New Beginnings

Hey frens! I've been feeling kinda restless with blogspot of late, especially with the lack of innovation with its features. It has served me well for 5 years and 7 mths (since Nov 2004!!) but its time to retire my very first blog. Even as I do so, it is on a bittersweet note. Looking back, this was where I posted some of my first poems. (OMG, and even back then, I was quoting Fluffy songs!!! Its a sign.) Sigh...yes, I'm a sentimental creature.

Well, the time has come for a brand new chapter! So if you'd still like to follow my nonsensical/emo/random musings, you can head over to my new blog at http://michelle-lea.tumblr.com/ Better still, start a Tumblr blog so I can follow you too. haha! :)

Alrite farewell jazzymoo.blogspot.com. I'll see you guys over at Tumblr!

Mid-afternoon Break

Stumbled upon this video of Michael Gungor shredding wood and totally reinventing Doxology while I was taking a break from writing/editing. It's always cool to see a muso having such fun!

Things That Make Me Happy

1. Catching up with a good fwen. It feels like a warm blanket around the heart. :) (mental note: Need more of those.)
   
2. Singing in the shower
   
3. A whole bunch of free Biotherm skin care products!! (I forgot this is why I used to love buying stuff from Biotherm. They're not stingy like other brands.)
4. Having my Personal Trainer tell me I've lost a good bit of weight (body fat % going down, metabolic rate and muscle % going up! Yays!!)
5. Listening to Fluffy songs on my iPod and smiling to myself on public transport
6. Tomato soup, chix caesar wrap & sweet watermelon juice from Mescluns Sandwich/Salad Bar (yummy, fresh and wholesome ingredients!)
7. Private Practice Season 2 (I've finished all of Grey's Anatomy already what!)
8. Counting down the days to Sydney 2010 (less than a month!!)
   
9. My purple flip flops. I love them so much, I'd wear them everywhere, and I'm thinking of getting another pair. Pity I can't wear them to work or to Sydney cos it's gonna be freakin' freezin' there in July.
   
10. Space for my soul to breathe, time to read and connect with my Maker. :)
    

Church@Work: Love On The Move

The youths performing a song item for the elderly at Peace Haven Nursing Home. They spent 7 rehearsals preparing for the song items/mime/ dances and testimonies.

Last Weds was probably one of the most fun and rewarding days at work. I've never really liked intensive desk bound work, so when I heard that the video crew was gonna spend 2 full days filming MegaLife's (RiverLife's youth ministry) new project, "Church@Work," I jumped at the opportunity and hopped on to the church van for a fun 'excursion.' :)

Church@Work is all about tearing down the four walls of our church building, getting out into the community, to show God's love in action, hence the tagline, "Love On the Move." The kids planned for weeks for their cell-based projects, and from the 31 May to 5 June, they went to various voluntary welfare organisations to bless the poor, underprivileged and those forgotten by society. They packed and distributed food to the elderly; they ran camps for youth-at-risk and the kids of prisoners; they took Down Syndrome patients to Marina Barrage to fly kites; they spent time with patients at IMH/ the disabled and more.

It's kinda like our own version of the I Heart Revolution...which got me really excited, cos its about time we see past ourselves to serve and love a world in need. And its just fantastic that our youths are leading the way in this movement. I hope and pray the rest of the church catches on too.

It was heartwarming to see the kids stepping out of their comfort zone, getting past their fears to share the love of Christ. It took a lot of courage for them to visit and chat with people they were not naturally comfortable with or had language barriers with...but they did it with such compassion and a cheerful spirit. I'm so proud of our MegaLifers! :)

Joshua and Cassandra filming Benedict (L) and Zac (R) in a video interview

I think they were also surprised to have a full media crew tagging along behind them (writers; art director; photographers + video crew) but it probably encouraged them too. Quite a few of the youths whom I know from worship ministry surrounded me excitedly with wide-eyed smiles, "Michelle, what are you doing here?" (And even those who didn't know me personally, just randomly came up to me saying, "Hey, you look familiar!" And some other kid would go, "She's a vocalist in the worship ministry lah!" haha! Wah, not shy these kids. Gotta love them!) And when I chatted with them/interviewed them to capture their testimonies based on this experience, they were even more excited to share. It really touches me when I see them opening up like that...our youths are such a great bunch, and sometimes, they're just waiting for us to express our interest and concern in their lives. :)

Well, this video shoot was a wonderful experience I must say...made quite a few new friends too. Like Benedict and Zac (both 13 years old) who really cracked me up. They were like a pair of stand-up comedians. They even asked for $ to buy drinks from the vending machine as 'payment' for the video interview. And when Cass passed them the coins, they were SOOOO happy they were bopping up and down. Now if only all of us could be that easily contented? haha!

