The Plight of Muffin Boy

Poor Muffin Boy...he's always getting picked on. Must be his catchy, muffy nickname. hehe!

BMI Games Nite@ Mind's Cafe
=========================
(everyone engrossed in the Cowboy/Indian game of "Bang")
Bernice: So who do you want to bang?
Person XX (doesn't matter, as we were all in that same position): Muffin Boy!!!
Muffin Boy: Why me again??

(its drizzling on our way home)
Mich: It's raining!! See lah! All your fault Muffin Boy!
Muffin Boy: Why is it my fault?!!?!

After service @ Riverlife Church
===========================
Glenn: Eh Marcus! I couldn't sleep till late in the night cos my transaction couldn't go through the BMI website. All your fault lah!
Muffin Boy: My fault again???

New Ways Of Journeying

Some people make the world a better place just by breathing in it. :)

"With a single life
I will not learn enough.

With the light of other lives,
many lives will live in my song." – Pablo Neruda

"I've always found it a blessing that stars shine
their brightest in the darkest nights.
And so it is, with our lives, oftentimes,
the darkest moments, the moments of despair,
the moments of feeling lost and confused,
can often be moments of grace, moments of intense
illumination where we re-discover ourselves, our goals,
our inspirations and the purpose for which we truly live."- Corrinne May

"If I could change the world,
I would be the sunlight in your universe.
You would think my love was really something good,
Baby if I could change the world."- Eric Clapton

"Every Little Thing's Gonna Be Alright"

When Nick Vuijicic spoke at Riverlife Church a couple of weeks ago...he made this observation which I've been reflecting over- Deep inside each of us is the universal human need for love, unfailing love.....and to know that everything's gonna be ok.

It's not exactly a significantly new revelation....but the more you think about it, the more you observe people...the more it rings true.

Of late...I feel like I've been walking this line of tension....between what I know to be true of God's character & His promises, and what I feel in my feeble heart. That battle between what I wanna do, and what I can actually muster up in that moment. And I get so frustrated and annoyed with myself.

O Lord, please let me experience You as my Prince of Peace in full reality.
I'm letting it go...

"Hope which was lost, now stands renewed"

"For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this."- Isaiah 9: 6-7

I attended Christmas svce with Shirley, Muffin Boy & Steph on Tues. And yeah...I agree with Muffin Boy that it was a surreal service.....the msg was simple but sincere, and the worship was wonderful too. I loved how the church totally embraced "Saviour King" which was a brand new song for us. Once again, songwriters really have such an important role in crafting songs that articulate the heart's cry of the people. "Saviour King" is one of those songs that express all that you wish to tell God/ or at least aspire to.

It was also a powerful, personal moment with God. In between tears, I reflected over the journey He's taken me over the past year....it definitely wasn't an easy ride, but I see the neccessity of it now. I've learnt to seek His face & His heart, more than His hand, His blessings. Besides the valleys, there were also many amazing blessings....finally finding a church to call home, shifting to a new place, growing into a new supervisory/, mentoring role at work, meaningful new friendships & the cementing of old ones etc. :) Through it all...He is faithful.

I found myself thinking about how I would like to grow in the new year ahead....or whom I would like to become. And this is what I told God....
"I really don't have much to offer,
But I want to love You so much more than this.
Grip my heart with Your love & compel me into action.
All so that we may all be one (John 17)."

God grant me the strength to live for You.

Saviour King

Let now our hearts burn with a flame
A fire consuming all
For Your son's holy name
And with the heavens we declare
You are our King.

I love You Lord
I worship You
Hope which was lost
Now stands renewed.

I give my life
to honour this
The love of Christ
The Saviour King.

"Christmas Wish"

Had a couple of cozy meet-ups over lunch/dinner with close friends this Christmas eve...and other than that, it's been a quiet, reflective Christmas eve. And I really like it that way. :) Am looking forward to Christmas service tmrw as well. Hope all of you have a blessed Christmas.! :) I'm going off to rest, pray and prepare my heart in a while. But before that, I just wanted to share this song by Tuck & Patti which perfectly expresses all that I wanna articulate this season. (Thanks Rie for transcribing!!)

