Thursday, September 29, 2005

"The Love of God"

[Words: Fred­er­ick M. Leh­man; he wrote this song in 1917 in Pas­a­de­na, Cal­i­fornia, and it was pub­lished in Songs That Are Dif­fer­ent, Vol­ume 2, 1919. The lyr­ics are based on the Jew­ish poem Had­da­mut, writ­ten in Ara­ma­ic in 1050 by Meir Ben Isaac Ne­hor­ai, a can­tor in Worms, Ger­ma­ny; they have been trans­lat­ed in­to at least 18 lang­uages.

One day, dur­ing short in­ter­vals of in­at­ten­tion to our work, we picked up a scrap of pa­per and, seat­ed up­on an emp­ty le­mon box pushed against the wall, with a stub pen­cil, add­ed the (first) two stan­zas and chor­us of the song…Since the lines (3rd stan­za from the Jew­ish po­em) had been found pen­ciled on the wall of a pa­tient’s room in an in­sane asy­lum af­ter he had been car­ried to his grave, the gen­er­al opin­ion was that this in­mate had writ­ten the epic in mo­ments of san­ity.]


The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Refrain

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

The Enduring Word....

"All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the
flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
But the word of the Lord endures
forever." - Isaiah 40: 6-8-

"Word of God speak
Would you pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak...." - 'Word of God Speak' by MercyMe-

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

My BMI family!

A heart-warming pic of the people i love so much! We took this pic on Tues when Andrea came bk for a visit. This is actually the FINAL shot. We started out with only 3 of us in the shot...then one by one pple walked in, and insisted on joining in on the fun. So farnee! Too bad funky Aaron cldn't join in tt day....if not we wld hv taken a 'Sudoku Club' pic. I know he's quite miffed abt being left out. Another time ya dear?

I love how we look so absolutely happy here! Check out the wide smiles...no more eyes. haha!

It's a blessing to work with them, and to count them as my treasured friends. I can't imagine life without them. LOVE YA LOVE YA LOVE YA ALL!!!!!!! hahaha!

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Sunday, September 25, 2005

"All"

(by Joel Houston)

You're the one who gives me shelter
And You're the light that leads me home
And You're the love that gave forever
Lord ou're all that I know

Chorus:
And all that I am
Unto You I surrender
Lord there is none like You
And I know that I stnd
In the arms of forever
Lord there is none like You

With the world upon Your shoulders
Lord You gave Your life away
If the world I know was over
I know I'd have life in the price you paid

Bridge:
And I will stand
And I will worship You forever
For all You are
And I will stand
And all to YOu I will surrender
I'll worship You forever

===========================================================

I've been staying at home this Sun, to prepare for the start of a new term at BMI. Yes working on my wkend. haha! Bel exclaimed over msn "but it's Sun!!" Yeah i know....and believe me, I've been quite drained out physically and mentally by the workload.

But, I must say...that when I took a break to play my guitar/ keyboard...to worship Him, and to pray....I really felt refreshed and energized.

One of the songs that really ministered to me was "All" by Hillsong United. I was wondering why it was entitled "All". Then I realized we first have to KNOW the God who gave it ALL for us, before we are able to surrender all of ourselves to Him, and worship Him for all that He is.

I realize that I truly need to seek God, and commit my concerns abt the Believer vocal program to Him.....and simply surrender myself to Him. I can't do it on my own strength....I really need Him.

These verses always serve to humble me, and remind me of my role in BMI:
" As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as the ability which God supplies, that in ALL THINGS God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen" - 1 Peter 4:10-11

"Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by constraint but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appers, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away." - 1 Peter 5: 2-4

I love my job, and it is so rewarding. But I do struggle with fatigue, as I have so many things to oversee and I'm the only vocal coach at this point. Add on to that...my own insecurities too. So well...I've been praying for the Lord to see me through, to empower me for this new term. I hope you can join me as a prayer partner too, it would mean the world to me! (just drop me a comment, so I'll know yeah?) Thanks!!

p/s: Eunice, yes...you can hold me to my promise. I'm praying for you too.:)

Prayer list:
-------------
1) That every single student who enters the vocal program will be touched and inspired by God...and will grow and be anchored in their faith. That the gift of music will be unleashed within them, and that they will achieve breakthroughs with their voices, and freedom in worship.

2) For God to bless me with enough love, compassion, patience, wisdom, sensitivity towards each student that comes under my care. May He help me to see each student through His eyes.

