as thou i have been on a roller coaster ride.

God reminded me to honour my colleagues in all circumstances, emotions. All the 'people skills, emotional quotient' the corporate world advocates are far too complicated for me, I prefer to stick to one rule of thumb -- Honor pple.

He showed me the importance of showing concern for pple.. which reminds me of a verse i once read ' People do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care'.

He drew me back to prayer, becuase I am a vine in Him and can do nth apart from Him.

God blessed me with great friends and colleagues at work. After our shopping session we had a 'take all we want on a single big plate' buffet. This abundance of food led Lisa to talk abt food in heaven, consequently we steered the conversation to telling Elisabeth more abt Christianity. So blessed to see Lisa burning to share so naturally to share abt her search for the true God.

God drew my attention to 3 people on different occasions in this week. The first was a woman who walked with a huge limp with each step she takes due to a physical defect in her legs. The second, was an albino boy who was happily talking to his mum. What great strength they displayed, i thought. (thou i felt it was the mum who prob struggled more than the lil albino boy) I dont want to be a strawberry of generation Y. I want to be a mighty durian of God.

2010-09-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

God woos me with his gentle, unfailing love. I dont even have to pursue Him.
Recently i grew cold with how fleeting things were. But God reminded me of how exciting our lives can get, because he is the author of our life stories. Reminded me of how i used to thank God for giving me a reason to live. And if we allow Jesus to be Lord, everyday can be an adventure. That's if we are driven with a vision / purpose/ cause worth living, and see things frm God's perspective.

When i felt that my shy-ness was a barrier to me being an effective salt and light at my workplace, God told me that he wants me to depend on him, to come to him and relate to him what's on my mind. Because when i do so, things will change and it will draw me closer to him. Simple facts that we can use to advise pple, but forget abt it ourselves easily.

Had a misunderstanding with marcus, but thru it, God enabled us to understand each other deeper. Which i felt was a mini breakthrus for the few times that i got upset over things that he said/did.

Many other stuff...but nothing too insignificant for God to partner us in our life of adventure, to reveal to us his Father heart.

2010-07-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Ich vermisse die deutsche Sprache, obwohl mein Deutsch nicht gut ist. Aber sie reich, ich einen Tageblatt auf Deutsch zu schreiben. :P Ich fuehle ein bisschen traurig und nur Vater Gott weiss den Grund.

Gestern hatte ich einen Angsttraum. Es gabt viele erschreckende Krabben, die zu mir krabbeln! Mir rutschte das Herz in die Hose! Wenn ich aufgewacht bin, erinnere ich mich an den Traum ganz klar. Ich glaube, Gott moechte durch den Traum etwas zu mir sagen. Als ich 6 Jahre alt war, eine Krabbe, die mein Vater gekauft hat, ist entgegangen. Die Krabbe hat mich fast gebissen als ich am Boden gelegt habe. Zum Glueck hat mein Vater mich gerettet. Ich fuehle dass Gott sag: Mein Kind, Ich liebe dich und due kannst immer zu mir kommen. Rufe mich an, so will ich dir antworten.

Denn wo euer Schatz ist, da wird auch euer Herz sein.
Jetzt lese ich das 40-Tage Gebet Buch und die ist eine gute Erinnerung,dass ich meine Zeit, Energie und Geld gut aufwenden sollte.

pre-school jitters as a uni student?

2010-01-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

I have never dreaded school ever since i was a kid. In fact, i have always looked forward to a new semester or academic year. Yet ironically, i dread the new semester ahead, at an age of 23.. I totally dread fyp cuz things are not gg well. I know God will lead the way, i just hafta follow. I know i have a purpose at school and i want to embrace it.

How do we draw the line between self-absorption and caring about one's own feelings? Why do i screw up when it comes to dealing with my feelings and communication?
The search for significance should have ended with the cross, yet it continues in my life. Ok, i hand it all to you God. Lead me.

o life.

2009-11-28T20:08:00.000-08:00

The last time i blogged was in Germany and four months later, it's the end of the semester already. The semester was different from the past. I really enjoyed learning about world religions, human capital and engin prof because it's so relevant and interesting.. and has enabled me to see things from a wider perspective.

Received news that my jc friend Alan committed suicide during thanksgiving as well. Though i am not close to him, my heart sank and it just felt sour-ish wihtin for the next few days. He didnt get to know God before he died. Why did he choose to 'game over' so soon? And it led me to wonder if it's exactly fair that many people out there dont know God because they didnt hear the Gospel, not because they rejected Him. Wont it lead to John Calvin's theory of pre-destination? I have always thought that Calvinism was a whole load of bullshit because how can a loving God decide that certain creation of his do not get saved eventually. Of course God's ways are higher than mine and it's not something i can figure out..

And like how many people would respond to deaths, i am just a silly human caught up in the mundane things in life, that sometimes i forget the fragility of life and take things, take people for granted. i will be faithful and pray for the salvation of my friends & bro. I will be courageous and share about God when the opportunities arise.

How would it be like, should i stop breathing one day?

2009-07-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

I had a massive headache yesterday and felt super carsick on the way to monica's house. BUT horrible feelings aside, i had super yummy pizza and strawberries for dinner with them monica's family. :D:D We watched Wallace and Gromit IN ENGLISH and i totally love the cartoon! I tried to reproduce nice pizzas today but my 'pizzas' didnt taste as nice as the ones Monica bought. sigh! I shall attempt to cook sth better tmr.

I have 10 more days in Hamburg and i must go to the lake more often! It's one of my favourite spots in harburg where i enjoy fresh, cooling air :D You dont get such nice cooling spots in Singapore :(

yipee!

2009-07-17T06:36:00.001-07:00

this song has been playing in my head since i was making my way home from sch. :D

Anws, yesterday's learning was made more interesting as i went to nat's room to go thru the medical imaging modalities together. I had a peach and 3 pears in the middle cuz studying always makes me feel like eating.. lol. But it was kinda disastrous cuz i think my body reacts badly to a high intake of fructose. I think i kinda have a mild fructose malabsorption cuz i suffer from bloating whenever i eat too much sugary fruits.

Then today was the last lesson for com vision and i had the exam for medical imaging. It was an oral exam and despite it being a new format from the usual nus written exam style, i found it pretty ok. And Yay!! i got a 'good' grade and so this module is secured a 'S' in nus! It certainly lifted a huge burden off me cuz i couldnt attend lessons for this module at all due to a time clash with another module. Now i feel that i am better able to handle the other exams as well.. yay Praise God for his grace!

10 more days to the last day of exams! cant wait! :D

LOL

2009-07-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

URGH

2009-07-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

i need to rant... SILLY MEDICAL IMAGING NOTES ARE SUPER CHEEEMMM. and boring to just read abt it from the book. marcus witnessed the usage of ultrasound imaging and CT scans during his attachment at nuh and it sounded really cool! each time i come to greek-like content in the notes or book, i surf the net. Sub conscious escapism.

this week is really packed with activities..today was spent at Tanja's house as she invited nat and me to cook tgter at her place. There's cell bbq tmr at Jo's house. Sat is cook-out at Monica's place...and sun we have the last church service before their summer break :( Mon wld be the last Essenausgabe as well, and we will be having a grill! Then it's exams time....sigh.

The weather in Hamburg is really unpredictable. Last week it was crazily warm. Earlier this week it was cool and enjoyable. And today, it's back to rainy and cold Hamburg. :x

Die Zeit geht wie im Flug!!

2009-07-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday i went to Hamburg Airport to pick my cousin up and the feeling was weird. It was of excitement, sadness and realisation of how time flies. Excited at meeting my cousin, sad cuz i was reminded of how i had to say goodbye to Marcus when he left hamburg... and it struck me too that very soon, i would be there once again, flying to Austria, or flying back home to Singapore!

And as i surfed facebook pix, i saw so many commencement pictures of friends..esp that of Gim and Esther just sent creeps down me, knowing that time really, really flies. GOSH.

Days of flying and the graduation ceremony are always filled with so much excitement, anticipation, joy.. but the journey is always filled with so much other elements..like stress. lol. I am just so glad I have God in my life, a truth to hold on to, a loving Father who makes the journey so much more bearable and meaningful.

SOMMER :D

2009-07-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

It's the peak of summer in Hamburg now and i feel like i am back in singapore! WHEEE i think the seasons do affect how i feel..and somehow i feel so close to home now :D:D i am truly 100% singaporean man. i need the warmth of summer to feel right, as much as i dont like the glare of sunlight :P

the power of His love.

2009-06-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after Essenausgabe, nat shared with me her mum's testimony about God. Totally inspired by the part that God led a prof whom she didnt come into contact with at all, to sponsor her education, i shared her testimony with Dave when i reached home. He listened with an open heart, but added that christianity has 'good values...just like other religions'. I know it takes a personal encounter with God to be really convicted that God is real but i know the seed i sow is not in vain.

Today we had cell by the lake again cuz the weather was great:) Signs that summer has reached its peak are that my heater is super weak now ( cant dry my clothes fast ), i open my windows more widely, i walk arnd without the jacket...and german gals are in their skirts, german guys are in their berms. Benny brought the newspapers along and shared a few news that we cld pray about. i said my 2nd prayer in german..hahas i think the number of german prayers i say in a group can be counted with a hand but it cant be helped as i take a longer time to adapt to everything. :l

And just now, i listened to coos sermon by pastor vic. So many parts that he said struck a chord in me ..like having this mini revelation some time ago that the power of Jesus's resurrection is in me and that it helps me overcome any situations..and the part that 'when life is difficult, its cuz God lives us'. He was very true in saying that it is only in times of brokeness that we learn and remember. And towards the end, i cldn help but to cry. It was tears of being overwhelmed by God's love, tears when i rmb of God's faithfulness :)

Thank You God.

Faithfulness.

2009-06-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday i was just feeling inadequate about responsibilities in cell that i gotta take on when i return. I confided in God frankly and slowly today, i got the answer. ( muaha, holy spirit teaches me) It all lies in a word, faithfulness. Faithfulness in a mutual way.

