haha! yeah....i'm flying off to Sydney tmrw, but I'll be back on 5 Nov, Sat night. So just in case you check this space, and you wonder why I haven't updated it.
I'll miss you guys while I'm away!!! :) *HUGZ* LOVE YA!!!!! Pray that I don't fall off while horse-riding okie?
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Polar Bears
I read this in tdy's newsppers...the "Urban" section. Was quite tickled by it..hehe!
"Polar bears can smell toothpaste from 80km. They love the smell, so if you brush your teeth before you sleep at night, there's a good chance you'll get a visitor."
"Polar bears can smell toothpaste from 80km. They love the smell, so if you brush your teeth before you sleep at night, there's a good chance you'll get a visitor."
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
G.K Chesterton
I've been finding out more abt G.K Chesteron lately. He is one of the writers who has inspired Philip Yancey, one of my fav writers.
Interestingly, G.K Chesteron's writings caused the conversion of another literary great...C.S Lewis!! n his writings have also been praised by authors such as W.H Auden, Frederick Buechner, T.S Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Evelyn Waugh, Kingsley Amis, Agatha Christie, Orson Welles, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and more. (Wah...tt's like the Lit hall of fame.)
I love discovering this mutual circle of appreciation/influence among my fav writers...or singers (which happens a lot too) It's way cool lah!
Btw Ed, according to Wikiepdia, "G.K Chesteron loved to debate, often publicly debating with friends such as George Bernard Shaw,
H.G WELLS, Bertrand Russell, and Clarence Darrow. Chesterton was usually considered the winner. According to his autobiography, he and George Bernard Shaw played cowboys in a silent movie that was never released." haha! The silent movie part quite farnee too.
Anyway...here's a little background on the Chesterton from www.wikipedia.org....and a couple of excellent, witty quotes from him. :)
==================================================================
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (May 29, 1874 – June 14, 1936) was an English writer of the early 20th century. Chesterton was known as the "prince of paradox" because he communicated his conservative, often countercultural, ideas in an off-hand, whimsical prose studded with startling formulations. For example: "Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it.
"Fairy tales are more than true — not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten."
"Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly."
"How much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller in it."
"One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night, or deep in sloping meadows, the feeling that every flower and leaf has just uttered something stupendously direct and important, and that we have by a prodigy of imbecility not heard or understood it. There is a certain poetic value, and that a genuine one, in this sense of having missed the full meaning of things. There is beauty, not only in wisdom, but in this dazed and dramatic ignorance."
"There are two ways of dealing with nonsense in this world. One way is to put nonsense in the right place; as when people put nonsense into nursery rhymes. The other is to put nonsense in the wrong place; as when they put it into educational addresses, psychological criticisms, and complaints against nursery rhymes or other normal amusements of mankind."
"If there were no God, there would be no atheists."
"All things are from God; and above all, reason and imagination and the great gifts of the mind. They are good in themselves; and we must not altogether forget their origin even in their perversion."
Interestingly, G.K Chesteron's writings caused the conversion of another literary great...C.S Lewis!! n his writings have also been praised by authors such as W.H Auden, Frederick Buechner, T.S Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Evelyn Waugh, Kingsley Amis, Agatha Christie, Orson Welles, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and more. (Wah...tt's like the Lit hall of fame.)
I love discovering this mutual circle of appreciation/influence among my fav writers...or singers (which happens a lot too) It's way cool lah!
Btw Ed, according to Wikiepdia, "G.K Chesteron loved to debate, often publicly debating with friends such as George Bernard Shaw,
H.G WELLS, Bertrand Russell, and Clarence Darrow. Chesterton was usually considered the winner. According to his autobiography, he and George Bernard Shaw played cowboys in a silent movie that was never released." haha! The silent movie part quite farnee too.
Anyway...here's a little background on the Chesterton from www.wikipedia.org....and a couple of excellent, witty quotes from him. :)
==================================================================
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (May 29, 1874 – June 14, 1936) was an English writer of the early 20th century. Chesterton was known as the "prince of paradox" because he communicated his conservative, often countercultural, ideas in an off-hand, whimsical prose studded with startling formulations. For example: "Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it.
"Fairy tales are more than true — not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten."
"Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly."
"How much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller in it."
"One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night, or deep in sloping meadows, the feeling that every flower and leaf has just uttered something stupendously direct and important, and that we have by a prodigy of imbecility not heard or understood it. There is a certain poetic value, and that a genuine one, in this sense of having missed the full meaning of things. There is beauty, not only in wisdom, but in this dazed and dramatic ignorance."
"There are two ways of dealing with nonsense in this world. One way is to put nonsense in the right place; as when people put nonsense into nursery rhymes. The other is to put nonsense in the wrong place; as when they put it into educational addresses, psychological criticisms, and complaints against nursery rhymes or other normal amusements of mankind."
"If there were no God, there would be no atheists."
"All things are from God; and above all, reason and imagination and the great gifts of the mind. They are good in themselves; and we must not altogether forget their origin even in their perversion."
"The Beautiful Letdown"
This entry is for Audrey who asked an excellent qn. :) Thanks for that....I was blessed by the time I spent reflecting on these amazing bible verses.
====================================================================
I just learnt a new word from the brilliant Oxford English Dictionary tdy:
"Solipsism"- n. view that self is all that exists or can be known.
Hmmm....what a dangerous world-view....but it prob sounds like a familiar mode of outlook for many of us, from time to time. Sometimes we need to be kicked in the butt...and be reminded that the world does NOT revolve around us afterall, and that there are things that are far more impt than our own happiness. A God who is so much worthier to live for...than ourselves.
And as we lift our eyes heavenwards, or as we take time to see God in all of creation... we are reminded that we are all spiritual beings, "immortals" in fact, according to C.S Lewis. And our true country is heaven. We're just sojourners passing through this earth. :) Knowing that we are called to be a holy nation, and that we have an inheritance in heaven...how then should we live?
I pray that these passages from the Word of God, will resonate powerfully in my heart, and my life...
===================================================================
Phil 3:20: "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ"
2 Corin 4:18 "we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Colossians 1:16-18 "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones of dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things He may have preeminence."
Colossians 3:1-4 "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."
1 Peter 1:3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light"
Ephesians 2:4-6 "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loves us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus"
Hebrews 12:28 "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."