3) For energy and good health!! (i cannot afford to fall sick lor) I have 20 classes (or mebbe 21) so this is crucial.

4) For divine wisdom, understanding and guidance as I teach the Advanced Worship Dynamics 1 module for the first time. We are covering the Tabernacle of Moses. Cheem,deep topic! I am so jittery about it!

5) For inspiration, good time-management, and energy, as I plan the new Advanced Worship Dynamics 2 module...and as I revamp the existing modules

6) For good voice maintenance, greater confidence, freedom, and improved skill in using my own instrument. (i'm so terrified of voice fatigue from the overwhelming teaching load. And also, I need breakthroughs in the area of my own insecurities regarding my vocal ability).
May He use my voice to minister the students under my care.

7) For my own walk with God....that I will grow in strength and intimacy with Him. That I will never abandon my first love...and that I can be an exemplary, effective 'worship leader' for the students.

8) Time and energy for nurturing my personal life. Yes...that too! I don't wanna let my work tire me out so much, until I have no time/ space for you friends, or my family. I love you all! (I'll keep doing this even at the risk of sounding like a broken record. haha!)

Saturday, September 24, 2005

When it rains....

(the following post might seem a bit....incoherent. But just think "stream-of-consciousness" type of flow)

It's pouring and thundering outside...
I just cried AGAIN...cos it really hit me, that Andrea is gone.
Perfect weather I know....for my super emo night
(the guys r shaking their heads now at this 'chick behaviour')
And it's quite ominous as well...as I worry abt the poor folks down in Houston, who are abt to be hit by Rita.

Pammy's online...n i just wanna say, I LOVE YOU gf!!!
I need a hot cup of cocoa, a fuzzy teddy bear, and a warm hug now!
Darn this weather....making me go bonkers.

Thank u sweet Ed for calling from Malacca tonite...for tolerating my 'suspicious' tone of voice initially...and then the subsequent bad reception,and my own deafness. Tt is why I'm not a phone person. haha! Anyway, my point is (yes i do hv one!)...it was a heart-warming surprise.

Friday, September 23, 2005

"Song"

(by W.H Auden)

The chimney sweepers
Wash their faces and forget to wash the neck;
The lighthouse keepers
Let the lamps go out and leave the ships to wreck;
The prosperous baker
Leaves the rolls in hundreds in the oven to burn;
The undertaker
Pins a small note on the coffin saying "Wait till I return,
I've got a date with Love."

And deep-sea divers
Cut their boots off and come bubbling to the top,
And engine-drivers
Bring expresses in the tunnel to a stop;
The village rector
Dashes down the side-aisle half-way through a psalm;
The sanitary inspector
Runs off with the cover of the cesspool on his arm-
To keep his date with Love.

"The Night Has A Thousand Eyes"

(by Francis William Bourdillon)

The night has a thousand eyes,
And the day but one;
Yet the light of the bright world
dies with dying sun.

The mind has a thousand eyes,
And the heart but one;
Yet the light of a whole life
dies when love is done

Thursday, September 22, 2005

I love my peeps!!

Tonight I went to Harry's Boat Quay with a bunch of the BMI staff. We successfully pulled off a carefully planned, surprise farewell supper for Andrea! Bernice and I had a hard time trying to keep up the act, cos we both looked so sheepish. haha! Kudos to the rest who 'acted' their parts well!

We had such an incredible time just hanging out with each other.....sharing fd, drinks, playing pool, swopping stories..jokes etc. (i think we've found a cool new hang-out place too! UPSTAIRS@Harry's. cozy lounge chairs + free pool!!!)

U really start to see everyone's true colours emerge in that relaxed/ off-work mode setting. Shockingly lame/ corny jokes....sincere heart-to-heart sharings....amazingly wise one-liners all started to emerge. I am truly quite blown away by the company I'm surrounded with...so blessed to have each one of them.

It was a short time, but I think everyone really bonded from that. We all got so mushy and u hear this deluge of affectionate-isms!! haha! "I love you!!!" (suffocatingly tight hug),"dear", "love", "sweets", "darling" etc. Phone numbers were being exchanged, and msn contacts started to fly around.

I love what funky Aaron commented abt tt type of behaviour: "deep down, we're all gay!" Classic lah...haha!

