The language of friendship is not words but meanings.
-Henry David Thoreau
dearest nicole, blessed 20th!
from day one, I have firmly believed that one of the greatest blessings God has given me is this friendship you have extended out to me. I remember how when I first went to COT for cell, I was apprehensive and hesitant. but somehow, I felt really comfortable talking to all of you. and till now, I really thank God for all the times when you have encouraged me, supported me on my walk with Him.
thank you nicole for the times where you patiently guide me through the spiritual buddy course. thank you for the many gifts and snail mails. thank you for your concern through the years and for the constant prayers. thank you for always being so willing to share your testimonies of God being real in your life.
but I thank you most of all, for being a true friend to me. I don't think I've said this before, but you are the one who inspired and still inspires me to be a Jonathan to my friends. witnessing the love and patience you have shown not only me but the people around you, really motivated me. truly, I see Christ in you.
I'm not very good with people even though I get attached to people quite easily. and I tend to be more emotional and sensitive than I should. and in many ways, I'm still learning to be a better friend. but I just want to type this post to say in whatever ways I can, how much you mean to me as a friend. and as a sister in Christ.
in a way, you remind me of the bracelet you gave me some time back. like the handmade stars which form the bracelet, you shine the light of Jesus into our lives=)and I pray that on your special day, God will let you know that to Him and to all of us, you're special every single day.
and as the year continues, may He continue to use you mightily and may He continue to pour forth His love and grace in your life:)
indeed buddy, two friends are better than one individual;)
God bless your day ahead!
P.S- thanks again for letting me know the true language of friendship. one which lies not in words, but in meanings=)
with much love,
Jean. 9th of June 2008.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
calling on You~
there is indeed a beauty in the English Language.
as I read blogs and as I read books, the way people express so many things in their own words is quite inspiring. and I guess in a way, we are all so enamoured by the language and how our words reflect our feelings and most importantly, ourselves.
on a lighter note, I wanted to blog about our day in church yesterday.
I wanted to share how thankful I am that I was and am able to call upon God as my healer and my provider. on sat night I was having this terrible headache, and it actually troubled me all the way to sunday morning. it was pounding away and I felt quite terrible. but I prayed and prayed. I just talked to Him and asked Him to heal me and to let me feel well. and that I won't have to resort to taking panadol as I had to take my anti-malarial pills later. the sporadic pounds followed me all the way to church. and I kept praying and praying. calling upon Jesus as my healer, my Jehovah Rapha.
and He really did heal me. on hindsight, it was quite amazing the way things happened. the mission-trippers had fund raising that day. and somehow, right before I set up the fundraising booth with judith, the headache went away. and I didn't even realise it was gone until I had worship during service. and of course by then, I was even more assured God will heal me. cause I have always believed that worship has healing properties. whenever I have like headaches or stomachaches, I will just pray while worshipping, singing songs to Him, and the pain will always go away. and what's more, healing will also come through the Lord's supper that we have every sunday. the wine which symbolises the very blood of Jesus, for His word says by his stripes we are healed.
and, I really experienced the mighty ways in which God provides. at first the fund-raisin started off very slowly. we had only one person who supported us. and we were like sitting around. and as I was sitting there, I just told Him, "Lord, besides knowing You as my healer, can I also call upon Your name as our provider?" and of course He said yes. haha. and the amount of people He brought our way was just amazing. Lots of people just turned up to support us and some even donated funds so very willingly. and the most inspiring thhing was how there was one lady who went around introducing her friends to us and to encourage them to support us!
it was really joyful to see the family of God coming together and helping one another out. and! the guys in our cell actually helped us to sell the chocs and waited patiently for us to have lunch after service.=)
God, You are good indeed. and I pray we'll not keep our mouths shut, but instead out of the joy in our hearts, we'll continue to proclaim of Your goodness and Your faithfulness to us!=)
P.S- even though cell took an hour to decide on where to go for lunch and to finally sit down to have lunch, and even though it was only Carl's Junior, I appreciate just being able to be together. haha. and to roll our eyes at one another and remark how it's always so difficult traveling in a big group and yet still always willing to go together to places.;)
as I read blogs and as I read books, the way people express so many things in their own words is quite inspiring. and I guess in a way, we are all so enamoured by the language and how our words reflect our feelings and most importantly, ourselves.
on a lighter note, I wanted to blog about our day in church yesterday.