May we all learn to see beyond shiny, festive veneers....and meet the world's most heartfelt need, to "give presents that we know will never fade" all year round.

==================================================================
"Christmas Wish" (by Tuck & Patti)
=============================
For Christmas this year I know exactly what you'd like
And I know you know I want the same things too
And I wish that I could give to you all your heart's desire
And see your face on Christmas day when all your dreams come true
But worldwide understanding and peaceful people everywhere
Is something right now is beyond my reach

But we can do it simply: we could do it from the heart
Give presents that we know will never fade
And with all the ones we love, and everyone we know
Step by simple step, I know that we'll achieve
And in our homes, at least, a world that's filled with peace.

We all know in our hearts, there's not a thing that we can buy
That can match the love we have to give inside
And all the diamonds or computers can't fill that empty place inside
I want to give the kind of presents that I know will never die
They say that charity begins at home, and I believe that's true
How can this world get along if I can't get along with you?

But we can do it simply: we could do it from the heart
Give presents that we know will never fade
And with all the ones we love, and everyone we know
Step by simple step, I know that we'll achieve
And in our homes, at least, a world that's filled with peace-
And in our homes, at least, a world that's filled with peace-

Muffin Boy Mocketh Me

Conversation in the car a few hrs earlier:
=======================================
(Muffin Boy, Bernice, Henry & Mich all talking abt NUS days)

Mich: I still remember my matric number! 991451M01
Berno: Oh cos you matriculated in 1999 rite? Mine must be 96 something....
Mich: So you must have still been in NUS Arts when I entered at Year 1!!
Bernice: Yah!!! How cool! *hyped*
Mich: *excited* This is mind-blowing! :)
Muffin Boy: *laughs at us* This is rubbish lah!

Sweet Treats @ Paisley & Cream

Today was a pretty restful Hari Raya public holiday I think, even though Berno and I still had to teach at nite. We met for a relaxing, late lunch at Paisley & Cream, Central, Clarke Quay. Company was great with Henry and Berno...we shared many laughs, and a grand scheme to "Pinkify Bernice" who's always clothed in earth tones. It really amused me how one of us would start humming a Christmas carol, and the rest would catch on...or continue on the carol seamlessly while the person ate his/her dish. haha! *Nice* :)

We're also excited about this new place we've discovered cos the service, decor, food is really quite impressive (the executive chef, Puja Pawa, was from Le Cordon Bleu London). I really love the concept behind the cafe too....all their dishes have names inspired by famous literary or musical personalities like Shakespeare, John Keats, Miles Davis, John Coltrane etc. Very cool! There were even dishes named "Pride & Prejudice" and "An Ode to a Grecian Urn". That certainly won me over! Andrea: we are bringing u there one day. You will loves it.

And the best part, it wasn't expensive at all! :) If you're interested, they close at 9pm on weekdays, but they're open till 12 midnite on weekends. We love the place so much, a few of us are returning again come Boxing Day. Teehee!

Isn't it pretty???? Those were my fluffy, hot Blueberry Pancakes with a dusting of powdered sugar, fresh whipped cream, fresh blueberries/strawberries and heavenly maple syrup! Mich really loves maple syrup. Mmmm...:) My pancakes cost $8..pretty reasonable for the fantastic quality.

Berno smiling happily bcos of the food displayed before us. We were very impressed by the creative and thoughtful food presentation!

Henry ordered this AMAZING Wild Mushroom Pasta dish (left).....it was unbelievably yummy! I've not had pasta this good...since I dunno when. The portion was generous, cream was perfect, and the texture of the pasta was just right which is very hard to find even in expensive Italian restaurants. This 2 mains only cost $12 each!

