Fwen confusion!!

Conversation@BMI around 6.45pm
============================
Mich (spies Danny at Jo's desk): MY FWEN!! :) :)
Berno: Harrow!! :)
Mich: Er, I meant my other fwen...(Danny)
Berno: *crestfallen expression* Oh.
Danny: *laughs*

Chubby Bunny!!!

Michelle was at Candy Empire on Fri...and she decided to buy a huge pack of campfire marshmallows for the office. And within A DAY they were eaten up by voracious BMI folks!!!! Wah biang! And they left ONE miserable marshmallow in the container for me. For show ah? haha!

Anyway, it's always a tradition to play the "Chubby Bunny" game when we've got a pack of marshmallows. This is Abi's virgin attempt at it. Super hilarious cos she didn't know what she was getting herself into. For the uninitiated...the game goes like this. You are supposed to put one marshmallow in your mouth, keep it there, and say 'CHUBBY BUNNY'. If you can say it rather coherently, then you're supposed to put another marshmallow in your mouth. This goes on until you're just totally incoherent, your mouth has no more room...and well...until you literally look like a CHUBBY BUNNY. Tadah!! Ok lah...we're a bunch of kids I know. :p

Parachute Band @ Riverlife Church

Have I mentioned that I love my church? :) Haha! Today...my church had the pleasure of hosting Wayne & Libby Huirua from Parachute Band....and they led worship for us during service. It was a really powerful & ministering time of worship....I think we were extremely blessed to have them with us. :) The worship set was as follows:

1) Lord You are good (by Israel Houghton)
2) God of wonders
3) Beautiful Saviour (by Planet Shakers)
4) It is well with my soul
5) Still

They didn't sing their own Parachute band songs at all! I was quite surprised. I must say they blew me away because of their humility, and huge, generous hearts for the church.....and how that helped us go into deep, intimate worship with God. Yeah...it was just a sweet time of LAVISHING praise on our God, and learning to rest & trust in the One who is bigger than our hearts and circumstances.

It's been a trying time for me of late, but during that time of worship, something just resonated deeply in my spirit, I felt affirmed once again, of the specific call that God has upon my life- to be a voice that sings for Him, connecting people to God. I just LOVE to see His people worshipping Him...that has gotta be the most beautiful sight on earth. :) And yeah..that is what I want to live for.

After worship, we had a special item, "Adore," by the whole Huirua family. It was such an endearing sight to see the 2 kids singing and playing along with their parents. Libby quipped "Don't we look like the Von Trapp family? Only thing is we're not Austrians....just Kiwis. :)"
Their little boy even had his own pint-sized guitar! You could hear the whole church go "Awwwww!" haha! And Wayne went "yeah, he's so cute isn't he?"

My silly new hp's camera is quite fuzzy...so I apologize that the pictures aren't sharp enough. I couldn't get a clear view of the eldest daughter either from my angle.

The ONLY view of the eldest daughter I could get....from the big screen.

Wayne & his cute little son....who plays very skillfully on the guit btw!! They were very tight, and even ended the song surprisingly on some funny 7th or 9th chord TOGETHER. Wow! In all, I was really moved by that scene and I pray that if and when I have my own family, my kid(s) will grow up like that!! :) I was just 2 rows behind the Huirua family....so I saw the kids worshipping God passionately off-stage, while their parents were onstage leading the church into rousing worship. Isn't that beautiful? They're a really close and affectionate family too. Occasionally, the little boy would run to the wings of the stage to follow his father.....or he would sit on his father's lap during the sermon, and you can see Wayne & Libby hugging their kids. It was very heartwarming to see a family just overflowing with God's love. :)

Yeah, so at the end of service...I left not with an impression of cool songs by Parachute band....but feeling blessed by their generous hearts & spirits. It is just like how Oswald Chambers said..."When the Spirit fills us, we are transformed, and by beholding God we become mirrors (2 Corin 3:18). You can always tell when someone has been beholding the glory of the Lord, because your inner spirits sense that he mirrors the Lord's own character."
I realize that I need to guard against a hurried lifestyle that disturbs my relationship of abiding in Him.

