God could have made us all Sanguines.
We could have lots of fun but accomplish little.
He could have made us all Melancholies.
We would have been organized and charted but not very cheerful.
He could have made us all Cholerics.
We would have been set to lead, but impatient that no one would follow!
He could have made us all Phlegmatics.
We would have had a peaceful world but not much enthusiasm for life.
We need each temperament for the total function of the body.
Each part should do its work to unify the action and produce harmonious results.
-Florence Littauer in The Gift of Encouraging Words
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
A Song dedication to a friend and others who need it as well
Hymns were all written by people who understood, felt and suffered the toils of life. When we were children, troubles didn't feel all that heavy. But as we continue to grow, our burdens of life inevitably grow too. We realize we need to be equipped with great mental and physical strength so that we can shoulder the responsibility well and efficiently. When we are adults ("a man"), we put away childish things. That is supposed to be only natural, isn't it? Well, it's always easier said than done. Despite having many adults amidst us, they do many childish things as well. ):
Without further ado, here they go!
Tell It To Jesus Alone
i.
Are you weary, are you heavy-hearted?
Tell it to Jesus,
Tell it to Jesus,
Are you grieving over joy departed,
Tell it to Jesus alone.
Refrain:
Tell it to Jesus
Tell it to Jesus
He is a friend that's well known
You have no other such a friend or brother,
Tell it to Jesus alone.
ii.
Do your tears flow down your cheeks unbidden?
Tell it to Jesus,
Tell it to Jesus,
Have you sins that to man's eye are hidden?
Tell it to Jesus alone.
Refrain:
Tell it to Jesus
Tell it to Jesus
He is a friend that's well known
You have no other such a friend or brother,
Tell it to Jesus alone.
iii.
Do you fear the gath'ring clouds of sorrow?
Tell it to Jesus
Tell it to Jesus
Are you anxious what will be tomorrow?
Tell it to Jesus alone.
Refrain:
Tell it to Jesus
Tell it to Jesus
He is a friend that's well known
You have no other such a friend or brother,
Tell it to Jesus alone.
[I checked a few sites but failed to find the mp3 or anything media.]
A Common Love
Click here to listen to the song
A common love for each other,
A common gift to the Savior
A common bond holding us to the Lord
A common strength when we're weary
A common hope for tomorrow
A common joy in the truth of God's word
They are no-copy-and-paste work! I typed every word up there and I am doing this with only one intention: sincerity.
Hope they make you feel better and smile :)
Without further ado, here they go!
Tell It To Jesus Alone
i.
Are you weary, are you heavy-hearted?
Tell it to Jesus,
Tell it to Jesus,
Are you grieving over joy departed,
Tell it to Jesus alone.
Refrain:
Tell it to Jesus
Tell it to Jesus
He is a friend that's well known
You have no other such a friend or brother,
Tell it to Jesus alone.
ii.
Do your tears flow down your cheeks unbidden?
Tell it to Jesus,
Tell it to Jesus,
Have you sins that to man's eye are hidden?
Tell it to Jesus alone.
Refrain:
Tell it to Jesus
Tell it to Jesus
He is a friend that's well known
You have no other such a friend or brother,
Tell it to Jesus alone.
iii.
Do you fear the gath'ring clouds of sorrow?
Tell it to Jesus
Tell it to Jesus
Are you anxious what will be tomorrow?
Tell it to Jesus alone.
Refrain:
Tell it to Jesus
Tell it to Jesus
He is a friend that's well known
You have no other such a friend or brother,
Tell it to Jesus alone.
[I checked a few sites but failed to find the mp3 or anything media.]
A Common Love
Click here to listen to the song
A common love for each other,
A common gift to the Savior
A common bond holding us to the Lord
A common strength when we're weary
A common hope for tomorrow
A common joy in the truth of God's word
They are no-copy-and-paste work! I typed every word up there and I am doing this with only one intention: sincerity.
Hope they make you feel better and smile :)
Monday, July 20, 2009
When the mind strays
When the mind strays, all is lost, even one's own soul. No voice could reach her. Even she has forsaken her god. For a while.
When conflicts occur and one leaves, without a word, without goodbyes, how sad, how disappointing, how small the relationship turned out to be.
When loved ones are far apart and we miss each other every other day, we worry, we pray, we think and we love. Absence does make the heart grow fonder. :)
Home.
Who says we can't go home again? (I pity George Webber though. No, not that radio personality. He's a book character. Go figure.)
Even the father welcomes back his prodigal son. So no home would ever deny one's own child. Only a fool would do so.
Where is my home? Where is yours? Where is his? Where is hers?
The temple of God, my salvation, my refuge, my repository.
Somewhere I belong to. And the fact never changes. No, it shan't change.
Will I be able to be normal again, feel the normal feelings that a normal person will feel?
Will I be able to find myself again, and extricate myself from the tangles of numbness, orientation loss and thus be able once again to cast my cares upon others, like how God does for me?
Will I be able to love again?
Will I be able to look at the face of friendship at the same value once again? What is friendship? Is it really a farce? Cheap, selfish, self-centered, prideful friendship? Or selfish, insincere, thoughtless, unmotivated friendship? Or friendship that is masked by jealousy? Or forgotten friendship? Lost in your own deep troubles and loneliness, that you forget others? Am I not the same then? Shall I stop caring then? And even then, people who take friendship too seriously, who clung on it too much suffocates it, kills it and loses it dearly. It is too bad they did not find the right way to respect the way it should be. It is too bad they thought they could be as lawless as possible in what they deemed as true friendship. Hey, true friendship isn't about showing all the bad sides, no, it's about bringing out the good sides of one another and maintaining one's sanity by keeping those pure and delicate feelings cherished, respecting one another, listening to one another and not be dominant over the other. Love thy neighbor as thyself.
Or friendship that's blended with both sides? How do we balance that? How do we accept the bad as readily as we accept the good? Do we have the heart big enough to control that? Is it a one-man's job? It always take two to clap, doesn't it?
Sometimes, we feel, "Hey, stop being so bossy or self-righteous (just because you think you know better), [whatever name or word that describes that person]!"
Sometimes, we feel, "She/He must be heartbroken. I will go try consoling her/him".
Sometimes, we feel, "Here he comes with a motive again; what does he want this time?"
And sometimes we feel, "Oh he's so sweet. That is so sweet." Hmm, like how my friend dropped by today to show me some of the photos he took and printed.
See, friendship DOESN'T NEED A REASON. AMEN.
Back then and even now, I usually felt/feel, "Silence is golden. I don't have to say or tell out everything I know because I realize in those times when I did that that I assume an annoying Miss-Know-It-All personality and give everything all out from A-Z." That sucks. It's either being quiet or everything comes out. And so it's good to always pretend that I don't know anything in the end, or so I thought. Condense! Condense! Wait, how do I do that?
Silly, isn't it?
I may not look like it but like others, I do understand a great deal about something or someone with silent observation alone.
Find it strange or freaky or creepy, but it became something that I enjoy doing. It's the figuring-things-out process that intrigues me. Because, as the saying goes, we must never judge a book by its cover.
And so began the romance of being a mystery/thriller cult follower. Come to think about it, The Bone Collector (1995) was the first thriller film I fell in love with. And the rest.. was history :D
I assure you that my ardor definitely did not begin from the grandeur of the names that regarded the acting roles of the film. As a matter of fact, I was too naive and young to even care about who they really were then. It was the content and the depth of the characters of the film that always mattered.
By the way,
If you're reading this, hi R. It has been too long since I wrote anything, hasn't it?
And hi dormant L. If you're reading this, it's most probably because I ask you to. LOL. Okay, that insinuates me being desperate or instructive or something just plain bad. Not at all, of course. Sharing is caring. :D
And since I love spreading the word so much, I have to proclaim that someone needs to stop me from listening to the song "Mad World" (Gary Jules////Adam Lambert). I am rather fond of the lyrics, you see.
All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Goin' nowhere, goin' nowhere
Their tears are fillin' up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dyin'
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
Children waitin' for the day they feel good
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sits and listen, sits and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson?
Look right through me, look right through me
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dyin'
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dyin'
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
A raunchy young world
Mad world
Don't ask me how long I've been dwelling on this. Just give me a happier song, please.
When conflicts occur and one leaves, without a word, without goodbyes, how sad, how disappointing, how small the relationship turned out to be.
When loved ones are far apart and we miss each other every other day, we worry, we pray, we think and we love. Absence does make the heart grow fonder. :)
Home.
Who says we can't go home again? (I pity George Webber though. No, not that radio personality. He's a book character. Go figure.)
Even the father welcomes back his prodigal son. So no home would ever deny one's own child. Only a fool would do so.
Where is my home? Where is yours? Where is his? Where is hers?
The temple of God, my salvation, my refuge, my repository.
Somewhere I belong to. And the fact never changes. No, it shan't change.
Will I be able to be normal again, feel the normal feelings that a normal person will feel?
Will I be able to find myself again, and extricate myself from the tangles of numbness, orientation loss and thus be able once again to cast my cares upon others, like how God does for me?
Will I be able to love again?
Will I be able to look at the face of friendship at the same value once again? What is friendship? Is it really a farce? Cheap, selfish, self-centered, prideful friendship? Or selfish, insincere, thoughtless, unmotivated friendship? Or friendship that is masked by jealousy? Or forgotten friendship? Lost in your own deep troubles and loneliness, that you forget others? Am I not the same then? Shall I stop caring then? And even then, people who take friendship too seriously, who clung on it too much suffocates it, kills it and loses it dearly. It is too bad they did not find the right way to respect the way it should be. It is too bad they thought they could be as lawless as possible in what they deemed as true friendship. Hey, true friendship isn't about showing all the bad sides, no, it's about bringing out the good sides of one another and maintaining one's sanity by keeping those pure and delicate feelings cherished, respecting one another, listening to one another and not be dominant over the other. Love thy neighbor as thyself.
Or friendship that's blended with both sides? How do we balance that? How do we accept the bad as readily as we accept the good? Do we have the heart big enough to control that? Is it a one-man's job? It always take two to clap, doesn't it?
Sometimes, we feel, "Hey, stop being so bossy or self-righteous (just because you think you know better), [whatever name or word that describes that person]!"
Sometimes, we feel, "She/He must be heartbroken. I will go try consoling her/him".
Sometimes, we feel, "Here he comes with a motive again; what does he want this time?"