MegaLifers outside Peace Haven Nursing Home at the end of their project

Finally, this video shoot was a wonderful opportunity to spend some time 'in the field' with my youth writers/photographers who are covering Church@Work for a new youth-driven publication. Yeah, it was like overnight, God entrusted me with this new bunch of youth writers/photographers. And its so much more than getting the writing/photography done or helping them to grow in their talents, I've come to realise that its about shepherding them. They're a real promising brunch...some of them are kinda shy or have low self-esteem, and it seems like this seed effort for a Youth Creative Arts ministry could really be a platform for us to draw them out of their shell, to flourish as artists in the house of God, and to pull them into deeper community.

I'm beginning to realise that its the pastoral element of my job, the relational aspect that makes me feel fulfilled, more than the operations side of it. I'm thankful for opportunities like these..and I'm praying that God continues to grow my heart for His people. :)

Moving Forward

After sitting in for Every Nation Church Singapore's band rehearsal, Dawnie & I fell in love with this groovy and hopeful song. Somehow, it also reminded me of this beautiful verse in Joel (the most anointed book in the Bible. I'm not biased. Just sayin'), which speaks about God's promise to restore unto us our wasted years. This is our God.

"And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you" (Joel 2:25)

And so everyday, I'm learning to let go of my past disappointments, hurts & regrets...to lay them at the feet of Jesus and find solace in His arms. Its still a daily struggle, but a choice I have to make. For it is when I have faith in Him, and trust Him to write the story of my life, that I love Him best.

Lord, help me to recover my passion for worship, for YOU. Help me to move forward into the fullness of the destiny that You have for me.

Moving Forward (by Israel Houghton & Ricardo Sanchez)
==================================================
Verse 1:
What a moment
You have brought me to
Such a freedom I have found in You
You´re the Healer
Who makes all things new
Yeah yeah yeah

Bridge:
I´m not going back
I´m moving ahead
Here to declare to You
My past is over in You
All things are made new
Surrendered my life to Christ
I´m moving moving forward

Verse 2:
You have risen
With all power in Your hands
You have given me
A second chance
Hallelujah hallelujah
Yeah yeah yeah

Chorus:
You make all things new, Yes
You make all things new
And I will follow You
Forward

The Vision and the Reality

Wise words from Ozzie Chambers...

"We have seen what we are not, and what God wants us to be, but are we willing to be battered into the shape of the vision to be used by God?

We have to learn to live in reliance what we saw in the vision, not simply live in ecstatic delight and conscious reflection upon God. This means living the realities of our lives in the light of the vision until the truth of the vision is actually realised in us." - Oswald Chambers

Divine Detours

Photo Credit: Liew Tong Leng

Sometimes, you get a gut feeling, a sense of the right decision to make, or how things are going to pan out. You feel it in your bones, see it in your dreams...its whispered by your heart when all the other voices are silenced. But God knows better and wants better for you...so He takes you on a divine detour. Because to live your life on a hunch is just not good enough. You need to know, and know and know.

If You're Gone (by Matchbox Twenty)

I love how Rob Thomas shares the story behind this song...kinda funny actually.

OOOM @ SAM 21st May

L-R: Neli Atiga on keys; Abiel Pascual on cajon; Howie Tan (back row) on bass; Jon Chong (LV and guit); Jonathan How the organiser; me on BV

It was my first time participating in OOOM @ SAM (Originals Only Open Mike), supporting Jon Chong on BVs again. It was also the first time we had a band that was entirely from Every Nation Church Singapore!! I had such a blast performing with these guys and an even greater time just hanging out with them before and after the gig. They've got a real wicked sense of humour these dudes! :) Here's to gd times & new frens!

Drummer Boy

Happy 19th Birthday Johannes (aka "Nurse")!! Dawnie and I had a simple zi char dinner at Punggol to celebrate Johannes' birthday, and we presented him with a GAP t-shirt with a drum set design on it. Nurse impressed with his ever so gentlemanly ways - picking me up from church and sending me home (after just passing his driving test. haha!), and slipping off quietly to pay the bill while Dawnie and I were chatting. Looks like this birthday treat thingy is going to be a tradition with us.