I wanted to share how thankful I am that I was and am able to call upon God as my healer and my provider. on sat night I was having this terrible headache, and it actually troubled me all the way to sunday morning. it was pounding away and I felt quite terrible. but I prayed and prayed. I just talked to Him and asked Him to heal me and to let me feel well. and that I won't have to resort to taking panadol as I had to take my anti-malarial pills later. the sporadic pounds followed me all the way to church. and I kept praying and praying. calling upon Jesus as my healer, my Jehovah Rapha.
and He really did heal me. on hindsight, it was quite amazing the way things happened. the mission-trippers had fund raising that day. and somehow, right before I set up the fundraising booth with judith, the headache went away. and I didn't even realise it was gone until I had worship during service. and of course by then, I was even more assured God will heal me. cause I have always believed that worship has healing properties. whenever I have like headaches or stomachaches, I will just pray while worshipping, singing songs to Him, and the pain will always go away. and what's more, healing will also come through the Lord's supper that we have every sunday. the wine which symbolises the very blood of Jesus, for His word says by his stripes we are healed.
and, I really experienced the mighty ways in which God provides. at first the fund-raisin started off very slowly. we had only one person who supported us. and we were like sitting around. and as I was sitting there, I just told Him, "Lord, besides knowing You as my healer, can I also call upon Your name as our provider?" and of course He said yes. haha. and the amount of people He brought our way was just amazing. Lots of people just turned up to support us and some even donated funds so very willingly. and the most inspiring thhing was how there was one lady who went around introducing her friends to us and to encourage them to support us!
it was really joyful to see the family of God coming together and helping one another out. and! the guys in our cell actually helped us to sell the chocs and waited patiently for us to have lunch after service.=)
God, You are good indeed. and I pray we'll not keep our mouths shut, but instead out of the joy in our hearts, we'll continue to proclaim of Your goodness and Your faithfulness to us!=)
P.S- even though cell took an hour to decide on where to go for lunch and to finally sit down to have lunch, and even though it was only Carl's Junior, I appreciate just being able to be together. haha. and to roll our eyes at one another and remark how it's always so difficult traveling in a big group and yet still always willing to go together to places.;)
Friday, June 6, 2008
LMAO.
oh my goodness, the second last scene of the movie, "I do, I do" was just hilarious. Mark Lee first came out as a gangster, and then near the end of the movie, he is dressed up in a suit and he said the following lines: "Actually, I'm an english teacher. I just like drama and I love acting." that wasn't the best part, the funniest thing was when he quoted Shakespeare of all people, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. All of them have their exits and entrances."haha. you all should have seen his face. super funny.
I just had to type this down.=)
oh my goodness, the second last scene of the movie, "I do, I do" was just hilarious. Mark Lee first came out as a gangster, and then near the end of the movie, he is dressed up in a suit and he said the following lines: "Actually, I'm an english teacher. I just like drama and I love acting." that wasn't the best part, the funniest thing was when he quoted Shakespeare of all people, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. All of them have their exits and entrances."haha. you all should have seen his face. super funny.
I just had to type this down.=)
thoughts on grass~
You're the field in the middle of the city,
When I'm rushing by at the speed of light.
- Michelle Tumes
Sometimes I feel we rush through our lives too fast for us to actually take anything in.
especially in a city like Singapore, where everyone else you see and know is moving from one point to another, it is hard not to understand when people tell you life feels meaningless at times. relationships we have with close ones help to alleviate these feelings to some extent. relationships help to keep us rooted. but even in this area, we need to put extra time and effort to build and maintain what we've started.
alright. that's not the point of philosophy I want to talk about today.