And sometimes we feel, "Oh he's so sweet. That is so sweet." Hmm, like how my friend dropped by today to show me some of the photos he took and printed.
See, friendship DOESN'T NEED A REASON. AMEN.
Back then and even now, I usually felt/feel, "Silence is golden. I don't have to say or tell out everything I know because I realize in those times when I did that that I assume an annoying Miss-Know-It-All personality and give everything all out from A-Z." That sucks. It's either being quiet or everything comes out. And so it's good to always pretend that I don't know anything in the end, or so I thought. Condense! Condense! Wait, how do I do that?
Silly, isn't it?
I may not look like it but like others, I do understand a great deal about something or someone with silent observation alone.
Find it strange or freaky or creepy, but it became something that I enjoy doing. It's the figuring-things-out process that intrigues me. Because, as the saying goes, we must never judge a book by its cover.
And so began the romance of being a mystery/thriller cult follower. Come to think about it, The Bone Collector (1995) was the first thriller film I fell in love with. And the rest.. was history :D
I assure you that my ardor definitely did not begin from the grandeur of the names that regarded the acting roles of the film. As a matter of fact, I was too naive and young to even care about who they really were then. It was the content and the depth of the characters of the film that always mattered.
By the way,
If you're reading this, hi R. It has been too long since I wrote anything, hasn't it?
And hi dormant L. If you're reading this, it's most probably because I ask you to. LOL. Okay, that insinuates me being desperate or instructive or something just plain bad. Not at all, of course. Sharing is caring. :D
And since I love spreading the word so much, I have to proclaim that someone needs to stop me from listening to the song "Mad World" (Gary Jules////Adam Lambert). I am rather fond of the lyrics, you see.
All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Goin' nowhere, goin' nowhere
Their tears are fillin' up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dyin'
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
Children waitin' for the day they feel good
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sits and listen, sits and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson?
Look right through me, look right through me
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dyin'
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dyin'
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
A raunchy young world
Mad world
Don't ask me how long I've been dwelling on this. Just give me a happier song, please.
Monday, May 25, 2009
An extra sidedish
Oh oh look at this. Terminator Salvation. Oh maaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnn, looks like I'm going to be disappointed real HARD. I LOVED The Terminator series! Not that I'm taking the reviewer's word and opinion literally-I don't even know his taste in movies- but LOOK AT THIS. 34%!!!!!
"Even the terminators seem bored"
LOL!
51% on MetaCritic- slightly higher...
Roger Ebert gave it a two star.
Hmmmm.... time is a factor. I always need to watch it for myself but with such bad reviews, I'd do it perhaps very much later. In one year? Or....maybe not. *shrugs*
Ling, Star Trek's rating's 95%. Wow. Okay..hmmm... I was no fan of Star Trek.. Still won't make it a must-watch movie for now. But I may watch it one day and surprise myself. Well, you liked it. And I trust your taste.
But Burn After Reading- I didn't watch it till the end yet- but I was actually laughing away watching the first third of the movie. And WHEN I was LAUGHING away, I could picture you staring at me in HORROR, thinking "what the heck is wrong with you???" hahahaha. It was a pointless comedy anyway-true enough. And I think that was the very thing I needed. Still need it anyway, believe it or not. :P
"Even the terminators seem bored"
LOL!
51% on MetaCritic- slightly higher...
Roger Ebert gave it a two star.
Hmmmm.... time is a factor. I always need to watch it for myself but with such bad reviews, I'd do it perhaps very much later. In one year? Or....maybe not. *shrugs*
Ling, Star Trek's rating's 95%. Wow. Okay..hmmm... I was no fan of Star Trek.. Still won't make it a must-watch movie for now. But I may watch it one day and surprise myself. Well, you liked it. And I trust your taste.
But Burn After Reading- I didn't watch it till the end yet- but I was actually laughing away watching the first third of the movie. And WHEN I was LAUGHING away, I could picture you staring at me in HORROR, thinking "what the heck is wrong with you???" hahahaha. It was a pointless comedy anyway-true enough. And I think that was the very thing I needed. Still need it anyway, believe it or not. :P
Blood. You like it?
Thanks to a fellow member of a wonderful website, I found out about the books' existence.
THE STRAIN TRILOGY A very cool website by the way.
Relating post- I know I am really, really late on this already.
Now here's a REAL VAMPIRE story. You know what I mean.
By the way, if you haven't watched Pan's Labyrinth, sighs...then you really have missed out on enjoying a really good motion picture. It's a Spanish motion picture by the way, so look for the ones that provide English subtitles, unless you are Spanish literate of course. Ah speaking about the language, I remember a friend telling me that the grammar of the language used in various countries happen to be the same, it's just the words or vocab that might differ, didn't really get what she meant by that- most probably analogous to American and British use of words I guess. In contrast to that, the Portuguese language used in different countries have entirely different use of grammar. That was some interesting fact she told me. I'm penning it down just in case I forget in the future. My poor, poor memory never serves me well.
THE STRAIN TRILOGY A very cool website by the way.
Relating post- I know I am really, really late on this already.
Now here's a REAL VAMPIRE story. You know what I mean.
By the way, if you haven't watched Pan's Labyrinth, sighs...then you really have missed out on enjoying a really good motion picture. It's a Spanish motion picture by the way, so look for the ones that provide English subtitles, unless you are Spanish literate of course. Ah speaking about the language, I remember a friend telling me that the grammar of the language used in various countries happen to be the same, it's just the words or vocab that might differ, didn't really get what she meant by that- most probably analogous to American and British use of words I guess. In contrast to that, the Portuguese language used in different countries have entirely different use of grammar. That was some interesting fact she told me. I'm penning it down just in case I forget in the future. My poor, poor memory never serves me well.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
On wisdom
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Winter
-Les Diablerets, Switzerland, 2007 The Winter Trip with my parents
There are few who can grow old with a good grace.
-Sir Richard Steele
Snow can wait, I forgot my mittens
Wipe my nose, get my new boots on
I get a little warm in my heart when I think of winter
I put my hand in my father's glove
I run off where the drifts get deeper
Sleeping beauty trips me with a frown
I hear a voice, you must learn to stand up
For yourself, 'cause I can't all be around
He says, when you gonna make up your mind?
When you gonna love you as much as I do?
When you gonna make up your mind?
'Cause things are gonna change so fast
All the white horses are still in bed
I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change, my dear
Boys get discovered as winter melts
Flowers competing for the sun
Years go by and I'm here still waiting
Withering where some snowman was
Mirror mirror where's the crystal palace
But I only can see myself
Skating around the truth who I am
But I know dad the ice is getting thin
When you gonna make up your mind?
When you gonna love you as much as I do?
When you gonna make up your mind?
'Cause things are gonna change so fast
All the white horses are still in bed
I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change, my dear
Hair is grey and the fires are burning
So many dreams on the shelf
You say I wanted you to be proud of me
I always wanted that myself
He says, when you gonna make up your mind?
When you gonna love you as much as I do?
When you gonna make up your mind?
'Cause things are gonna change so fast
All the white horses have gone ahead
I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change, my dear
Never change, all the white horses
The phrase, "white horses" is said to be cited from the poem "After all the white horses" by E.E. Cummings.
After All White Horses Are In Bed
after all the white horses are in bed
will you walking beside me, my very lady,
if scarcely the somewhat city
wiggles in considerable twilight
touch (now) with a suddenly unsaid
gesture lightly my eyes?
And send life out of me and the night
absolutely into me. . . . a wise
and puerile moving of your arm will
do suddenly that will do
more than heroes beautifully in shrill
armour colliding on huge blue horses,
and the poets looked at them, and made verses,
through the sharp light cryingly as the knights flew.
-- E.E. Cummings
Monday, May 18, 2009
Crossroads: A Story of Forgiveness
I couldn't help tearing while I watched the video. More information about the movie can be found here.
Mood: It's a sad, sad day.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Gratitude
Blessings.
It is what everyone needs to thank for in prayers.
P.s. Thank you, God for making my day today. I finally have decided on what I really have to focus on from now onwards.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Smiles
A few days ago, as my friends and I were heading home from class, we encountered a very interesting boy who looked like a six or seven year-old. With a face filled with bright smiles, he walked towards us and greeted us with a "Hello. Have a nice day. Hello." That melted my heart and left me in a stupor for a moment. It was such a sweet meeting. Waving at us a bye in the end, I managed a small wave and a bright smile back at him before he turned and left.
And you know what, that made my day.
Nah, I think it made my week. :) Cuz I'm still thinking about that cute friendly child.
And you know what, that made my day.
Nah, I think it made my week. :) Cuz I'm still thinking about that cute friendly child.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Anger management?
I was so mad at everything today. I was so mad at the news I received from my parents (no, not that I'm mad at them or anything like that). I was mad at myself. I was so mad I slept the whole afternoon. I threw my precious afternoon away. Like usual.
I am still mad actually. A couple of moments ago, subconsciously, I found my fingers typing in Google Search on the toolbar above these words:
"I am so mad" I stopped when the list of choices that could help to save time and allow me to pick appeared. I laughed.
Choice 1: I am so mad at my boyfriend
Choice 2: I am so mad at my husband
Choice 3: I am so mad that I cannot believe
Choice 4: I am so mad at my mom
Choice 5: I am so mad right now.
It looks like only girls/women would do things like these.
I don't see any words that spell "I'm so mad at my girlfriend/wife".
But I'm not going to write what I'm mad about here. Typed virtual words can never get erased, no. I'd erase that in my heart and forget about it.
I watched The Notebook today. It was enchanting. I didn't find it stupid. It didn't leave a deep mark like what Lost in Translation LIT did for a week (Yes I watched it last week). The Notebook made me cry, I couldn't help it. But that was it. I don't feel anything now anymore. More like it took away that mark from LIT I couldn't get rid of. LIT taught the meaning of knowing the feeling of loneliness (yeah, no surprise, which I know already). All the more I could understand it best when I knew what it feels like to live in a foreign country you can't understand at all. I think that's why the feeling remained. The final scene was one of the best scenes I've ever watched in my life. That was genius of Sofia to think of that. It became something so personal to them that we aren't just the audience of a film screening right in front of us anymore, we became part of the scene. How cool was that. "Best Screenwriting" Oscar. How true.