Berno's Birthday!!

I know...I've not posted for a week...and yes, I've been busy and dealing with life stuff. Anyway, this is a belated post on Berno's Birthday last Mon! Check out what we did to her cubicle!!!! Jasmine actually returned to the office on Sun, and spent 2 hrs wrapping everything up in newspper....Berno's waterbottle, phone, stationary, files etc. After the deed was done, Jasmine sent an mms to us with a pic of the cubicle, and a message saying "Mission accomplished!" It was really hilarious seeing it on my phone on Sun.

I took my unsuspecting yellow fwen for a birthday lunch at Raffles City...and upon our return to the office, this was the scene that greeted her. I think this is the most elaborate prank we've ever pulled. haha! But we also gave her sweet gifts like flowers and egg tarts etc.

And under my instructions...Jasmine spared the soft toys. haha!

We had to help Berno clear up the mess, so that she could work again. The silly girl almost didn't want to tear it off...cos Jasmine had put in so much effort wrapping everything up. Anyway, that's Abi stomping on the pile of newspper in the trash bag...it was getting really full.

Dorcas baked Jap Pizza as Berno's 'cake'. (Berno likes bread u see)

Me and my yellow fwen! Yes, I wore yellow for her special day!

With Abi joining us in the shot....

"In the arms of the One unseen..."

A song that's been very comforting to me of late.....
I love how Joel Houston has matured in his songwriting.

Never let me go (by Joel Houston)
==============================

In the shadows my spirit weak
Love broke through the darkness
And lifted me
And I know You'll never let me go

In the storm In the raging sea
Love conquered the fear
And delivered me
And I know You'll never let me go


Chorus:
Oh love in the shadows
Be the light who leads me on
Your love I will follow
Be my guide
Your will be done oh Lord
Oh love I surrender
Now forever I'll belong
In the love of the Father
You are faithful You are strong

In the arms of the One unseen
Love carried the cross
That was meant for me
And I know You'll never let me go

Your love is a miracle

Sometimes I forget that I'm so richly blessed....through the love of dear friends, and the unfailing love of God. A little poem to remind myself of how love is truly a miracle that surrounds us daily. We just need to 'wipe our windows' (-J.R.R Tolkien) and gaze out in renewed wonder again! :)
==================================================================

I'm hardly an extraordinary soul,
Or one with a particularly generous heart.
At times, I get so wrapped up in my own world
That I shut you out in the cold.
And yet, you're always there....
with an open heart, and outstretched hand.
You choose to fight my battles with me,
and I guess I just wanna say
That your love is a daily miracle to me.

It's there in the spaces between us,
as sure as the air that we breathe.
Casting a reflection of the One
who first embedded that deep instinct within us.
It brings a smile to my face...
To see glimpses of His heart in you, my friend.

But while our shadow love may inspire songs and poetry,
and move many to acts of heroism.
Only Your love O God, will silent all of creation,
and cause a heart to bow in awe.
Only Your love, unquenchable even by many waters,
would drive You to the cross for me.
Only Your love which is stronger than death,
will lead me home.
Your love is the miracle that I need.

=================================================================
" Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm;
For love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave;
Its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame.

Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it.
If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house,
It would be utterly despised."- Song of Solomon 8:6-7

Stop

It's all about perspective....

"A number of years ago, I met a wise man who changed my life. In countless ways, large and small, I was always seeking the Lord's blessing. I was saying, you know, 'I have a new song, look after it.' Or, 'I have a family, please look after them.' Or, 'I have this crazy idea...'

and this wise man said. 'Stop.' He said, "Stop asking God to bless what you're doing. Get involved in what God is doing--because it's already blessed."- Bono from U2, on his efforts for One, the Campaign to Make Poverty History (www.one.org , www.onesingapore.org)


"The curse of poverty has no justification in our age. It is socially as cruel and blind as the practice of cannibalism at the dawn of civilization, when men ate each other because they had not yet learned to take food from the soil or to consume the abundant animal life around them. The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Penguin's Birthday Celebration!