I want to talk about how we ought to adopt an "open hands" and "open heart" approach. we need to learn to be spontaneous, not afraid to move out of our comfort zones. many fun opportunites and possibilities are lost because either "I've have not done it before" or "it's so not me.."
I'm not talking about great, spontaneous adventures like sky-diving or gathering to hold a party in an mrt train cabin.(ronnie told me a group of people actually pulled off this flash-mob stunt in singapore..and received complaints, thus they got chased out of the train).
No. I'm not talking about flash-mobs. We don't have to gather in a parade square, stand still for five mins and then move off like nothing happened. but what we have and should do is to encourage and give thanks for random encounters throughout our days. too often a time, we tend to just want to keep to our own worlds and shut the rest of the world out.
I'll give you an example,but actually I don't think you need one. But! for instance, 70% of the time, I walk into a train, I sit down or stand, and immemdiately reach for my music. the earphones are plugged in, and my stoning posture kicks in. bye bye world, you won't receive a word or a look from me until I reach my stop.
sounds familiar? I see this almost every day. and I participate in this routine every other day too. but as for the 30% of the rest of the time, I happily welcome randomness in life. I keep my eyes open, my heart willing, and I really do experience so much more in life. I start to connect with the lives of others I meet, I start to make conversations with people I meet on the street. nothing much, just an exchange of greetings, a smile, and some words here and there. but there's just this special quality to it. in that moment, I wasn't just me anymore. it became me with someone else. and somehow, the world seems less cold. I don't remember all of the encounters I've had, but I know I enjoyed every single one of them when I was in it.
this image just came into mind. of Jesus walking on the streets of Jerusalem and of the other places. I wonder if He just kept close to His disciples and friends or did He have fun socialising? the answer is obvious isn't it? just to give you some examples. the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus didn't have to talk to her, in fact, it was perfectly acceptable during His times to not talk to a Samaritan woman. but He did anyway, and look what happened. the woman's life was changed forever and she brought so many others to talk to Jesus. just a few words exchanged, and the impact was beyond imagination.
or what about the paralysed man waiting beside the pool? Jesus could have walked right past him. but He didn't, instead He deliberately asked the man what was he doing and if he wanted to get healed. a simple,"Hi, can I help you?" seems to me to be one of Jesus' trademarks for opening up conversations with people He cared for.
even till today, God still extends out His hand and with a warm smile, He asks, "my beloved child, is there something I can help you with?" and I guess that is why Jesus is my superhero. tony anthony once said Jesus is his superhero because Jesus freed him not just from the prison in Cyprus, but also the prisons in life. the prison of want, the prison of hopelessness...in Jesus, he is free.
but for me, Jesus is my superhero because He not only saves and frees me, but He is more than able and willing to do what most people won't even want to try. in this big world of people, where we can brush pass each other but not acknowledge one another, Jesus does the opposite. He reaches out to people, welcomes unplanned encounters, has the courage and love to make a difference in the lives of others. how many of us can say we can or want to do that?
I think many of us just want to get things done. I'm not saying that we are loveless people. in fact I think we are people with love but we just lack the courage to share our love with others. too shy. too afraid of rejection or awkwardness. we meet so many people in just one day, but what we don't realise is that every one of those lives has a story to tell. and we may not get to hear the whole story, but can we imagine the insight we will gain from being part of it?
let us try to let go of this "I want to be an independent individual, just doing what I have to do" mindset. We were created for inter-dependence.
one step at a time. a sincere and warm smile here and there.
Open hands. Open hearts.
我们行的.加油!
end of my philosophy for today.
this is my second resolution fot the year: To lie down on a nice patch of grass and to look up at the clouds in the skies.=).
