substance of things hoped for

I'm not afraid of anything
Be it mountains, water, dragons, dark or sky
I'm not afraid of anything
Tell me where's the challenge if you never try
So watch me fly
I'm not afraid...

And I feel the calling of adventure
And I hear the ringing in my ear
The lights are glaring
Trumpets blaring
I'm right here
And I hear the calling of tomorrow
And I feel the stirring in my bones...

Keep Going

So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it!

Hebrews 12:12-13 (Message)

Pacem In Excelsius

Attended PCC's performance of Bach's Mass in B minor - where Z performed this Bass Aria:

Et in Spiritum Sanctum (And I believe in the Holy Ghost),
Dominum, et vivificantem (the Lord and giver of life):
qui ex Patre Filioque procedit (Who prodeedeth from the Father and the Son).
Qui cum Patre et Filio simul (Who with the Father and the Son together)
adoratur et conglorificatur (is worshipped and glorified):
qui locutus est per Prophetas (who spoke by the Prophets).
Credo in unam sanctam (And I believe in one holy)
catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam (catholic and apostolic Church).

Bach, the greatest composer in the 18C, was also a devout Lutheran Christian who had a heart for sacred music. He was certainly prolific in producing more than 1000 works in his life. And the more I read online about the intricacy and underlying theology of his music, the more I'm impressed by his cleverness and devotion!

And hear this, the Credo section is in fact, the Nicene Creed. Containing all the essential elements of the Christian faith, it's no wonder that we recite it for holy communion in church. And so I wonder if God's presence tangibly filled the cathedral as the chorus chimed in tutti,

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy)
Dominus Deus Sabaoth (Lord God of Hosts)
Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua (Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory)

On a different note, looking around during the concert, I realised the other constant, next to change: Aging. Friends, friends' family, the conductor and players on stage - oh how we've aged.

No wonder the bible teaches us to number our days. Let's live life with a great story to tell at the end of it!

break my heart for what breaks yours

Moral of the story: A soldier braves landslides, rubble and fatigue to save souls and restore hope.

So have a heart.

spilling

A gift of patience, can it be? Though it seems the phone rings too much.

How to impact lives when an attitude to serve is not entirely there?

Friend seeker

This shows the full meaning of the Scripture that says: "Abraham believed God, and God accepted Abraham's faith, and that faith made him right with God." And Abraham was called God's friend. James 2:23 (NCV)

Watched Superhero Movie with D my old pal. As sillily slapstick it was, it speaks of how we all long for a secret power that makes us invincible while remaining human and true to ourselves.

In SOT, we're learning about the person of God... the Holy Spirit. More than a spooky presence, He's as real as you and me, and comes bearing an immeasurable love along with gifts and secrets. And it all begins with an invitation to begin a relationship.

And it's really a friendship of mutual listening. After all, what do friends do? What makes you feel loved when you meet a friend? When someone gives you time of day?

A couple of friends called me tonight and I realised all they really wanted was a listening ear. I don't feel like I've done much, yet one thanked me for my friendship. Such is the simple faith of a simple man. And it's simply wonderful!

I surmise that leadership is a call to lay down one's life for his friends. By being available, by bearing them on his shoulders and in prayer, by selflessly influencing them for the better...

And so we come full circle to the R-word - Relationship (the opposite of Rejection?)

How does one relate? How does one open one's heart? How does one become a friend?

Receive, rejoice and release, perhaps?

Anxiety, Be Gone

Ubin was great. Today felt like holiday. But am up again till late, busy with bookstore matters.

Racing hard, it feels a little lonely. More importantly, may I not lose focus of the things that truly matter.

Pressing

Passion is a daily endeavour, not a constant emotional high.

Monday saw conviction and bawling, Tuesday featured emcee-ing in front of 300 colleagues, Wed saw newly formed marketers, Thu was seeing human dynamics at work, Fri was wondering about the great something that was due to happen.

Three weeks into bible school and I must admit there're doubts about whether I'm in the right place. But if He spoke indirectly about it, can it still not be correct?