=================================================================
"The Beautiful Letdown" (Switchfoot)
------------------------------------
It was a beautiful letdown
When I crashed and burned
When I found myself alone, unknown and hurt
It was a beautiful letdown
the day I knew
that all the riches this world had to offer me
would never do
In a world full of bitter pain
and bitter doubt
I was trying so hard to fit in,
until I found out
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I will carry a cross and a song
where I don't belong
It was a beautiful letdown
When you found me here
and for once in a rare blue moon
I see everything clear
I'll be a beautiful letdown
That's where I'll forever be
and though it may cost my soul
I'll sing for free.
We're still chasing our tails
and the rising sun
and our dark water planet
still spins in a race
where no one wins
and no one's one
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I'm gonna set sight
and set sail for the kingdom come
Your kingdom come
Won't you let me down!
Let my foolish pride forever let me down
====================================================================
I just learnt a new word from the brilliant Oxford English Dictionary tdy:
"Solipsism"- n. view that self is all that exists or can be known.
Hmmm....what a dangerous world-view....but it prob sounds like a familiar mode of outlook for many of us, from time to time. Sometimes we need to be kicked in the butt...and be reminded that the world does NOT revolve around us afterall, and that there are things that are far more impt than our own happiness. A God who is so much worthier to live for...than ourselves.
And as we lift our eyes heavenwards, or as we take time to see God in all of creation... we are reminded that we are all spiritual beings, "immortals" in fact, according to C.S Lewis. And our true country is heaven. We're just sojourners passing through this earth. :) Knowing that we are called to be a holy nation, and that we have an inheritance in heaven...how then should we live?
I pray that these passages from the Word of God, will resonate powerfully in my heart, and my life...
===================================================================
Phil 3:20: "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ"
2 Corin 4:18 "we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Colossians 1:16-18 "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones of dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things He may have preeminence."
Colossians 3:1-4 "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."
1 Peter 1:3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light"
Ephesians 2:4-6 "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loves us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus"
Hebrews 12:28 "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."
=================================================================
"The Beautiful Letdown" (Switchfoot)
------------------------------------
It was a beautiful letdown
When I crashed and burned
When I found myself alone, unknown and hurt
It was a beautiful letdown
the day I knew
that all the riches this world had to offer me
would never do
In a world full of bitter pain
and bitter doubt
I was trying so hard to fit in,
until I found out
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I will carry a cross and a song
where I don't belong
It was a beautiful letdown
When you found me here
and for once in a rare blue moon
I see everything clear
I'll be a beautiful letdown
That's where I'll forever be
and though it may cost my soul
I'll sing for free.
We're still chasing our tails
and the rising sun
and our dark water planet
still spins in a race
where no one wins
and no one's one
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I'm gonna set sight
and set sail for the kingdom come
Your kingdom come
Won't you let me down!
Let my foolish pride forever let me down
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Homesick
Last nite was ARPC's final sermon on the series for Revelation. When I went home to read my Philip Yancey bk (which I have not touched for a while)...my jaw dropped at how perfectly his chpt tied in with the last 2 chpts of Revelation. Plus Yancey used the Eliot quote which I have put under the title of my blog...so tt made me melt...again.
In all, it was divine timing for me. :) Esp since I was still meditating on Rev.....was so blown away by the beauty of God's Word and His promises. I think I was gasping in service during the bible reading! Think I will really miss hearing teachings on Revelation.
Do read the Rev verses at the end!:)I hope it takes your breath away! How cool is God's Word??? AMEN!!!
Anyway, this was what Yancey had to say...:)
===================================================================
"Once the Spanish mystic Unamuno, conversing with a peasant, suggested that perhaps there was a God but no heaven. The peasant thought a minute and then replied, 'So what is this God for?'
The Bible stakes God's reputation on his ability to conquer evil and restore heaven and earth to their original perfection. Apart from that future state, God could be judged less-than-powerful, or less-than-loving. So far the prophets' visions of peace and justice have not come true. Swords aren't being melted into plowshares.Death, with ugly new mutations of AIDS and environmental cancers, is still swallowing people up, not being swallowed. Evil, not good, appears to be winning. But the Bible, calls us to see beyond the grim reality of history to the view of all eternity, when God's reign will fill the earth with light and truth.
In any discussion of disappointment with God, heaven is the last word, the most important word of all. Only heaven will finally solve the problem of God's hiddenness. For the first time ever, human beings will be able to look upon God face to face. In the midst of his agony, Job somehow came up with the faith to believe that "in the flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes." That prophecy will come true not just for Job but for all of us...
All the beauty and joy we meet on earth represent 'only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited'(C.S Lewis)....
And faith is, in the end, a kind of homesickness--for a home we have never visited but have never once stopped longing for.
'And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.'
- T.S Eliot-
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away....
(The Glory of the New Jerusalem)
But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almight and the Lamb are its temple. And te city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of te earth bring their glory and honour into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of life." - Rev 21:1-4, 22-27
In all, it was divine timing for me. :) Esp since I was still meditating on Rev.....was so blown away by the beauty of God's Word and His promises. I think I was gasping in service during the bible reading! Think I will really miss hearing teachings on Revelation.
Do read the Rev verses at the end!:)I hope it takes your breath away! How cool is God's Word??? AMEN!!!
Anyway, this was what Yancey had to say...:)
===================================================================
"Once the Spanish mystic Unamuno, conversing with a peasant, suggested that perhaps there was a God but no heaven. The peasant thought a minute and then replied, 'So what is this God for?'
The Bible stakes God's reputation on his ability to conquer evil and restore heaven and earth to their original perfection. Apart from that future state, God could be judged less-than-powerful, or less-than-loving. So far the prophets' visions of peace and justice have not come true. Swords aren't being melted into plowshares.Death, with ugly new mutations of AIDS and environmental cancers, is still swallowing people up, not being swallowed. Evil, not good, appears to be winning. But the Bible, calls us to see beyond the grim reality of history to the view of all eternity, when God's reign will fill the earth with light and truth.
In any discussion of disappointment with God, heaven is the last word, the most important word of all. Only heaven will finally solve the problem of God's hiddenness. For the first time ever, human beings will be able to look upon God face to face. In the midst of his agony, Job somehow came up with the faith to believe that "in the flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes." That prophecy will come true not just for Job but for all of us...