When I'm rushing by at the speed of light.
- Michelle Tumes
Sometimes I feel we rush through our lives too fast for us to actually take anything in.
especially in a city like Singapore, where everyone else you see and know is moving from one point to another, it is hard not to understand when people tell you life feels meaningless at times. relationships we have with close ones help to alleviate these feelings to some extent. relationships help to keep us rooted. but even in this area, we need to put extra time and effort to build and maintain what we've started.
alright. that's not the point of philosophy I want to talk about today.
I want to talk about how we ought to adopt an "open hands" and "open heart" approach. we need to learn to be spontaneous, not afraid to move out of our comfort zones. many fun opportunites and possibilities are lost because either "I've have not done it before" or "it's so not me.."
I'm not talking about great, spontaneous adventures like sky-diving or gathering to hold a party in an mrt train cabin.(ronnie told me a group of people actually pulled off this flash-mob stunt in singapore..and received complaints, thus they got chased out of the train).
No. I'm not talking about flash-mobs. We don't have to gather in a parade square, stand still for five mins and then move off like nothing happened. but what we have and should do is to encourage and give thanks for random encounters throughout our days. too often a time, we tend to just want to keep to our own worlds and shut the rest of the world out.
I'll give you an example,but actually I don't think you need one. But! for instance, 70% of the time, I walk into a train, I sit down or stand, and immemdiately reach for my music. the earphones are plugged in, and my stoning posture kicks in. bye bye world, you won't receive a word or a look from me until I reach my stop.
sounds familiar? I see this almost every day. and I participate in this routine every other day too. but as for the 30% of the rest of the time, I happily welcome randomness in life. I keep my eyes open, my heart willing, and I really do experience so much more in life. I start to connect with the lives of others I meet, I start to make conversations with people I meet on the street. nothing much, just an exchange of greetings, a smile, and some words here and there. but there's just this special quality to it. in that moment, I wasn't just me anymore. it became me with someone else. and somehow, the world seems less cold. I don't remember all of the encounters I've had, but I know I enjoyed every single one of them when I was in it.
this image just came into mind. of Jesus walking on the streets of Jerusalem and of the other places. I wonder if He just kept close to His disciples and friends or did He have fun socialising? the answer is obvious isn't it? just to give you some examples. the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus didn't have to talk to her, in fact, it was perfectly acceptable during His times to not talk to a Samaritan woman. but He did anyway, and look what happened. the woman's life was changed forever and she brought so many others to talk to Jesus. just a few words exchanged, and the impact was beyond imagination.
or what about the paralysed man waiting beside the pool? Jesus could have walked right past him. but He didn't, instead He deliberately asked the man what was he doing and if he wanted to get healed. a simple,"Hi, can I help you?" seems to me to be one of Jesus' trademarks for opening up conversations with people He cared for.
even till today, God still extends out His hand and with a warm smile, He asks, "my beloved child, is there something I can help you with?" and I guess that is why Jesus is my superhero. tony anthony once said Jesus is his superhero because Jesus freed him not just from the prison in Cyprus, but also the prisons in life. the prison of want, the prison of hopelessness...in Jesus, he is free.
but for me, Jesus is my superhero because He not only saves and frees me, but He is more than able and willing to do what most people won't even want to try. in this big world of people, where we can brush pass each other but not acknowledge one another, Jesus does the opposite. He reaches out to people, welcomes unplanned encounters, has the courage and love to make a difference in the lives of others. how many of us can say we can or want to do that?
I think many of us just want to get things done. I'm not saying that we are loveless people. in fact I think we are people with love but we just lack the courage to share our love with others. too shy. too afraid of rejection or awkwardness. we meet so many people in just one day, but what we don't realise is that every one of those lives has a story to tell. and we may not get to hear the whole story, but can we imagine the insight we will gain from being part of it?
let us try to let go of this "I want to be an independent individual, just doing what I have to do" mindset. We were created for inter-dependence.
one step at a time. a sincere and warm smile here and there.