Taken from http://cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/PERSONAL/k/244/Fruit-of-Spirit-Faithfulness.htm,

One aspect of God's faithfulness in challenges or trials is:

God will never lay on us anything beyond our power to overcome. This was also what Gloria encouraged me recently, saying that when God brings us to sth, He brings us thru it. He knows how much pressure our hearts can stand. Do teachers give college-level assignments to a first grader and expect them to perform? Men are careful not to overload a truck, horse, mule or ox. I kinda disagree here thou..there are ridiculously difficult nus exams and transport tools do get overloaded at times. Will God be any less merciful and faithful to us, His children He is creating in His image? He clearly recognizes His obligation to the work of His own hands to supply our needs and shape the burdens needed to prepare us for His Kingdom.

And because of God's faithfulness and love, i am promised the strength to be faithful. I want to hear God saying to me, Well done, good and faithful servant

Anws..i went for Suanne and Thies s' wedding at church in the afternoon and i really like this praise and worship song. I think we sang it during service before as well :D

:)

2009-06-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

I just read some german devotional article that Jo printed for me and nat. The feeling was so different. I have subconsciously dreaded german, or maybe even hated it. But as i read the article just now, i enjoyed learning the new words once again. It wasnt a chore like before. It was a joy that wasnt always present. It may have come a lil late, but better than never :D

Each day a learning day.

2009-06-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

As much as i was freaked out, i am so glad God teaches me each day. :)

More precious than gold or silver

2009-06-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

Went for cell today and i thoroughly enjoyed the praise and worship session. I love how every phrase in worship songs express the character of God, one that is full of love, grace, glory, power, majesty, etc. I love how phrases also express who i have experienced God's love and works in my life. Love the opportunity to praise and worship God with fellow bro and sis in Christ as well. :)

I also said my first prayer in german today. I was prompted to pray a few times but chickened out cuz i know my german prayers wld prob be slow and broken. Anws during the last round of prayers, we prayed for the pastoral team and Dirk urged me to pray. So i spoke an incoherent prayer that was full of lingustic mistakes. That aside, i was in fact happy that Dirk nudged me to pray in german in the group cuz it helped me overcome the inertia in me. Besides, i know that God knows what i meant and listens to my prayers..so the main aim is achieved! :P

As i was reflecting today, i saw how i relied more on God during this period, how i communicated more with God, more i learnt to continually trust Him, find rest in Him, draw strength from Him, etc. What amazing grace, that i can enjoy such a precious relationship with our heavenly Father thru Jesus.

Thank you, God.

2009-06-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. Ps 55:22

How could i forget sth that i once knew? It's all about surrendering at the cross. About saying to God, Father, I need your help.. take care of my burdens for me pls.

Thank you God for each new day that u make,
for your new mercies everyday,
for your word that counsels, guides, comforts and encourages.
for my family, there's so much blessings and love attached to this simple word.
for people and circumstances around me
in short, for your unfailing love.

Halfway thru.

2009-05-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

It is nearing the end of May, which marks the mid-way of my SEP. It has been an exciting journey with God so far, learning to rely on Him more, learning to hear from Him more, learning abt His heart, pouring out my heart to Him..etc

I am still struggling with the german language for lessons and communication with the germans. shucks. But am constantly thankful i get the chance to really immerse in a more german SEP, cuz i knew from the start i didnt want a touristy one. Am thankful i meet really nice and hospitable friends in church and school, thou i really wished i cld chat more freely with them and not be limited by my linguistic ability.

And i miss home regularly :( At times i wished i could teleport home over the weekends or sth. And this feeling creeps in almost every week :l

There's a thousand more thoughts that run thru my mind each week and thru it all, i am so glad i have God with me. :)

Lamentations 3:22-24

2009-05-08T02:50:00.001-07:00

Your love never fails, you have new mercies for me everyday. I never experienced this so, so deeply till recently. I have sung this song so many times in church without grasping the meaning of a few lines. And i am so glad the lyrics reminded me of God's love and grace just when i needed it.

2009-03-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

Today was the last youth service and serving in the welcome team..till i return from SEP. Was kinda sad during ushering briefing cuz it was only in the recent weeks that i warmed up to some of them. And it really multiplies the fun when we get to know one another better and welcome pple to the house of God together. But it's ok, i will be back to serve tgter in Aug! hahas.

After dinner, some of us went to chill at holland V. And while walking, i was talking to Priscilla abt her siblings and she mentioned that she wondered if sometimes, she loves her family too much to a dangerous extent. She was refering to Luke 14:26 If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. I was slightly shocked, because i was just thinking abt that verse during praise and worship session! In fact, each time when i am reminded abt that verse, i cant help but to think to myself: gosh, that's really hard, Jesus.

Just to quote Pastor Peter during sermon today,
we worship God not bcuz of convenience, but cuz of conviction. :)

2009-02-28T22:14:00.000-08:00

Gloria gave me the book Disappointment with God by Philip Yancey in December, but i never read it till today.I have 2 other books by PY but they didnt impact me much at that point of time. (not that they are not well written, but it prolly didnt answer my thoughts or needs during that period) But indeed the book sets me thinking..

Sufferings world-wide have always been present, and the question of ' If there is a God, why is there suffering?' is not new. If one day, someone were to challenge my faith, am i able to defend it? How do i gently explain everything? Sth like " Trust in the Father's Heart" works for me, but it will definitely not be easily received by many who have been thru extremely tough circumstances.

Nevertheless, I am only 15% thru the book and i am enjoying the new insights provided by py :)

pseudo reading week

2009-02-26T07:02:00.000-08:00

This week is NUS's reading wk so i have no lessons! Hibernated at home from mon to wed doing housework, reading, watching tv.I appreciate the serene moments spent with God but slacking at home can be quite unbearable after some time. Yesterday evening was refreshingly cool after a heavy downpour, thus i dragged my younger sis to go for a walk with me! We walked all the way to Bishan central to buy ice cream and took the same route home :D

Met Gloria at Vivo today and we watch the curious case of Benjamin Buttons. Enjoyed the movie...enjoyed watching Brad Pitt..and of course, enjoyed the time spent with her :D And after finishing my video clip, i received highlighted mistakes from my teacher and SO...it's time to figure out how to correct my horrible grammar and redo my clip. Ahhh.

wow.

2009-02-23T20:09:00.000-08:00

After reading about the terror attack at Cairo i went to google the map of egypt and israel because i wanted to be able to picture where Cairo and the Gaza strip are on the map. (to sidetrack, i recently found out that google is being used as a verb in german! but naturally it's spelt differently as googeln & I wonder how the German language will evolve further a few centuries down the road under the influence of English..) So this search brought me back the world map, which never fails to excite me and get me dreaming about exploring the different countries in the world. As much as i will never be able to tour the whole world, it takes my breath away to know that we have such an awesome creator! Besides, i am merely looking at Earth. I am not even talking about the universe, and i will never be able to fanthom how God create, cares for and interacts with the world.

ps19.1
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

i will sing for joy!

2009-02-16T19:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Mikey left for australia. Hope he has a fufilling uni life over there :) Met up with liane before that and it was great being able to catch up, and also to pray tgter, which was important to me. But before i left the house i was feeling totally shitty. AH. i call that depression from being jobless and pigging out at home. So glad i got my lazy bum out of the house in the afternoon! I will never ever, NEVER want to be a housewife because staying at home too frequently makes me a depressed old hag!

Today as i walked to the swimming pool, i looked up to the sky and the beautiful blue sky was dotted with clouds, white with a tinge of shimmering gold. I realised the last time i looked up to admire the sky was quite a few weeks back man. hahas, it's ironic that i wrote a german poem about God painting the skies for us recently man. Anws, we have been singing this song for worship during service for quite some time but i didnt know the band name till recently marcus told me abt it. :D

"The Hand That Holds The World"

No greater joy
Is there than this
To know for what
We're meant to live

To hold Your hand
To touch Your face
To find ourselves
In loves embrace

I want to stand before the King
Join in the song that heaven sings
I want to hold the hand that holds the world

I want to know the mystery
Reach out and touch the majesty
I want to hold the hand tht holds the world

No greater love
Could be bestowed
That You would name us as your own

Your daughters sing
Your sons rejoice
They gather here before Your throne

You are, You are
The author of creation
We are, the chrildren of your heart

You are, You are,
The light of all the heaven
We rise, to worship all You are

For you, the lover of my soul.

2009-02-15T21:43:00.001-08:00

Wenn Du die Welt mit Meinen Augen Sehen Könntest...

Wenn du die Welt mit meinen Augen sehen könntest, dann würdest du wissen, dass ich einen großen Maler kenne.

Schau einfach oben zum Himmel und da ist doch sein unbegrenztes Gemälde.

Wenn du den Himmel mit meinen 4-jährigen Augen angestarrt hättest, wärst du ganz fasziniert, weil der Maler viele weiße flaumige „Tiere“ auf dem Himmel gemalt hat. Nach ein paar Jahren später hättest du erfassen, dass die „Tiere“ eigentlich Wolken sind.

Jetzt wärst du immer bewundern, wenn viele schöne Wolken den weiten blauen Himmel verzieren. Besonders würdest die Zeichnung dir gefallen, in der die Sonnenstrahlung durch die Wolken scheint und alles ganz majestätisch aussieht.

Wenn du in Deutschland und Pulau Ubin mit meinen Augen sehen hättest, dann hättest du die wolkenlose, sternenklare Nacht durchaus genossen. Dort hättest du gedacht, wie hat der großer Maler ihre Schönheit so wundervoll gemacht?

Manchmal spannt sich ein unendlicher, prächtiger Regenbogen nach den grauen Gewitterwolken. Mit meinen Augen würdest du an das Alten Testament erinnern, in dem Gott zwischen Noah und den Menschen einen Bund schloss.

Wenn du die Welt mit meinen Augen sehen könntest, dann würdest wissen, dass dieser großer Maler Gott ist. Du wolltest dann den Schöpfer der Natur fragen, warum mahlen Sie so viele himmlische Zeichungen?

Er würde sanft lächeln und sagen, „Um Dich zu verwöhnen.“

2009-02-15T21:01:00.001-08:00

URGH. :(
URGGGH.. :(:(

Cool stuff.