All the beauty and joy we meet on earth represent 'only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited'(C.S Lewis)....
And faith is, in the end, a kind of homesickness--for a home we have never visited but have never once stopped longing for.
'And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.'
- T.S Eliot-
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away....
(The Glory of the New Jerusalem)
But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almight and the Lamb are its temple. And te city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of te earth bring their glory and honour into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of life." - Rev 21:1-4, 22-27
Cheers!
Yesterday, Teck said that my bf's name is "Erdinger". And then I added that my 'back-up bf' is Heineken. HAHA!
A few mths ago, my colleagues and I were just joking abt ordering a beer dispenser for our pantry. haha! So this pic is hilarious! I so agree that every office needs one. :p
A few mths ago, my colleagues and I were just joking abt ordering a beer dispenser for our pantry. haha! So this pic is hilarious! I so agree that every office needs one. :p
Thursday, October 20, 2005
"Ice-cream"
(by Sarah McLachlan)
Your love is better than ice cream
better than anything else that I've tried
and your love is better than ice cream
everyone here know how to fight
and it's a long way down
it's a long way down
it's a long way down to the place
where we started from
Your love is better than chocolate
better than anything else that I've tried
oh love is better than chocolate
everyone here knows how to cry
it's a long way down
it's a long way down
it's a long way down to the place
where we started from...
==================================================================
I just find this song so quaint and charming! :) Esp. the "better than choc" part.....since I'm such a chocoholic, I certainly relate to it. hehe!
Recently, I've realized that my mummy has been waiting up for me when I come home late. So she will wash up and sleep only when I've reached home. Maybe I've been taking her for granted...but that gesture really touched me. Reminds me to give thanks, and appreciate the love from the pple God has surrounded us with. :)
It's a blessing to be able to go into my office and shout out "hello sweetie, i love u" to my beloved Pammy. (Even tho' it means causing poor Danny to cringe, and to sing gibberish at the top of his voice, to avoid our 'sweet talk'...too much affection he says. haha!) n to be able to go to BMI and hug Bernice/ Aaron and tell them how much i love them. haha! It's so warm n fuzzy to be able to jam with all of them at night....it's like singing carols by the fire-place with ur beloved family. Awwww....
It's a blessing to hv Andrea come down all the way to BMI to pass me her sweaters for my Sydney trip.
It's a blessing to hv my dear grandma ask me what fd I wld like to eat, when I visit her on Sat. Of course the real reason I visit her at all is to spend time with her....and not so much the fd.
It's a blessing to be able to share PMS blues and more of "Mr Pants escapades" with Audrey over the phone/ msn. haha! Only gals will understand how it feels like....to be weepy n sobby over several nites.
It's a blessing to hv sweet Ed change the suspension in his car, so I'll hv a more comfortable ride at night...and to be asked for a list of my fav songs, to be compiled into a CD tt we can blast in the car.
It's all in the little things....it's so sweet to love and be loved. Way better than ice-cream and chocolates. :)Thank you Jesus!
Your love is better than ice cream
better than anything else that I've tried
and your love is better than ice cream
everyone here know how to fight
and it's a long way down
it's a long way down
it's a long way down to the place
where we started from
Your love is better than chocolate
better than anything else that I've tried
oh love is better than chocolate
everyone here knows how to cry
it's a long way down
it's a long way down
it's a long way down to the place
where we started from...
==================================================================
I just find this song so quaint and charming! :) Esp. the "better than choc" part.....since I'm such a chocoholic, I certainly relate to it. hehe!
Recently, I've realized that my mummy has been waiting up for me when I come home late. So she will wash up and sleep only when I've reached home. Maybe I've been taking her for granted...but that gesture really touched me. Reminds me to give thanks, and appreciate the love from the pple God has surrounded us with. :)
It's a blessing to be able to go into my office and shout out "hello sweetie, i love u" to my beloved Pammy. (Even tho' it means causing poor Danny to cringe, and to sing gibberish at the top of his voice, to avoid our 'sweet talk'...too much affection he says. haha!) n to be able to go to BMI and hug Bernice/ Aaron and tell them how much i love them. haha! It's so warm n fuzzy to be able to jam with all of them at night....it's like singing carols by the fire-place with ur beloved family. Awwww....
It's a blessing to hv Andrea come down all the way to BMI to pass me her sweaters for my Sydney trip.
It's a blessing to hv my dear grandma ask me what fd I wld like to eat, when I visit her on Sat. Of course the real reason I visit her at all is to spend time with her....and not so much the fd.
It's a blessing to be able to share PMS blues and more of "Mr Pants escapades" with Audrey over the phone/ msn. haha! Only gals will understand how it feels like....to be weepy n sobby over several nites.
It's a blessing to hv sweet Ed change the suspension in his car, so I'll hv a more comfortable ride at night...and to be asked for a list of my fav songs, to be compiled into a CD tt we can blast in the car.
It's all in the little things....it's so sweet to love and be loved. Way better than ice-cream and chocolates. :)Thank you Jesus!
What Hendrix Learnt from Dylan
I was reading this eCommentary tdy...from this brilliant Christian writer from KL. Very insightful observations on Christianity tdy...thought I just dump the entire article here, cos its really worth the read.
I think he really issues an impt challenge to worship leaders out there! *winkz*
====================================================================
GRACE@WORK MAIL 42/05
[October 21st 2005 Edition]
eCOMMENTARY: What Hendrix Learnt from Dylan
I was rereading Electric Gypsy, Shapiro and Glebeeks' biography of
Jimi Hendrix, when this part hit me.
"On a number of levels, (Bob) Dylan had a profound effect on Jimmy
(Hendrix). At the most superficial level, and contrary to what Jimmy
had been told by record companies, Dylan showed there was a market
among young people for 'serious' songs which actually made you think.
This came as a revelation to Jimmy so used to laying down music almost
exclusively in support of love songs whose vocabulary ranged from
sentimental to crude."
I thought, "ditto the church" or at least parts of it.
We have been told that young people today do not have the capacity for
songs that are too theological. We have been told that to attract the
young we must have a liturgy consisting of a brew of fast celebratory
music and slow intimate songs because the young today need to taste
the joy of Christianity in forms that they understand. And the
loneliness of modern society means the young need songs that help them
to emotionally connect with God.