Open hands. Open hearts.
我们行的.加油!
end of my philosophy for today.
this is my second resolution fot the year: To lie down on a nice patch of grass and to look up at the clouds in the skies.=).
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
On Carol's 20th~
our dearest carol,
I've got so much to tell you that I can only hope that I'll get most of it down here.
I remember that among all the friends that I have, you're the only one I remember exactly when you became a friend to me. I remember it was during Valentine's day during year 2005. it was our first three months and we were all so new to each other. at that point of time we didn't really know each other. but I recall clearly that you gave me one of your homemade brownies wrapped in aluminium foil. and I was quite surprised at your gesture of kindness. I guess to others it may not seem much, but I was really touched that day. and I guess I just had to make the effort to get to know you more. I've never regretted that effort.
through the years, you've been a most lovely friend and person to know. all your funny quirks and antics, your optimism, your simplicity and your straightforwardness have been a huge part of our lives. I'm smiling now as I recall how you would bring a whole stack of comic books and sit in the library reading them. and how you will always be there to prompt us and help us in econs lessons. and not to mention, the short short skirts you used to wear..haha. somehow, to me, you have always been an enigma of many things. there is just this inexplicability when it comes to you. at times I think I know exactly what you are going to do next, and I'll be right. but at times, you just surprise me with the most unexpected.
but amidst it all. you've been the one with the most determination, most character, and the one who has been most willing to try. you've been the strong one, the independent one, and hardworking one. but you've been also the comforting one, the cheerful one and the surpportive one. really, zoogaNders* wouldn't have made it without you.
WE LOVE YOU!
and I hope as we go through the years ahead, you'll continue to know how much you mean to us, and how much we cherish you as our friend. and we the zoogaNders* girls will be behind you all the way=)
blessed, joyful 20th birthday carol dear!
and if you ever need a hug, a drink, or a listening ear, we'll be here. (even grace is more open to hugs now;)) so if you want a hug, go to grace. if you need a drink, ask me and I'll give you all the grape juice you want. and if you need to talk, find sharon, and she'll gather us four together for a Starbucks session:)or alternatively, a four-way online MSN conversation=)
so like I said, that was some brownie you made three years back. haha. good enough to spark off this amazing friendship.
alright. that's about it. and we'll talk more soon kay?
I'll see you soon!
love,
Jean. 4th of June 2008.
I've got so much to tell you that I can only hope that I'll get most of it down here.
I remember that among all the friends that I have, you're the only one I remember exactly when you became a friend to me. I remember it was during Valentine's day during year 2005. it was our first three months and we were all so new to each other. at that point of time we didn't really know each other. but I recall clearly that you gave me one of your homemade brownies wrapped in aluminium foil. and I was quite surprised at your gesture of kindness. I guess to others it may not seem much, but I was really touched that day. and I guess I just had to make the effort to get to know you more. I've never regretted that effort.
through the years, you've been a most lovely friend and person to know. all your funny quirks and antics, your optimism, your simplicity and your straightforwardness have been a huge part of our lives. I'm smiling now as I recall how you would bring a whole stack of comic books and sit in the library reading them. and how you will always be there to prompt us and help us in econs lessons. and not to mention, the short short skirts you used to wear..haha. somehow, to me, you have always been an enigma of many things. there is just this inexplicability when it comes to you. at times I think I know exactly what you are going to do next, and I'll be right. but at times, you just surprise me with the most unexpected.
but amidst it all. you've been the one with the most determination, most character, and the one who has been most willing to try. you've been the strong one, the independent one, and hardworking one. but you've been also the comforting one, the cheerful one and the surpportive one. really, zoogaNders* wouldn't have made it without you.