2009-02-10T04:35:00.000-08:00

It has been a few consecutive days that whenever i read God's word, it disciplines, rebukes and comforts me. Just exactly when i need it. God speaks, and i am so glad i chose to put time aside to listen.

Yesterday started off with intense drilling that came from renovations at the lift. They removed all the tiles and created a hurricane of dust, which i got a shock when i opened the door, only to quickly close it, grab a few tissues to cover my nose and dashed to the 22nd storey to take the lift instead. Needless to say, my ears hurt like crazy for the next few hours even after i left the house. I wonder if the workers actually wore ear plugs because even after i stuffed cotton into my ears, a few hours of drilling made me so frustrated and really, my ears hurt.

Went for a long, long walk with rach at East Coast Park in the late afternoon. We met Rui En and Terence Cao who were filming and Julian Hee who was walking 2 dogs. One of which is a german shepherd. Saw many cute toddlers and dogs and we spent arnd 30mins at the cable-skiing area watching people. It was a great time of chatting, chilling and just relaxing in such a serene environment.

Today i got up of bed early and reluctantly for my 8am dental appointment at NDC. Then headed down to school to settle mapping stuff and met kai yun for lunch. Had a nice time catching up with her! :D I shall try to make it a point to meet her for lunch every tue and then do some reading in school..hahas hopefully laziness doesnt get the better of me when the time comes.

First post of 2009 :)

2009-02-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

It has been ages since i have last blogged! Will have a slow paced school life in february before i fly in March and i really hope to achieve the following during this period of time:

1. Spend more time with God
2. Brush up on my German so that i wont fail my modules!!

Since i always have a verse of the semester, I have decided to pick out 2 key verses for this semester!

1 John 4:11-12
Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
i still love 1 Cor 13 :)

Hebrews 6:11-12
We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Discipline, discipline, discipline... grow up spiritually!

u hold my world?

2008-12-13T19:46:00.000-08:00

this is ridiculous. I am supposed to pack for my batam camp for tmr yet i am worrying about my trip in march. It entails so much uncertainties and i am facing so much constraint due to cash and my small built compared to big ang mohs who can carry much luggage. It would feel so good to say 'if only' .. like if only i have more cash to spare.

Then again, i feel so guilty spending so much on traveling and exchange. It's like something extra. On top of basic education, which is already a luxury i am blessed with. URGH.

When everything fades, you will still be honey on my lips

2008-12-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

It has been quite some time since i last blogged. Exams ended on4 Dec and my holidays have been enjoyable so far! :)

After the last paper outside LT7a. This time leoleo wasnt in our usual after-exam pix.

Then we went to watch Bolt and had Jap food @ Ichiban :)

And slept over @ Jas's house. Played Monopoly till 4-5 am and managed to sleep for a few hours before we went shopping @ Queensway the next morning!

Wayne was feeling super rich and spent so much during the 2 days! Ended our Jie Mei outing cum stayover with a pic @ Anchorpoint.

Also, Jas and i signed up for the air-pistol beginners course organised by NUS air shooting club. It's such a coincidence that i met my primary school friend Zehan who is the organiser of the course. We had great fun, despite Jas gg to civil service club instead of homeNS and me... gg to the wrong wing of the building and made circles in the building itself before getting to the shooting range. I managed to shoot in the Bull's eye on one of the cards that i brought home too :D

Went out shopping with Jie and Marcus too :) And met Nat twice to plan for our trip to Scandinavia. We decided to just visit Stockholm(Sweden) and Tromso(Norway) and the plans are getting me all excited because

i want to catch the Aurora in Tromso!

and try dog-sledding in the Artic Circle as well :)

Of course i feel the financial pinch and uncertainty of traveling and really hope God blesses our trip!

And ultimately, when all the hustle bustle fades away, when i put all the plans aside, Jesus, you are still my best friend whose presence i want the most.

I want to hold the hand that holds the world

2008-11-29T18:01:00.000-08:00

Who are we, that the creator of the universe would be mindful of us?
Who are we, that He knows us by name?

Beautiful one i love,
Beautiful one i adore,
Beautiful one, my soul must sing.

2008-11-15T08:16:00.000-08:00

rushrushrushfeelinglousyfeelingsadbutgladshegotreallygreatteammateswantingtojustbeherselfingodspresencewhydoihavetoberesponsibleformybrothersirresponsibilityiguesshowgodseesusaspreciouschildrenashowiwouldlovenadtreasureeastereventhoushesblackandoldandhasholesbutiloveherjustthewaysheis

the closing sem.

2008-11-12T06:19:00.000-08:00

YipEee one module down! Today marks the official end of German 5, which i probably have to S/U juding from today's exam. lol. But the thought of su-ing really takes the load off my shoulders. Enjoyed working with Michelle on our German Project especially and i like this small class of 12 :) Many of them are thinking of taking german 6 and i do hope i can sit in for the lessons till my SEP.. that would be super cool :D

Your living word that always speaks.

2008-10-26T02:39:00.000-07:00

Your word
is living water that gives life and quenches that thirst within,
a powerful double edged sword ,
light that guides my path,
sweeter than honey to my lips,
and i mean every word that i say.

ein bisschen langsamer, bitte.

2008-10-16T01:07:00.000-07:00

warum gibt es viel Frust innerhalb mir? Manchmal fühle ich mich ganz schlecht.

Vielen Dank, Vater Gott.

2008-09-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

For my ever expanding family

my lovely sisters

great food

parents who pour out unconditional love

sister who knows me inside out

brothers and sisters in Christ

close friend

my special one

their efforts to make my day a memorable one

great time together

and Your everlasting love that will last even when memories fade.

I thank You, God.

May God bless you.

2008-09-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

Recent feelings reminded me of this prayer that is printed at the front of the 40day season book.

May God bless you with discomfort
at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships
so that you may live deep within ur heart

may God bless you with anger
at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people
so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace

may God bless you with tears,
to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
to turn their pain into joy

and may God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in the world
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done
to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor. Amen.

A trip to hell.

2008-09-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

Suffering severe stomach pains due to food poisoning was like a trip to hell. Was really sorry i woke my sis up with my cries, troubled my bro and dad to send me to the doctor at 2am plus when they shld be sleeping..yet at the same time God was showing me the way my dad loves and how my bro does care. :)

God would say, i love you just the way u are.

2008-09-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

I enjoy talking to Robinaa from my german class because she has this endearing and bubbly disposition that makes me gravitate towards her. Then today i found out that she's penta-lingual! She can speak English, German, Swedish, French and Chinese. How cool is that.. esp when her command of the first 3 languages is really good. She has exciting experiences in New Zealand (where she grew up in ), Germany, Sweden and currently in Singapore. There are just many things that admittedly make me really envious and i somwhow wished i grew up being more 'international'.... and today i also found out that Michelle got the DUO award for her exchange! ( It's a super duper attractive scholarship that's interview-free and valued at 4,000 euros!! I applied for it but didnt get it.sigh. ) Once again, i was like wow.. how i wished...

Then again, i knew the way i felt was wrong. If God were to speak, i am pretty sure He would be telling me how unique He has made each one of us. I have focused so many of the wow-factors in the lives of others that i have took the blessings in my life for granted. I have failed to appreciate the beauty of my own life that's crafted by God our creator.

Anws, the recent spate of affairs like Merril Lynch being bought by the Bank of America..and AIG that almost collapsed but was saved by the US gov drew my attention to the complicated US market.. the way economics functions intrigues me and currently i cant grasp the concepts like subprime mortgage market, credit crunch, the US housing bubble, etc. Gosh, i should find Jie to link everything up and explain to me in simple, idiot-proof terms :D

Perspective.

2008-09-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

my current fav song, which we sang for cell too. :) Enjoyed preparing for cell and enjoyed cell as well :) Thank God for the ideas and flow, and may he grow the seeds planted in our hearts.

Anws today was a really demoralising day. I spent like close to 3 hrs on each question and am still unable to solve my biothermodynamics qns. Stress levels escalated exponentially and made me feel so suffocated.:(

But today's sermon was really good and i am totally amazed how God places pple in different backgrounds, allow them to experience various circumstances, and make all things happen for their good..and to bless other pple as well. I am sure his gift of academic excellence, great command of language, being a buddhist initially, borne into a family of several religions, took drugs, and various other circumstances wasnt by chance. It's a unique mixture that God had in mind to mould him. Was constantly reminded of my prc colleague during the sermon as well and i wished i heard this message before my internship ended man. :/

Time to lift my eyes off the probs, and turn back to God.

more than a language lesson.

2008-09-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

I wanted to learn a 3rd language, but God taught me more. He taught me humility and grace, empathy and also perseverance. I must admit i have always been very sheltered, from teachers in school to mentors in my internship, i have been blessed to meet very kind pple. Welcome to the school of life, where i must learn to ignore ( in marcus's terms) or simply learn to be thick skinned. Show some toughness, jasmin.

a lost love found.

2008-09-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

I am someone of great inertia and proscrastinate alot. Yet yesterday i just felt like staying back in school today to run. And thank God, the weather was perfect for a lovely jog @ the school track :D

When i stepped on the track, the feeling was simply amazing. I realised how much i missed running in a team. Snippets of nj memories on the track also came flooding back.. like the morning jogs with canoeing gals, running with mr yong to achieve my 2.4 personal best, running up slopes with cross country gals, and even pe lessons ..like teck kuan cheering me on. It was a nice, warm feeling that i get only from jogging in a school environment with atheletes training at the track as well.

As i ran, i am also reminded of Biomechanics. Learning about how much force is exerted on our joints during exercise made me a little kiasi ..or shld i say, more aware of the importance of resting the joints? It made the daily runs in the past seem incredible and those uncles running marathons seem like energiser bunnies with super joints.

Hopefully when i degenerate into a slob in the near future, i will be reminded of this feeling and head for a rejuvenating jog at the track.

Pao ba, hai zi.