In other words today's young want to celebrate and emotionally connect
but they do not want to think too much. And if you want to attract
young people to your church you must shape your worship services along
those lines.
I suspect many churches have bought into this belief. I sometimes do
wonder if this conviction came from the young themselves or from
market driven entrepreneurial adult church leaders who want the church
to grow numerically as fast as possible . In any case many must
believe this to be true since you find this incredible boring sameness
when you walk into many church services today.
First there will be the loud fast paced celebration songs. After
awhile the mood changes and its time for the slow intimate songs as
you draw near to God.
(Hey reminds me of the parties we used to go to in secondary school.
Fast dancing tunes followed by slow smooching tunes. And you want to
make sure you were with the right partner when the second half of the
evening begins.)
But is it true?
Is it true that our young want to feel but do not want to think?
Maybe, like Hendrix learnt from Dylan, there is "a market among young
people for serious songs that make you think."
This is NOT another hymns verses choruses piece. We should all know by
now that there is both good and bad music in both genres.
Neither am I arguing for a return to Elizabethan English.
But I am arguing for appropriate content in the songs we offer to God.
And I am definitely arguing for music that makes us think.
I do believe that we need to celebrate in our worship. But what are we
celebrating about?
If we have clarity about who God is, what he has done, is doing,and
will do, then celebration will be our natural response.
But clarity about who God is and what He does demand clear thinking.
Otherwise our celebration is fluffy, feelings of celebration which are
music driven, but based on narrow, hazy convictions. What happens when
the music stops and we return to the world outside the church?
Are we still clear as to who God is and what He is up to to keep on
celebrating Monday to Saturday? In good and bad circumstances?
Do we celebrate because we know this God?
"Come, you Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing your grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise."
Let our celebration be loud indeed but let it be loud because we know
that our God is the fount of every blessing.
And what about intimacy? True intimacy is based on accurate knowledge
of the one with whom you have a relationship. False intimacy is based
primarily on feelings.
Now feelings are powerful things. Like crushes you have on people you
admire from afar or crushes you have on people you know superficially.
True intimacy however, is based on an accurate understanding of the
person with whom you are relating.
So a certain type of music can evoke feelings of intimacy and
closeness, like a love song. But such feelings of intimacy are just
that, feelings, unless they are responses that arise from accurate
knowledge of the person you are close with.
So who is this God you draw close to every Sunday?
Do you know what He is really like?
To answer that question, well, you have to think.
It's cool to sing:
"I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus."
I agree.
But what is this Jesus like?
Here is the answer:
"Beautiful Saviour! Lord of all the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honour, praise, adoration,
Now and forever more be Thine."
I think we betray our young when we encourage feelings which are
divorced from careful thought.
They get that in the world already.
They are looking for celebration and intimacy but they want the real
thing.
Deep down I believe they are hungry for a God who is the Other,
totally different from what they have encountered in the world.
As Marva Dawn reminds us:
"The postmodern world that surrounds us yearns for stability,
morality, security, fidelity, faith, hope and love. These deep needs
can only be met through the One who meets our deepest need for Truth.
Let us make sure the worship services we plan and conduct present the
Truth in all its clarity and beauty and goodness."
This Sunday, let us hear Paul's call to "sing psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs to God" (Colossians 3:16b).
But remember that he first calls us to "Let the word of God dwell in
(us) richly" (Colossians 3:16a).
Your brother,
Soo-Inn Tan
I think he really issues an impt challenge to worship leaders out there! *winkz*
====================================================================
GRACE@WORK MAIL 42/05
[October 21st 2005 Edition]
eCOMMENTARY: What Hendrix Learnt from Dylan
I was rereading Electric Gypsy, Shapiro and Glebeeks' biography of
Jimi Hendrix, when this part hit me.
"On a number of levels, (Bob) Dylan had a profound effect on Jimmy
(Hendrix). At the most superficial level, and contrary to what Jimmy
had been told by record companies, Dylan showed there was a market
among young people for 'serious' songs which actually made you think.
This came as a revelation to Jimmy so used to laying down music almost
exclusively in support of love songs whose vocabulary ranged from
sentimental to crude."
I thought, "ditto the church" or at least parts of it.
We have been told that young people today do not have the capacity for
songs that are too theological. We have been told that to attract the
young we must have a liturgy consisting of a brew of fast celebratory
music and slow intimate songs because the young today need to taste
the joy of Christianity in forms that they understand. And the
loneliness of modern society means the young need songs that help them
to emotionally connect with God.
In other words today's young want to celebrate and emotionally connect
but they do not want to think too much. And if you want to attract
young people to your church you must shape your worship services along
those lines.
I suspect many churches have bought into this belief. I sometimes do
wonder if this conviction came from the young themselves or from
market driven entrepreneurial adult church leaders who want the church
to grow numerically as fast as possible . In any case many must
believe this to be true since you find this incredible boring sameness
when you walk into many church services today.
First there will be the loud fast paced celebration songs. After
awhile the mood changes and its time for the slow intimate songs as
you draw near to God.
(Hey reminds me of the parties we used to go to in secondary school.
Fast dancing tunes followed by slow smooching tunes. And you want to
make sure you were with the right partner when the second half of the
evening begins.)
But is it true?
Is it true that our young want to feel but do not want to think?
Maybe, like Hendrix learnt from Dylan, there is "a market among young
people for serious songs that make you think."
This is NOT another hymns verses choruses piece. We should all know by
now that there is both good and bad music in both genres.
Neither am I arguing for a return to Elizabethan English.
But I am arguing for appropriate content in the songs we offer to God.
And I am definitely arguing for music that makes us think.
I do believe that we need to celebrate in our worship. But what are we
celebrating about?
If we have clarity about who God is, what he has done, is doing,and
will do, then celebration will be our natural response.
But clarity about who God is and what He does demand clear thinking.
Otherwise our celebration is fluffy, feelings of celebration which are
music driven, but based on narrow, hazy convictions. What happens when
the music stops and we return to the world outside the church?
Are we still clear as to who God is and what He is up to to keep on
celebrating Monday to Saturday? In good and bad circumstances?
Do we celebrate because we know this God?
"Come, you Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing your grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise."
Let our celebration be loud indeed but let it be loud because we know
that our God is the fount of every blessing.
