A Frozen Snapshot in Time
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 // 0 comments

When you have to look away
When you don't have much to say
That's when I love you
I love you Just that way

To hear you stumble when you speak
or see you walk with two left feet
That's when I love you
I love you...endlessly

And when your mad cause you lost a game
Forget I'm waiting in the rain
Baby I love you
I love you anyway

Cause here's my promise made tonight
You can count on me for life
Cause that's when I love you
When nothing you do can change my mind

The more I learn the more I love
The more my heart can't get enough
That's when I love you
When I love you no matter what

So when you turn to hide your eyes
Because the movie, it made you cry
That's when I love you
I love you a little more each time

And when you can't quite match your clothes
Or when you laugh at your own jokes
That's when I love you
I love you more than you know

And when you forget that we had a date
That look that u give when you show up late
Baby I love you
I love you anyway

: : That's When I Love You : : Aslyn : :

This song was just playing in the background of the blog when I was looking for something. Nice song, very down-to-earth and very sweet as well. I remember that this was the theme song of Shaun's wedding video so that time we keep hearing it over and over again but its still a very nice song!

I have this current fascination with Hokkien songs! After the song that I hear at WeiTing's grandma wake, I realised that I have this Hokkien track by 黃小琥 which actually sound really good!! hahahha..and I just received one more track to listen to!! (:

Went to play bball with the girls today and worked my rusty bones, its about time that we pick up the things that once matter so much to us. Perhaps, this is something to work towards, keeping things in check. After you graduate from University, you just live your life from day to day, there is thus a need to find new things and new goals to focus on so that we are not just drifting through in life.

Caretalyst in NUS is finally taking flight, pray that it will grow from glory to glory from here! (:

Monday, September 28, 2009 // 0 comments


牵我的手,我的主啊
请你别离开我
这条路我还要走,我需要你来作伴。

牵我的手,我的主啊
请你别离开我
有时我会怕,有时不知怎样走
有时好像听不到你的声音

牵我的手,请你跟我作伴
给我的脚步又稳又定
走到你的门前,听到你的声
跟我说:“进来,我的孩。”

: : 牵我的手 : : 林義忠 : :

This is actually a Hokkien song that was sang at WeiTing's grandma funeral service. I almost cried when we were singing this song just now. The lyrics is really meaningful and it is just beautiful.

Everytime you attend a funeral, there are many thoughts that will be running through your mind. How and what have you done for the deceased? Could you have been nicer, spent more time? Are we able to say that, that there is not one more thing that we could have done that has not been done?

It was a blessing to be able to be present at the funeral service just now. This song really paint a very strong and powerful scene in my mind as we sang the song. Imagine that the Lord is holding the hand of an old granny as she enter the pearly gates of heaven. For most of her life, she has not as so much hear of this name Jesus, she continued to walk and begin to realise that there is no more pain and she gain energy with each step that she take, she turned her head and look straight into the eyes of the Lord. The Lord smiled and say "进来,我的孩"! She smile and kept walking, assured that she is now home.

God, help me to always hear Your voice and not some other voice that might be running through my mind. I want to be able to at the end of my life walk towards You and have you held on to my hand, I guess that is all that matters. Sometimes we over-complicate things that are not that complicated. Faith is not that hard, its just believing, trusting and knowing that even when you dont see the hand of God, you can trust the Heart of God.
Thursday, September 17, 2009 // 0 comments
《小字条》 Little Note.
Another film by Royston Tan.
Here is a review that I read online about it:

天空,荷叶,怀旧的乡村景色,优美的背景旋律。《小字条》。

短短12分钟的电影,带出了浓浓母子之间相依偎的动人故事, 牵动了每个在场观众的心。不知是否有人因为那细腻感人的情节而落泪?我忍住了,不能太丢脸。

这是一部关于一个没爹的孩子和他伟大母亲的故事。背景是在70年代的南洋。

含辛茹苦的单亲妈妈默默守护着孩子成长。不善言语的她,通过小字条传达她对孩子的鼓励与关爱。小字条是孩子勇气的源泉,每当收到妈妈的鼓励,再苦,他都会勇敢面对。

“不要怕”
给妈妈遮太阳

不知道为什么,感觉上小孩象是导演自己的化身 – 惆怅的小脸,无助的眼神与寂寞的身影。那会是导演当时的内心世界吗?