The Notebook on the other hand was about true love. And being true and honest to yourself. If you want it, just go for it. Don't do things half-heartedly. It was like a beautiful fairytale that might come true. Ah well maybe except for the last scene.
I would want a love like that.
Being half-hearted is something characteristic of me if anyone knows me well enough. I can't trust myself enough to move forward and work.
Many things I heard today thrust me back into reality. Being all alone sure does me no good. It ain't sight unseen matter to make me open my eyes and heart knowingly. I'm sorry to say that I am that stupid.
And it's stupid to be half-hearted in things that do really matter.
Sighs.
But one thing I know for sure now- I am not mad anymore. :)
I am still mad actually. A couple of moments ago, subconsciously, I found my fingers typing in Google Search on the toolbar above these words:
"I am so mad" I stopped when the list of choices that could help to save time and allow me to pick appeared. I laughed.
Choice 1: I am so mad at my boyfriend
Choice 2: I am so mad at my husband
Choice 3: I am so mad that I cannot believe
Choice 4: I am so mad at my mom
Choice 5: I am so mad right now.
It looks like only girls/women would do things like these.
I don't see any words that spell "I'm so mad at my girlfriend/wife".
But I'm not going to write what I'm mad about here. Typed virtual words can never get erased, no. I'd erase that in my heart and forget about it.
I watched The Notebook today. It was enchanting. I didn't find it stupid. It didn't leave a deep mark like what Lost in Translation LIT did for a week (Yes I watched it last week). The Notebook made me cry, I couldn't help it. But that was it. I don't feel anything now anymore. More like it took away that mark from LIT I couldn't get rid of. LIT taught the meaning of knowing the feeling of loneliness (yeah, no surprise, which I know already). All the more I could understand it best when I knew what it feels like to live in a foreign country you can't understand at all. I think that's why the feeling remained. The final scene was one of the best scenes I've ever watched in my life. That was genius of Sofia to think of that. It became something so personal to them that we aren't just the audience of a film screening right in front of us anymore, we became part of the scene. How cool was that. "Best Screenwriting" Oscar. How true.
The Notebook on the other hand was about true love. And being true and honest to yourself. If you want it, just go for it. Don't do things half-heartedly. It was like a beautiful fairytale that might come true. Ah well maybe except for the last scene.
I would want a love like that.
Being half-hearted is something characteristic of me if anyone knows me well enough. I can't trust myself enough to move forward and work.
Many things I heard today thrust me back into reality. Being all alone sure does me no good. It ain't sight unseen matter to make me open my eyes and heart knowingly. I'm sorry to say that I am that stupid.
And it's stupid to be half-hearted in things that do really matter.
Sighs.
But one thing I know for sure now- I am not mad anymore. :)
Friday, May 1, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
A friend sent me an email of this video recently:
I found this video link on another fellow blogger's page:
Susan Boyle
And found another video from the link above that really stunned me:
Flawless
That was a very sincere and heartfelt compliment from Simon :)
"Chase the dream, not the competition."
I'm with you, mates. Always the same motto at heart too. :)
That's all that matters.
What's your dream, my child?
A dream for me (and I believe there are many others too) to accomplish:
Chorus:
Lord, Make us instruments of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let your love increase
Lord, make us instruments of your peace,
Walls of pride and prejudice shall cease
When we are your instruments of peace.
Where there is hatred, we will show his love
Where there is injury, we will never judge
Where there is striving, we will speak his peace
To the millions crying for release,
We will be his instruments of peace
Lord, Make us instruments of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let your love increase
Lord, make us instruments of your peace,
Walls of pride and prejudice shall cease
When we are your instruments of peace.
Where there is blindness, we will pray for sight
where there is darkness, we will shine his light
Where there is sadness, we will bear their grief
To the millions crying for relief,
We will be your instruments of peace.
-Instruments of Peace by Kirk and Devy Dearman 1993 from Songs of Faith and Praise, Alton H. Howard
I found this video link on another fellow blogger's page:
Susan Boyle
And found another video from the link above that really stunned me:
Flawless
That was a very sincere and heartfelt compliment from Simon :)
"Chase the dream, not the competition."
I'm with you, mates. Always the same motto at heart too. :)
It's the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you.
-Million Dollar Baby 2004
That's all that matters.
What's your dream, my child?
"It's time to start living the life you've imagined.- Henry James"
A dream for me (and I believe there are many others too) to accomplish:
Chorus:
Lord, Make us instruments of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let your love increase
Lord, make us instruments of your peace,
Walls of pride and prejudice shall cease
When we are your instruments of peace.
Where there is hatred, we will show his love
Where there is injury, we will never judge
Where there is striving, we will speak his peace
To the millions crying for release,
We will be his instruments of peace
Lord, Make us instruments of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let your love increase
Lord, make us instruments of your peace,
Walls of pride and prejudice shall cease
When we are your instruments of peace.
Where there is blindness, we will pray for sight
where there is darkness, we will shine his light
Where there is sadness, we will bear their grief
To the millions crying for relief,
We will be your instruments of peace.
-Instruments of Peace by Kirk and Devy Dearman 1993 from Songs of Faith and Praise, Alton H. Howard
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Post-April Fool Syndrome- let's play games
AD: Are you sick of yesterday's pranks? Try something opposite here instead.
Important note: I am not malicious. I am very safe. And so is this post. If anything goes wrong, it's not my fault. It's your computer's. ;) And I don't like fooling people, it's pretty lame. I like playing games instead. It makes life more interesting and mysterious.
I'm going to "blindfold" you in this post. We'll play doctor and a blind patient today. I am the doctor and you will be the blind patient.
Here we go- follow my lead and trust me, my dear patient:
First,
1. Download a song here. If you trust me enough to do it. ;) If not, then don't and you can quit the game.
Then,
2. Click here to view a picture. Hint: Cute white pants!
Thirdly,
3. If you are willing to spend 8 more minutes of your life for something that may make your day, try this.
Lastly,
4. The end is always the best and the most important. If you haven't know, find out about this. I always feel a tad more smarter after reading stuff off this site.
If you have completed all four tasks,
Thank you for being a very good and obedient patient for the day. I am privileged to have one as you. It's apprehensive to be blind, isn't it? So are the real ones.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Sincerity
When I was a child, I began to learn that the world is full of people who just don't care about other people but they themselves alone. People hurt others for self-gain or to satisfy the needs of one-self or because they didn't know how to be courteous to others or because they neglected other people's feelings and needs just because they thought they weren't that important after all in their lives. These may be my preconceptions, biased against many people back then; but now not anymore, because when I learned the ways of the world, I soon realized that my naive actions in the past hurt more people than I thought they wouldn't. People simply had to mature and grow and learn the right way to deal with others- in short; diplomacy and leadership skills. After all, the thing called friendship is something mysterious that carries a different definition for every individual.
Friday came and I thought that life would pass by as a quiet incident like usual. Never would I have ever thought that I would receive unexpected guests. I was not feeling well for a week now-I am feeling so much better today already, thanks to the medicine that my housemate gave me- and two friends dropped by and bought for me lunch. And I did not expect any friend to do such a sweet thing for me.
That chicken rice probably felt like the most delicious chicken rice I have ever tasted in my life. ;)
Thank you God for sending me angels in life.
Friday came and I thought that life would pass by as a quiet incident like usual. Never would I have ever thought that I would receive unexpected guests. I was not feeling well for a week now-I am feeling so much better today already, thanks to the medicine that my housemate gave me- and two friends dropped by and bought for me lunch. And I did not expect any friend to do such a sweet thing for me.
That chicken rice probably felt like the most delicious chicken rice I have ever tasted in my life. ;)
The worst solitude is to be destitute of sincere friendship.
Francis Bacon, Baron Verulam and Viscount of St Albans, 1561-1626
Thank you God for sending me angels in life.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Wings to fly
Lyrics | Aladdin lyrics - A Whole New World lyrics
***
Sometimes I just need a break from the reality we live in. It gives new air for me to breathe from.
So I just can't help imagining myself living in a world I create on my own. A world with peace and serenity.
With everything smiling around me, I smile back with indescribable bliss.
With the wind blowing gently my hair away while I stand by the corner of the hill atop looking down at the beautiful river below, I close my eyes and listen to my surroundings; with my arms crossed over my chest.
Small little flowers are singing to me. So I sing back. Starting with a hum, I create my own melody; my own tune; my own lyrics; my own song.
I feel music flowing into this small world I create, the power gushing up, whirling around me, unimaginably strong and fast and opening my eyes, I watch colors splash across the sky, creating the most ever beautiful auroras. They are so near I could touch them, and that I unthinkably did.
Magic. Unimaginably imaginable.
And it gives me wings to fly. Like a caterpillar metamorphosing into a butterfly.
I want to change.
I try to be brave. I try to be strong. I try hard to escape my daydreams. I return to reality.
It's time to face the real music.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Way Back Into Love
Lyrics | Hugh Grant lyrics - Way Back Into Love lyrics
I actually miss watching this movie ;) But probably won't watch it again though- I have so many other movies lining up............waiting..........
Both Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore are like my all-time-favorites!
P.s. I suddenly thought of this guy and miss watching his movies too:
He has got to be one of the most good looking man out there ;)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Happy (Belated) Day of Birth, R
"The Answer to the Great Question... Of Life, the Universe and Everything... Is... Twenty-two."
Ripped quote- yes, originally, it's forty-two from Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Our people's typical tardiness got me this time. Dang. I am 4 hours late but 3 hours saved. If you get what I mean ;)
Double number for you; going to be for me in a few months time. Man, I wish time could stop. You know what I told my roommate the other day, "I think I have lived long enough." LOL I sound like an old lady.
Hope you're happy where you are.
P.s. A fellow blogger, Lingghezhi wishes you Happy Birthday as well!
We send you butterflies of wishes across fiber optics and satellite signals!
P.p.s. A car for you. You know why.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
First impression
We met our new ambassador for the first time today at his house. That was a very pleasant meeting indeed. He is such a funny and considerate gentleman! With a lovely wife too.
The occasion began with a brief speech from none but the ambassador himself- lovely (cliched) speech with a tinge of humor and friendliness. After the speech, we adjourned for the food prepared when he quickly put us into halt by reprimanding the boys who went ahead of the girls and said sharply, "LADIES first!" LOL
(Yes, sadly, guys here aren't gentlemen. Another sad fact- there aren't many gentlemen anymore I guess.)