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Seasons

"To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born,
and a time to die;
a time to plant,
and a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill,
and a time to heal;
A time to break down,
and time to build up;
A time to weep,
and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace." - Ecclesiastes 3:1-8


Guess you could say I'm in a rather contemplative mood these days. Just observing the seasons of life....for myself, and the people around me....how God leads us through various events/ journeys for our growth.

I know I'm not big on change, I can be quite sentimental, and I get very attached to the pple ard me. Andrea's leaving BM affected me quite a bit this wk. I will miss having her ard the sch so much...but yet, I'm excited too, knowing the plans that lie ahead of her. (I LOVE YOU ANDREA!!!)

I've also been observing changes in the close friendships i used to hv. Sometimes pple change, and sometimes they don't and that changes the dynamics of the friendship. I'm a bit saddened...a bit puzzled, but well....try as hard as we can, sometimes it's just not within our control. But God is sovereign, n He is in control. (yes Ed, i'm learning abt this whole 'control' thing. :))

"And the river runs, and the river hides,
Out to the ocean, and under the sky
I promise you, the answer will come
Hold on to patience, and watch for the sign
Everything in its time
Everything in its time" -Corrinne May, "Everything in its time"-

Monday, September 19, 2005

Lessons from Revelation

I'm really beginning to love Revelation. It used to be the dark, mysterious bk in the bible that nobody dared to venture into....but now that it's being taught in such a clear, moving and powerful manner at ARPC now...I've really grown to develop a deep appreciation for it. It's helped to ground me in my faith, and helped me see the 'big picture' from God's viewpoint.

The lesson that probably impacted me the most was this:
We are not promised physical immunity (hence Christians can still fall sick, die of cancer.. etc), but we HAVE been promised spiritual immunity. The Church is sealed under God's protection!!

When I was reading Revelation 7, i really felt like cheering! Yay! My Saviour is here! God has come to save the day! (n my student said this: 'that is such a powerful and COOL moment!! haha!) Knowing that, makes life all worthwhile....so my friends, persevere on in this race.

This portion really moved me...as it demonstrated the tenderness of our God.

"Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymroe nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;
for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Rev 7:15-17

Lord...help me to stay on the road to Your heart!

(if you are interested in watching/listening to the ARPC sermon series on Revelation, you can check out this website
www.arpc.net/sermons/index2005.htm
"Visions of Suffering" (Rev 6-11) was particularly impressive for me.)

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Refiner's Fire

"But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner's fire
And like fullers' soap.
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness" - Malachi 3:2-3-

My classes have been going through the song "Refiner's Fire" this wk.(and "Speak to me"/ "Show me your face". All super power, deep, intense songs) We've been singing the song as a personal prayer of dedication unto the Lord. "Lord, here I am....pls purify me, cleanse me...set me apart. I surrender to You".

It literally takes my breath away to see this 'divine exchange' going on in class. Divinity touching humanity, and humanity reaching out for divinity. In one of my classes tdy (one of my fav classes....this incredibly fun-loving, passionate bunch of music min youths), after praying, and singing through 'Refiner's Fire', we all opened our eyes, n i saw their 'glowing faces', watery, red eyes n sniffly noses. n i dun mean just the gals, even the guys looked visibly moved!! n these are young, macho guys in their prime.

Words fail to express all that I felt in that profound moment. It's never happened in that magnitude before. I just remember thinking "Thank You Jesus!!!" And indeed there's so much to thank Him for.
For touching n moulding my students....
For my awesome, BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL students. They are truly incredible. I'm learning loads from them....
For placing me in this job...it is such a privilege to serve Him and His people!


Refiner's Fire
---------------
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold, and precious silver
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold, pure gold

Refiner's Fire
My heart's one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You, my master
Ready to do Your will

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Tagged!!!

Apparently, this is the bloggers' version of Tag! n i kena tagged by Eunice. So it works like this...I'm supposed to reveal 3 facts you might not know abt me. n at the end of this blog entry....if u see ur name within tt list of 5, then u will know that you're IT...n then u do the same, reveal 3 facts abt urself and arrow 5 more lucky souls. n the unfortunate cycle goes on n on....