Der Liebesbrief des Vaters

2008-09-08T06:31:00.001-07:00

Der Liebesbrief des Vaters

Mein Kind,

Ich kenne dich ganz genau,
selbst wenn du mich vielleicht noch nicht kennst.
Psalm 139,1

Ich weiß, wann du aufstehst
und wann du schlafen gehst.
Psalm 139,3

Ich kenne alle deine Wege.
Psalm 139,3

Ich habe alle Haare auf deinem Kopf gezählt.
Matthäus 10,29-31

Ich habe dich nach meinem Bild geschaffen.
1. Mose 1,27

Durch mich lebst und existierst du.
Apostelgeschichte 17,28

Du bist mein Kind.
Apostelgeschichte 17,28

Ich kannte dich schon, bevor du geboren wurdest.
Jeremia 1,4-5

Ich habe dich berufen,
als ich die Schöpfung geplant habe.
Epheser 1,11-12

Du warst kein Unfall. Ich habe jeden einzelnen
Tag deines Lebens in mein Buch geschrieben.
Psalm 139,15-16

Ich habe den Zeitpunkt und den Ort deiner Geburt
bestimmt und mir überlegt, wo du leben würdest.
Apostelgeschichte 17,26

Ich habe dich auf erstaunliche
und wunderbare Weise geschaffen.
Psalm 139,14

Ich habe dich im Leib deiner
Mutter kunstvoll gestaltet.
Psalm 139,13

Ich habe dich am Tag deiner
Geburt hervorgerufen.
Psalm 71,6

Menschen, die mich nicht kannten,
haben mich in falscher Weise repräsentiert.
Johannes 8,41-44

Ich bin nicht weit von dir weg oder zornig auf dich.
Ich bin die Liebe in Person.
1. Johannes 4,16

Ich wünsche mir nichts sehnlicher,
als dir meine Liebe verschwenderisch zu schenken.
1. Johannes 3,1

Ich biete dir mehr an, als ein Vater
auf der Erde es je könnte.
Matthäus 7,11

Ich bin der vollkommene Vater.
Matthäus 5,48

Alle guten Dinge, die du empfängst,
kommen von mir.
Jakobus 1,17

Ich stille alle deine Bedürfnisse und sorge für dich.
Matthäus 6,31-33

Ich habe Pläne für dich,
die voller Zukunft und Hoffnung sind.
Jeremia 29,11

Ich liebe dich mit einer Liebe, die nie aufhören wird.
Jeremia 31,3

Meine guten Gedanken über dich sind
so zahlreich wie der Sand am Meeresstrand.
Psalm 139,17-18

Ich freue mich so sehr über dich,
dass ich nur jubeln kann.
Zephania 3,17

Ich werde nie aufhören, dir Gutes zu tun.
Jeremia 32,40

Du bist für mich ein kostbarer Schatz.
2. Mose 19,5

Ich wünsche mir zutiefst,
dich fest zu gründen und deinem Leben Halt zu geben.
Jeremia 32,41

Ich will dir große und unfassbare Dinge zeigen.
Jeremia 33,3

Wenn du mich von ganzem Herzen suchen wirst,
werde ich mich von dir finden lassen.
5. Mose 4,29

Habe deine Freude an mir - ich will dir das geben,
wonach du dich sehnst.
Psalm 37,4

Ich selbst habe diese Wünsche und
Sehnsüchte in dich hineingelegt
Philipper 2,13

Ich kann viel mehr für dich tun,
als du es dir denken kannst.
Epheser 3,20

Ich bin derjenige, der dich am meisten ermutigt.
2. Thessalonicher 2,16-17

Wenn dein Herz zerbrochen ist,
bin ich dir nahe.
Psalm 34,18

Wie ein Hirte ein Lamm trägt,
so trage ich dich an meinem Herzen.
Jesaja 40,11

Eines Tages werde ich jede Träne
von deinen Augen abwischen.
Offenbarung 21,3-4

Und ich werde alle Schmerzen
deines Lebens wegnehmen.
Offenbarung 21,3-4

Ich bin dein Vater und ich liebe dich genauso,
wie ich meinen Sohn Jesus liebe.
Johannes 17,23

Jesus spiegelt mein Wesen in
vollkommener Weise wider.
Hebräer 1,3

Er kam auf diese Welt, um zu zeigen,
dass ich nicht gegen dich bin, sondern für dich.
Römer 8,32

Er kam, um dir zu sagen, dass ich deine
Sünden nicht länger anrechne.
2. Korinther 5,18-19

Jesus starb, damit du und ich
wieder versöhnt werden können.
2. Korinther 5,18-19

Sein Tod war der extremste Ausdruck meiner Liebe zu dir.
1. Johannes 4,10

Ich habe alles für dich aufgegeben,
weil ich deine Liebe gewinnen will.
Römer 8,31-32

Wenn du das Geschenk, das Jesus dir macht,
annimmst, empfängst du meine Liebe.
1. Johannes 2,23

Nichts kann dich jemals von meiner Liebe trennen.
Römer 8,38-39

Komm nach Hause, damit wir die beste Party feiern können,
die der Himmel je gesehen hat.
Lukas 15,7

Ich war schon immer dein Vater und werde
immer ein Vater für dich sein.
Epheser 3,14-15

Ich frage dich nun:
Willst du mein Kind sein?
Johannes 1,12-13

Ich warte auf dich.
Lukas 15,11-32

Alles Liebe, dein Papa,
der allmächtige Gott

Sie sind erstaunlich

2008-09-08T06:23:00.000-07:00

Es ist sehr erstaunchlich,
wie Sie meine Stimmung heben
wie Sie mein Gebet antworten
wie Sie uns Ihre Liebe überschütten
Sie, sind ehrfürchtig.

2008-09-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

keep ur eyes fixed on God, cuz He's doesn fail us. When your heart sinks, turn to Him. All i need is You.

Ich werde lernen, Schritt fuer Schritt.

2008-08-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday i had my first German lesson in German 5. There are only 12 students taking that module and most of them are students who came back from SEP. They can speak really well..or even if not really well, they are just so comfortable using the language after staying in Germany for 6 to 12 months. Gosh. There's also this Polish guy who has 7 years of experience in learning the language.. i have no idea why is he taking this module!! It seems to me that he probably will not learn anything new cuz he's so proficient in the language already. There's another French guy who also has a good command in the language.

I felt totally intimidated. :(

I doubted whether i made a right choice in taking the module. There were many times i didnt understand what the teacher was saying because there's just too many foreign vocab/ i just didnt catch her words. There are a few times pple nod in agreement or laugh in unison but i had a big question mark on my mind..or maybe even face. It seemed that the pple are there either to polish their German after returning from SEP / chill and pull up their CAP/ and 3 of us who are gg for exchange next semester. sigh. But it was yet another lesson from God. It was more than a language lesson. Feeling so inadequate once again helped me to emphathise even greater with PRC students who come over to Singapore to study. I have seen their strong desire for academic success in Nanyang and NUS. I have seen them struggle with languages (English and German) and yet are always striving.

That reminded me of Exodus 23:9. Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt.

Anyway i rejected thoughts of dropping the module because there's so much i can learn thou i will really struggle. After all, the true challenge lies in my exchange when i face native speakers, not just students with a much better command of the language.

Your grace is enough.

2008-08-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

THIS IS OUR GOD

VERSE 1:
Your grace is enough
More than I need
At Your word I will believe
I wait for You
Draw near again
Let Your Spirit make me new

CHORUS:
I will fall at Your feet
I will fall at Your feet
And I will worship You here

VERSE 2:
Your presence in me
Jesus light the way
By the power of Your word
I am restored
I am redeemed
By Your Spirit I am free

BRIDGE:
Freely You gave it all for us
Surrendered Your life upon that cross
Great is the love
Poured out for all
This is our God
Lifted on high from death to life
Forever our God is glorified
Servant and King
Rescued the world
This is our God

A different window.

2008-08-14T03:40:00.000-07:00

After 3 days of waking up early for sch, i finally got to sleep in today! :) Collected my biopass at ICA before i met my mum for Money No Enough2 @ J8. Ate together at the interchange before gg home too :)

Initially i thought Money No Enough2 would be another cliche attempt of Jack Neo to poke fun at the government, but after watching the movie with my mum today, i found it surprisingly good. I didnt enjoy the parts they kept mocking the ERP system cuz the costs of living has to rise and this is inevitable. But perhaps by thinking in this way I am being unfair to the folks who struggle to scrimp and save every cent. Nevertheless, i personally enjoyed the scenes that tug at the heartstring of mine, a true-bred Singaporean Chinese. It provided a window to look at the society differently and reminded me to treasure kinship, sth that we often take for granted.

I liked the scene where the mother and wife of the eldest son reassured him that his value in their hearts that would not be diminished by his failure in his career. It also reminded of our value in God's heart. The pastor from FOP said that every child of God is graded 10/10 in His heart. A constant 10. How cool is that :)

of mixed emotions.

2008-08-13T07:56:00.001-07:00

Tue was horrendous. I had a horrible nightmare! And despite waking up at early 6 plus, i arrived 30mins late for my lecture..but only to sleep for 1 hr and woke up for the last 30mins of lecture. I take comfort in knowing this is only the first week of sch and i can slack a lil for my lectures. Waited from 10 to 5 for a stupid thermodynamics tutorial, which was absolutely ridiculous cuz the lecturer hardly taught anything to equip us for the tut. I think the only good thing that happened from 10 to 5 was talking to natalie from 10-11 as she waited for students who wanted to buy her books. :) I had a horrible eye-headache in the evening and night and i was just feeling like crap due to various reasons. Thank God for my mum and sis who cared when i was feeling super down and crying for reasons only God knows.

Today was much better cuz lessons started at 9. Got to know a German exchange student during lecture today thru Arnold and once again i felt my inadequacy in the German lang, esp understanding accented German :( Mum sms-ed me during lect to ask if i was feeling better :) Met Keith after lessons to catch up abt cell stuff and later dear, dalun and desmond came along. Stayed in lib with des for a lil while before i headed home. Dozed off on the journey home and i missed my stop, only to end up at some potong pasir stop. Fortunately, i have a great sense of direction and found my way home eventually. :P

I finally finished reading the Manga Messiah today. Sometimes i wished i have the ability to travel back in time. Should that be possible, i want to go back to the time when Jesus was crucified and died for us... then again, witnessing how our savious died for us may just be too painful to bear.

Back to school!