剧情在小志仁很用心地唱着《妈妈好》中,过度到了他长大成人的一幕。长大了的志仁是个贴心的孩子。要到海外留学的他,借了个录像机并精心地为妈妈制造了使用说明书,希望妈妈能够看他寄回来的录像带。感觉这对母子象是最要好的朋友,最贴心的知己。

为了妈妈,志仁离开前往朋友家借录像机

从美学角度而言,电影拍得非常唯美。不愧是得过无数国际影奖的陈子谦。

但《小字条》也不是没有缺点的。

可能是一部短片的缘故,有些情节只能轻轻带过,让人有一丝丝费解:

为什么第一天上学的志仁会被老师罚站?

为什么志仁长大了,但妈妈年轻依旧?

志仁提着行李要离开时,妈妈告诉他荷叶的茎之所以不会断是因为它是空心的。为什么妈妈要这么说?虽然小志仁曾经问过为什么荷叶茎总是拉不断,但这些年妈妈没跟志仁解释过吗?荷叶茎是空的,能怎样带给往欧洲留学的志仁鼓励呢?

但是因为电影拍得很用心,很有诚意,作为观众的我情不自禁要为它的瑕疵找理由:

轻轻带过的情节,像是省略号,让每个观众填入自己不同的诠释;

妈妈没变老,是因为《小字条》叙述的是一个游子的回忆。游子心中,妈妈永远年轻。生活中的我们也不就是这样子吗?永远等到有那么一天,才恍然发现自己的母亲原来已经不再年轻。曾经矫健的她如今已是如此苍老,如此需要依偎着我们;

空心的莲花茎,意味着抛开包袱勇往直前。无论生活如何煎熬,如何戏弄着我们,仍然要无畏惧地挑战着它,屹立不倒。

志仁临走前把妈妈当年给他的小字条回送。泛黄的纸条上说着“不要怕”。母子俩仿佛又回到了过去。影片在一切尽在不言中落幕。。。

《小字条》对是一部诚意之作。不论戏内戏外,它都有叫人感动之处。如同一杯香纯的普洱,让人回味无穷。《小字条》绝对是一部值得反复观赏的影片。

荷花的花语:默念
如同母亲默默的祝福,无怨无悔
如同孩子对母亲的怀念,归心似箭

to read more: http://heyzanie.com/?p=5016

**
Ian showed us this short video during the Tuesday leaders' meeting and he warn me again and again before the show. I dint give too much thoughts to it till....he showed us the show. As usual, like I do when I watch many of the other shows, tears will roll down my cheeks. Thank God that the room was really dark.

Seriously, am I that touched by the story? No! hmmm..I just thought that the show bore a striking resemblance to my own life. Just change the Mom to a Dad and the little boy to a little girl, and ta-da..you can read and know about my life story, even the setting and context is about the same. There are glimpse of myself in that show, its like watching your life story, except maybe my dad dint talk to me about why the lotus stem was hollow! hahahah..

I guess that no one's life is perfect, each one of us have to deal with different things and different issues, that is the way that we need to be molded and shaped so that we can be a better person. Most of the time, we expect people to understand us, accept us for who we are but the truth is, we cant do that. We all live inside our little world, we have different experiences and different encounters throughout our lives. No one can truly understand what another person had gone, at the very best, we can try to empathize. I guess that is what make Love such a noble thing. Because you will never fully understand or fully comprehen but yet you can choose to love in spite of all that you see and experience about that person. That is a sense of selflessness that not everyone can offer.

"I hate you...but more than that I hate myself for not able to bring myself to hate you..."