And what about intimacy? True intimacy is based on accurate knowledge
of the one with whom you have a relationship. False intimacy is based
primarily on feelings.
Now feelings are powerful things. Like crushes you have on people you
admire from afar or crushes you have on people you know superficially.
True intimacy however, is based on an accurate understanding of the
person with whom you are relating.
So a certain type of music can evoke feelings of intimacy and
closeness, like a love song. But such feelings of intimacy are just
that, feelings, unless they are responses that arise from accurate
knowledge of the person you are close with.
So who is this God you draw close to every Sunday?
Do you know what He is really like?
To answer that question, well, you have to think.
It's cool to sing:
"I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus."
I agree.
But what is this Jesus like?
Here is the answer:
"Beautiful Saviour! Lord of all the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honour, praise, adoration,
Now and forever more be Thine."
I think we betray our young when we encourage feelings which are
divorced from careful thought.
They get that in the world already.
They are looking for celebration and intimacy but they want the real
thing.
Deep down I believe they are hungry for a God who is the Other,
totally different from what they have encountered in the world.
As Marva Dawn reminds us:
"The postmodern world that surrounds us yearns for stability,
morality, security, fidelity, faith, hope and love. These deep needs
can only be met through the One who meets our deepest need for Truth.
Let us make sure the worship services we plan and conduct present the
Truth in all its clarity and beauty and goodness."
This Sunday, let us hear Paul's call to "sing psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs to God" (Colossians 3:16b).
But remember that he first calls us to "Let the word of God dwell in
(us) richly" (Colossians 3:16a).
Your brother,
Soo-Inn Tan
Monday, October 17, 2005
"Thank you" notes
1) Thanks to my darling Pam/ "girlfriend" for surprising me with a new tube of Bloom "pout" lipgloss.(it was out of stock) you know me so well! haha!
2) Thanks to sweet Ed for buying me that Sarah McLachlan VH1 DVD SO QUICKLY! like in less than 24 hrs rite? haha! you're unbelievable lah. So everyone else just take note...DO NOT get me Sarah McLachlan VH1 StoryTellers dvd for my birthday! Have orediiii!
3) Thanks to Andrea...for tt cutesy moomoo handphone trinklet. I think it's a hoot...it cheers me up, seeing it dangle off my phone
4) Thanks to Eunice for being so considerate as to buy ear plugs for us, in view of our potentially noisy Sydney hotel rm.
5) Thanks to Winnie, for calling me to say that that she was gonna make tiramisu. I dunno if I'm able to come down ur place to eat, but the thought was precious enuff! Give Zaza a huge kiss for me! :)
2) Thanks to sweet Ed for buying me that Sarah McLachlan VH1 DVD SO QUICKLY! like in less than 24 hrs rite? haha! you're unbelievable lah. So everyone else just take note...DO NOT get me Sarah McLachlan VH1 StoryTellers dvd for my birthday! Have orediiii!
3) Thanks to Andrea...for tt cutesy moomoo handphone trinklet. I think it's a hoot...it cheers me up, seeing it dangle off my phone
4) Thanks to Eunice for being so considerate as to buy ear plugs for us, in view of our potentially noisy Sydney hotel rm.
5) Thanks to Winnie, for calling me to say that that she was gonna make tiramisu. I dunno if I'm able to come down ur place to eat, but the thought was precious enuff! Give Zaza a huge kiss for me! :)
Andrea's house-warming
Last night, I was at Andrea's pretty new Condo, for her house-warming. It was a fun, cozy and warm gathering of friends! Thanks Andrea for opening your home to us and preparing such a good spread. :) I had a great time!! I adore your apartment and your HUGE pool. Would love to come back for a potluck/ bbq at the pool deck. *winkz*
Here were some shots from the house-warming...from my handphone. heh!:p Some not as clear as I wished they'd turn out.
Andrea and Berno, my best buds in BMI!! :) They are my precious "angels in disguise"
Jo and Pam sharing a bite. I think that's Danny lurking in the bkground...
Pretty Pam! Yes, i luv you girlfriend! Don't be insecure. haha!
(As Pam and I were holding hands and walking around Andrea's gorgeous Condo in the cool evening breeze, I joked with her abt how it'd be perfect as a lovely 'lesbo pad' for us. Just need to get a Sheltie tt's all. KIDDING OF COURSE!! :p)
George...my dear guitarist and bro from my band "Disclosure". He seemed to be on a high lah last night, yapping away non-stop....until midnite. haha! He is such a big joker....always cracking me up.
Funky Aaron chilling out on the couch with me. He almost didn't make it, but we forced him to come down. Check out his newly shaved head...no more 'pretty boy' liao. heh!
Here were some shots from the house-warming...from my handphone. heh!:p Some not as clear as I wished they'd turn out.
Andrea and Berno, my best buds in BMI!! :) They are my precious "angels in disguise"
Jo and Pam sharing a bite. I think that's Danny lurking in the bkground...
Pretty Pam! Yes, i luv you girlfriend! Don't be insecure. haha!
(As Pam and I were holding hands and walking around Andrea's gorgeous Condo in the cool evening breeze, I joked with her abt how it'd be perfect as a lovely 'lesbo pad' for us. Just need to get a Sheltie tt's all. KIDDING OF COURSE!! :p)
George...my dear guitarist and bro from my band "Disclosure". He seemed to be on a high lah last night, yapping away non-stop....until midnite. haha! He is such a big joker....always cracking me up.
Funky Aaron chilling out on the couch with me. He almost didn't make it, but we forced him to come down. Check out his newly shaved head...no more 'pretty boy' liao. heh!
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Story-tellers
I wish I could get my hands on Sarah McLachlan's VH1 Story-telllers DVD like RIGHT NOW!! Anyone wants to buy for me? haha! This dvd even has Paula Cole guest-singing with Sarah McLachlan!! Ahhh...i love Paula Cole too. Two of them together...can die. haha!
I've been re-discovering Sarah McLachlan. She is absolutely superb live....her voice is so lush, beautiful, haunting,and passionate. An amazingly sensitive story-teller too.
I was watching her on the Lilith Fair vcd last nite...where she was collaborating with other female singers like Sheryl Crow, Shawn Colvin, Indigo Girls and Jewel. I was absolutely mesmerized. Their rendition of "The Water is Wide"
"The Water is Wide"(An American Folk Song
) was soooo tender and lyrical...made me cry man. n dun even get me started on the harmonies...