And I noticed and observed the food prepared. What a great consideration put into it- the dishes were either all beef(with potatoes) or all vegetables or all chicken(with potatoes). So this means that Indians, non-beef eaters, and vegetarians will not need to worry about eating the wrong food at all. Something that people never took seriously before. He even hired chefs and helpers! We needn't worry about time constraint and helping for the first time! Very nicely done. ;)
He was very nice, even to everyone. He came to speak to everyone and was humble to come down to our level and joked around with us.
This just proves how true this statement is- "first impression matters the most". ;)
The occasion began with a brief speech from none but the ambassador himself- lovely (cliched) speech with a tinge of humor and friendliness. After the speech, we adjourned for the food prepared when he quickly put us into halt by reprimanding the boys who went ahead of the girls and said sharply, "LADIES first!" LOL
(Yes, sadly, guys here aren't gentlemen. Another sad fact- there aren't many gentlemen anymore I guess.)
And I noticed and observed the food prepared. What a great consideration put into it- the dishes were either all beef(with potatoes) or all vegetables or all chicken(with potatoes). So this means that Indians, non-beef eaters, and vegetarians will not need to worry about eating the wrong food at all. Something that people never took seriously before. He even hired chefs and helpers! We needn't worry about time constraint and helping for the first time! Very nicely done. ;)
He was very nice, even to everyone. He came to speak to everyone and was humble to come down to our level and joked around with us.
This just proves how true this statement is- "first impression matters the most". ;)
"Little deeds of kindness, little words of love,
help to make earth happy, like heaven above"
Julia Fletcher Carney, 1823-1908 American teacher
~A very cute quote~ XD
I can't help remembering those touching moments when people around me showed their kindness during my worst moments of life. So sweet of them. I was really really touched by what so many people did for me. And the support- oh my... These will be the things that remain indelible in my heart for life. Cross-My-Heart :)
I can't thank God enough.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Secret to happiness
How happy is he born and taught
That serveth not another's will;
Whose armour is his honest thought,
And simple truth his utmost skill!
- Sir Henry Wotton, 1568-1639, English diplomat and poet
Before I begin, I would like to introduce a rather admirable character- one whom I could call a best friend if we ever meet in this life!
Most of the people in this world would have probably know who this person is already- I know that. (In fact, it's a really old story already- even though I bet he wouldn't want me to say this because he knows and understands that not everyone in this world will know about him yet-anyway that's not the point here)
If you have watched the video,
See the point where I am getting to now?
Did you just see how happy he really is?
I can understand the pain and denial that he had to go through simply because I did went through similar mental torture- and the only difference between us is that he was born with the problem and I was "gifted" with the situation at the age of 19- MED SCHOOL. Nobody should ever ever ever take medicine lightly- even if you are the best worker in your department, you have a great career in your life, you have great success blah blah blah. I am not saying that it is the most difficult studies in the world. I am not saying that you can call yourself great if you are a med student and you survived this course at the end of it. In fact, it is the opposite. Because I will say; seriously, don't be proud of me; there's nothing to be proud of. Perhaps most of us (med students) will say too: don't be proud of us- there's nothing to be proud of. Because whatever we studied so hard for years can be thrown into the drain so very very very easily when we can't even diagnose a patient properly. What can we say more about saving a patient's life then. We can save our breaths bragging till we find ourselves running up and about trying and trying and trying even if the hope seems so frail and little. The very one thing great that I can speak about medicine at least is that it teaches you the real meaning of humility.
I remember listening to a doctor from home who came visiting us here in town. She was relating her experience to us and I remember sitting there stunned, almost driven to tears. She had two patients who suddenly started bleeding profusely at 4 or 5 am. To her knowledge and dismay, the hospital ran out of the blood at that moment. I can't remember well but if I was not wrong, she was the only doctor on duty that night. She went down to the ambulance and found the driver only to find that this driver too sleepy and tired so much so that he couldn't drive out that night. She said that people know this driver very well. You can never ever get him to work when he's really sleepy. Bad luck. He gave the keys to her. She didn't know how to drive. Second bad luck. She ran all the way as fast as her legs could carry her to the nearest blood bank. With the little hope in her. With the determination in her. With the strength that she could thrive out. She arrived at the blood bank, panting, asking for the blood to be prepared. The person on duty was surprised to see her exhausted- no, even surprised to see her presence and said something like, "wow, the ambulance driver actually took you here?". Doctor replied, "No my dear, I ran here." She got her two bags of blood- mind you, they were heavy, and ran all the way back to the hospital only to find that the two patients did not make it-they bled to death. That story really opened my eyes and taught me this- if you want to be a good doctor, you have to have unconditional love for your patients-one of the most important rules. Second important lesson- teamwork- you gotta find your (soul) teammates and make it work- it's not about talent or how smart you are- it's sacrifice and the more hands you have, the better- and mind you, for a stranger who is a patient- be it a noble or a criminal, be it of different race- simply because the person is a human being whom we have responsibility for.
Easy to say, hard to do.
I got a message from my dad a few days ago which informed me that a virus infected my friend and that he was hospitalized and that he is in a very bad condition and that he needs prayers. I emailed my friend's dad immediately and I got a reply from him the day after. He was already in Perth then and told me of his condition. You know how I felt at that moment, "oh my gosh, I have never felt so helpless because I realize I could do nothing to help this friend of mine nor his family." Nothing.
You want a secret to happiness?
Seek the meaning of humility and wisdom. Seek to improve your character by being humble enough to admit your mistakes and grow from there. Seek wisdom and you will see the bigger picture of everything. Get along well with people around you with sincerity and warmth from your heart without prejudice. Be yourself, stay true to your identity and give value to that identity you have earned so hard. Be pure-not naive because naivety can hurt many people, yes, it hurts deeply- but more importantly: be wise, humble, patient, gentle and loving.
I can't remember if I have mentioned this in this blog before:
Every great person we know in this world came from a humble beginning. Because life is not a bed of roses. Because life is not meant to be a bed of roses. Because if it is so, we would be spoiled brats with pride and arrogance as great as Mauna Kea Mountain- well, one thing that I will be honest to say directly; save your pride for somebody else if you wish to communicate with me- I don't need that from anybody. Because hey you know what, pride goes before a fall. How true the saying is.
Start with honesty. Be honest with yourself- and ask yourself this question: will I be happy if I do this? Am I brave enough to go for the narrow, dangerous-looking road that few people will tread on-I'm not talking only about Christianity here but anything in this world-job, family, love, friendship, humanity, studies, poverty, etc- and survive? Don't be afraid of death- we will all eventually die. Don't be afraid of losing everything- you are not finished as long as you have hope and determination and that you're living, breathing. Don't take those precious attributes away from you- you will be miserable if you do.
Be productive, have interest and passion, be accepting and try. Make an effort even if you don't like it at first. You can't always have things your way in life. You need a lot of sacrifice for that to happen. But it is not impossible to have the outcome you desire in the end, if you are determined and resolute enough to pull yourself through all the ordeal you have to go through. It is not suffering, it is not torture-those are negative point of views-if you take it from the positive light- it is experience, it is growing, it is learning. Because learning comes in different forms and I agree that Pain is one of the best teachers in the world.
Despite of how much I wrote, I have a lot to learn still. I lack in many areas that many have already achieved. God willing to make things fall into place for me.
Human felicity is produced not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day.
Be in general virtuous, and you will be happy.
-Benjamin Franklin
Unbroken happiness is a bore; it should have ups and downs.
-Moliere [Jean-Baptiste Poquelin], 1622-73, French Playwright
One would suffer a great deal to be happy.
-Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, 1689-1762, English writer
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Compassion
I received this email from a dear friend of mine recently-the story that the email contained brought tears to my eyes and then I knew that I just have to share it here. I don't know how old this email is- it may be new, it may be old- but for the sake of the people who have yet to come upon this beautiful story, I am extending this piece of experience to them.
*****
Breakfast at McDonald's
I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.
The last class I had to take was Sociology.
The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.
Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.'
The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.
I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.
Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.
It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.
We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.
I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.
As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men..
As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling'
His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance.
He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching..
The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.
I held my tears as I stood there with them.
The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.
He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).
Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.
That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action.
I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.
I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand.
He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.'
I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.'
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope..'
We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.
We are not church goers, but we are believers.
That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.
I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand.
I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it.
Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?'
I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.
She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.
In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, the instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.
I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:
UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.
Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to
LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS -
NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.
*****
One of the very important example that Jesus taught us in the Bible is the very same value shown by this woman in the story. Like R mentioned in his blog, R for Randall, it reminds me also of the Parable of the Good Samaritan from the book of Luke.
Like I always say, we need to have application in our lives. The book of James teaches us so. You can read and learn more about what James has to say here.
There is one part that I find a little "disagreeable" though- I want to make it sound delicate because rationally, what she said was wise and not wrong:- (the part in italic):
"I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.'"
I personally feel that it should be more than just that.
Think about why I feel so.
It's a question of sincerity. It's a question of having a bigger but wise heart. It's a question of understanding God and His teachings.
This is one value which I have always taught myself since I was little because I did believe in the greater good- till at one point, I find myself actually losing it. Yes, I completely lost that simple innocent thought that I instilled in me till only recently, when I started picking the pieces of myself back up again. I went through a whole period of depression; I was broken and lost, only finding myself hanging unto God and His guidance- the only one thing that I could do. And now, I find myself getting out of the shell and seeing the old light that I lost and a new light which is teaching me many new beautiful things in this life.
And I was thinking about what R said to me last night, "Drastic changes usually don't end up well." Even my roommate felt that I am changing drastically.
I told R, "Then I will surprise you. Because I am loving myself more than ever."
Because this is the true me. The me who was young me when I was pure and untainted was someone I loved dearly. Like God loves little children and their innocence and purity, so do I.
Nevertheless, I realize one important thing though. This is not a drastic change. God teaches us to be fruitful and the results are only showing now. I have been revolutionizing my mind, mentality and character ever since the beginning of last year. I have been doing major thinking, philosophizing and re-evaluating myself and the situation that I am in and how I should deal with them. But intentions and thoughts and beliefs will only remain as intentions and thoughts and beliefs until I put them into practice and works. And I am glad and grateful to God because it looks like it's going the right way. And by no means am I having the intentions of being boastful. I guess I have this habit of making self-explanations because not only do I want people not to misunderstand me, I do want understand myself clearly too. But maybe I shouldn't reveal so much. Life is more interesting when you discover things and people yourself, isn't it?