I guess I will never bring myself to hate you, but I wish that you had handled this relationship in a different way, I wish that you were there to watch me grow up even though you may not able to be with me every moment, I wish that I was able to share some of my joy and some of my sorrows with you, I wish to know you better so that I can understand the part of me that I have inherited from you.

I wish I was able to forget, let go and move on cos you will never be a part of my life anymore..but we both know that this is impossible cos you will always be a part of me..Maybe one day I will finally have the chance to know why you made that decision. Now that I have all grown up, maybe I will be able to understand the absence that I did not even comprehen the day that you chose to leave.

Maybe all these were a part of the preparation for the things that I am going to do in my life, God never waste a painful experience.

Everyone has a story to tell, everyone has a song to write...
Monday, September 14, 2009 // 0 comments
An article that I came across when I was doing a search for the causes of divorce. this is quite interesting as this is always something that has been debated on all the time and of cos as usual, there is no solid conclusion about it.

Can Men and Women Just Be Friends?

Two highly respected marriage experts, Les and Leslie Parrott, suggest the "idea of a man and a woman being friends is charming but improbable."

The argument against men and women "just being friends" goes like this: the bond between the two sexes is not a static relationship . . . it always has to lead to something else . . . physical attraction . . . sexual tension . . . moral compromise . . . and then the BREAKUP.

Remember the acclaimed film When Harry Met Sally? Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan were supposed to remain good friends in a cross-gender relationship. Could it be done? The film only proved to show theater-goers that sex eventually always comes between a man and a woman.
Some relationship experts believe quite the opposite. Speaking in Psychology Today, experts are taking note of a cultural shift in our society; "The belief that men and women can't be friends comes from another era in which women were at home and men were in the workplace, and the only way they could get together was for romance."

Now men and women work together, share sports interests and socialize together. So, women and men must consider the possibility of becoming friends without becoming romantically involved.

Still not convinced? Les and Leslie Parrott surveyed men and women on this issue and the results they found are intriguing.

Regarding men, they remarked how a woman's friendship provided them with a level of nurturing they're not able to find in their relationships with men. Some men were candid enough to admit they feel comfortable showing their weaknesses in front of women in a way they would never do with men.

Let me jump in here with a warning: a close friendship between a man and a woman not romantically involved, will never replace the friendship designed to exist in a marriage. In the book The Seven Stages of Marriage by Sari Harrar and Rita DeMaria, both agree that the "true story of married love is about change."

A married man and woman are meant to encounter together the collisions found in everyday life . . . financial difficulties, major illness, arguments, parenting challenges and so much more. No matter how vulnerable a man may feel with his woman friend, nothing will change his life like the everyday vulnerability demanded by marriage.

The women, according to Les and Leslie Parrott, liked to have men friends as sounding boards to get a male perspective . . . However, the same women feel they cannot find the same level of intimacy with their male friends as they experience with their female acquaintances.

I wonder if it is our male tendency to want to "fix things" when the woman doesn't want immediate solutions, but just needs someone to hear them out. Let's get real here: Every married man knows you only last so long trying to "fix your wife's problems" until he makes the discovery that what she really needs is a compassionate ear not a "tool box."

So, can men and women just be friends in a relationship devoid of lust?" Of course! But once again, attraction is difficult to ignore. In a study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, out of 150 professional men and women studied, 62% reported sexual tension was present in their friendships with the opposite sex . . . especially for the men. In other words, men and women . . . stay on your toes and guard your heart!

As people who like to cut to the chase, let's settle this: can men and women "just be friends?" Marital therapists answer, "it all depends on the two people and how secure they are in their own sexual identity and in their marriage."