2008-08-11T06:20:00.000-07:00

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, and it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejioces with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I decided on 1 Cor: 13 for my key verses of this sem! After 3 months of break, i am ready for a new semester and i am in fact v excited abt the semester. In fact i look forward to all 4 Bioengineering modules because step by step, we are getting closer to the real stuff. lol. I know it will not be easy, esp when i have to wake up at 6.20 for my 8am lessons and the modules are definitely gg to get more and more difficult. And i gotta revise my german soon before lessons start!!! I dont want to be muted and lost during my german lessons... :( and I hope that i will not lose sight of God when the going gets tough. :)

2008-08-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

Yay, my current fav song :D

The week has been a great one :)

Sun: watched online movie with dear, FOP with dear and gloria, prayed at my fav swings. Turning point when i got out of the calvinism mind trap, thanks to my mum, dear, FOP sermon and even the manga messiah book that reminded me of God's character as a great God.

Mon: swam, spring-cleaned the house, AMK hub with dear, Fish & co with beth franco and dear, long walk after dinner, chilled at starbucks.

Tue: Solidworks, dark knight with dear, salty popcorn! Amphitheatre at night with cool breeze :)

wed: solidworks, jas dajie and i surprised wayne with a cake. shopped at toa payoh.felt so much like secondary school days when i had time after school to shop. over-ate pancakes and felt like puking when i swam later.. lol

thurs: solidworks. met Victor with dear for lunch. packed my books and notes.

I am very excited about the new semester but yet dread not having as much time to relax like now. But it's ok,i am sure there will be new things God will teach me this coming sem and i am looking forward to it :D

Sie sind mein Gott.

2008-08-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

What if reverent fear becomes a warped type of fear? I refuse to accept Calvinism. I cant reoncile with the fact that a loving Father will predestine His creation to be unsaved? Isnt it scary if your family member or friend happens to be one of those God predestined to be unsaved?What's the whole point of evangelism in this case? What if one day we all find out the matrix is true? This is not unimportant because it affects my perception of God, man, salvation, what grace and mercy truly means. The mind is indeed a battlefield.

Der Himmel, der Gott malt.

2008-07-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

I have always enjoyed looking at the sky. To me, the sky is God's canvas, through which He paints to speak to us. It has the power to amaze, comfort or even calm raging seas within me. At times when i feel down, looking up at the boundless sky just lifts me up. It jolts me out of things that i unconsciously dwell on and reminds me that hey, God is much bigger than my problems isnt it?

Perhaps the next time when you are walking on the streets, just lift up ur head, to see the awesome work of our God, our wonderful creator. You may just hear what our Father wants to say to you.

I will be still, and know You are God.

2008-07-26T20:38:00.001-07:00

Celebrated Mummy's birthday at Shokudo last monday.

Happy Birthday Mummy!!

Family Pic :)

Xiao Mei and marc

Then it was Jie-meis farewell dinner on wed for Amy who will be flying to the US for NOC pretty soon. Sigh, it means no leoleo to laugh with, laugh at, crap with for 1 year! Come to think of it, i have known her for 6 years! :)

Group shot

Fooling arnd with Amy and Jas :P

Over the weekends, i went to shop with dear and attended leepeng's 21st bday party @ an east coast chalet :D

With marc @ swissotel

team with leepeng!

Pretty birthday gal :D

Am back :)

2008-07-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

I cant get my previous address youpaint-theskies back :'(
Will be using inaweof-you instead... Shall briefly update abt the fun weekend!

Sat: Met a few of the canoeing gals at mich's house first before we headed for Mindy's 21st bday party!

Had cell outreach on sunday @ Sentosa and God was so great to bless us with breezy and cooling weather. We had fun with frisbee and captains ball but unfortuately there were minor accidents here and there. Nevertheless it was still a great time at the beach!

Met up with Gloria, Mich and Weiying @ Holland Village on monday. We had mexican food and then chilled at island creamery with desserts :)

The tree man.

2008-06-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

read about Dede here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1895809/'Tree-man'-regains-use-of-hands-New-pictures.html

I watched a documentary about the tree man yesterday and my immediate reaction was one of fear and disgust.. because the roots looking warts on his hands and extensive tumours all over his body send creeps down my spine!! I cringe, and could not bear to look at times. Then when marcus said that his reaction was of ' so poor thing', i was shamed immediately. Where was my heart for the man, or in the eyes of God, for this child of His?

But i was desensitised after some time and didnt cringe as much towards the end of the show. Multiple thoughts and feelings ran through my mind throughout the show. The documentary also featured Dede's friends who have growths on their bodies and together, they perform for the circus in the city. What was heart-wrenching was a scene where Dede had to pull a vehicle using his hair until his scalp was red. Such was the exploitation of Dede, which his 'circus manager' claims was all in a bid to provide help for Dede. Yet there was no complaints from Dede, his face was one of resignation because that was his only means to earn a living.

Once in a while, we need to take our eyes off our own lives and look around. Then we will realise how often we take things for granted.

Tame that tongue.

2008-06-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

A few incidents led me to be really convicted that when one is consumed by anger, or even hatrd, he can hardly control his tongue. Wicked and deceitful words are often then spoken and they harm, they hurt. Just take a couple who quarrels for example, it's has become rather common for them to say hurtful things like ' i regret marrying you', ' i hate u', ' let's divorce'... Such are things satan places in our minds when we are angry. Hahs, never underestimate the repercussions of such careless remarks. I am sure when such remarks are said, it subconsciously seeps into our minds and slowly we are deceived into believing them. Worse remarks will then be thrown at each other in subsequent quarrels.. and tadah, it opens the floodgates to future hurtful comments.

For us to make sure we dont use words that are wicked or seductive or deceitful, we must ask God to give us restraint-- to help us say only what is positive and heloful. The Holy Spirit can guide us to be even tempered.

water and joy.

2008-06-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

As i was swimming towards the end of the pool, i saw this familiar tall, toned physique standing by the pool, looking for a strategic lane to swim in.

It was.. MR YONG.

YES, Mr yong. As usual, he came from canoeing training at macritchie for his swim. I never understood where his boundless source of energy comes from. I called out to him and we chatted. But after that, i started to wonder whether he really recognised me or talked to me as an ex-canoeist. First becuz i was wearing a swim cap and goggle, secondly cuz i graduated 3 years ago. How possible is it that he remembers a jasmin whom he taught 3 years ago? Nevertheless, he told me that he was training for a 3000 laps swim in 2 years time. I was shocked, 3000 laps?!??!?! I dont think i have ever clocked that distance in my lifetime.

He swam breaststroke throughout and i had to swim freestyle to match up with his after-canoeing-breaststroke speed for the last few lap. I just felt so invigorated seeing a familiar face and that motivated me to swim a lil faster than my usual snail pace. At the end of my swim, my face was a lil warm and that was the feeling i always get after morning runs in jc. I have never felt that way for ages cuz i have been slacking! hahahas. It sure felt god to have swim beyond my comfort..or rather super-slack zone for that few laps!

yet another week of blessings.

2008-06-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

Almost a week has passed and i thoroughly enjoy my hols :) Went shopping @ ikea with sis on sat and we had smoked salmon and meat balls! :) We smuggled ice cream up the bus from ikea to church as well using the unfolded box that we bought as a shield. tsk! Had team gathering on sunday to celebrate chiteng's birthday and we had delicious seasoned meat.. prepared by US :):) But of cuz, nothing beats the great company!

I shifted workdesk twice during work this week and face a constant technical problem with my com and the settings at the workplace... they do not have a com for me currently and i hafta bring my own laptop. Face frustration at times but i know God is always teaching me sth. I still count my blessings for the great supervisors, lunch kahkis , evening swims, delicious dinner cooked by mum, meeting/ talking to dear, etc. These lil small things really make my week :)

Glide, and breathe.

2008-05-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

One of the things that i enjoy the most is swimming and i have started swimming again recently after not doing so for more than one semester. In fact, ever since i broke my arm at the start of the year. The feel of gliding through the water brings much pleasure, it's a sensation that deeply etches to ur mind. Perhaps it's the surge of endorphins. :)

On my way to the pool yesterday, i was so fortunate to catch this beautiful sunset view. It's like a mixture of orange, blue and red swirled in the right proportion that is so awesome, it takes my breathe away. How apt of my blog address ' youpaint-theskies'. heh, God is a wonderful artist isnt it.

Things at work have picked up this week.. except for the discomfort due to my sore throat and feeling a lil feverish today. I felt like an architect or contractor today cuz i had to draw out the layout of the sterile rooms in the lab, which was pretty enjoyable so i didnt feel sleepy at all!

Anws, i wanted to visit Xiaxue's blog and accidentally typed in http://www.xiaxue.blogpsot.com/ ... those who have sharp eyes will notice that i typed blogPSot instead of blogSPot. which led me to some christian webbie. I was shocked for a few seconds cuz it's unlike XX to post religious contents, let alone a long list of evangelistic contents!! Then I speculated that perhaps her blog was hacked into...but immediately i noticed my typo error. -_- Hahas, perhaps it would do readers good to read sth edifying instead of hmm.. not-very-edifying stuff written by xx. lol.

Faith.

2008-05-25T06:31:00.000-07:00

Deborah Reeds was the guest speaker for saturday youth service and she led pple into prophesying over their lives. Then Liane asked me, what if the visions the pple had are merely what they imagine, hope to see? That very question struck me before..and even though i told her the politically correct answer of praying and asking God if that's from Him, etc.. i cant help but to wonder, then why did so many pple see visions like armour, soldier etc.. Could it be a result of reading abt these from the Bible? I mean like once those images are registered in the brain, it's easy to just recall them, isnt it? O man, sometimes i wonder why i question .. and i wonder if it displeases God when i question.. cuz is it considered as doubt? Am i then not a child who has 'childlike faith' that pleases the Father?

I lose the drive easily too. I know God can renew .. so if i am not renewed, so that mean i have yet to rest in Him? I started work with this drive and motivationbut now i am partially deflated. I started the pray&fast thing with Marcus well, yet i cant persevere. I agreed to help Keith out but i think i cant really help and even when i do, i think i wasnt of much help.Okays, enough of ranting.. i am sure God is teaching me sth during this season.