Marcus & Pammy@Brewerkz

The BMI folks had a little belated birthday celebration cum farewell for Pammy on Friday. We trooped down to Ikea, Alexandra for dinner first (because the Penguin wanted to eat meatballs, and we don't contest the choice of the birthday gal). Poor Abi arrived early, and had to chope seats for 7 of us. She kept hurrying me cos she didn't want to appear like a jerk to the people who kept asking if the other seats were taken. haha! Well done my Ah Tui! :)

Marcus was the last to arrive....and you can sure tell he's a hardcore Corrinne May fan from his sms:
"Hey, I'll be late. But I'm on my way, I'm on my way, don't give up on me, I'm on my way! Help me reserve a Beautiful 'Seat'. Do they sell '5 loaves and 2 fishes'? If not, i'm 'leaving'.. I'll be there in less than '33' min. :)"
haha! That was quite a good one eh?

After dinner, we made our way to Brewerkz cos the Penguin wanted beer and Marcus has never been there before! *gasp* We ordered a 'Tower' of Pilsner beer...as you can see from the pic above. :) That is always huge fun! haha!

I can't believe Marcus made me RUN for the last MRT at Clarke Quay after all that beer....I was feeling woozy leh mind you. It was super stressful lah...we had to run down many flights of stairs to reach the mrt station. But we made it! And we caught the last LRT too.....but Michelle, who's perpetually disoriented in Sengkang got lost while walking home from the LRT station. I can almost hear May/Rie laughing out loud.

My coloured fwens!

Abigail (aka "Ah Tui3")- my green fwen
Berno- my yellow fwen
Danny- my blue fwen
Jasmine- my pink fwen
Pam- my penguin coloured fwen
Glenn- my striped, superhero fwen

Collect them all! :) And how do they get their colours? From the clothes they wear lor. I'm purple btw. So if you wanna be my coloured fwen too, choose something different.
(I just came back from Brewerkz lah...so I'm a whee bit high. haha!)

I'm Yours

"The great, mysterious work of the Holy Spirit is in the deep recesses of our being which we cannot reach. Read Psalm 139. The psalmist implies--'Our Lord, You are the God of the early mornings, the God of the late nights, the God of the mountain peaks, and the God of the sea. But, my God, my soul has horizons further away than those of early mornings, deeper darkness than the nights of earth, higher peaks than any mountain peaks, greater depths than any sea in nature. You who are the God of all these, be my God. I cannot reach to the heights or to the depths; there are motives I cannot discover, dreams I cannot realize. My God, search me"- Oswald Chambers

Deep Waters

I've been avoiding blogging of more personal matters of late...
Partly because I'm hesitant of spilling my heart out to the world at large,
(especially when most people I know can't handle/don't approve of my emo side. ha!),
But also because I'm afraid to confront what lies deep inside.
There's a deep reservoir of feelings and thoughts that I find hard to articulate,
to make sense of, to reconcile, to purge even.
Is it too much to ask for shelter, for rest?

===================================================================
"The loneliness is temporary"- Delirious?

Polar Bear Haiku (or "Why you should not leave your refrigerator door open")

open fridge burns fuel
warm earth leads to ice melting
polar bears will die

(by May)

================================================================
"Do the right thing. Conserve energy. Save the polar bears."

"Love Song for #1" (by Corrinne May)

In the twinkling stars that dance like fireflies
In the blushing fruit that hangs upon the vine
In the face of a baby as he forms his first smile
I see You.

In the whisper of the wind's soft lullaby
In the laughter and the roar of the rushing tide
In the song of the sparrow as he takes his first flight
I hear You.

Chorus:
Why do you hide among the nameless and forgotten
Why do you walk along these long forsaken roads
Calling to me in the hungry and the homeless
Calling me to water your thirst

So I'll give You my heart and my song
In a world where so much is right
But so much is wrong
Your love is my beginning and I know it won't be too long
Till I see you
I hear you
I love you.