Berno's Tandoori Chix Sundried Tomato Wrap with a smashing potato salad on the side.
I'm not commenting on the wrap because it had cucumbers in it, which totally ruined the flavour for me...cos I think cucumbers are evil. They used baby potatoes and delightful wild mushrooms in the potato salad. *impressed*

Paisley & Cream is quite famous for their deserts and cupcakes. Berno and I bought a couple of cupcakes back for Marcus, Pammy & Jo who were in the office. The big cupcakes cost $3 each, the mini ones $1 each. They were all really pretty but in our excitement (& hunger), I forgot to take peektures of them before they got eaten. This was the lone cupcake that I managed to snap a shot of. Marcus' "Red Velvet" cupcake (choc with cream cheese frosting and Christmas tree sprinkles!). Josephine's mixed berry cupcake was the prettiest with its sweet lilac frosting and butterfly!! yeah!

Oh no! Has Muffin Boy turned into Cupcake Boy?? haha! Anyway, Daniel Wilson calls this Marcus' "act cute" shot. haha! Thank you God for a lovely day and a great time with students! :)

BMI Christmas Party 2007

Top Row (L-R): Esther, Spammy Pammy, Jasmine, Berno, Jaymee, Mich, Daniel Low
Bottom Row (L-R): Erica, Danny my Boo Fwen, Daniel Wilson

This year's Christmas party wasn't as elaborate as last year's, where we had the Christmas bush, Christmas baggies filled with all sorts of goodies, and our huge gift exchange. But it was still a fun and cozy affair all the same. We ordered Rite's pizza and KFC and had a riot of a time playing Taboo. :) It also happened to be a farewell for Jaymee and Danny of sorts. *sniffles* Oh wait...Daniel Wilson too. Sigh....this is the last time we'll be gathered as such a group.

"Say what you need to say"- John Mayer

I'm totally lovin' John Mayer's new single, "Say"!!!! He really is an excellent song-writer...I dunno how he does it! The song transits from a breezy to a reflective vibe....and it's so easy to identify with the lyrics, which is why it's incredibly powerful. And as Andrea puts it, "songwriters do such impt work, it's like truth becomes compact in a song". I totally agree. :)

"Say" (by John Mayer)
====================
Take all of your wasted honor
Every little past frustration
Take all of your so-called problems,
Better put ‘em in quotations

Say what you need to say [x8]

Walking like a one man army
Fighting with the shadows in your head
Living out the same old moment
Knowing you’d be better off instead,
If you only could . . .

Say what you need to say [x8]

Have no fear for giving in
Have no fear for giving over
You’d better know that in the end
Its better to say too much
Then never say what you need to say again

Even if your hands are shaking
And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closing
Do it with a heart wide open

Why yes...I do spontaneously burst out in song!

Oh guess what silly Michelle did the other day? She was in the International Plaza elevator with Bernice, which was PACKED with people in corporate suits....and she started to hum "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" happily, and she didn't even realize that she was singing it out loud until she hit the chorus!! Then she covered her mouth in utter horror and embarrassment! Bernice had a hard time trying to hold back the giggles. Oh Michelle!

That's scary....I thought it was just in my head!!

Jesus in Prison Break

OMG...this is so way cool. Thanks Andrea for the quote!!!

"Jesus was crucified as a criminal, but what His accusers didn't know was that He was planning and fulfilling history's most extraordinary prison break."
- 'Chasing Daylight' by Erwin Raphael McManus

Reflections

Don't mind this slightly emo post....just had to get it out after hearing some stuff that happened to people around me.....Sigh.
====================================================================

"Well they say that love is in the air, but never is it clear,
How to pull it close and make it stay
Butterflies are free to fly, and so they fly away
And I'm left to carry on and wonder why
Even through it all, I'm always on your side"
- 'Always on your side' by Sheryl Crow

Why do we do the things we do?
Pulling each other in...
Creating that illusion of something more,
Then walking away,
And pretending that nothing happened.
Leaving behind questions,
and a rude void in the heart.

Love has the habit of lingering,
of wishing and waiting...
And the heart can only take so much.
Forget sounds good.
Forget sounds good.

Retro Thermometer

Remember the good ol' days when we used these flimsy thermometers as kids? Must wait for it to change colour one! Jordan was trying one out in the office just now. Haha! Actually....we all did...just for fun. haha!

Attitude

"What happens to a man is less significant than what happens within him." Louis. L Mann

This Heart

This heart of mine...You have fashioned,
You see, and You know it through it and through.
You alone understand the depths of its passions,
its fragility and it's strengths,
its hidden wounds and regrets,
its dreams and hopes....