John
Email John: johnsblog@teshmedia.com

**

So, what do you think now that you have read that? Times have changed and this men and women can be friends without any thoughts of romance or lust, quite hard i guess especially if you are spending way too much time together and revealing your feelings and emotions! How do you bear your hearts and feelings and not expect something in return? *hmmph*
Playing with my new toy!! Actually trying to install most of the things so that I would be able to use the laptop at the office from tml onwards so that can settle all the configurations at one go. I know that this is not the BEST of the BEST sort of laptop but I guess that this is sufficient for now and I think that nowadays, you dont need such a good laptop cos it would be obsolete in 2 years time, to think that i spend almost 3k for my fujitsu 4 years ago but it has served me well throughout my NUS days!! So thank you Fujitsu for your FAITHFUL SERVICE!! (:

Thanks to Laurel who spent the whole afternoon at the IT fair to look, shop, look, shop and look and shop somemore just to get the laptop, I started with Mac and Toshiba and then HP came into the picture and then i thought why not try out Lenovo and it went on and on for a few times before I finally settled down with this which is the cheapers amongst all my options but with one of the best specs and all. Its quite rare of me to choose something cos of its functionality over the look and Aesthestics, I think that I am growing up!! ahhahahhaa..So, once again thanks Laurel!!!

And Kudos to Cousin who though he cannot come down, he transferred the money that I need to get the lappie!!! I am still trying to solicitate for more funding!!! But I will return you the money asap!! But becos you are so nice to your little cousin, you are going to do so well for your exams this coming week!! !(: hee..

Then I came back to drop off the laptop and all, headed over to Mama's for dinner and to pick up the MS office from Jie's place and then headed over to meet Yanzhi and Adeline who went to catch Blood Ties. All thanks to Daddy who fetched me to and fro so that I dont need to spend like 1h each way travelling!!! (:

Its been a great day and I pray that it would be as great the week to come!! (: Thanks for N397 who is committed!! (: love you guys the best! (:

Nights!
Saturday, September 12, 2009 // 0 comments
Its 4.30am, please enlighten me why I am still awake?!?!? What kind of nonsense is this??!!??

It seems like work just suddenly begin to pile up, I must make a even more conscious effort to clear my work!! Cannot let it pile up like this! Gosh, its really driving me crazy that I feel so inefficient, there must be a better way of doing things.

Control, breath in and breath out, for a very long time, I seriously never felt that the noise is driving me crazy, that happened again today. All these anxiety and the stress and pressure could have been reduced should information dissemination be more efficient and let's put it this way, be communicated. There is no need to breath down each other's neck and the world could have been a better place. Leaving late caused me to be late for CG and that make me EXTREMELY mad..asked Daddy to fetch and the whole thought of things being out of my control just totally drive me mad. I told myself that I cannot lose my temper and that make everything even MORE frustrating. Thoughts of how the CG meeting is going to flop like never before, thoughts of how things are just so messed up, thoughts of how and why I should not have passed that sacarstic remark went through my mind. I felt so LOUSY and thoughts of how i am going to destroy the whole CGM just keep flashing through my mind.

Daddy must have gotten a shock when he saw me that he kept quiet throughout the whole journey to Joey's place and he didnt even make noise when I caused him to make the wrong turns. That is my daddy. Venting your frustrations is not exactly the best idea when you have long nails, it totally left my left arm with prints and scratches!! but crying do release those extra frustrations and clear your heart and keep it from exploding.

Thank God for members who rise up to the occasion, thank God for those who stood in the gap. And thank GOD that He showed up in the place. There were moving in the Spirit that can be felt tangibly in the place. and we have a breakthrough offering (from the usual collected today!)..it just tells me one thing, it is not based on human efforts but it is dependance on the Spirit. For someone who was going crazy on the way to CG, this is a very good CGM, I couldnt ask anything more than that! Begin to realised that there are certain things that you have to go through and get a revelation for yourself before you can explain and live it out for people who are following you. That is why leaders go through more than members, let me always be reminded to pray for the leaders that God have been using so mightily because they must be going through much much more than me!!!! Cant imagine that!!
Thursday, September 10, 2009 // 0 comments
Sometimes it's wrong to walk away, though you think it's over
Knowing there's so much more to say
Suddenly the moment's gone
And all your dreams are upside down
And you just wanna change the way the world goes round

Tell me, have you ever loved and lost somebody
Wished there was a chance to say I'm sorry
Can't you see, that's the way I feel about you and me, Baby
Have you ever felt your heart was breaking
Lookin down the road you should be taking
I should know, cos I loved and lost the day I let you go