P.s.
Let us share something together:
"What is my secret to happiness?" is the title that I will be working on for my next post. R, may I tag you with this title, please? *smiles with a tongue-in-the-cheek manner*
The theme centers around ideas like "What does happiness mean to you? What makes you happy? Do you think happiness helps you to discover yourself- or perhaps one of the major factors that influence the discovery of your current identity? If not, what are the other factors then? etc etc (you can talk about anything actually, not necessarily specifically those- I encourage heart-felt and meaningful sharing! You know, I feel this is what "tagging" should really be all about =) Okok, it feels like I'm becoming a very demanding person now.. Do what you like. But if you don't have the time, it's okay. I understand. It's just a personal request that you can turn down.
I assure everybody one thing, I don't need to read Rhonda Byrne's piece of work to discover my secret of happiness. From the way I heard about her writing, according to someone I know, he mentioned this specifically; "it carries an anti-Christian perspective of life and existence." Maybe, one day when I have the time, I shall read her side of story and see what he meant by that. I don't want to accuse or be pointing fingers at anybody of course. Because I want to discover the truth myself. We all have our own opinions and opinions always differ when we have a different stand, when we see things from a different perspective.
*****
Breakfast at McDonald's
I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.
The last class I had to take was Sociology.
The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.
Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.'
The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.
I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.
Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.
It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.
We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.
I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.
As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men..
As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling'
His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance.
He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching..
The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.
I held my tears as I stood there with them.
The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.
He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).
Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.
That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action.
I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.
I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand.
He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.'
I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.'
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope..'
We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.
We are not church goers, but we are believers.
That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.
I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand.
I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it.
Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?'
I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.
She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.
In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, the instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.
I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:
UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.
Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to
LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS -
NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.
*****
One of the very important example that Jesus taught us in the Bible is the very same value shown by this woman in the story. Like R mentioned in his blog, R for Randall, it reminds me also of the Parable of the Good Samaritan from the book of Luke.
Like I always say, we need to have application in our lives. The book of James teaches us so. You can read and learn more about what James has to say here.
There is one part that I find a little "disagreeable" though- I want to make it sound delicate because rationally, what she said was wise and not wrong:- (the part in italic):
"I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.'"
I personally feel that it should be more than just that.
Think about why I feel so.
It's a question of sincerity. It's a question of having a bigger but wise heart. It's a question of understanding God and His teachings.
This is one value which I have always taught myself since I was little because I did believe in the greater good- till at one point, I find myself actually losing it. Yes, I completely lost that simple innocent thought that I instilled in me till only recently, when I started picking the pieces of myself back up again. I went through a whole period of depression; I was broken and lost, only finding myself hanging unto God and His guidance- the only one thing that I could do. And now, I find myself getting out of the shell and seeing the old light that I lost and a new light which is teaching me many new beautiful things in this life.
And I was thinking about what R said to me last night, "Drastic changes usually don't end up well." Even my roommate felt that I am changing drastically.
I told R, "Then I will surprise you. Because I am loving myself more than ever."
Because this is the true me. The me who was young me when I was pure and untainted was someone I loved dearly. Like God loves little children and their innocence and purity, so do I.
Nevertheless, I realize one important thing though. This is not a drastic change. God teaches us to be fruitful and the results are only showing now. I have been revolutionizing my mind, mentality and character ever since the beginning of last year. I have been doing major thinking, philosophizing and re-evaluating myself and the situation that I am in and how I should deal with them. But intentions and thoughts and beliefs will only remain as intentions and thoughts and beliefs until I put them into practice and works. And I am glad and grateful to God because it looks like it's going the right way. And by no means am I having the intentions of being boastful. I guess I have this habit of making self-explanations because not only do I want people not to misunderstand me, I do want understand myself clearly too. But maybe I shouldn't reveal so much. Life is more interesting when you discover things and people yourself, isn't it?
P.s.
Let us share something together:
"What is my secret to happiness?" is the title that I will be working on for my next post. R, may I tag you with this title, please? *smiles with a tongue-in-the-cheek manner*
The theme centers around ideas like "What does happiness mean to you? What makes you happy? Do you think happiness helps you to discover yourself- or perhaps one of the major factors that influence the discovery of your current identity? If not, what are the other factors then? etc etc (you can talk about anything actually, not necessarily specifically those- I encourage heart-felt and meaningful sharing! You know, I feel this is what "tagging" should really be all about =) Okok, it feels like I'm becoming a very demanding person now.. Do what you like. But if you don't have the time, it's okay. I understand. It's just a personal request that you can turn down.
I assure everybody one thing, I don't need to read Rhonda Byrne's piece of work to discover my secret of happiness. From the way I heard about her writing, according to someone I know, he mentioned this specifically; "it carries an anti-Christian perspective of life and existence." Maybe, one day when I have the time, I shall read her side of story and see what he meant by that. I don't want to accuse or be pointing fingers at anybody of course. Because I want to discover the truth myself. We all have our own opinions and opinions always differ when we have a different stand, when we see things from a different perspective.
Verse of the day:
1 Timothy 1:5
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
One more video for the day.
Okay okay, before I log off, there's this another video which I just have to share with friends as well. I was so very touched by it. I shared it with a few friends already and one of them is also from Latin America and boy, was I glad to share it with her!! I was just overwhelmed listening to his wise and beautiful speech and then, I found myself clapping at the end of it like a nutter! Gosh, clapping is becoming an addiction for me! This form of action is such a good motivator! LOL But unfortunately it makes me look stupid. Nah... I don't care. =) Cuz' that's just me.
Jose Abreu: TED Prize Winner
You know, when he was saying that, it felt like he was reading my mind and heart. =) Simply because I have always personally have this belief ever since I was young- I can't even remember when anymore. Probably, it started when I first read about people's suffering and the poverty that was spreading around Africa. I remember, in primary school, there was this article in a magazine that first taught me about why we shouldn't waste our food. It wrote about the poor and starving children in Africa that were surviving on things like worms or anything that they could find edible. Well, my mom had always, always been reminding me since I was little that I shouldn't waste my food and I guess I was taking her words for granted till that moment of reading that article came and hit me so hard, that I can still remember about it now. Man, I can still even remember the picture on the article too. Whoa. I'm surprised at myself.
The unsung heroes of the world will always have a great story to tell, that's what I always believe too. =) And I'm looking forward to discovering those stories. Because I love stories. And I love story tellers that make my life colorful. That's why I love every color that exists in this world. Because each color has a story to tell. Isn't it interesting to find out what those stories are? =)
Jose Abreu: TED Prize Winner
My favorite part of the speech:
-Arnold Toynbee once said that the world was suffering from a huge spiritual crisis. Not an economic or a social crisis but a spiritual one. I believe to confront one such crisis, only art and religion can give proper answers to humanity, to mankind's deepest aspirations, and to the historic demands of our times. Being the educator, the synthesis of wisdom and knowledge, it's the means to strive for a more perfect, more aware, more noble and more just society- Jose Abreu
You know, when he was saying that, it felt like he was reading my mind and heart. =) Simply because I have always personally have this belief ever since I was young- I can't even remember when anymore. Probably, it started when I first read about people's suffering and the poverty that was spreading around Africa. I remember, in primary school, there was this article in a magazine that first taught me about why we shouldn't waste our food. It wrote about the poor and starving children in Africa that were surviving on things like worms or anything that they could find edible. Well, my mom had always, always been reminding me since I was little that I shouldn't waste my food and I guess I was taking her words for granted till that moment of reading that article came and hit me so hard, that I can still remember about it now. Man, I can still even remember the picture on the article too. Whoa. I'm surprised at myself.
The unsung heroes of the world will always have a great story to tell, that's what I always believe too. =) And I'm looking forward to discovering those stories. Because I love stories. And I love story tellers that make my life colorful. That's why I love every color that exists in this world. Because each color has a story to tell. Isn't it interesting to find out what those stories are? =)
Send the message out!
Hello everybody! How are you today? I wish from the bottom of my heart that
1)you had a great day or
2)you will begin your day with a smile on your face and in your heart or
3)you're probably in the middle of the day already and so, do spend the rest of the day by putting a cheerful air about you! =)
A friend of mine shared with me a really cool philosophy of his life recently- I can't remember all the exact words that he said (since he said that weeks ago!) but this is the general idea of them:
"I like to be happy. I want to make people happy too because I feel happy when they are happy!"
Don't you feel encouraged by those words?! I felt really encouraged when he said those things! Because believe! that there is someone out there in this world who wishes you to be happy, regardless of the fact whether you're a stranger or not! Okay... wait a minute... correction, there are PEOPLE (not just someone) because that includes me too! =)
Each and everyone of us has our own way of feeling happy. As for me, I started my day today with reading the bible. =) Sparking interest turned into fire and understanding dawned upon me and the rest of the day is history! Even my classmate asked me, "Why are you so happy?!" And don't you notice, when you smile at your friends, your friends smile back at you too? Because you know what, being happy and positive and motivating is contagious! Spread the happiness around and it will make your day!
I know.. it's easier said than done. Hmmm okay... let's check out this really cool video (yes, the very same friend recommended this video to me!):
Banjamin Zander on Music and Passion- Classical music with shining eyes
And you know what's my favorite part??? The CLAPPING part and the fact that he related that to an experience he had with kids as audience! Watch it! Come on.... it's just 20 minutes- it'll be the shortest 20 minutes of your life! The best part is in the ending- (yes, the best part always comes last)
It may change your outlook on your life or you may already the same outlook on life and so you might feel excited like, "Yes! I found a mate in a stranger who shares the same hope as I do- bravo!"
Spread the joy because trust me, life holds a precious value when you do something meaningful- (well, that's my philosophy of life! =)!)
Credits to A (yes, that very same friend lol)
Last note: Yes, check out the website- www.ted.com now!
~Smiley Face~
1)you had a great day or
2)you will begin your day with a smile on your face and in your heart or
3)you're probably in the middle of the day already and so, do spend the rest of the day by putting a cheerful air about you! =)
A friend of mine shared with me a really cool philosophy of his life recently- I can't remember all the exact words that he said (since he said that weeks ago!) but this is the general idea of them:
"I like to be happy. I want to make people happy too because I feel happy when they are happy!"