"The water is wide, I cannot get o'er
And neither have I wings to fly.
O go and get me some little boat,
To carry o'er my true love and I."
Nostalgia....
I was out with Audrey just now, and she was lugging around a huge pile of NUS library bks. Audrey was complaining that it made her look "geeky" while we walked around town. I didn't even think of that...cldn't wait to help her carry her psych bks actually! haha!
It was a most familiar, nostalgic scene for me....ahhh...those good old days where i used to lug gigantic piles of books from the NUS Central library, up and down several staircases (always bumping into frens along the way too), to my dusty old locker in the dungeon....which I shared with Shujun. I even sprained my wrist a couple of times...from that enormous load.
Those were the beautiful, slightly 'nerdy' days of stimulating academia.:) How I miss running up and down the steps of the library, zapping truckloads of readings, watching films in the basement, doing research while being surrounded by musty smelling bks, helping friends locate bks (i was brilliant at tt), hiding snacks n drinks behind the study tables....taking breaks with Shujun while watching "Smallville" on her laptop... getting 'high n loony' with friends during the insane term pper periods etc.
Such lovely memories...:) Yes, I'm mad... when my honours classmates were celebrating the completion of our final exam pper, I was there mourning the end of era.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Gin
Steph came to my place last wk, with her mini-schnauzer "Gin"! Think now I'm really convinced that I should get a doggie! hehe! It was pure joy playing with her, walking her...and just holding her in my arms during our car-ride. Very therapeutic...and I actually look fwd to taking care of my own doggie. :)
Gin can be really sweet too...like how she put her paw on my arm, and licked me to say she's sorry for 'biting me' (not lethal lah, just playful bite). n later she even snuggled up next to me(voluntarily!!!!)Awwww....so affectionate! *meltz*
Oh yes...and just to clarify something with u single gals out there. If you think that getting a doggie gets u more attn n 'chat-up opportunities' from cute single, guys when u're walking your dog, then u're sadly mistaken. According to Steph, most guys who own dogs are attached oredi, and share it with their gfs (status symbol lah!). Haha! I know a few of you who will be slightly disappointed by this. :p
we convinced her to get down on all fours.
Gin on her sweetest, most docile behaviour. She was also feeling a little cold lah.
check out those huge eyes! :)
Gin can be really sweet too...like how she put her paw on my arm, and licked me to say she's sorry for 'biting me' (not lethal lah, just playful bite). n later she even snuggled up next to me(voluntarily!!!!)Awwww....so affectionate! *meltz*
Oh yes...and just to clarify something with u single gals out there. If you think that getting a doggie gets u more attn n 'chat-up opportunities' from cute single, guys when u're walking your dog, then u're sadly mistaken. According to Steph, most guys who own dogs are attached oredi, and share it with their gfs (status symbol lah!). Haha! I know a few of you who will be slightly disappointed by this. :p
we convinced her to get down on all fours.
Gin on her sweetest, most docile behaviour. She was also feeling a little cold lah.
check out those huge eyes! :)
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Just love....
"No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Saviour of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him."
- 2 John 4:12-16-
I'm continuously learning to be patient and loving with some of my difficult/slow students lately. (i dun exactly excel in patience as my frens wld know) This verse is always a good reminder. Sometimes, it's a CHOICE to love....but it's impt to do so, because in doing so, we reveal/ reflect God to each other!
Such a mystery...that God wld choose us broken, imperfect, sinful folks to be his ambassadors.
I'm glad to say that yesterday...many of my slow students achieved their breakthroughs! The spark of realization in their eyes, that says "hey, i did it! wow!" made it all worthwhile. Yeah...a lil love goes a long way. :)
Legacy (Nicole Nordeman)
===========================
I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You enough?
To make a mark on things
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace
Who blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Saviour of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him."
- 2 John 4:12-16-
I'm continuously learning to be patient and loving with some of my difficult/slow students lately. (i dun exactly excel in patience as my frens wld know) This verse is always a good reminder. Sometimes, it's a CHOICE to love....but it's impt to do so, because in doing so, we reveal/ reflect God to each other!
Such a mystery...that God wld choose us broken, imperfect, sinful folks to be his ambassadors.
I'm glad to say that yesterday...many of my slow students achieved their breakthroughs! The spark of realization in their eyes, that says "hey, i did it! wow!" made it all worthwhile. Yeah...a lil love goes a long way. :)
Legacy (Nicole Nordeman)
===========================
I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You enough?
To make a mark on things
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace
Who blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy
Monday, October 10, 2005
Living between two realities...
This is an excerpt from Philip Yancey's book "Disappointment with God". Read it during my devotion last night...and it touched me deeply. It's a good reminder that we need to see things from God's perspective...for our own view is often narrow and limited.
I like how Yancey summarized Job's 'quarrel/ debate' with God...
"God reeled off natural phenomea- the solar system, constellations, thunderstorms, wild animals- that Job could not begin to explain.
If you can't comprehend the visible world you live in, how dare ou expect to comprehend a world you cannot even see! Conscious of the big picture at last, Job repented in dust and ashes."
=====================================================================
-by Philip Yancey
Why doesn't God intervene and make himself obvious? Why doesn't he speak aloud so we can hear him? We yearn for miracle, for the supernatural in its pure, unadulterated form.
I chose the word "unadulterated" deliberately because it betrays a sentiment that is central to this issue. We moderns strive to separate natural from supernatural. The natural world that we can touch and smell and see and hear seems self-evident; the supernatural world, however is another matter. There is nothing certain about it, no skin on it, and that bothers us. We want proof. We want the supernatural to enter the natural world in a way that retains the glow, that leaves scorch marks, that rattles the ear drums.
The God revealed in the Bible does not seem to share our desire. Whereas we cleave natural from supernatural, and seen from unseen, God seeks to bring the two together. His goal, one might say, is to rescue the "lower" world, to restore the natural realm of fallen creation to its original state, where spirit and matter dwelt together in harmony....
From that perspective, the natural world is not impoverished, but graced with miracle. And the miracle of natural world reclaimed reached a point of climax in the Grand Miracle, when the actual Presence of God took up residence in a "natural" body exactly like ours; the Word transposed into flesh.