Can't help but think that this is wrong, we should be together
Back in your arms where I belong
Now I've finally realised it was forever that I've found
I'd give it all to change the way the world goes round

I really wanna hear you say that you know just how it feels
To have it all and let it slip away, can't you see
Even though the moment's gone, I'm still holding on somehow
Wishing I could change the way the world goes round

: : Have You Ever : : S Club 7 : :

We went to K to celebrate Glenda's Birthday and we randomly started singing all the old songs, the long time ago songs, the ang moh songs and we came across this song. I remember that this song together with I NEVER HAD A DREAM COME TRUE was like the hot favourite when I was still in secondary school. Those were the band era where bands just come and go before you can even blink your eye. But these songs, even while the artistes may be gone, even if it may not mean anything to the generations after, it will always hold a special feeling to those who were of that time because you will link this song to some event or someone who was part of your life at that point in time (not that I can think of any link right now! hahahhaha..but it was a nice song and it still is..)

***

Pst Tan really shared a great word today and I believe that many of us think that it is a great word to start the year. Getting out of debt is really something I want to work towards this year. The 1 year of grace of not having to pay for the tuition fee loan is coming to an end, building fund is coming and there are just one thousand and one things that need to be paid for! Money is just one thing that keep bugging you, it will always be a part of something that you will be thinking of, unless of cos when you are extremely rich and have no monetary worries. The past 2 weeks has really been a torture, I really dont like the feeling of being SO BROKE!! It really sucks! not being able to even feed yourself and not even mention that you cant bless people also! gosh!!! Thank God for various people who had been real kind, most of them bought me drinks! That really helped to save money! People like Adrian, Taigong, Donn and Bryan!! Thanks to you guys!!! (: I pray that I prosper so that I can bless you back too!!

Anyway, even when we were worshipping today, was just reminded of how we used to be able to trust God more, we were more excited and we believe that ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. But over time, you are disappointed with people, with leader and with God when you prayed and nothing happen. But the thing is, maybe that thing is really not what God wants for us or the thing is its just not the right time. Just feel that it is time to put away those disaapointments, discouragements and failures and really come before the throne of God with a CHILD-LIKE FAITH because with a kid, there is no such things as impossible or cannot be done!

And in order to be discipled, you need to first of all check your heart. Do you have a heart of submission- otherwise, it would be put to of no effect at all. Dont just obey, submit to the authories that had been placed over you.

Okay, eyes closing. Will continue another time!!
I was just thinking about how I miss the feeling of being about to type away and pening your thoughts and your ideas down. Just less than 1 year ago, I was still doing that- getting my ideas and what I "think" is the right solution and opinion after the analysis of what we considered to be literature review and arrive at an answer that you think is the most logical then write a whole essay or article with the supporting evidence to support the thing that you believe in. I can't remember when was the last time that I did that. I miss the sound of the keyboard typing away and you will see the end product and feel proud of it cos it is your "baby". I dont belong to the academic world, and unless you are a journalist or a writer, your essay writing skills is pretty much left on the shelves after leaving the very essay intensive setting of the local university.

I am not much of a writer, I think that I feel too much and I take sides too easily. There are just too many emotional ties that I will get myself involved in after reading about sth or someone. My tendancy to take side fails me in the role of wanting to be a journalist, to me- there is no such things as a neutral article, you would have to take a stand somehow (having said that, I am not saying that it is not BALANCED, I am just saying that it is my inability to not take sides or sit on the fence).

Why am I talking about all these nonsense? Beats me! The thing is, there are just so many things that are on my mind now that I cant decide which is that one thing that I want to think and ponder over at this moment. Thus, I ended up telling myself that I dont want to think of anything and then I just stone and shut down. This is really not a good thing, the inability to focus will only use up alot of your energy without seeing the results that you want.