Don't you feel encouraged by those words?! I felt really encouraged when he said those things! Because believe! that there is someone out there in this world who wishes you to be happy, regardless of the fact whether you're a stranger or not! Okay... wait a minute... correction, there are PEOPLE (not just someone) because that includes me too! =)
Each and everyone of us has our own way of feeling happy. As for me, I started my day today with reading the bible. =) Sparking interest turned into fire and understanding dawned upon me and the rest of the day is history! Even my classmate asked me, "Why are you so happy?!" And don't you notice, when you smile at your friends, your friends smile back at you too? Because you know what, being happy and positive and motivating is contagious! Spread the happiness around and it will make your day!
I know.. it's easier said than done. Hmmm okay... let's check out this really cool video (yes, the very same friend recommended this video to me!):
Banjamin Zander on Music and Passion- Classical music with shining eyes
And you know what's my favorite part??? The CLAPPING part and the fact that he related that to an experience he had with kids as audience! Watch it! Come on.... it's just 20 minutes- it'll be the shortest 20 minutes of your life! The best part is in the ending- (yes, the best part always comes last)
It may change your outlook on your life or you may already the same outlook on life and so you might feel excited like, "Yes! I found a mate in a stranger who shares the same hope as I do- bravo!"
Spread the joy because trust me, life holds a precious value when you do something meaningful- (well, that's my philosophy of life! =)!)
Credits to A (yes, that very same friend lol)
-I would never say anything that couldn't stand as the last thing I'll ever say-
-"Why am I clapping?" One of the little kids said "cause we were listening!"-
Last note: Yes, check out the website- www.ted.com now!
~Smiley Face~
Sunday, February 22, 2009
A very very very important reminder
I like reading articles off the net once in a while. What happened was this: I receive weekly updates on Kuala Lumpur Church of Christ's website and when I was checking through my mails yesterday, I realized that I haven't been visiting their website lately, and so I did it and yes! I received a good reward in return =) And I feel that I need to share this too because it is a very important reminder to Christians- I don't know if it is okay to post the excerpt here, if it isn't then somebody please alert me so that I can take it down in no time. But I will post it anyway for now.
What Members Of A Congregation Owe To Each Other
by Robert Meredith
There are many things that can cause problems within a congregation. Some of those problems are doctrinal. It is sad that many congregations no longer care about the “old paths” set forth by God. Some are concerned more with numbers than they are real growth. Another source of problems within a congregation is how the membership “gets along.” The Scriptures teach us (Titus 2:12) that as brothers and sisters in Christ, we owe certain things to each other. Let us notice a few things that hopefully will help us be what God would have us to be.
The basis of Christian relationships is love (1 Corinthians 13:1-7). A Christian must show love towards others of like faith (2 Peter 1:7). This love will manifest itself by different characteristics, one of which will be a general caring for others. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4). This verse simply means to put others ahead of yourself. If Christians would seek to fulfill this command, they would find that they would begin to grow spiritually. Christ is our great example in this area. He did not come to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28), and Christians owe it to themselves and others to put others ahead of self. This caring about others will help develop warmth in relationships, sincerity in character and sympathy in other’s struggles.
Another quality that members of a congregation owe to each other is patience. The Apostle Paul instructed Christians to have this characteristic in Ephesians 4:2, “With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. Patience will manifest itself by one’s being slow to criticize others. Unwarranted criticism can cause tension which will disrupt the peace and harmony of a congregation. Some criticism is required, but patience and wisdom will cause one to offer constructive criticism when it is needed, not before. Patience will also cause one to seek to restore those who have fallen away from Christ. Paul penned, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2). Christians should be long-suffering with other, and some need to be strengthened more than others. Some individuals need help more than others because of spiritual immaturity, being young in the faith or enduring a trial that caused them to stumble. Other Christians owe them patience as they try to restore them.
Respect is another thing which members of the church owe to one another. The fact that one is a sibling in Christ makes one worthy of respect. Respect for one another can be seen by talking and listening to others. “Clicks” harm a congregation’s growth. It is true that people will spend more time with people their own age or people with whom they have more in common; however, one should not be too restricted in his associations. Conversing with everyone and showing that you care about their needs will greatly encourage them and will benefit you even more. Years ago, at another congregation, I was asked by the elders there to start a visitation program. This was a great work and hopefully much good was accomplished through that work. When I was organizing teams, I was informed that certain people should not be put with certain others because they did not get along. My friends, if children of God can not get along on earth, how do you expect them to be in heaven together? Respect is also shown in being courteous. Being kind and considerate of others is essential to being a Christian (Ephesians 4:32).
Members of a congregation also owe to other members enough love to practice what the Lord commands concerning church discipline. When one has departed from God, Christians must go to that individual in an attempt to win him back (James 5:19-20). By following Jesus’ instruction as found in Matthew 18:15-17, members of the church are demonstrating love for God, His church, His word and His wayward child. If you were physically lost, would not you want your loved ones to make every effort to find you and bring you home safely? How much more grave are the eternal consequences for a person who is spiritually lost. One should make every effort to find that lost sibling and encourage him to return to God’s grace. Sometimes that requires “tough love;” the withdrawal of fellowship to prompt the person to repent.
Members of a congregation owe other members so much. Visits to those who are sick, or bereaved over the loss of a loved one are other things that we owe one another. There are so many areas in which most Christians need to grow. Let us strive to help others, and in so doing we will be helping ourselves even more.
Disclaimer: This excerpt has been taken from klcc.faithsite.com
What Members Of A Congregation Owe To Each Other
by Robert Meredith
There are many things that can cause problems within a congregation. Some of those problems are doctrinal. It is sad that many congregations no longer care about the “old paths” set forth by God. Some are concerned more with numbers than they are real growth. Another source of problems within a congregation is how the membership “gets along.” The Scriptures teach us (Titus 2:12) that as brothers and sisters in Christ, we owe certain things to each other. Let us notice a few things that hopefully will help us be what God would have us to be.
The basis of Christian relationships is love (1 Corinthians 13:1-7). A Christian must show love towards others of like faith (2 Peter 1:7). This love will manifest itself by different characteristics, one of which will be a general caring for others. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4). This verse simply means to put others ahead of yourself. If Christians would seek to fulfill this command, they would find that they would begin to grow spiritually. Christ is our great example in this area. He did not come to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28), and Christians owe it to themselves and others to put others ahead of self. This caring about others will help develop warmth in relationships, sincerity in character and sympathy in other’s struggles.
Another quality that members of a congregation owe to each other is patience. The Apostle Paul instructed Christians to have this characteristic in Ephesians 4:2, “With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. Patience will manifest itself by one’s being slow to criticize others. Unwarranted criticism can cause tension which will disrupt the peace and harmony of a congregation. Some criticism is required, but patience and wisdom will cause one to offer constructive criticism when it is needed, not before. Patience will also cause one to seek to restore those who have fallen away from Christ. Paul penned, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2). Christians should be long-suffering with other, and some need to be strengthened more than others. Some individuals need help more than others because of spiritual immaturity, being young in the faith or enduring a trial that caused them to stumble. Other Christians owe them patience as they try to restore them.
Respect is another thing which members of the church owe to one another. The fact that one is a sibling in Christ makes one worthy of respect. Respect for one another can be seen by talking and listening to others. “Clicks” harm a congregation’s growth. It is true that people will spend more time with people their own age or people with whom they have more in common; however, one should not be too restricted in his associations. Conversing with everyone and showing that you care about their needs will greatly encourage them and will benefit you even more. Years ago, at another congregation, I was asked by the elders there to start a visitation program. This was a great work and hopefully much good was accomplished through that work. When I was organizing teams, I was informed that certain people should not be put with certain others because they did not get along. My friends, if children of God can not get along on earth, how do you expect them to be in heaven together? Respect is also shown in being courteous. Being kind and considerate of others is essential to being a Christian (Ephesians 4:32).
Members of a congregation also owe to other members enough love to practice what the Lord commands concerning church discipline. When one has departed from God, Christians must go to that individual in an attempt to win him back (James 5:19-20). By following Jesus’ instruction as found in Matthew 18:15-17, members of the church are demonstrating love for God, His church, His word and His wayward child. If you were physically lost, would not you want your loved ones to make every effort to find you and bring you home safely? How much more grave are the eternal consequences for a person who is spiritually lost. One should make every effort to find that lost sibling and encourage him to return to God’s grace. Sometimes that requires “tough love;” the withdrawal of fellowship to prompt the person to repent.
Members of a congregation owe other members so much. Visits to those who are sick, or bereaved over the loss of a loved one are other things that we owe one another. There are so many areas in which most Christians need to grow. Let us strive to help others, and in so doing we will be helping ourselves even more.
Disclaimer: This excerpt has been taken from klcc.faithsite.com
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Sharing
I love people who love God. It's pretty amazing how we can speak to each other so easily and be so comfortable even though we're strangers.
We have hope. And that hope comes with charity and faith, we all know that. And that is good to hear because God is good. And it feels so good to share our faith together.
Amazing sermons always bring me to tears. Because whatever that is preached is true and it speaks of God and His word.
I love to always continually talk about God and what He has done for us in our lives and what we have learned from Him and the church. I yearn to be a better Christian, who upholds morality and virtues and not in the matter of excellence- you know, like taking bible exams and scoring great results in them- seriously, being a good student just by memorization is nothing to be proud of. We need to have application in our lives because we are living examples- to ourselves, to our friends, to our family and to strangers.
I always wonder why we are so caught up in the secular world that we forgot to speak about God and Christianity to our fellow church friends whenever we have the time to catch up with each other and hang out. It puts me into even more bigger surprise when I find myself talking about God and Bible and Church to strangers who love God as much so easily and so lovingly. Because, then, I know just how much I love God. And how much God loves me. And you. And basically everyone.
Love of a Christian is just simply amazing, isn't it?
Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
I feel God has taught me so many things today. I don't even know how to put them into words. But today, peace and serenity came back to me again. I made good friends today. And I just realize how much I miss church and people teaching God's word and being around people who love God and church just as much. These are the precious precious things in my life that I miss most in my life. Because I don't want to move from this holy holy place. I don't want to move from the sweet embrace or the nearness of Your face.
I am resolute that from now onwards, there will be no more rubbish talk from me, no more excuses for negligence and being playful. Because I must continue my quest in seeking God and His righteousness. To be worthy in His presence. To be more Christ-like.