Work challenges remain, if not, have toughened. Perhaps I've been slack, issues long pending have yet to be resolved.

Gotta keep praying for peace, joy, order and freedom...

Manufactured Landscapes (2007)

By Edward Burtynsky

Growing

Friend's grandma suffers incontinence, friend's suffers poor sleep and emotional stress. Grandpa lost 3 more teeth - he's more than 90yo - family suffers temporary worry bout.

Growing old's such a terrible thing. I used to tell myself I don't want to live too long - until someone pointed out that meant dying in your prime. Hmph, life offers much more than worrying about the inevitable.

Truly, we never know what's gonna be hurled at us. But when things are going well for one, can one ignore the plight of others? As Luke reminds us "...for everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required..."

En commute to work this afternoon, a 15yo beng sitting behind was going on loudly in chinese about his shi fu and his friend wasting his time. Crude mocking and playful wrestling inclusive.

I'm not ranting, really. Just wondering what brings one fulfillment and focus?

*ponder*

Burn You Like Roti Prata

Team name: Ham Chim Peng

Summary: 16 sporting, youthful ones went on round-island game of Monopoly. Sweaty, icky but fun :)

Tomorrow 8am PA duty... ARGH!

Excellence

n. (ks-lns)

quality - an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone; "the quality of mercy is not strained"--Shakespeare
admirability, admirableness, wonderfulness - admirable excellence
impressiveness, magnificence, grandness, richness - splendid or imposing in size or appearance; "the grandness of the architecture"; "impressed by the richness of the flora"
civilisation, civilization, refinement - the quality of excellence in thought and manners and taste; "a man of intellectual refinement"; "he is remembered for his generosity and civilization"
courtesy of tfd.com

Big day / Day 1 beckons tomorrow.

Admittedly, was gripped by apprehension before this. Take it easy, you will enjoy, J my leader assured me.

How am I gonna balance tests/assignments/lack-of-sleep/overcoming-fears/
challenges-at-work/ministry-commitment/spending-time-with-loved-ones...?

Spirit-centered, I say!

Watering

The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.

(Proverbs 11:25)

Truly God will use you and your experiences to water others.

how small, how great

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:9 (NIV)

What do you do when you're down and out?

When God seems to be putting you through the toughest time of your life, when your family's kicked you out because you refuse to join the fold to follow old ways, when you're hiding at the void deck because you want to avoid spot checks, when you're desparately trying to start anew but no employer seems to want you because of your previous drug conviction, when your wife left you for another man and still lies to you, when you're living off NTUC vouchers from social welfare, when you don't even have that 10cents to make a phone call...

How do you react when you meet a person going through this yet he's backboned enough not to ask for money or any other help? J tells me he's humbled this evening. Me too bro, me too.

Let's touch a life today with a listening ear, an assuring pat and heartfelt prayers.

Worry is meditation on the wrong things

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Philippians 4:6-9 (The Message)

The right time

There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:

A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (The Message)

There's definitely a right time to decide to do the right thing. Don't procrastinate - value life, act responsibly... and act quickly!

Winning with

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)

In John C. Maxwell's Winning with People, the Lens Principle says that who you are determines what you see. This includes how you see yourself, how you see others, and how you view life and the world around you. And finally, who you are determines what you do in life. And who you are is determined by five things: genetics, self-image, experiences in life, attitude and choices about those experiences, and friends. Anyone of these can be a positive or negative influence in your life.

Awareness Test

God Foreknew...

God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
Romans 8:29-30 (The Message)

phooey

I'm feeling restless ennui, is like a cheem, ang-moh way of saying sian.

Confess the positive, shake off the sian-ness, sputter less saliva when talking to girls...

Came across the above book today - wonderful collection of photos showing Viet street life with sprinkles of historical and cultural nuggets. Mmmm... if only one day I can produce such a book of my own.

Occurred to me today: It's when we're down or sick that we especially value love and concern when it's shown. Bro's fever the last 2 days made me remember how Mom used to towel us to cool the fever and I'd feel especially loved.