FOCUS is the word for 2010. It is the ability to set priorities in your life and learning how to tackle with the things at hand, one at a time and rationally. It does not mean that you lose the ability to multi-task, but more like giving your 110% for everything that falls into your lap. What are the things that requires attention? There are probably alot, there must be the one thing that has to be addressed and then the others will fall into place. The problem is, we try to hold on to too many things and in the end, everything and everyone will suffer as a result of that. So the question boil down to, would it be better to have 2 things both at a 70% level or is it better to have just 1 thing but you have it at a 110% level and condition. Which then would be defined as successful?

There are too many thoughts that are bombarding my heart and mind right now. Just feeling in my heart that there are many things that can be achieved, only if the people are more focused on the task that they are given. Together we can do much more, but everyone needs to play their part and everyone is important in the chain.

Ok..going to sleep. Hopefully I will be able to wake up for prayer 365. Keep the Kaiti teams in prayer!! They are doing such a great and fabulous job!! (: Nights
Continuation from the previous post on the book of Esther.

That day I was just thinking about what is the difference between a PRINCESS and a QUEEN. It seems like there is a romanticised notion of who a princess is but the more i think about it the more the image of a pretty girl who is somehow always in distress and there is somehow also always a prince charming or a knight in shining armour who will appear at the right place, at the right time to save her. As you begin to have that image in your mind and out of a sudden *poof* you're zapped back to reality, not everyone is a princess, welcome to the real world. But i believe that all can have Queen-ly characteristics.

You see, everyone wants to be a princess but people tend to associate a queen to adjectives like "old", "wicked" etc, but this is not necessarily so. One key example is Queen Esther, we know that she must be the prettiest woman in the land, to top it all, she is also smart and Godly at the same time.

1. A princess is born into the title but a queen is crowned.

A princess is born into the royal family but not all princesses eventually becomes the queen. In fact, there are more princesses around than queens. There are certain must-haves in a queen and usually the most basic criteria is that the candidate of a queen to be has to be a virgin. Apart from the biological/physical virgin, this also mean someone who is pure in heart. Purity is a big part in the crowning of the queen. This also mean that the queen needs to love herself and respect herself. Someone who do not love herself would not be able to exert the kind of self-confidence who will attract the attention of the king. The queen got to be able to stand on her own feet and think at a macro level. She is also the role model for the women in the country, her every act and move is under the scrutiny of the media and the people. Another thing, to be married to a man with thousands of other concubines, i think she really needs to love herself and to be secure in who she is. Esther is one such good example.

2. A queen prepares herself for the crown and for the King.

Before the crowning of the queen, she has to go through 12 months of preparation before meeting the King. Before Esther was chosen as Queen she went through these 12 months and on top of that another 3 years before she was crowned the queen. Let's not forget that she grew up under the guardian-ship of her cousin Mordecai who is a fatherly and a spiritual father for her. Many of the girls today longs to be loved and unknowingly set themselves up for their hearts to be broken with all the unrealistic expectations of how their other half is going to be (from the poisoning of all the Korean dramas of the new age sensitive man) but not every guy is going to look the part nor act the part. Singlehood is more than just looking out and searching for that one person, rather, it is a period of preparation for relationship. She needs to be prepared mentally for the relationship because there is a need for adjustment of lifestyles, stress of quarrels, what have you! and in the time to come, we have heard enough relationship sermons to know that the woman is to be the helper to the man and this training will come from her respect and love for the leaders in her life. This can be parents, teachers, leaders, employers, whoever it may it, it prepares for her serving her king in the time to come. For Esther, she served her cousin Mordecai and also the Chief Eunuch, whom later she gained much favour from. She needs to respect and love the leadership placed in her lives.

3. A queen needs to love her people.

Enough said. Esther loved her people so much that she was willing to perish for the sake of her people. Are we willing to do that as well for the people whom we are called into one body for? What about those whom Jesus died for but have yet to know him? Are we willing to go that extra mile? But what about the down and the out? A queen needs to have compassion for all her people.

in fact, one of the queen's role is to hear about the grievances of the people while the King deals with more of the "political" relations. To be a queen, one needs to have a love and respect for people.