Every passage in the Bible is my favorite. So this passage below is one of my favorite that I would like to share:
1 Corinthians 2
1And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.
Paul is an amazing example, isn't he? Having him preaching and always encouraging is just so fulfilling. Together, we always put God and Christ first in our minds and lives. Because God is so good, because He first loved us and we come to love Him too.
I love talking about God. I just simply love it. It's just a blessing to be able to talk about Him already, what more when we can share and find our true self in Him.
Someday, I want to be part of a missionary. That would be great. Yeah, why not? It is good to pursue a dream than to never have done anything at all. =)
We have hope. And that hope comes with charity and faith, we all know that. And that is good to hear because God is good. And it feels so good to share our faith together.
Amazing sermons always bring me to tears. Because whatever that is preached is true and it speaks of God and His word.
I love to always continually talk about God and what He has done for us in our lives and what we have learned from Him and the church. I yearn to be a better Christian, who upholds morality and virtues and not in the matter of excellence- you know, like taking bible exams and scoring great results in them- seriously, being a good student just by memorization is nothing to be proud of. We need to have application in our lives because we are living examples- to ourselves, to our friends, to our family and to strangers.
I always wonder why we are so caught up in the secular world that we forgot to speak about God and Christianity to our fellow church friends whenever we have the time to catch up with each other and hang out. It puts me into even more bigger surprise when I find myself talking about God and Bible and Church to strangers who love God as much so easily and so lovingly. Because, then, I know just how much I love God. And how much God loves me. And you. And basically everyone.
Love of a Christian is just simply amazing, isn't it?
Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
I feel God has taught me so many things today. I don't even know how to put them into words. But today, peace and serenity came back to me again. I made good friends today. And I just realize how much I miss church and people teaching God's word and being around people who love God and church just as much. These are the precious precious things in my life that I miss most in my life. Because I don't want to move from this holy holy place. I don't want to move from the sweet embrace or the nearness of Your face.
I am resolute that from now onwards, there will be no more rubbish talk from me, no more excuses for negligence and being playful. Because I must continue my quest in seeking God and His righteousness. To be worthy in His presence. To be more Christ-like.
Every passage in the Bible is my favorite. So this passage below is one of my favorite that I would like to share:
1 Corinthians 2
1And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.
Paul is an amazing example, isn't he? Having him preaching and always encouraging is just so fulfilling. Together, we always put God and Christ first in our minds and lives. Because God is so good, because He first loved us and we come to love Him too.
I love talking about God. I just simply love it. It's just a blessing to be able to talk about Him already, what more when we can share and find our true self in Him.
Someday, I want to be part of a missionary. That would be great. Yeah, why not? It is good to pursue a dream than to never have done anything at all. =)
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Only gray
Every exam period has always been a sad moment for me. But never had I imagine that a simple subject could put me down this much. R, your good luck pee didn't work.
And I have never been ever this disappointed in myself- Yes, I am utterly extremely wholly disappointed in myself.
Sometimes I wish I could turn back time. But then again, I could never imagine myself going through that hell that I've been through last year again.
This course is really wearing me out. Mentally. Emotionally. Physically. Period.
Time and strength have are like my eternal enemies down to the core. More than these, the greatest enemy is myself. I wish I have photographic memory like Will Hunting's. I wish my brain could work and register faster like Albert Eistein's.
But I can't.
I lost myself.
God, what should I do?
I know I have to stand back up and start all over again once I got gunned down.
Time o time don't pull out something like this and leave me behind so fast.
There aren't colors anymore that I can see.
Only gray.
And I have never been ever this disappointed in myself- Yes, I am utterly extremely wholly disappointed in myself.
Sometimes I wish I could turn back time. But then again, I could never imagine myself going through that hell that I've been through last year again.
This course is really wearing me out. Mentally. Emotionally. Physically. Period.
Time and strength have are like my eternal enemies down to the core. More than these, the greatest enemy is myself. I wish I have photographic memory like Will Hunting's. I wish my brain could work and register faster like Albert Eistein's.
But I can't.
I lost myself.
God, what should I do?
I know I have to stand back up and start all over again once I got gunned down.
Time o time don't pull out something like this and leave me behind so fast.
There aren't colors anymore that I can see.
Only gray.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
There are some crazy people who try hard to get you out there
Verify Your Account now To Avoid It Closed
From: Windows Live Team (jaqueline_cutey1@hotmail.com)
Dear Account User
CONFIRM YOUR WINDOWS LIVE ACCOUNT SERVICES. VERIFY YOUR HOTMAIL ACCOUNT NOW TO AVOID IT CLOSED !!!
This Email is from Hotmail Customer Care and we are sending it to every Hotmail Email User Accounts Owner for safety. we are having congestions due to the anonymous registration of Hotmail accounts so we are shutting down some Hotmail accounts and your account was among those to be deleted. We are sending this email to you so that you can verify and let us know if you still want to use this account. If you are still interested please confirm your account by filling the space below.Your User name, password, date of birth and your country information would be needed to verify your account.
Due to the congestion in all Hotmail users and removal of all unused Hotmail Accounts, Hotmail would be shutting down all unused Accounts, You will have to confirm your E-mail by filling out your Login Information below after clicking the reply button, or your account will be suspended within 24 hours for security reasons.
* Username: ..............................
* Password: ................................
* Date of Birth: ............................
* Country Or Territory: ................
After following the instructions in the sheet, your account will not be interrupted and will continue as normal. Thanks for your attention to this request. We apologize for any inconveniences.
Warning!!! Account owner that refuses to update his/her account after two weeks of receiving this warning will lose his or her account permanently.
Sincerely,
The Windows Live Hotmail Team
This is OFFICIALLY the second time I have received such an email.
I remember replying to the first email I received ages (okay, months) ago. And no, OF COURSE I did not give away my personal information.
Come to think about it now, the way I replied back then was so innocent =)I managed to dig it out of my "Sent" folder:
Sent: Sat 9/06/08 7:56 PM
To: datasectionupgrade@live.com
I'm sorry but how do I know if this is not a fake? I do not wish to give out my personal information to you, personnel who did not even introduce yourself. My details are all in the account; you could find them there easily if you are really managing the data in live.com. There are many bogus emails being sent; and the sender used a verizon.net account. I have never even heard of such account.
> From: bodeniyi@verizon.net
> Subject: Windows Live Account Update, Please Comply
> Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2008 18:51:34 -0700
ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't believe I am laughing at the PAST ME who was a few months old younger!!!
Because the ME right now would have dumped it into the Deleted folder right away without hesitation- except for this one time alone- I was actually about to dump it into the folder when it occurred to me that "hey I gotta blog and tell the whole world about this!"
There may be people out there who are so sweet and young and innocent and naive and they could be tricked really easily by spammers/phishers.
So, YOU, if you think (know) you're one good girl/boy, don't fall into the hands of these predators and make yourself an easy prey.
Notice the email account. jaqueline_cutey1@hotmail.com??!! Maybe everyone should start spamming this account instead as well???? *mischievous grin*
Mark the grammar. Come on, look at the title: Verify Your Account now To Avoid It Closed?! Okay, I know my grammar is not all immaculate but we have to watch out for these people.
It is time to wear our armor and keep our eyes and ears and mouths open!
From: Windows Live Team (jaqueline_cutey1@hotmail.com)
Dear Account User
CONFIRM YOUR WINDOWS LIVE ACCOUNT SERVICES. VERIFY YOUR HOTMAIL ACCOUNT NOW TO AVOID IT CLOSED !!!
This Email is from Hotmail Customer Care and we are sending it to every Hotmail Email User Accounts Owner for safety. we are having congestions due to the anonymous registration of Hotmail accounts so we are shutting down some Hotmail accounts and your account was among those to be deleted. We are sending this email to you so that you can verify and let us know if you still want to use this account. If you are still interested please confirm your account by filling the space below.Your User name, password, date of birth and your country information would be needed to verify your account.
Due to the congestion in all Hotmail users and removal of all unused Hotmail Accounts, Hotmail would be shutting down all unused Accounts, You will have to confirm your E-mail by filling out your Login Information below after clicking the reply button, or your account will be suspended within 24 hours for security reasons.
* Username: ..............................
* Password: ................................
* Date of Birth: ............................
* Country Or Territory: ................
After following the instructions in the sheet, your account will not be interrupted and will continue as normal. Thanks for your attention to this request. We apologize for any inconveniences.
Warning!!! Account owner that refuses to update his/her account after two weeks of receiving this warning will lose his or her account permanently.
Sincerely,
The Windows Live Hotmail Team
This is OFFICIALLY the second time I have received such an email.
I remember replying to the first email I received ages (okay, months) ago. And no, OF COURSE I did not give away my personal information.
Come to think about it now, the way I replied back then was so innocent =)I managed to dig it out of my "Sent" folder:
Sent: Sat 9/06/08 7:56 PM
To: datasectionupgrade@live.com
I'm sorry but how do I know if this is not a fake? I do not wish to give out my personal information to you, personnel who did not even introduce yourself. My details are all in the account; you could find them there easily if you are really managing the data in live.com. There are many bogus emails being sent; and the sender used a verizon.net account. I have never even heard of such account.
> From: bodeniyi@verizon.net
> Subject: Windows Live Account Update, Please Comply
> Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2008 18:51:34 -0700
ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't believe I am laughing at the PAST ME who was a few months old younger!!!
Because the ME right now would have dumped it into the Deleted folder right away without hesitation- except for this one time alone- I was actually about to dump it into the folder when it occurred to me that "hey I gotta blog and tell the whole world about this!"
There may be people out there who are so sweet and young and innocent and naive and they could be tricked really easily by spammers/phishers.
So, YOU, if you think (know) you're one good girl/boy, don't fall into the hands of these predators and make yourself an easy prey.
Notice the email account. jaqueline_cutey1@hotmail.com??!! Maybe everyone should start spamming this account instead as well???? *mischievous grin*
Mark the grammar. Come on, look at the title: Verify Your Account now To Avoid It Closed?! Okay, I know my grammar is not all immaculate but we have to watch out for these people.
It is time to wear our armor and keep our eyes and ears and mouths open!
"The wickedness of the world is so great you have to run your legs off to avoid having them stolen from under you.