In one body, Christ brought the two worlds together, joining spirit and matter at long last, unifying creation in a way that had not been seen since Eden....
From below, we tend to think of miracle as an invasion, a breaking into the natural world with spectacular force, and we long for such signs. But from above, from God's point of view, the real miracle is one of transposition: that human bodies can become vessels filled with Spirit, that ordinary human acts of charity and goodness can become nothing less than the incarnation of God on earth...
Is God silent? I answer the question with another question: Is the church silent? We are his mouthpiece, his designated vocal chords on this planet.
I like how Yancey summarized Job's 'quarrel/ debate' with God...
"God reeled off natural phenomea- the solar system, constellations, thunderstorms, wild animals- that Job could not begin to explain.
If you can't comprehend the visible world you live in, how dare ou expect to comprehend a world you cannot even see! Conscious of the big picture at last, Job repented in dust and ashes."
=====================================================================
-by Philip Yancey
Why doesn't God intervene and make himself obvious? Why doesn't he speak aloud so we can hear him? We yearn for miracle, for the supernatural in its pure, unadulterated form.
I chose the word "unadulterated" deliberately because it betrays a sentiment that is central to this issue. We moderns strive to separate natural from supernatural. The natural world that we can touch and smell and see and hear seems self-evident; the supernatural world, however is another matter. There is nothing certain about it, no skin on it, and that bothers us. We want proof. We want the supernatural to enter the natural world in a way that retains the glow, that leaves scorch marks, that rattles the ear drums.
The God revealed in the Bible does not seem to share our desire. Whereas we cleave natural from supernatural, and seen from unseen, God seeks to bring the two together. His goal, one might say, is to rescue the "lower" world, to restore the natural realm of fallen creation to its original state, where spirit and matter dwelt together in harmony....
From that perspective, the natural world is not impoverished, but graced with miracle. And the miracle of natural world reclaimed reached a point of climax in the Grand Miracle, when the actual Presence of God took up residence in a "natural" body exactly like ours; the Word transposed into flesh.
In one body, Christ brought the two worlds together, joining spirit and matter at long last, unifying creation in a way that had not been seen since Eden....
From below, we tend to think of miracle as an invasion, a breaking into the natural world with spectacular force, and we long for such signs. But from above, from God's point of view, the real miracle is one of transposition: that human bodies can become vessels filled with Spirit, that ordinary human acts of charity and goodness can become nothing less than the incarnation of God on earth...
Is God silent? I answer the question with another question: Is the church silent? We are his mouthpiece, his designated vocal chords on this planet.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
"All I have is a voice"
All I have is a Voice
To undo the folded lie
The romantic lie-in-the-brain
Of the sensual man-on-the-street
And the lie of Authority
Whose buildings grope the sky
There is no such thing as the State
And no one exists alone
Hunger allows no choice
To the citizen or the Police
We must love one another or die.
-W.H. Auden, September 1939-
To undo the folded lie
The romantic lie-in-the-brain
Of the sensual man-on-the-street
And the lie of Authority
Whose buildings grope the sky
There is no such thing as the State
And no one exists alone
Hunger allows no choice
To the citizen or the Police
We must love one another or die.
-W.H. Auden, September 1939-
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
"Rumours of another world"
Andrea and I were online, sharing books, and exchanging favourite prose passages. Such a delight to be able to do tt btw! :)I truly believe it is important for us to be inspired everyday....and thank God for these awesome writers, who help us cultivate that 'lens of wonder' to view the world with.
==================================================================
I was recommending Philip Yancey to her, when I stumbled upon this beautiful quote, from the first page of his bk "Rumours Of Another World: What On Earth Are We Missing?"
"The most beautiful thing we can explore is the mysterious.
It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this
emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and
stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."
- Albert Einstein
=================================================================
This is the writer that Andrea recommended to me in return, Donald Miller. I'm quite excited to start reading his books! He writes prose with breath-taking imagery. Here are some swoon-worthy samples of his writings from his books "Blue like Jazz"
and "Through Painted Deserts: Light, God, and the Open Road"
. (Even the titles are gorgeous lor!)
" I once listened to an Indian on television say that God was in the wind and the water, and I wondered how beautiful that was because it meant that you could swim in Him or have him brush your face in a breeze..."
"IT IS FALL HERE NOW, MY FAVORITE OF THE FOUR seasons. We get all four here, and they come at us under the doors, in through the windows. One morning you wake and need blankets; you take the fan out of the window to see clouds that mist out by midmorning, only to reveal a naked blue coolness like God yawning.
September is perfect Oregon. The blocks line up like postcards and the rosebuds bloom into themselves like children at bedtime. And in Portland we are proud of our roses; year after year, we are proud of them. When they are done, we sit in the parks and read stories into the air, whispering the gardens to sleep."
"I bought the lie that the academic life had to be separate from relational experience, as though God only wanted us to learn cognitive ideas, as if the heart of a man were only created to resonate with movies. No, life cannot be understood flat on a page. It has to be lived; a person has to get out of his head, has to fall in love, has to memorize poems, has to jump off bridges into rivers, has to stand in an empty desert and whisper sonnets under his breath:
I'll tell you how the sun rose
A ribbon at a time.."
==================================================================
I was recommending Philip Yancey to her, when I stumbled upon this beautiful quote, from the first page of his bk "Rumours Of Another World: What On Earth Are We Missing?"
"The most beautiful thing we can explore is the mysterious.
It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this
emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and
stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."
- Albert Einstein
=================================================================
This is the writer that Andrea recommended to me in return, Donald Miller. I'm quite excited to start reading his books! He writes prose with breath-taking imagery. Here are some swoon-worthy samples of his writings from his books "Blue like Jazz"
and "Through Painted Deserts: Light, God, and the Open Road"
. (Even the titles are gorgeous lor!)
" I once listened to an Indian on television say that God was in the wind and the water, and I wondered how beautiful that was because it meant that you could swim in Him or have him brush your face in a breeze..."
"IT IS FALL HERE NOW, MY FAVORITE OF THE FOUR seasons. We get all four here, and they come at us under the doors, in through the windows. One morning you wake and need blankets; you take the fan out of the window to see clouds that mist out by midmorning, only to reveal a naked blue coolness like God yawning.