Dream A Little Dream

A short conversation that made my night.
====================================================

Mich: I really like the Soul Survivor, "Not Ashamed" album!
Glenn: You'll really like my album. In fact, if I do ever record an album, I want you on it.
Mich: Are you serious?
Glenn: Err yeah.
Mich: What do you want me on your album for?
Glenn: To sing lah! Then play harmonica meh?
Mich: Awwwwwwww!! Well, I'm gd at comms too!! hahaha!

Have A Little Faith

I admit, I shamelessly ripped this off Abi's blog. But its good stuff, and ought to be shared. Thanks in advance Abi!

❝ A man seeks employment on a farm. He hands his letter of recommendation to his new employer. It reads simply,’He sleeps in a storm’. The owner is desperate for help, so he hires the man. Several weeks pass, and suddenly, in the middle of the night, a powerful storm rips through the valley.

Awakened by the swirling rain and howling wind, the owner leaps out of bed. He calls for his new hired hand, but the man is sleeping soundly. He dashes off to the barn. He sees to his amazement, that all the animals are secured with plenty of feed. He runs out to the field. He see the bales of wheat have been bound and are wrapped in tarpaulins. He races to the silos. The doors are latched, and the grain is dry. And then he understands, 'He sleeps in a storm’.

My friends, if we tend to the things that are important in life, if we are right with those we love and behave in line with our faith, our lives will not be cursed with the aching throb of unfulfilled business. Our words will always be sincere, our embraces will be tight. We will never wallow in the agony of ‘I could have, I should have.’ We can sleep in a storm. And when its our time, our good-byes will be complete. ❞ - Rabbi Albert Lewis

Taken from Mitch Albom’s book “Have A Little Faith”

The Rhythms of Grace

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

- Matthew 11:28 (The Message)

Hand On My Heart

That feeling never really goes away does it? Sigh.

"My Soul Is Complete"

This song has been on repeat on my iTunes lately...really been ministering to me deeply. This video features Ben Cantelon from Worship Central (UK) singing it. Its got that beautiful Jeremy Camp "Live Unplugged" feel about it. But vocally, I still prefer the Soul Survivor 2008 version by Andreana Arganda. Her amazing vocals give the song a lot more intensity and heart.

"My Soul Is Complete" (by Phil Shaw)
=========================================
Father of everlasting grace
Be my comfort in this broken place
I'll rest upon the perfect love
In You, in You

Faithful Lord You never change
When all is lost, You remain
Saviour all my hope is found
In You, in You

Chorus:
My soul is complete in Jesus, in Jesus
Your grace and Your truth
Have made a way, and now I'm free in You

King of glory be lifted high
I'll worship You Lord with my whole life
Fill my heart with a joy that's only found
In You, in You

Bridge:
With hands held high I'll live my life
To worship You, be glorified

Jowlli Yeewston!!

September is for Frothers, January is for Lovers from Russell Brownley on Vimeo.

I have this tiny crush on Joel Timothy Houston as you know. (Ok who am I kidding? I get palpitations when I'm in the same country as him.) So when Glenny sent this AMAZING video of Joel's 30th birthday surf trip in Indonesia last year, I was beyond ecstatic. Its just soooo cute to hear all his buddies say all these wonderful, heartfelt things about him. Awwww!! *total Fluffy moment*

Oopss!!

On msn this morning @ the office:
============================
Mich (to Cheryl who's in a meeting somewhere else): Hungweee!!
Cheryl: Ok, will tell you when we're going for lunch. We're all looking at your msg btw.
Mich: OMG OMG!! Who is everyone??
Cheryl: Cass, Thomas, Eve, Freddy...Thomas says yr msg is on a 58 inch screen. (They're basically the Technical & Production staff team in church)
Mich: Ooopss!!! *super malu* Err...I go eat cheezels first.
Cheryl: Cass says enjoy! haha!

Just before we go for lunch @ the office:
===================================
Uncle Freddy: Hungweee?? :)
Mich: *maluuuuu*

Poured Out For You

Today, was a costly lesson in Psalm 27:6,

"And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD."

"I Have Loved You Wrong" by The Swell Season

A haunting performance by Marketa Irglova & Glen Hansard. Its an interesting change as Marketa is usually on piano and Glen, the passionate and emo Irish troubadour, is usually shredding wood on his beat-up guitar. Who would have thought Glen Hansard could play the piano so lyrically. For clearer audio, go here.

Tea & Company

After a short meeting in church on Labour Day, I headed down to Tea Cozy @ Plaza Sing to meet up with crazy Steph. I said she looked kinda Ugly Betty-ish with her new specs and braces. She didn't get my comment cos she has never seen the show, so it made her kinda upset until I spent some time reassuring her I DID NOT think she was actually ugly. haha!