Muffin Day@BMI (again!!)

May came by for a surprise vist today, and she brought the crowd pleasing MUFFINS!!!! (Choc Chip & Banana) Which are a "cheap way to keep people happy" in her own words. Yes...we're quite easily satisfied. hehe! Thank you May!!

Everyone was a bit high and loony today. This is Abi, Jaymee and Danny doing some impromptu Barbershop song and dance. They looked adorable with their lame poses. haha!

And the award for Most Popular Student goes to....

I found this on my desk after class, and it really cracked me up. If you can't read the note that was written by Jaymee, it says "From your HOT student, Jet. :)" Yeah, Jet is truly a well-known and well-liked student around BMI. haha!

"On my way"

A song that really speaks to me at this season....
I'm just a girl...trying to find her way, trying to be...
Sometimes the way is lonely....and the signs aren't always clear,
But I'm on my way....and I know that He's not giving up on me.

On My Way (by Corrinne May)
============================
I'm far away from what I've known
and there's static on the radio
Just a girl in a car on a lonely highway
Driving up and down this winding road
It's getting dark, the stores are closed
The map is wrinkled, my coffee's turned to grey

Chorus:
But I'm on my way, I'm on my way
There seems to be no end in sight
But I know I'll be alright
I'm on my way, I'm on my way
Don't give up on me,
I'm on my way

So many beat-up cars on this dirt road
I see them sputter and start to choke
How many miles must I go
Till I rest in Your grace
I feel like giving up and letting go
Let the world invade my mind, my soul
Will this road make me
A sinner or a saint

Bridge:
I can picture Your smiling face
Your arms stretched to hold me
Waiting there by the gate
If I ever get lost, I know that You'll find me
There's a cross on a hill saying
"Do not be afraid"

Corrinne May Live in Concert- "Beautiful Seed"

Friday, 3 August was the long-awaited day after MONTHS of eager anticipation....haha! Marcus and were literally counting down the days. :) The concert-goers comprised of Berno, Henry (her hubby), Pammy (my penguin...who took Jason's tix cos he sadly cldn't make it at the last min.), Marcus, Joseph (my student & Marcus' friend). Jet and his gf were sitting a few seats away too.

The sound crew didn't really do a good job that night....but still, its a minor complaint cos Corrinne was amazing as usual. It was such an inspirational, moving, teary (at various points) experience. She performed all 14 tracks from her new album, and a few others from her previous albums like "Little Superhero Girl", "Everything in its time" (always a much needed reminder) and "Fly Away" (which is still my fav song by her...showcases Corrinne at her purest).

During the song, "On My Way" from her new album...Pammy went "I'm choking!"....oh, my little penguin. :) Corrinne has this wonderful ability to connect strongly to her listeners....we can just relate to the lyrics in her songs. I was pretty much undone at "My little nephew", a sweet, simple, endearing song that was written for her nephew.

"See you learn to tie your shoes,
say the sky is blue
and that your best friend is Winnie the Pooh."- 'My little nephew', by Corrinne May

Doesn't that just make you melt and go 'awwww'?? Truly, loved ones and relationships are what matter most in life (apart from God of cos). It was one of those cherished moments.....listening to a precious gem of a song for the first time, and being moved so unexpectedly by it.

"Beautiful Seed" the title track is very powerful too....it's all about how one individual can make a difference. Such a refreshing song in the midst of today's modern cynicism! Idealistic? Perhaps...but the world needs more dreamers who will believe that there is some good worth fighting for in this world. :)

"You can be a witness, you can be a prophet
You can make the whole world believe
Break the strongest fortress
Change the way the world thinks
You can build a bridge where foes can meet
Hope for the future
Shout it, don't whisper
Dreams are what we make them to be
There is hope in every heartbeat
Tiny as it seems
You're a beautiful seed." - 'Beautiful Seed' by Corrinne May

I just love how she paints the world in a more wondrous, hopeful light. :) Every song has a strong, meaningful message behind it.....which is so rare in the sea of crappy, commercial pop music these days. Her lyrics are taking on a very clear gospel slant too....I'm so proud of her for not selling out, and taking such a bold stand for her faith. Plus she has this 'super-hero' complex which I can relate to. haha!