This heart of mine....You mend and make brand new.
Your grace and love fall down like rain,
Restoring my brokenness,
and awakening my glory,
birthing forth a new song.

This heart of mine....burns with one desire,
Own and keep it O Lord.
Amen.

==================================================================
Psalm 43: 3-5
"Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your tabernacle.
Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.

Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God."

The Boo Fwen

Danny (my Boo Fwen) asked for it...and so he got it. Well, it's also his farewell gift lah. I thought he was kidding initially, so I made sure that he wanted it and would actually wear it if I got it specially printed for him.

There he is...Danny wearing his "Boo Fwen" shirt (text is in Navy blue) which was reluctantly designed by Abi. haha! I'm glad the T-shirt fits well.

Danny trying to imitate the pose of the stick figure guy on his shirt.

Daniel Wilson joining in the fun.

A Lesson in Humility

When God wants to give you something, you will get it no matter how badly you screw up.....
In such a situation, you know that it's totally orchestrated by the hand of God....and you just can't take credit for any part of it.

And now, it's time to let it go (the screwing up bit).

"No Net Below"

"No Net Below" (by Jonatha Brooke)
================================
It's that I leap and then I look
At all the chances that I took
Feel the air, miss the catch
Then I have to swing back

My timing's all wrong
And the ladder is gone
And all I can do, is
Swing 'til it's all net below
All I can do, is
Swing 'til it's all net below
And I can let go

I am not faint of heart
But I get weak in the knees
I am tired for the world
For the wind in the trees

But we'll still find the song
Though the ladder is gone
It's all we can do, is
Swing 'til it's all net below
Swing 'til it's all net below
And we can let go

And I'll still look you in the eye
It's the longest goodbye
I'll feel the air, make the catch
But I won't swing back
My timing is clear
And I'll never fear

I'll swing 'til there's no net below
Yeah, I'll swing 'til there's no net below

"My Grown Up Christmas List"

Corrinne May sang such a memorable and heartfelt version of "My Grown Up Christmas List" last year during her Christmas concert at the Esplanade...it brought me to tears. So as that time of the year approaches again...this song came back to my mind. The lyrics are really quite meaningful.:) We all need to 'change the world' in our own little ways yeah?

There is no recording of the song by Corrinne May, so Kelly Clarkson's version will have to suffice. I've also added the Christian version of that song by Plus One, "A Prayer for Every Year". haha! You can find these songs and more on my Multiply site: http://jazzymoo.multiply.com/music

Check out the other Christmas selections too. Listen to how Third Day, Kutless and Building 429 rock it out on some familiar carols ( i love it when musicians take a risk for musical arrangements)! For those who prefer something more traditional or serene, check out Matthew West's jazzy, swinging rendition of "Let it Snow", Chris Tomlin's "Angels we have heard", and Sixpence None The Richer's "Christmas time is here".

Finally, give a listen to MercyMe's "Joseph's Lullaby". It's such a beautiful, touching original composition. :)

"My Grown Up Christmas List"
=========================
Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you
With childhood fantasies

Well, I'm all grown up now
And still need help somehow
I'm not a child
But my heart still can dream

So here's my lifelong wish
My grown up christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need

Chorus:
=======
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up christmas list

As children we believed
The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely
Wrapped beneath our tree

Well heaven only knows
That packages and bows
Can never heal
A hurting human soul

Bridge:
========
What is this illusion called the innocence of youth
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth
(there'd be)

"My Little Corner of the World"

I'm too tired to be literary this evening....so here's an update on my week in plain English. Heck it..I'm gonna do it in point form! hahaa!

- I'm starting to really enjoy the supervisory/mentoring aspect of my job. :) Its just so rewarding and fruitful seeing my junior coaches growing week by week. And knowing that these are skills that will see them well through life too. I'm enjoying how our relationships are acquiring more depth too through the sharing of lives. :) Yay!