Everything at Tea Cozy is for sale...including all the angels and teddies etc. you see. A pretty place for a cuppa with a good fren. It was kinda pricey though...$50 for the scones; foie gras (Steph ordered it. I did not touch it!); baked mushrooms and drinks that we ordered.

I love love love the wee little rocking horses. Wish I could get me one for my room. :)

Blackmail

So Thomas was talking to me on gmail chat about Jennifer Knapp...you know, Christian Artiste who has recently come out of the closet. And then I made this comment about Brooke Fraser, and look what he did!!! SABO!

Psalm

Lord grant me hope in my darkest hour
For I cannot see beyond my cloud of tears.
Every breath is painfully laboured,
And each step wearies my soul.
Deliver me from my sorrow,
Lest I collapse from its crushing weight.

My God, Abba Father,
The Author and the Finisher of my faith,
You hold my life in Your hands.
Do not forget nor forsake me,
Hear my desperate cry,
And come quickly to my rescue.

Keep this heart beating for Your Kingdom’s sake.
Heal my wounds with Your love,
And restore the ruins of my heart.
Strengthen my broken spirit,
Floodlight my life with Your hope,
And keep me safe in the centre of Your will.

Train Wreck

What do we do during the train wrecks of our lives?

"I'm hanging on another day
Just to see what you will throw my way
And I'm hanging on to the words you say
You said that I will be okay.

Broken lights on the freeway
Left me here alone
I may have lost my way now
Haven't forgotten my way home"
- 'Broken' by Lifehouse

Quips

Dawnie on how to choose a cell:
==========================
Aiyah...I told myself, next to circle line, got nice people. Can oredi! So fussy for what?

Glenn on vocal lessons:
====================
Glenn says: I dun like my tone, how to improve ah? Drink juice? Oil? Milk? Tar?
Michelle: Change your placement. Ask your Hillsong vocal coach to help u.
Glenn says: I'm working on my placement now. Like it's I am working on the hardest. Imagining an egg in my mouth everytime I sing. Makes me wanna laugh the whole time. What if i crack the egg and get yolk on my pretty shirt?
Mich: hahhaha!

"Saving Grace" by Hillsong United

As the waters cover the sea,
So your love covers me
Guiding me on,
Roads unknown
I trust in you alone

Chorus:
My saving grace
My endless love
Deeper and deeper I'm falling in love with You
My one desire
My only truth
Deeper and deeper I'm falling in love with You

Bridge
And i will rise on wings of eagles
Soaring high above all my fears
I rest in your open arms of love

Starbucks Tour

Some pics from the Starbucks Tour, which Jon & I are in the middle of right now. These pics and the video below are from Sun's performance at One Fullerton. The heavy downpour threatened to ruin our show, but thank goodness it lightened in the end. I think this branch at One Fullerton is probably one of the nicest Starbucks around S'pore with its lovely view.

Jon looking all Jason Mraz-y with his cap

"Green Lady"....dedicated to Muffin Boy, who missed it during the concert at the Esplanade. :)
The sound is not the best though cos it was distorting at some points, n we can't EQ the voices in this super raw set-up.

They Turned My Room Into A Band Studio!

Jon Chong kicked off his Starbucks tour on Fri, and it'll go on until 11 April. Tour dates & venues here. I'm singing back-ups for him on selected dates. So anyway, the band came to my house for rehearsals, and I was quite amazed at how my room looked as a makeshift band studio. :)

Jon on lead vox + guit, with his tiny amp from Japan.

Howie on bass

Howie "Killer Licks" Tan with Ivan, our 2nd bassist, in the background. They'll be rotating for the tour.

Lullaby

I met up with dear Berno and Danny today. Thank God for an extra CNY off day from church! :) It was a great time of catching up with 2 dear fwens who used to be such a huge part of my everyday life in BMI. We don't get to meet up as often these days...and the ache in my heart reminds me of how much I miss these incredible folks, our regular jams, suppers, insane Taboo nites, birthday pranks....and just how deeply we've done life together over the past few years.

Today, as we chatted...Danny also managed to sing/play "Love Story" by Taylor Swift and "Apologize" by One Republic for me. haha! And then Uncle Danny also played a lovely guitar lullaby for 2 mth old Baby Esher, who has grown so much since I last saw the fella. Such a beautiful moment...only accidentally marred by my stupid camera flash. I had to stop filming pretty soon cos it was too bright for the baby.