2008-05-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

To what extent can we really claim

You are all i want,
You are all i ever needed.

the joy of the weekends when you work.

2008-05-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

I started the week feeling very refreshed but by thurs i was already very drained. It was more of physical fatigue but it kinda affected my spirits especially when i didnt have much challenging tasks to do on thurs. I was extremely tired and bored i could hardly keep my eyelids peeled. I do enjoy learning things at work but there's always this 15% of worktime when u get bored and the sleepy bug sets in... :/

Cell on friday was good..got to know Michael better by leading worship with him. lol lil bro with lil eyes. Had CLT on sat morning before i met gloria in the afternoon :) Before she came I sat down by the the fountain at raffles city alone, simply enjoying aolitude, looking at cute lil kids and waching pple pass by. Also enjoyed catching up and chatting with gloria when she came.. and looking back, it's amazing how our friendship evolved over 8 years. Though we do not get to meet very often, i am glad to have a friend whom i can connect to and talk abt deep stuff whenever we meet up. After service, some of us sent Belinda off at the airport and perhaps cuz i learn German as well, i feel so excited for her as well!

Today.. was CLT in the morning. Then spent the day with dear at town. :) I just realised how much of a horror it is to drive through little india on a sunday cuz the indians jay walk everywhere, like even 5cm away from cars..

tmr's a public hol and it's NO-WORK-JUST-RELAC day. SMILE :P

Ihre Erstaunlich Liebe

2008-05-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

my current fav song :)

Went out with marc after his last paper on tue! We watched ironman, which was very nice and not as guy-ish as what most girls think. Walked arnd Orchard after that and though my foot hurts at times, i still enjoyed myself alot :) Ate dinner at Jap Marche and had my fav salmon sashimi and unagi too!

Today was my first day of internship. I was really afraid that i would be late when i saw the morning peak hour jam at braddell- CTE, but was relieved when the jam only lasted till the cross junction. God blessed me with a bus 93 that came shortly after i reached the bus stop too and i arrvied at the office early after all :D Basically for today i observed how quality checks are carried out on the contact lens at the lab and familiarised myself with the production process. I even got to try checking for the lens power, diamater, curvature and wetness. The production line consists of a few processes with many QC checks in place esp since the eyes are very sensitive and delicate... and i gotta write them out before i see the one that's in place..gosh. It's exciting when i realise what i learn does build up my overall understanding of things and are relevant in the workplace. I am amazed when i found out that the company did not employ interns for the past few years and how great God is to provide me with this internship despite me feeling so inadequate in many ways. It was really an answer to my prayer of asking God to open doors and close doors for me when i was wondering whether i shld apply for church HIP prog. :)

i breathe freeeee-dom :)

2008-05-05T07:14:00.000-07:00

Today marks the official end of year2sem2! I was pretty tickled at how they attached big detachable tables to the chairs in LT7a and even placed a HUGE clock in front. And when i say huge, it's really beeeggg for a portable clock, like at least 1 metre in diameter. So when physio was finally over, it was time for pix again! :)

the big SISTER. lol.

now with er-jie

Lunched @ Mussel guys.. hmm without any muscle guy.

Will be working on Wed and so basically tmr's my only free weekday :( But will be out with dear tmr! :)

2008-05-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

I wished i had God's eyes, to see everything in perspective.

Die Zeit geht wie im Zug!

2008-04-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Huiying ang's bday celebrations on sunday :D

The Eintest test yesterday marked the end of one module! :) It was enjoyable reading about those crazy theories though i never really understood them fully... The module only aims to educate us on the bare minimum of the theories and it's fully up to individual students to read up more for better understanding.

If a parallel universe really exists, i will perhaps leave this universe to take a break and relac many corners over there.

Your living word. You, i cant fathom.

2008-04-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

The word of God speaks.

Yesterday when kaiyun shared how God's word about peace spoke to her thru the purpose driven book while she had much unrest within her, i smiled and was happy that God spoke to her. But being cynical me.. there was this 0.5% that says, ah, maybe it's just a coincidence. Maybe it's cuz ur situation forced u to interpret in such a way that whatever is being spoken ministers to u. Really, this cynicism within used to be much stronger but over time it's diminished due to conviction by personal experience.

Yet today, when i flipped open the daily bread, it spoke about finger-pointing and not judging. It tied in with the Sozo team incident on sat and what marcus reminded me. Bascially, i didnt understand why some sozo team members behaved so 'weirdly' and when rachel was disturbed by the 'hissing sounds' i couldn explain and reassure her exactly because i didnt understand why either! I concluded it was merely a cultural shock, just like should any christian from a baptist church visit a charismatic one and see them breaking out in tongues, he/she may conclude that we are a cult or sth. But as the days passed, it slowly settled in that i am just unable to fathom the multi-faceted Father. He is multi-cultural in such a way that pple can worship Him in such their own ways that are all pleasing to God.

When King David danced for the Lord, a lady judged him. When some scientist of the past said the earth was round, pple of the past ridiculed him. Similarly, it is beyond us to say what's right and wrong for certain issues.

The entry summed it up by saying ' and that's the bottom line---love. It's the glue that keeps us together over matters of opinions. So the next time you feel your grip tighten arnd a matter of personal prefernce, think about roman 14.13. If you stop passing judgement and make up your mind about what really matters, love will win every time! '

what makes lects fun.

2008-04-01T05:05:00.000-07:00

It's monday..

zZzzzz

Zzzzzzz

Wayne felt like taking pix ! :)

Shawn's funny pose...

hahaha erjie must be really honoured to have 3 great xiao meis taking pic with him

either amy's sense of balance is good .. or she has a flat head.. lol

celebrate the singaporean way.

2008-03-30T06:38:00.000-07:00

Had team gathering/mich bday celebration last sunday at Sudoku, a jap marche place at Raffles City. They had my favourite unagi yanagawa and salmon sashimi! As usual, we feasted like deprived kids and our fav drink for that day was the macha tea which was rich and sweet :) We talked to ps over the fone and mich even photoshopped her into our team pic =D lol. But it must be really an unforgettable celebration for mich who lost her car key and had to be towed home ... by a green truck! hahs.

It was Beth's graduation day on wed so beth, franco marcus and i went to Ministry of Food for dinner. The food was ok only but i enjoyed the time of chill-out by the merlion and later at fullerton hotel. :) Had dental check up on that same day too and yay, my teeth are surviving well so far. Praise the Lord! I really hope they do not die cuz the dentist said that there are cases where teeth do die 6mths/ 1 year after trauma. :(

Sozo team from Betel Church came over and i didnt comprehend some of their actions..

Anws, it was combined bday celebrations for dad and sis today! :) Had cake-cutting at home before we walked over to toa payoh for dinner. The crabs were not as nice as those at changi but the great company was that that mattered. :) Dad bought like 6 boxes of grapes over this weekend and i think they may last throughout the week.. woohoo!

bro bday

2008-03-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

Shopped with jie this afternoon and in the evening, we celebrated bro's bday @ Changi village where we had v nice black pepper crabs and salted egg butter crabs. yumm :) After learning about Einstein and his theories, i cant help but to fantacise about space time bending on Earth such that somehow.. perhaps there was a tunnel to suck me into and bring me into another planet or dimension of space. Then today on my way home, i wondered, is it possible that individual objects be in their own frames, such that when the mrt accelerates from rest, everyone and everything will flung to the back continuously and not succumb to the frame of the moving train? Will that happen for a floating object not subjected to 'gravity'? It would be pretty exciting to see chaos reign. lol, then again, it would be disastrous cuz our only safe mode of transport wld be walking..

surrender.

2008-03-05T07:11:00.001-08:00

2008-03-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

Read this insightful interpretation of Romans 8:28-29 last nite.

We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son.

We know-- Our hope in difficult times is not based on positive thinking, wishful thinking, or natural optimism. It is a certainty based on the truth that God is in complete control of our universe and that he loves us.

everything-- God's plan for your life involves all that happens to you, including your mistakes, your sins, and your hurts. It includes illness, debt, disasters, divorce(eh.. ), and death of loved ones. God can bring good our of the worst evil. He did at Calvary.

to work together-- not separately or independently. The events in your life work together in God's plan. They are not isolated acts but interdependent parts of the process to make you like Christ. To bake a cake you must use flour sat raw eggs sugar and oil. Eaten individually, each is pretty distasteful. But bake them together and they become delicious. If you will give God all your distasteful, unpleasant experiences, he will blend them together for good.

recess week

2008-02-29T20:37:00.000-08:00

Since my blog has been pretty wordy w/o pix,here are pix of physio lab 2/3 weeks back. hehs, it's one of the most fun and slack labs we have :)

me, jas and leo.

dajie and erjie gaying around. -_-

dajie using the spirometer and erjie figuring the data log device

3 of us blocked by dajie's fat finger.

Answs, i went for star gazing and a talk on pulsars by some female british prof yesterday. Was kinda disappointed that we only managed to see Sirius B cuz the sky was too cloudy! It's a pretty common prob in the humid climate of Singapore thou, so i wasnt very surprised.The only time i managed to see very nice stars was at germany and pulau ubin, and the mental snapsnots of these 2 scenes remain vivid till date. The therapeutic effects of natural settings are so strong that tt's no wonder Gulustan says the view of the sky from her kitchen/balcony is her television. lol :)

To me,
it's the best art piece ever. And the painter? God.

Morning Prayer

2008-02-24T01:43:00.000-08:00

The reason i went for morning prayer for the first time a few weeks back was because i was convicted of the power of intercession...never did i expect to be ministered to by God during today's prayer session.When Gee-ian came up to me and edified me with a one-liner from God, i knew immediately that it was from God. He said, People may not understand you, but the Lord says, i do.

God never fails to amaze me. He's the only one who knows what hurts, who makes me so excited, stand in awe of Him and take my breath away!

That was exactly what i heard from God while jogging some time back...and today, God was once again restoring me. That 1.5hrs long of worship ministered to us and started prayer session well as it speaks of God's love for His people.That's the reason why we pray!

Read this poem last sat too and coincidentally i got to share with Kaiyun abt it on that very day, which i believe is not by pure coincidence.