4. A queen needs to have the fear of God.

Before Esther went in to the King, she requested for the Jews to fast for her and pray for her and she mentioned that she and her servants will do likewise. We see the fear of God in Esther's life before and even after she was crowned the Queen. While Esther was the pretties and most intelligent woman in the land, she did not take it for granted, she heeded the instructions of Mordecai (who is a type of God here in the story) and has the wisdom of God in everything that she does. Even after she has already been crowned, she did not take for granted but prayed and fasted before going in to the King. Thereafter, we saw how she chose the words that she say carefully and the details of the things that she go to for Haman to be removed from the position of power and eventually put to death. A queen needs to have the respect and the love for God. Esther depended on God for her succession as well as her reign.

So, if you want to be treated like a queen, you got to act and behave like one! (: it is easy to be a princess but it takes more to be a real queen! (:

***
Still quite alot of thoughts swimming in my mind, shared with my girls today before watching The Time Traveller's Wife, think it could be better but I hope that they do get the idea of what I was trying to say. Interesting what are the things that you can learn from the Word of God. Looking forward to seeing the sermon and preparing it for CG this week! (:

Time Traveller's Wife was okay, of cos the book would have more details but I think that overall the director did a good job bringing across the story! Just that I dont like the fact that the changed the ending scene!! sigh.......that was a disappointment!!! ):
Sunday, September 06, 2009 // 0 comments
I started reading the book of Esther during the week as I began to think about the women in the Bible and what are the things that they have done. One of the few women in the Bible with a whole book dedicated to her can be listed as Esther and Ruth (and that is about it). In the Bible, only this 2 books are completely focused on the woman of God, though there are mention of other great women of God, there must be things that we can learn from these women if they are given such prominence. I looked at Esther, because she was not just a women of God, she was a Queen, someone who is in a position of influence.

When you look at the life of Esther and her journey to be a queen, you began to realise one of the most well-known way of God using people come into play once again. Esther was just a ordinary girl but God used her to do extraordinary things and the people of the Jews were saved through her. The book of Esther was not just 1 of the 2 books written on the woman of God but this is also the 1 of the 2 books where the name of God was not mentioned even ONCE!! Scholars have studied the book and some of the reasons that they came up with was that during the recording of this book, there was great risk should the name and the worship of God be mentioned publicly, Esther was literally living out the cultural mandate!

As you flip through the pages, you begin to see the characteristics of Esther, the leadership traits and the reasons why and how God was able to use her to such extend and measure. (this i will be sharing with my girls on wed!! During our girls night out!! so, cant blog about it yet but there are other things that really convicted me through the studying of the leadership bible).

When I was looking at John C. Maxwell Leadership Bible on the person of Esther, he mentioned about this quote from Winston Churchill:

"There comes a special moment in everyone’s life, a moment for which that person was born. That special opportunity, when he seizes it, will fulfill his mission – a mission for which he is uniquely qualified. In that moment, he finds greatness. It is his finest hour."
- Winston Churchill
As such, there is a need for us to seize the moment, by making the right decision, taking the right action at the right time so that we can have great success. There are many decisions that we need to make in our lives, the school to go to, the course to take, the career to take on, the person that we are going to marry but more than that, there are many small but vital decisions that we need to make in our lives everyday. I think that Pastor Tan really shared a word that snap all of us out of our seats during this weekend service, let us not be in such a position that we will fall out of the race and not be in the group of the chosen generation, God's special people. Nonetheless, many of us laze around thinking that there are still chances and opportunity for us to anwer the call of God in our lives.
As I look at the Book of Esther in the leadership Bible, there are certain things that I have learned that really shook me!
1. If I do not seize the moment, my fate will be like that of the rest of the crowd.