Soundbites

Dawn says: Eh I hv a new song other than "Walk" :) Its currently titled "Time Traveller"
Michelle says: Like the book, 'Time Traveller's Wife"?
Dawn says: oh haha. no lah...different
Michelle says: Why all yr songs abt transportation one?
Dawn: HAHAHA

Mich: *trying to stuff a pair of earrings into a teeny weeny plastic bag*
Amelia: *observing* You might want to give up!
Mich: *stunned silence and jaw drops*
Amelia: Oh...that must have sounded pretty negative.
Mich: YAH! It pierced my hopeful, optimistic Disney heart!!

The Climb

I'm really loving "The Climb" after I heard Alarice sing it. So hopeful, so Disney!! :) Its not about reaching your destination, or how fast you get there...its about building your character.

I don't like the original version by Miley Cyrus though. This version by Ahmir is still quite alright. Quite Boyz II Men-ish.

The Climb lyrics
Songwriters: Alexander, J; Mabe, J;I can almost see it

That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa

"Unveil Your Deepest Song"

I attended Alarice's album launch, "Sunday Afternoon" @ the Esplanade Recital Studio with my Dawnie just now. I'm so glad I went although I've seen her plenty many times before. Usually she plays with an acoustic set-up, but this time she had a string section and a full band: Er Chow Kiat on drums; David on bass; Nigel Tan on electric/acoustic guit; Jocelyn Ong on keys; Neli and Tina Atiga on backing vocals! It was a refreshing experience seeing her play with a full band. Enjoyed their arrangements and how tight they were.

I loved loved loved seeing Neli and Tina up there. They added so much with their harmonies. Neli waved at me from the stage too. Love the guy! And when he came in with his part for "First Dance", his duet with Alarice...you could literally hear the collective 'wow!' from the crowd. Smashing lah! :)

Anyway...coming back to why I'm so glad I went for Alarice's concert. I appreciated how natural and open she was in sharing her faith as well, which inspired her to pen many of her songs. And on top of that, I think I felt moved and inspired by her songs...which is prob something I haven't felt in a long while. Together with her originals, and covers like "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus; "Man in the mirror" by MJ and "Only Hope" by Switchfoot, I felt like I was given a huge dose of hope, and a Disney-esque prompting to dream again. Yeah...something I shared with Dawn that I need in this season.

I guess I really need to find myself again, step out in faith, face my giants and chase after the dreams that I've tucked away in the corner of my heart. This song from Alarice's new album kinda describes my state of mind right now. "Oh, midnight train, take me to lands unknown, show me where I need to go."

=================================================================
Midnight Train (by Alarice Thio)
-------------------------------------------------

Left her life in the city
Now her home's on her back
So scared yet so unafraid, of the heroes and giants she'll face

She took the midnight train, to a place far away
She packed her things and her dreams in a suitcase
She flew out the door, to follow her call
And as the clock struck 12, she was onboard
Thinking and dreaming as she headed for, headed for the stars

Oh, Midnight Train
Take me to lands unknown, show me where I need to go


===============================================================
If you missed Alarice's album launch at Esplanade, she has another concert this Sun, 31 Jan.
3pm at Oosh, 22 Dempsey Rd. Ticket details at www.alaricemusic.com

"Sunday Afternoon," her new album, is available at HMV at $14.95. Support local music!! :)

Jon Chong's Gig @ The Esplanade (15-17 Jan)

Last week, I hardly knew how I would survive the wk with 3 rehearsals, 3 nites of gigs, and conducting the choir for Sun svces. Now that the gigs @ the Esplanade are over, I'm honestly quite relieved that I finally have a breather. But it really was a precious experience...every time I gig at the Esplanade is a precious opportunity. It was also great to be able to support Jon in his long anticipated album launch. I was with him when he first started out in his song-writing journey years ago. In fact, back then we were jamming in my room with Danny, and recording on cassette tape!! Haha! How we've grown since then. :)

Through this gig, I met some incredibly talented young musos from La Salle and a very groovy and funny bassist from Every Nation Church. And we had some fun times indeed...am looking forward to more gigs ahead. :)

I was also greatly moved by the show of support from my incredible fwens who came down to 'groupie' me. haha! And some of them even came down 2 nites in a row, although the sets were pretty similar. To be honest, I almost teared when I saw them in the crowd, looking so enthusiastic, cheering me on and even trying to make me laugh with their hilarious antics.

Thank God for the gift of fwenship. :)

Beautiful bkdrop of the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre.

Top row (L-R): Howard on bass, Jon on vox and acoustic guit, Stephen on electric guit
Bottom row (L-R): Naz on keys, Chow Kiat on drums, and me on bking vox