1) When I start the day...I need to go through my routine. If tt routine is affected, i get grouchy, n slightly whacked out. Pple who travel with me will realize this.
- wake up
- wash up
- check the calls/ smses I missed while i was in deep slumber
(IF anyone tries calling me before i decide to get out of bed, I will refuse to answer the phone, even if i can hear it ringing. Sometimes when I'm really annoyed, I will even walk over to the phone, see which annoying soul is wrecking havoc on my sleep, n then walk bk to bed)

- eat breakfast (or rather lunch) in front of telly while i try to snap out of groggy sleepiness, and answer smses if i feel like it.
- most impt part of the routine is prob this: Having MY COFFEE, while reading the newsppers. (without coffee, i will not be fully human...n might be rather intolerable)

Yeah, tts the routine i need to ease me into the day. haha!

2) When I was in kindergarten, I knew a sweet Eurasian boy named Wind (i'm not kidding u, tt was his name). Wind stayed in the blk opp me. We took the same school bus...n once I jokingly invited him to come to my hse for a play-date. n the boy really turned up one day. But i never meant it seriously, so when he showed up with his mum, I was out of the hse. My mum was rather cross with me that day.

So there, tt was my first time 'flirting' with a guy n blowing him off....unintentional as it was. Now that i'm all grown up, I promise u, i don't tt anymore. haha!

3) On my table, there are 4 water-bottles, of diff colours and sizes. It's a reflection of my job eh? (3 of them r Nalgene....i ONLY use Nalgene bottles for work. other brands are absolute crap) Audrey laughed when she came to my hse recently, n asked me why i wld ever need 4 diff water-bottles. So here's why:

i) small tiny 250ml bottle for leisurely outings. eg. shopping/movies
ii) Pink 400ml Nalgene bottle for normal length work days/ travelling.
iii) Purple 500ml Nalgene bottle for longer work days/ gigs
iv) Aqua blue 1000ml Nalgene bottle for insanely long work days/ camps/ the event of the outbreak of war.

And here are the lovely bloggers whom I now TAG:
1) Andrea
2) May-ann
3) Rie
4) Guitar Ben
5) Audrey (haha! force u to write a new entry gal)

Sunday, September 11, 2005

Heaven....my reality

"I have not been called to the wisdom of this world
But to a God who's calling out to me
And even though the world may think
I'm losing touch with reality
It would be crazy to choose this world
Over eternity." - 'Crazy' by MercyMe

Something I learnt from ARPC's series on Revelations:
Our sovereign God has been, and is implementing His plan.
His plan to judge those who oppose Him,
and to save those who worship Him.
And that is why life is worthwhile.

My prayer for myself is that I will not be swayed from that vision. Not to get distracted by the things of the world. Was sharing abt this issue with Desmond in the afternoon....

For example, let's take something small like our growing fascinations with the latest techy toy/ gadget ("oooh!! cool ipod!!" *fiddle fiddle for 40 mins*), or how technology and the internet has greatly altered the state of human r/ps these days. How many of us prefer talking to our friends thru sms/ msn rather than face to face bcos it guards our privacy and allows us to multi-task? I'll admit, I'm like tt quite often. I'm learning still.

I think our time is getting more fragmented with the array of distractions ard us, and individuals are getting more isolated from each other. The Urban Disconnect. We're forgetting the value of a single person....the need to nurture r/ps....n the central focus of living with heaven in our hearts.

I was singing this song while playing on my guitar tdy..."More than life" by Hillsong. Think it really helps me to remember that heaven is my reality, not the illusory, deceptive worldly obsessions.
Lord, be my 1st love. Amen.

"I love You. More than life."- Reuben Morgan.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Timbre

The new cafe/bistro/ bar "Timbre"
at Substation (the old 'Fat Frog Cafe') is my new fav hang-out. :)Finally, a place where my frens n I feel totally comfy at. The crowd (mostly Uni students/ grads) n staff there are very frenly. We even shared a plate of fries with the grp of pple next to us! The feel is quite laid-back, casual and unpretentious. It's almost like 'Central Perk' from the show "Friends".

Music-wise....they have a different line-up each night. I usually hang there on Sats, where there's an acoustic set up (i like!) and informal jam sessions. Expect current pop hits, class 95FM type of music and light jazz. You can request for songs too. I asked for "Fields of Gold". Thank gdness it wasn't slaughtered! A pretty decent rendition of Eva Cassidy's version of tt song.

Well, the music isn't THAT solid or sophisticated, but it's nostalgic, 'feel-good', fun fare for the Uni student/grad types. Last week, during a jam session, one guy went up to sing 'Rainbow Connection' in a kermity voice! Was very funny and heart-warming. :)
Tip....if u ever go there n wonder what is gd in terms of food. Try the pizza n fries (very 'potato-ey'. haha!).