September is perfect Oregon. The blocks line up like postcards and the rosebuds bloom into themselves like children at bedtime. And in Portland we are proud of our roses; year after year, we are proud of them. When they are done, we sit in the parks and read stories into the air, whispering the gardens to sleep."
"I bought the lie that the academic life had to be separate from relational experience, as though God only wanted us to learn cognitive ideas, as if the heart of a man were only created to resonate with movies. No, life cannot be understood flat on a page. It has to be lived; a person has to get out of his head, has to fall in love, has to memorize poems, has to jump off bridges into rivers, has to stand in an empty desert and whisper sonnets under his breath:
I'll tell you how the sun rose
A ribbon at a time.."
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
What I'm reading now....
I think I'm getting very bad at finishing books. I usually grab what fits my mood at that moment, and as a result...I have a whole stack of half-finished books!!! Hopefully, I can clear a bit of that pile while I am on my Sydney holiday. Hmmm...
List of books that I need to finish reading:
=============================================
1) Disappointment with God- Philip Yancey
2) Mere Christianity- C.S Lewis
3) Fellowship of the Ring- J.R.R Tolkien (re-reading this for the 3rd time)
4) Understanding The Lord of the Rings- The Best of Tolkien Criticism
5) The Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy- Douglas Adams
6) Tales of the Unexpected- Roald Dahl
7) Buffy and the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy - Ed. James South
Terrible rite? I haven't even listed down those poetry anthologies I've stashed elsewhere in my rm.
List of books that I need to finish reading:
=============================================
1) Disappointment with God- Philip Yancey
2) Mere Christianity- C.S Lewis
3) Fellowship of the Ring- J.R.R Tolkien (re-reading this for the 3rd time)
4) Understanding The Lord of the Rings- The Best of Tolkien Criticism
5) The Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy- Douglas Adams
6) Tales of the Unexpected- Roald Dahl
7) Buffy and the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy - Ed. James South
Terrible rite? I haven't even listed down those poetry anthologies I've stashed elsewhere in my rm.
"The Shadow Proves the Sunshine"
I just bought the latest Switchfoot album, "Nothing is Sound"...and I'm amazed at their ever-improving,brilliant, stirring, perceptive, occasionally self-reflexive song-writing. The lyrics almost read like poetry...with a rock edge. I'm sure it helps that Jonathan Foreman, the lead singer and main lyricist, is quite literary.
"The Shadow Proves the Sunshine" was the first song title that caught my attention. Isn't it cool?? It's all abt perception isn't it? I especially love the last 3 lines:
"I'm a crooked soul trying to stay up straight
Shine on me
Let my shadows prove the sunshine"
[somehow this brings to mind poplar trees...that were painted by the French Impressionistic painter, Claude Monet. Had a haunting effect. Impressionist Art dealt with perceptions and focussed on subjectivity btw.]
Les Peupliers. Claude Monet
Here's a slightly 'darker' painting of Poplars, by a modern painter:
Poplars, Po River Valley, Northern Italy, 1998. Mark Citret
Here are a few other gems from the Switchfoot album:
"When I look at the stars I feel like myself
When I look at the stars I see someone" - from 'Stars'-
[God's fingerprints are left in all of creation!]
"I'm looking for a bridge I can't burn down
I don't believe the emptiness
Everything is meaningless
I want more than simple cash can buy
Happy is a yuppie word. Nothing is sound"
-from "Happy is a yuppie word' [tis is SO in line with what Chris Chia has been preaching at ARPC!!! The pursuit of happiness is indeed becoming an 'idol'.]
"My hope runs underneath it all the day that I'll be home
It won't be long, I belong somewhere past this setting sun
Finally free, finally strong, somewhere back where I belong"
-from 'The Setting Sun'-
"The Shadow Proves the Sunshine" (Switchfoot)
-----------------------------------------------
Sunshine won't you be my mother?
Sunshine come and help me sing
My heart is darker than these oceans
My heart is frozen underneath
Crooked soul trying to stay up straight
Dry eyes in the pouring rain
The shadow proves the sunshine
Two scared little runaways
Hold fast till the break of daylight
When the shadow proves the sunshine
Oh Lord why did you forsake me
Oh Lord don't be far away, away
Storm clouds gathering beside me
Please Lord don't look the other way
I'm a crooked soul trying to stay up straight
Shine on me
Let my shadows prove the sunshine
"The Shadow Proves the Sunshine" was the first song title that caught my attention. Isn't it cool?? It's all abt perception isn't it? I especially love the last 3 lines:
"I'm a crooked soul trying to stay up straight
Shine on me
Let my shadows prove the sunshine"
[somehow this brings to mind poplar trees...that were painted by the French Impressionistic painter, Claude Monet. Had a haunting effect. Impressionist Art dealt with perceptions and focussed on subjectivity btw.]
Les Peupliers. Claude Monet
Here's a slightly 'darker' painting of Poplars, by a modern painter:
Poplars, Po River Valley, Northern Italy, 1998. Mark Citret
Here are a few other gems from the Switchfoot album:
"When I look at the stars I feel like myself
When I look at the stars I see someone" - from 'Stars'-
[God's fingerprints are left in all of creation!]
"I'm looking for a bridge I can't burn down
I don't believe the emptiness
Everything is meaningless
I want more than simple cash can buy
Happy is a yuppie word. Nothing is sound"
-from "Happy is a yuppie word' [tis is SO in line with what Chris Chia has been preaching at ARPC!!! The pursuit of happiness is indeed becoming an 'idol'.]
"My hope runs underneath it all the day that I'll be home
It won't be long, I belong somewhere past this setting sun
Finally free, finally strong, somewhere back where I belong"
-from 'The Setting Sun'-
"The Shadow Proves the Sunshine" (Switchfoot)
-----------------------------------------------
Sunshine won't you be my mother?
Sunshine come and help me sing
My heart is darker than these oceans
My heart is frozen underneath
Crooked soul trying to stay up straight
Dry eyes in the pouring rain
The shadow proves the sunshine
Two scared little runaways
Hold fast till the break of daylight
When the shadow proves the sunshine
Oh Lord why did you forsake me
Oh Lord don't be far away, away
Storm clouds gathering beside me
Please Lord don't look the other way
I'm a crooked soul trying to stay up straight
Shine on me
Let my shadows prove the sunshine
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