I've uploaded 4 tracks from "Beautiful Seed" onto my multiply website as an album preview for your guys. But pls....GO OUT AND BUY IT. All 14 tracks are beautiful, and they'll just see you through many years of journeying: http://jazzymoo.multiply.com/music
1) On my way
2) Beautiful Seed
3) Five Loaves and two fishes
4) Shelter

Marcus and Joseph lined up for an hour plus to get our stash of 10 cds signed! Corrinne is very obliging and will basically sign anything you ask her to, and chat, take photos with everyone. Kudos to the guys for running out of the concert hall (while Corrinne was still bowing on stage lor) to buy the cds and line up in the autograph signing queue. Hardcore or what? haha!

Berno, Henry, Pam and I had to wait for the boys while they waited in queue....so we occupied ourselves with some unhealthy snacking on chilli tapioca chips. The cafe owner was quite shocked to see us grabbing forks for our chips. Teehee!

Berno and Henry! :)

We ended the delightful evening with supper at NYDC, Holland Village.
I can't wait for Corrinne's next concert! :) Marcus, start counting down again. heh!

BMI Girls' nite out@Ben & Jerry's (Dempsey Road)

We had a staff meeting this evening...and this was taken during dinner. Berno is mad about bread, so when the subway party platters arrived, she got quite high as you can see.

After the meeting ended around 11pm, the girls trooped down to Ben & Jerry's@Dempsey Road! And it was such a delightful discovery...such a fun, cozy place to hang out at.

Abigail, me & Jasmine monopolizing the swing seat (it is how fun lah!).....we drove the rest dizzy with our swinging. Jo, Pammy and Jaymee were sitting opposite us. heh! Btw, that's us posing with the boss' favourite action. We're not trying to be cute I swear!

We had 3 plates of waffles and ice-cream...but everyone attacked the first 2 plates so quickly, that this one was the only picture I managed to take!! And even then, Jaymee and Abigail were rushing me to get the picture taken so that they could dig in. haha! The ice-cream looks so pretty right? Esp. with my favourite rainbow sprinkles. Yummmms!

Introducing...Jiggy Wine & Jiggy Coffee!!

Wind-up toys rock!! :)
(stop rolling your eyes Pammy!)

Penguin Day!

Conversation over dinner@BMI:
==========================
Mich to Pam and Berno: So we'll meet at Clarke Quay tmrw ah? It's PENGUIN DAY!!
Abigail: Huh? What happens on Penguin Day? Do you go to the bird park to meet the penguins?
(Haha! Abi who's new to BMI, doesn't know that Pam is my pet penguin you see...)

Anyway, this is what happens on Penguin Day (and its not Pam's bday either).....we hang out, catch-up and basically chill over a late lunch at Brewerkz. It was a wet, drizzly day too....perfect Penguin weather. It was just Berno, Pam and me....so a very small, cozy group. :) You can see the spread that we had from the pic above too....calamari, buffalo wings (with 'suicide' chilli sauce...which didn't turn out very hot at all), chicken quesadillas, and 2 pints of Pilsner beer (Happy, golden juice going for $3.50 a pint during happy hours! woohoo! That's cheaper than coffee)

Heroes

This is for those of you who have a super-hero/ 'Save the world' complex! :) You know who you are. heh!


"A boy doesn't have to go to war to be a hero; he can say he doesn't like pie when he sees there isn't enough to go around." Edgar Watson Howe

"The characteristic of genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have resolved to be great, abide by yourself, and do not weakly try to reconcile yourself with the world. The heroic cannot be the common, nor the common the heroic." Ralph Waldo Emerson