Ok..too woozy from my pint of beer liao. Moo...OUT!

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Be Still

This is posted at Audrey's request. She asked me this qn last week or so, "what does it mean to be still and know that He is God?" (ref. Psalm 46) An excellent qn...at a Psalm we often read, but often gloss over. This was Daryl's eloquent and moving interpretation of that famous bible verse:

"I think it has to do with an inner state of reverence and awe ...
Like when a King or Ruler comes in your presence ...
You keep quiet ...
You listen to him ...
You don't fidget and get restless
You wait on him
Context is about the awesome power of God
So God is saying ...
"Hey Man ....
Look at my power ...
Where my power is ....
you need not fear ...I am your strength n power."

I am blown away by the strength and the tenderness of our God. :)

Mr Pants

My friend SudahS, just had a very amusing encounter lately. She got introduced to this Ah Beng guy by her friends. Her friend then tries to fix them up by giving her number to this guy (without her knowledge).

The next day, SudahS gets smses from this guy, whom she barely knows,(in barely coherent english btw)...asking her out for a date. Initial reaction from SudahS are shrieks of "Ee-yer!!!!!". Then, SudahS gets furious at her friend because she is not interested in dating now, and furthermore, she can't even remember how the guy remotely looks like. All she CAN recall, is tt he was wearing pants. (Henceforth, the guy will be known as Mr Pants.)

SudahS calls up her friend demanding an explanation for the unneccessary mess she's in now. Her friend's reply "but he's a good catch what! He's from the national canoeing team, check out his bod man! Somemore ah, he help his mother do housework leh!"

SudahS then sarcastically points out tt even psycho murderers might be involved in charity work/ help their mums do the washing. Perhaps these psychos could qualify as great 'catches' too? (This reminds me of how my mum often complains abt her single daughter being fussy with guys: "Why so fussy? Got job, don't drink, don't smoke can oredi what!" My mum certainly has high expectations for me. Ah, my sweet family!)

Anyway, SudahS's friend tries to clear up the mess and explain things to Mr Pants. Mr Pants calls/ smses to apologise for "being frightening....n not having enuff foresight" and to say that he hopes to meet her before she leaves for Australia. SudahS is amazed that the word 'foresight' is part of his vocab. Then she politely entertains him by agreeing.

Next day, it seems like Mr Pants still hasn't gotten the point. SudahS awakes to an sms that says 'Good morning PAL!'. A perplexed SudahS thinks "who's your freaking pal man???" But after calming down, Audrey moves beyond frustration, to a state of tickled amusement. She now secretly looks forward to Mr Pant's smses...just to laugh at the funny msges he sends.

At night, SudahS recounts the tale to Mich. Mich and SudahS roar in laughter over the amusing antics of Mr Pants, and her 'wonderful' friends who fix her up with 'cannot-make-it' guys. It just seems so 'Bridget Jones' doesn't it?Classic 'nightmares' in the dating scene. Hahaha! I think some of you might be able to identify.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

"My heart is spoken for"

Bless those American guys in 'Mercy Me' for writing such an incredible song! It made my heart skip a beat, n gave me the shudders (gd type lah) when I first heard it. The truth of the lyrics really hit me, and then...my heart melted at the realization that my God is SO in love with ME!! Why me?? I can't fathom why. But He truly is! Now I can proudly say....my heart is spoken for.

I hope it'll speak to u guys too...not just the gals, or the singles...but even those who r in marriages. Cos well, God is the only one who can ever complete us. :) Problem with us humans, is that we always look in the wrong places...even tho' we don't always realize it. I like how C.S Lewis articulated it:

"...when the real want for Heaven is present in us, we do not recognise it. Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.

The longings which arise in us when we first fall in love, or first think of some foreign country, or first take up some subject that excites us, are longings which no marriage, no travel, no learning, can really satisfy.

I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death..."

Spoken For (by Mercy Me)
=========================
Take this world from me
I don't need it anymore
I am finally free
My heart is spoken for

Oh and I praise You
Oh and I worshp You

Chorus:
Covered by a love divine
Child of the risen Lord
To hear You say
"This one's mine"
My heart is spoken for

Now I have a peace
That I've never known before
I find myself complete
My heart is spoken for

===============================================================