You are who you are for a reason.
You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You're just that he wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom-designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into his likeness you'd grow.

You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God.

Ask God to amaze you today, and He will!

2008-02-19T04:19:00.000-08:00

God, why do u work in mysterious ways? Trust the Father's heart.

2008-02-15T08:12:00.000-08:00

God, You are really, really awesome.

hmm.

2008-02-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

The 2nd week of sch was relatively gd.. esp the CNY party yesterday :) Enjoyed making popiahs that jian and desmond prepared, hosting games with baosheng, being able to pray for tanjo, steal a few mins to have a nice walk arnd the playground with beth, etc etc. Struggled abit abt sharing when i saw a familiar face but God is faithful and once again He reassured me again, like how he did so after i shared in church.

beth marcus tanjo and me. look at the huge pile of cny deco.. lol

with beth :)

some of us!

the physiotherapist wee kok. lol

Anws my body clock has kinda changed for this sem and i woke up at 10.30 today! lol, a rather great achievement considering i used to wake up automatically at 7plus am. Went for a jog @ bishan park before chilling at bishan stadium. I love these 2 places cuz there were quite a few times i felt God speak when i was jogging. cool. I even fell asleep at the stadium once while lying down and relaxing. Sometimes i wished i have more free mornings-afternoon to just jog and chill, but i guess i will just be satisfied with the current time table :)

hmnm

2008-01-26T07:36:00.000-08:00

Pastor Michael was our guest speaker today and he shared his exciting testimony about how he had prostate cancer and God blessed him through the whole roller coaster journey. In short, during the whole period of treatment, God provided him with financial help for surgery, radiology, etc, used him to bring a lady to Christ, minister to a doctor and touch an oncologist. It's just so amazing how God worked in his life and i really wish to experience more of God so intimately.

And he also mentioned abt how it is brave to admit that one is struggling. How true indeed, for sometimes we put up brave fronts or simply hide our troubles behind a strong facade.

When i was joggin this morning, the lyrics ' He gives and takes away, and i will choose to say, Lord blessed be Your name' came into my mind and i had insight into the lines that i used to sing without deep understanding. God took many things away from Job and similarly in our lives right now, He takes things away, but only for our good and to draw us nearer to Him. I still rmb saying to God some time back 'Ouch, what a painful experience..can i have my teeth back..' lol, jokes. I am no where near a modern day Job, but will learn to be one :)

2008-01-24T09:35:00.000-08:00

Went for my medical appointment yesterday and the wrist is healing vv well :D Praise God! Did some heat therapy for the hand since my wrist is still stiff and not strong. :/ Anws tue was fabulous, fantastic, great, prima, sehr gut. Skipped cell bio lect which is webcasted to jog and shop. It was the first time i got to tan my jaundiced hand for maybe an hour and also the first time i shopped for so long ever since the hols. hehs. :)

2008-01-19T08:56:00.000-08:00

The first week of sch was relatively ok, am rather intimidated by many modules but nothing is too difficult with God isnt it :) My right hand looks dead due to the lack of sunlight and flexibility in the wrist...and i am itching to go for a jog/swim after such a long period of atrophy. :(

Fri was great! Had cell outing @harbourfront. We ate at spizza but werent full so we headed to the hawker for more substantial food. lol $12 for pizza appetizer and $3 for proper dinner.

Shared my testimony in church on sat and gosh i was kinda scared on stage!!. But mum and beth were very reassuring,which it helped alot:) I knew it was about God,but yet i couldn help but to be a lil affected by some stuff.. it really helps when pple reaffirmed me with even a simple' i am proud of you'. Just hope my story blessed some pple @church:)

Went for Street E wth beth gim and joy today. Paired up with Joy and learnt alot from her .. we prayed for 6 ppl in total and got to speak a few filipinos and this usa couple who are churchless and whom we invited to coos. cool! :) Shopped with sis for her bday present after that. We didnt dare to cross the road to bugis street cuz many many pple thronged the shopping street. I wouldn want to break my wrist again so we retreated.. lol and ironically, we headed to Orchard where i came from earlier in the day.

give thanks.

2008-01-15T04:51:00.000-08:00

I can finally...
grip my pen and write (abit illegibly)
clench my fist
hold my wallet
with my right hand :)

and i will soon be able to...
use the nailclipper, scissors
lift my bag
write a 99999 word essay

:):)

last wk of hols

2008-01-13T01:37:00.000-08:00

The last week of hols can be considered a milestone in my walk with God. He picked me up when my spirits were crushed. He healed (and is still healing, amen!)my fractured hand, bruised face and teeth. (they have yet to die, and they wont!) Even now i am still awed at how rapidly i have recovered, esp now that my right hand has the strength to hold a pen alr:) PRAiSE GOD!!The week was spent mostly at home, with the exception of sgh, ndc, church, j8 and marcus's house. Enjoyed the times of fellowship when friends came over and also the times alone with God, when i could really feel how real His word is.

i cant wait to see the ortho tmr cuz i know i have been healed and i will not need a cast. And perhaps the ortho will give me a look of disbelief at how fast my fractured bones recovered... then i will proudly say, we have a mighty healer called jesus! LOL this is exciting!

i have a mighty God!:)

2008-01-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

CHRIS TOMLIN - How Can I Keep From Singing lyrics

There is an endless song
Echoes in my soul
I hear the music ring

And though the storms may come
I am holding on
To the rock I cling

How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing

I will lift my eyes
In the darkest night
For I know my Savior lives

And I will walk with You
Knowing You'll see me through
And sing the songs You give

I can sing in the troubled times
Sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step
And fall down again
I can sing 'cause You pick me up
Sing 'cause You're there
I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord
When I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath
Sing for I know
That I'll sing with the angels
And the saints around the throne

every word is a promise of Your love, and my will to follow You.

2008-01-06T05:24:00.000-08:00

i will praise u.
for You are God
for You love us to the extent of sending Jesus to die for us.
for at least i am still alive and the car didnt knock me down.
for You ve kept us safe.
for i have so many other blessings to count.
for i am still Your lady of substance.

newyear2008:)

2008-01-04T09:11:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 12: 1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Felt prompted to start the year with this verse, to remind myself to hold on tightly to the rock i cling, as mentioned in the song, never to give up following God closely.

Anws, today was great! Met jie to shop!! :) Got to find out more abt how she's doing in her phase of life as a married lady, her work, children ministry, domestic probs. lol. And when i complained to her abt how irritating the nuh doctor can get, i was so happy she defended me! At least she believes in me man. YAY :p

okays goals for 2008:

Spend time regularly with God.
Learn to hear from Him and fully depend on Him in all things i do.
Praise God in all circumstances
Be more patient, loving and be a good testimony to Christ.
Be more organised, meticulous and NOT LOSE ANYTHING.

2007-12-31T19:39:00.000-08:00

Sun.S22 class gathering!

It was our first class gathering since we graduated from nj 1.5 years ago and it was great seeing everyone again :)Met kf tk and alan to buy food at parkway before heading down to ecp. Everyone doesn seem to have changed much.. lol and it sees army doesn have much impact on the guys,except weizhe and yongtat are super fit now!Though it rained later, we eventually had our bbq under a shelter using the aluminium trays. Being the nice and homely guys(LOL), teck kuan, weizhe, kefeng and alan cooked the food while we sat down to eat.. tsk. Amy and kaiyun came in the evening and we had fun talking abt many stuff and trying to cross the mud using gu-niang methods. Was jeered by the guys for being an ex-canoeist, but hahas who cares :P

Mon. New year eve. 31dec07!
Cycled @ east coast with beth and marcus and it was my first time cycling till Changi! We were blessed with fine weather and headed to Parkway for dinner after cycling, where we took pictures with the Christmas deco. :) hahas, better late than nvr isnt it.

Later beth left for her watchnight service and marcus for council gathering, while i headed for KAP to meet shumin, chilled for a while before we took the last bus to mich's house. Mich made a nice wooden frame with our team photo from scratch for peishan! She didnt sleep at all and drove us to the airport.. an archi trained student indeed.hahas.. sadly mich will be leaving nus archi for RDI.. sigh, one less person i will see arnd in sch :(. Used the com for a while, searched facebook for chit's greg, tried to help with the photo frame (but my wood-cutting skills really suck) ..before i fell asleep -_-'' Napped for 2 hrs before we headed to the airport to send ps off :)

2007-12-29T09:11:00.000-08:00

FRI.team gathering @mindy's house!

FULL TEAM :)lovely lovely.

few of us.

van! mutual santas.. lol

SAT: met up with weiying, mich&gloria :)

@plaza sing :)

gloria and weiying!

with mich!

us:)

beth&marcus:)

rach joins in. clowning arnd!

ben popped in...and we didnt realise until the shot was taken :S

hahas ok a proper shot with beth :)

gals with pastor charissa

with rach

stomache! i really had one and rach posed for it. lol

:)

2007-12-26T18:30:00.000-08:00

o man, i dont deserve it. It's only possible by God's grace..thank you Father! :)

Christmas :)

2007-12-25T23:14:00.000-08:00

I watched the Christmas tale thrice, yet each experience was a feast to the senses and a different part of the message stood out. The first time immanuel, God with us, stood out. Then later it was ' His gloria birth was for his glorious death' and thirdly was looking for God. Nevertheless, all spoke forth of the immense love God has for us, a message that we forget repeatedly or fail to comprehend deeply.

Christmas was.. weird. Joy messaged me at 5am to ask if i was ok because God prompted her to pray for me and she couldn get to sleep. marcus asked if i was home safely at 4am? Was kinda perplexed because everyone knows i dont party till wee hours and return home later than 1am. Jie pangsehed sis and me for chc Christmas service so the 2 of us ended up shopping in the afternoon. :(

Anws, on Christmas morning just before i left the house for a jog, i was talking to mum and as usual, she was sharing her testimonies about how God spoke to her and how mightily God moved in the past(and of cus is still moving). I told her i find it hard to hear from God at times and she reaffirmed me with Deuteronomy5 where God spoke to Moses in the past and that He will continue to do so with us today. I felt so thankful for mummy who continually shares testimonies with us and edifies me with the truth of God.

fri

2007-12-21T09:02:00.000-08:00

Had combined varsity christmas party today! Really enjoyed buying and preparing the food with eunice amanda huixian and gim, esp the dissecting of the turkeys and slicing of meat. I rmb dreaming of becoming a chef and even hairdresser at various points of my life. But innocence weaned off and reality sank in, i am not cut out to be either so i can only cut my own hair or cook my own food. lol. Was delighted when pple found the food nice even though we didnt season and cook them thou. hehe, at least it meant that the arrangement for the food can be considered a success.

oh, younger sis did something damn cute lah. She stuck her drawing of spongebob and patrick in my wallet and when i opened it today i was pleasantly surprised to see the note that wished me an early merry christmas?! lol, times when sis is adorable.