- These few weeks, I've been spending more time with my Aunts and cousins who are visiting from Sabah. It's been really nice hanging out with them...they never fail to crack me up with their amazing sense of humour. Our times together are always filled with that comforting sense of familial warmth. Like how Sabrina (now 16) and Aeron (now 22) will give me silly, random pokes or hugs. heh! We were at Vivocity where they had this Christmas fair in the atrium. I caught sight of some super cute stuffed toys and ran over to the shelf. Aeron and Sabrina followed me, rolled their eyes and said, "What are you? 7 years old?" haha! Ok, so apparently I'm 7 yrs old. C'mon, let's all embrace our inner child! Never lose the wonder I say! haha!

I ended up buying 3 of these soft toys..and I gave the mini unicorn to Berno, cos I have the bigger one!. Check this out....awwwwww!

"One of these kids is doing his own thing, one of these kids is not the same..*La la la*"
Try and see who's the odd fella out, the one who's trying desperately to fit in. hehee!

- I had a belated bday celebration with Audrey on Sat...we had a late lunch at Thai Express! How many times can I say this? MICHELLE LOVES THAI FOOD! haha! And of cos we ordered our fav Tom Yum fish soup. Can't get enuff of that. :) We had fun just catching up, shopping and ooooh, she got me such a cool pressie- a Choc Fondue Set!! Wheeeeee!! Yes, u guys can come over to my place for more fun dinner parties!

- It's been a blessed Sabbath indeed. :) My mum attended service with me today!! (she didn't make any decision yet, but I believe that the seed has been planted.) Nick Vujicic was speaking at Riverlife this weekend. He's a 25 year old Australian born without limbs. But despite the obvious obstacles in his life, he's totally living life to the max and is now travelling around the world, reaching out to people and impacting them with the message of the love and hope we have in God. And he's just such an inspiring, endearing and authentic speaker. I was incredibly touched and blessed through his life story, and the joy of the Lord that was just overflowing from his heart.

- This afternoon, I met up with a bunch of sec sch frens at The Straits Kitchen, Hyatt Hotel for a buffet lunch. Yvonne, who only recently got married, is moving to Beijing with her husband for 2 years. We had a fun time catching up and eating so much till our brains went numb. haha! I don't think I deserve to eat for the next month!

You know, I think this is the best buffet spread that's available in S'pore right now. It's all local food but the spread is impressively extensive, and the quality is just excellent every time I go there. It's amazing how every dish is good man! I particularly enjoyed their Indian food. Fantastic stuff! Lynn, Lishan and I were quite horrified at how much Yvonne ate. She had 2 bowls of prawn mee (with diff types of soups), 2 bowls of Laksa, and 1 plate of chix rice, on top of the other stuff we ate like popiah, rojak, bbq chix and stingray, carrot cake, char kway teow, otah etc and erm...I better not start on the deserts. haha! How is it possible that one small girl can stomach down so much food??!?!

You pay about $38++ but it's quite worth it for the variety, quality and level of service. :) If you're keen to check it out, u better make a reservation early, cos they're always fully booked. haha!

Yeah, so that is how my week has been. I'm sure I've missed out some stuff...but my eyes are closing involuntarily now. So I shld watch a bit of Prison Break and get to bed. haha!

Exceeding Joy

"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or
guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us
around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within
us." - Ephesians 3:20 (The Message Bible)

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."- Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV)

This is the song and bible verse of the season for me....
Lord, remind me daily that You are a God of abundance.
Teach me to walk in Your freedom.
My times are in your hands (Psalm 31:15)
I'm here, laying it all down...
I'm embracing the power of the cross.


Exceeding Joy (by Miriam Webster)
===============================
I have found exceeding joy,
Jesus answered when I called
this Name that has saved me,
pure love that embraced me.

Mercy, grace, eternal life.
Bought from darkness to His light.
While lost in my sin, He
raised me and made me live.

Chorus:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
my heart joys in God my Saviour,
for He lifts the lowly,
He's done great things for me.
I will sing, praising evermore,
He is mighty and Holy is His Name.

I will lift my head up high,
praising Jesus through each trial.
Though I have not seen Him, 
I love Him completely.

Salt and Light

"The house of God is the hope of the world."
- Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, Illinois