[Threepenny Opera 1928]
Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956"
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
He plays
The Beginning:
I still remember vividly the first time I met you. You wore your favorite black shirt and jeans, with your hair cropped into a crew cut and your big hands residing always in your pocket jeans. It was a huge birthday bash my best friend threw and I was bored all evening around people whom I wasn't familiar with.
You didn't know me back then. I didn't either.
But your existence inscribed hard onto that chapter of the diary of my life when your gaze fell on me catching me staring at you and with a smug on your face, you walked towards the grand piano in the hall and fingered the keys gracefully, transforming the melodious music notes into the most beautiful Rachmaninov's piece I've ever heard.
Watching your lean calm back, I fell in love with you for the first time.
Nevertheless, when you ended your playing, I got a hold on myself, shrugging off the feeling as a foolish little crush and took off from the party with a rush of adrenaline blended with a heavy self-inflicted compunction. Love at first sight is a fool's illusion after all.
A week later, I visited my favorite music store. It was one of the most unique stores- unlike a typical one, this store has a piano in the middle and there will always be someone playing, be it a staff member or a regular customer. That's when I met you again, playing a different piece- it was a Debussy's.
And this time, you didn't play till the end. You stopped abruptly, looked up and caught me staring subconsciously at you again.
"You like the piano?"
That was the first time I heard your voice.
"Yeah." I nodded apprehensively.
"Do you play the piano?"
"Yeah." I nodded again.
"Do you want to play together?"
"Huh?!" I was startled by your offer.
"I'm asking if you would like to play a piano duet with me?" Your lips curled into a genuine smile.
I lifted my finger up and pointed it to myself, quipping, "Me?"
"Come on, join me; I can't play this piece alone." You started playing the Blue Danube Waltz duet style. Your eyes then beckoned me to fill in the empty space of the seat you were sitting on.
Responding to your persuasive invitation, I placed my fingers on the board and filled in the duet's part. We played and played all day.
"You played beautifully. What's your name?"
That was the first time you complimented me. And I realized, that's when I fell in love with you again.
"Christine." I blushed.
"And you have a beautiful name too. My name's Gary. Would you like to have tea with me?"
*****
The conclusion:
I looked at you with my tears streaming down my cheeks, ruining my make up at the same time. After a still moment of crying while you waited patiently for my answer, I looked into your eyes and nodded, saying, "Of course, my dear."
You gently took my hand, placed the ring through my fourth finger of my left hand and lifted my chin up lightly and drew your lips upon mine to give me the sweetest kiss ever.
The words you whispered into my ears were still echoing over and over again.
"Sweetie, will you marry me?"
"Baby, remember the song "Your call" by Secondhand Serenade?" I asked quietly.
" 'Waiting for your call, I'm sick, call I'm angry; Call I'm desperate for your voice...' " you sang when I stopped you when I place my index finger on your lips.
"I was born to tell you I love you.." I sang with my choked voice, hugging him in the moment.
"I love you, baby. I love you, love you," I whispered.
"I love you too, my beautiful Christine."
*****
I remember writing this last year. I couldn't complete it because I had a lot of things to do then. Maybe I'll continue the story. And re-edit some parts. Such as the first encounter- it happened too fast.
This story always reminds me of the feeling that I had when I wrote it. It wasn't anything like me liking somebody at that moment at all, no. Inspiration came upon me and the feeling was like....magic... I know that's so Sleepless Nights in Seattle, but I understood the real meaning then. =)
Love is a beautiful thing, isn't it?
I'll love you, dear, I'll love you
Till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street.
I'll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry
And the seven stars go squawking
Like geese about the sky.
[As I Walked Out One Evening]
W.H. Auden, 1907-73, English born Poet
I still remember vividly the first time I met you. You wore your favorite black shirt and jeans, with your hair cropped into a crew cut and your big hands residing always in your pocket jeans. It was a huge birthday bash my best friend threw and I was bored all evening around people whom I wasn't familiar with.
You didn't know me back then. I didn't either.
But your existence inscribed hard onto that chapter of the diary of my life when your gaze fell on me catching me staring at you and with a smug on your face, you walked towards the grand piano in the hall and fingered the keys gracefully, transforming the melodious music notes into the most beautiful Rachmaninov's piece I've ever heard.
Watching your lean calm back, I fell in love with you for the first time.
Nevertheless, when you ended your playing, I got a hold on myself, shrugging off the feeling as a foolish little crush and took off from the party with a rush of adrenaline blended with a heavy self-inflicted compunction. Love at first sight is a fool's illusion after all.
A week later, I visited my favorite music store. It was one of the most unique stores- unlike a typical one, this store has a piano in the middle and there will always be someone playing, be it a staff member or a regular customer. That's when I met you again, playing a different piece- it was a Debussy's.
And this time, you didn't play till the end. You stopped abruptly, looked up and caught me staring subconsciously at you again.
"You like the piano?"
That was the first time I heard your voice.
"Yeah." I nodded apprehensively.
"Do you play the piano?"
"Yeah." I nodded again.
"Do you want to play together?"
"Huh?!" I was startled by your offer.
"I'm asking if you would like to play a piano duet with me?" Your lips curled into a genuine smile.
I lifted my finger up and pointed it to myself, quipping, "Me?"
"Come on, join me; I can't play this piece alone." You started playing the Blue Danube Waltz duet style. Your eyes then beckoned me to fill in the empty space of the seat you were sitting on.
Responding to your persuasive invitation, I placed my fingers on the board and filled in the duet's part. We played and played all day.
"You played beautifully. What's your name?"
That was the first time you complimented me. And I realized, that's when I fell in love with you again.
"Christine." I blushed.
"And you have a beautiful name too. My name's Gary. Would you like to have tea with me?"
*****
The conclusion:
I looked at you with my tears streaming down my cheeks, ruining my make up at the same time. After a still moment of crying while you waited patiently for my answer, I looked into your eyes and nodded, saying, "Of course, my dear."
You gently took my hand, placed the ring through my fourth finger of my left hand and lifted my chin up lightly and drew your lips upon mine to give me the sweetest kiss ever.
The words you whispered into my ears were still echoing over and over again.
"Sweetie, will you marry me?"
"Baby, remember the song "Your call" by Secondhand Serenade?" I asked quietly.
" 'Waiting for your call, I'm sick, call I'm angry; Call I'm desperate for your voice...' " you sang when I stopped you when I place my index finger on your lips.
"I was born to tell you I love you.." I sang with my choked voice, hugging him in the moment.
"I love you, baby. I love you, love you," I whispered.
"I love you too, my beautiful Christine."
*****
I remember writing this last year. I couldn't complete it because I had a lot of things to do then. Maybe I'll continue the story. And re-edit some parts. Such as the first encounter- it happened too fast.
This story always reminds me of the feeling that I had when I wrote it. It wasn't anything like me liking somebody at that moment at all, no. Inspiration came upon me and the feeling was like....magic... I know that's so Sleepless Nights in Seattle, but I understood the real meaning then. =)
Love is a beautiful thing, isn't it?
I'll love you, dear, I'll love you
Till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street.
I'll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry
And the seven stars go squawking
Like geese about the sky.
[As I Walked Out One Evening]
W.H. Auden, 1907-73, English born Poet
Going country again
Perhaps Love
John Denver & Placido Domingo
Perhaps love is like a resting place
A shelter from the storm
It exists to give you comfort
It is there to keep you warm
And in those times of trouble
When you are most alone
The memory of love will bring you home
Perhaps love is like a window
Perhaps an open door
It invites you to come closer
It wants to show you more
And even if you lose yourself
And don’t know what to do
The memory of love will see you through
Love to some is like a cloud
To some as strong as steel
For some a way of living
For some a way to feel
And some say love is holding on
And some say letting go
And some love is everything
And some say they don´t know
Perhaps love is like the ocean
Full of conflict, full of change
Like a fire when it’s cold outside
Or thunder when it rains
If I should live forever
And all my dreams come true
My memories of love will be of you.
I remember that when I first heard of this song, I fell in love with it immediately, having it replayed over and over again for days, no, weeks.
I absolutely love John's songs. And his voice too.
Annie's Song/You Fill Up My Senses
John Denver
You fill up my senses
Like a night in the forest
Like the mountains in springtime,
Like a walk in the rain
Like a storm in the desert,
Like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses,
Come fill me again.
Come let me love you,
Let me give my life to you
Let me drown in your laughter,
Let me die in your arms
Let me lay down beside you,
Let me always be with you
Come let me love you,
Come love me again.
[Instrumental]
Let me give my life to you
Come let me love you,
Come love me again.
You fill up my senses
Like a night in the forest
Like the mountains in springtime,
Like a walk in the rain
Like a storm in the desert,
Like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses,
Come fill me again.
This song below was featured in one of my favorite anime movies- Whisper of the Heart (Yes, I LOVE Hayao Miyazaki's works!):
Take Me Home, Country Roads
John Denver
Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue ridge mountains
Shenandoah river -
Life is old there
Older than the trees
Younger than the mountains
Growin like a breeze
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
All my memories gathered round her
Miners lady, stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine
Teardrops in my eye
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
I hear her voice
In the mornin hour she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
And drivin down the road I get a feelin
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
Take me home, now country roads
Take me home, now country roads
Goodbye Again
John Denver
It's five o-clock this morning and the sun is on the rise
There's frosting on the windows pane, and sorrow in your eyes
The stars are fading quietly, the night is nearly gone
And so you turn away from me and tears begin to come
And it's goodbye again, I'm sorry to be leaving you,
Goodbye again, cause if you didn't know, it's goodbye again
And I wish you could tell me, why do we always fight when I have to go?
It seems a shame to leave you now, the days are soft and warm
I long to lay me down again and hold you in my arms
I long to kiss the tears away and bring you back your smile
But other voices beckon me for a little while.
And it's goodbye again, I'm sorry to be leaving you,
Goodbye again, cause if you didn't know, it's goodbye again
And I wish you could tell me, why do we always fight when I have to go?
I have to go and see some friends of mine, some that I don't know
and some who aren't familiar with my name
It's something that's inside of me, not hard to understand
it's anyone who'll listen to me sing.
And if your hours are empty now who am I to blame
You think if I were always here, our love would be the same
As it is the time we have, is worth the time alone
And lying by your side the greatest peace I've ever known.
And it's goodbye again, I'm sorry to be leaving you,
Goodbye again, cause if you didn't know, it's goodbye again
And I wish you could tell me, why do we always fight when I have to go
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