Marcus came back from egypt yesterday and i think today was the first time i met him ever since the hols started man. Chris came back from sep in US too! Was rather surprised he lost weight instead and according to him the overseas stint was 'life changing' as he was alone most of the time. He went to a church over there too but the culture is way different from the charismatic one in coos. It reminded me of the trips to the church back in germany. Different culture but ultimately, we worship the same heavenly father. Man, i wonder how wld sep be like for me in year3 sem2. But one thing i am sure of, i want to be deeply rooted in God before i leave for it's easier to backslide w/o the fellowship of brothers and sisters overseas.

2007-12-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

Was pretty tickled by what sister said.

xiaomei: Jas, tell you sth. Spongebob squarepants has 4 fingers. Bet you didnt know!
me: ok, let me test you. how many eyelashes does spongebob squarepants have?
xiaomei: hmm...
me: haha! 3.
xiaomei: Now my turn. How many fingers does Patrick have?
me: (anyhow whack) hahas i know! 3!
xiaomei: LOL. patrick has NO FINGERS.

Anws, jie came back today and we had zi char downstairs!:)) Lol, it's pretty ironic cuz thou we stayed here for close to 20 years, its the first time we actually went down to have dinner together as a family. Usually mummy will cook/ buy back from downstairs or central/ order pizza/ go out to further places. Went to shop for Eunice's present with gim in the afternoon. Got her a black mphosis bag and hopefully she likes it! Was quite surprised when gim expressed interests in ladies pants.. those that resemble guys bermudes sold in NUM/ bodyknits, except that the feminine details like buttons and folds that differentiate them. gosh, i would haf mistook him for a gay if i didnt know him personally man. lol. discovered very nice acryllic diy materials at beary hip shop too. cool stuff.

Yesterday it was presents making with beth@ mac cafe,ps. Coincidentally, the ppl at the adjacent 2 tables were making Christmas gifts too. It's cool how we bought miscellanous stuff and the concept of our little gifts slowly formed along the way.
Met Eunice and Gim at amk cathy in the evening for Alvin and the CHIPMUNKS!! The chipmunks are so,so,so cuteeee!

Lunched with zl on wed@ ichiban and had unagi omelette again.:) lol,maybe i shld try cooking that someday. Caught the Warlords, which i felt was kinda sad cuz it's filled with betrayal and bloodshed. I can never comprehend the desire for power that drives ppl to kill too. Went to tecman too and bought books at discounted prices! lol.

2007-12-17T07:46:00.000-08:00

Baked with beth, rach and camelia @ aunty pauline's house today :) Pastor gerald's daughter, Cheryl, joined us too and the whole process of kneading the dough and cutting out the cookie shapes was simply enjoyable! Love moulding unusal shapes and ways of adding the chocolate to the dough. hehe. Silly rach brought chinese herbs out (red dates and gou qi zi) by mistake cuz she mistook the gou qi zi for cranberries! But she didnt make that mistake in vain cuz Beth brewed nice sweet tea for us. lol! :)

Sunday: Went for morning prayer.. then watched Nanking with beth and sirong. A pretty good movie which stirs up anger and wrenches hearts with scenes of the massacre and mass rape. And i think it must be extremely painful to make the survivors recount their experiences of rape, and how they witnessed their loved ones being killed or tortured.Each time they recalled certain scenes, tears would well up intheir eyes as they choked with emotions. :x

Sat: Was on ushering duty for church service and i was very very glad everything went on rather smoothly! :)

2007-12-13T20:50:00.000-08:00

It was a horrible rainy week, but it made me fully appreciate the almost all year round summer season in Singapore. Fortunately, it didnt rain today and i finally got to swim! Missed the cool waters and gliding with each stroke. :)

Had medical appointment yesterday morning..which was horrible. Luckily i met up with lx singhui and lichan in the afternoon and felt so much better seeing them! Went back to ny in the evening for nyco homecoming dinner and enjoyed walking the grounds of ny, esp in the quadrangle and outside xiu mei auditorium. Everything felt so familiar and close to heart. :) Chatted with ms Chek and she talked about how our xian yue juniors were forced to nod their heads along with the music, till the motion internalised in them and moving along with the music became something natural. It somehow struck me while i was swimming that it was analogous to spending time with God isnt it. At times when we dont feel like spending time with God, it becomes imperative to intentionally set time aside to read His word and pray. Because by doing so, we create a habit to spend time with God naturally, and at the same time, because His words speak, it draws us to desire God more..

Went out with sis on wed and tried the new chewy junior cream puffs@ bugis. :))

Tue.. packed my drawers in a desperate attempt to find my missing bible. Sloted some of the developed photos from the germany trip into my photo album too. lol.

2007-12-10T08:32:00.000-08:00

i cant commit to any job cuz of miscellaneous things in the middle of the hols.. there goes my hope of earning some cash. lol, shall just be part time maria at home then :) Caught Hero with sr on sun. Window shopped with mich lp today at bugis and chit joined us after her work.. was great to meet them esp since the last team outing was quite some time ago. And hais, i still cant believe how careless i am. i actually lost my bible..my precious bible. :(

holhols.

2007-12-09T04:19:00.000-08:00

fri:
Caught the golden compass with jas leo shawn and wayne. lol i think that was the first time we had a complete jie mei outing. The Golden Compass is worth catching thou i didnt like the ending hanging like that.. :( Was pretty amused by leo who gets scared so easily that she was jolted by the movie sound effects and suspense twice. And Loo was peeping at some scenes thru the 'hole-ly' part of her jacket because it was supposedly less scary like that. lol! Had a good time laughing at da jie too cuz of his strategic seating position in the theatre.hahs. Left for cell in the evening and it felt so nice to have cell once again after having a series of workshops this sem! Got to talk to Belinda more when we split up into small grps :)

Sat:
Attended mich and vic's wedding at St Andrew's Cathedral! Pastor Derek preached for their wedding service and his sermon was about wine in a marriage again.hehs. First heard abt it duirng Pauline and kahwoon's wedding and it touched me alot back then. To sum it up, he was trying to say that in a marriage, it is very important to have Christ as the pillar, the foundation of the relationship. It is only when the couple has a Christ centred relationship will they be able to overcome the downs in the long road ahead. Hahs, this is esp true when the inital sweetness of marriage/ dating diminishes because only God can renew and rejuvenate a relationship.

Walked arnd at Raffles City and eventually settled down at Starbucks to chat, then chill and eventually stoned when the fatigue set in. Left for church later and service was great! We had a guest speaker who is a 12 year old blind girl, Ritchell. A talented singer and pianist, she touched me not only with her wonderful vocal chords, but more importantly, her strong faith and trust in God, which exudes from the songs she sings. I still rmb vividly a particuarly lyric of her song that goes ' Though i walk in darkness, i am not afraid, because i have a Lord who guides..' Simple lyrics, simple voice, but speaks volumes of how she places her trust in God who guides and makes her feel secure. Was very, very encouraged by her and am amazed how God uses her to bless many around her!

Dinner was special cuz it was an almost all girls outing! And the few of us went to anchorpoint instead of holland drive/ church hawkwer.

with von and eeli outside the cathedral

amanda me dom & rach @ starbucks

ruyi amanda me rach dennise :)

the HOLS ARE HERE :D

2007-12-05T07:35:00.000-08:00

Towned with Beth today! hahas we shopped for euggie's present successfully and did abit of shopping for ourselves too! :) Maybe i shld find a job to fund my shopping trips.. lol or my bank account will be horribly bruised by the end of december.

the pouch we got for euggie!

black and white :)

Tue:
Went to the polyclinic to get a referral letter and waited for 4 hrs in total. Needless to say, i fell asleep while waiting for my turn.. -_- Wanted to go for this walk in interview at paragon office tower but i just cant find the venue of the mysterious 05-36A, which doesn seem to exist! Called jie for help but still failed to find the place.. joined eunice and amanda in town after that thou :)

mon:
Bought a new pair of asics with sis! We went shopping at vivo too and had fun trying on pretty winter jackets that we will never get to wear in spore. lol. Met jie on the way home to pass her the new fbt shorts, didnt get to talk much thou.. perhaps catch up during weekends bah :)Upon reaching home, i had this urge to run so i changed and headed for bishan stadium for a nice slow jog. The last time i ran was like ages ago and now i can get unbelievably slow.. lol. Managed to play on the swings for a while before going home too :))

sun:
hahas. hibernated at home and was on heroes marathon from 10am to 10plus pm. lol, an unhealthy day but it's nice to be a potato couch once in a while. :P

One thing i love abt uni holidays is that we totally do not have any hol work to do, thou the sch term can really get stressful at times... but then again, all sun and no rain makes a desert isnt it?:))

2007-11-08T05:41:00.000-08:00

Pretty cool stuff, thou i dont know the boy.. and this reminds me.. my guitar is rotting away at the corner of my bedroom. lol maybe i shld relearn it after the exams :)

2007-11-05T04:46:00.000-08:00

Got to chill at the poolside at ho wai's birtday celebrations yesterday. God blessed us with cooling weather and i found it therapeutic to just be still and enjoy the tranquility of the surroundings. As cheesey as it may sound, i somehow wished that time will pause for perhaps.. 1 hr? tsk. Anws, that sense of peace is imprinted on my mind for now, and yeah, i will wait for dec.:)

Comfort amidst unpleasant heavy academic commitments.

2007-11-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

wow.http://www.hourofpower.org/video/nick.php has the full testimony and it's awesome mans.