WE LOVE YOU!
and I hope as we go through the years ahead, you'll continue to know how much you mean to us, and how much we cherish you as our friend. and we the zoogaNders* girls will be behind you all the way=)
blessed, joyful 20th birthday carol dear!
and if you ever need a hug, a drink, or a listening ear, we'll be here. (even grace is more open to hugs now;)) so if you want a hug, go to grace. if you need a drink, ask me and I'll give you all the grape juice you want. and if you need to talk, find sharon, and she'll gather us four together for a Starbucks session:)or alternatively, a four-way online MSN conversation=)
so like I said, that was some brownie you made three years back. haha. good enough to spark off this amazing friendship.
alright. that's about it. and we'll talk more soon kay?
I'll see you soon!
love,
Jean. 4th of June 2008.
Monday, June 2, 2008
steps of God and me~
Today's roller-blading exercise was really humbling.
I was on my knees for half of the time.
and the instructor had to guide me like a child on her first steps. and it was really funny cause my knees couldn't stop stop shaking as I struggled to stay upright. and I think I kinda crushed his fingers. haha, I was like gripping so firmly to his hands to prevent myself from falling. but he was really very nice and encouraging, and he very patiently guided me for the whole second half of the practice time=)
and today was quite a humbling day in church today.
I finally realised how great our God is.
I remember on friday, I was sitting at jurong east station alone and the song, "how great is our God" came on, and I just sat there, basking in the awe of worship. we sang the song in church today. and before the service I asked Him to re-assure me of His love for me.
I have been stuggling for the past two weeks over two issues and it has been tough. I remember telling Him before that I am very assured of His love for me already. but today, I just needed to hear it from Him again.
Romans 8:35-39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
during our congregation prayer, He did just that. Nothing can ever separate you my child, from My love.
Lord, I have made my first step of faith towards You. You called and I doubted at first, but when You called for one step of faith during today's altar call, I gave You just that. Lord, like I told you earlier, I can't do much Lord. I need You to help me, Lord, will You take the rest of the steps and meet me where I am?
I know You will.
For You have already taken the first step. You took it when You went to the cross.
and Lord, help me to be like david. help me to see my goliaths as not problems to conquer, but promises to claim. help me to see not how big and scary my goliaths are, but how great and how mighty to save our God is.
indeed, how great is our God, sing with me how great is our God! Lord, there's no other place I'd rather be than with You, in Your house. Lord, let my life be anchored on You my Rock.
to You be all glory!
I was on my knees for half of the time.
and the instructor had to guide me like a child on her first steps. and it was really funny cause my knees couldn't stop stop shaking as I struggled to stay upright. and I think I kinda crushed his fingers. haha, I was like gripping so firmly to his hands to prevent myself from falling. but he was really very nice and encouraging, and he very patiently guided me for the whole second half of the practice time=)
and today was quite a humbling day in church today.
I finally realised how great our God is.
I remember on friday, I was sitting at jurong east station alone and the song, "how great is our God" came on, and I just sat there, basking in the awe of worship. we sang the song in church today. and before the service I asked Him to re-assure me of His love for me.
I have been stuggling for the past two weeks over two issues and it has been tough. I remember telling Him before that I am very assured of His love for me already. but today, I just needed to hear it from Him again.
Romans 8:35-39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
during our congregation prayer, He did just that. Nothing can ever separate you my child, from My love.
Lord, I have made my first step of faith towards You. You called and I doubted at first, but when You called for one step of faith during today's altar call, I gave You just that. Lord, like I told you earlier, I can't do much Lord. I need You to help me, Lord, will You take the rest of the steps and meet me where I am?
I know You will.
For You have already taken the first step. You took it when You went to the cross.
and Lord, help me to be like david. help me to see my goliaths as not problems to conquer, but promises to claim. help me to see not how big and scary my goliaths are, but how great and how mighty to save our God is.
indeed, how great is our God, sing with me how great is our God! Lord, there's no other place I'd rather be than with You, in Your house. Lord, let my life be anchored on You my Rock.
to You be all glory!
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