If we do not seize the moment, we will blend in to the rest of the crowd and we will eventually be a part of it, a part of the background, we blend into the sea of the 6billion people here on earth. Why is it that CHC and all our affliated churches we are always put in the spotlight? Some people do not like that, some people think that we draw too much attention to ourselves. But this also shows me that we are people who seized the moment, that is why we are NOT like the rest of the crowd.
Bringing it down to a more micro level, in a big church like this, it is very easy to just sit down, blend into the crowd. Yes, we should be humble and not seek to elevate ourselves but the Bible also mentioned that whatever you do in private, God will reward in the public. The thing is, are we doing anything that will be rewarded in public? Or are we too stucked in our comfort zone?
I dont want to be like the rest of the crowd, I dont want to be like the rest of the university graduates that just find a job and then for the rest of their lives work in the same job, doing the same thing or about the same thing but I want to be able to make a difference in the world that we are living in, leave a legacy or even just start something that will benefit the generations that is to come. Yes, I will pass on, but the things that I do, they do not need to die off together with me but they can impact the generations to come.
2. If I do not seize the moment, God will replace me with someone else.
Enough said.
When we do not answer the call of God, God will ask again and again but God will not ask forever. If you miss it, God will raise up someone else to take the call and that destiny and like what Pastor Tan says, the first will be last and the last shall be first, it is based on your promptness to obey the call of God in your own life.
I want to be someone who cannot be replaced. I want to be a vital part of the great plan of God here on earth.
3. If I do not seize the moment, I could lose more than an opportunity.
Sometimes we think that we are just losing an opportunity, but if you scrutinize it, it is more than all that, it is about your own life, it is about the people that you could have helped, there is always a chain reaction to every decision that we make in our lives.
Some of us were just talking in the office that day about the book by John Bevere, Driven by Eternity. How scary would it be that when the last trumpet is being sounded and we stand before God and then we realise that we are not in the group of the special people who will be reigning with God. How scary would it be that we realised only when we reach heaven that we have failed to fulfill the will of God in our lives *shivers*
4. If I do not seize the moment, I could miss out on my mission/ destiny in life.
This is not cliche, but this is really true. Link it back to the previous point. Wouldnt that be a very sad truth to discover, that at the end of your life, you have achieved so much, fame, success, wealth to realised that if you had obey the call of God, if you have seized the moment that was placed in front of you that you could have done so much more.
**
I knew that I am not one of the first people that God would have chosen and many of us are like that, we are not the first, we are not the most popular person, the best preachers, the best singers or songwriters, definitely not the best leaders or even the best ordinary people but God can use the weak to shame the strong, the poor to shame the rich.
When we are willingly, the last can be first and we can be in the race in God's selection process that we will be God's chosen generation, His Special people and all that it takes is one right decision, coupled with the right action at the right time.
(:

Thursday, September 03, 2009 // 0 comments


街邊太多人與車
繁華鬧市人醉夜
害怕下班等很久的車
排隊兼帶雨遮
一經信和暴雨瀉
沿著長龍又不想貼近些
擦過的肩
發現看見那熟悉嘴臉
沉默對望在這幾秒
亦有簡單問好不過少
然後再次說告別
像重遇那天

多少往事甜在心頭
夜雨觸花這景致令我憂愁
望見她的身影已無法佔有
我未有想過絕望看她走
分手兩字情絕不留
為愛傷心的聲線變了懷舊
愛得轟動了
什麼都燃燒
最終這片段完了

專心看車外遠境
嘈雜人群極知多惹塵埃
我卻走失
遍尋腳印
欠命中指引
如若結局是可改變
願我好好愛她的切點
重遇再散也夠絕
但嫌路太短

心酸往事停在心頭
夜雨觸花這景致令我憂愁
望見她的身影已無法佔有
我是再不要絕望看她走
即使告別仍舊守候
但我傷心的聲線已變懷舊
愛得轟動了
什麼都燃燒
最終這片段完了

街邊太多人與車
繁華鬧市人醉夜
害怕下班等很久
懷念很久也不夠

:: 彌敦道 :: 洪卓立 ::

thought this is a really nice song from Prince + Princess 2 (yes, i changed the show that I was watching to this recently). This is a Canto song that was sang by one of the main male lead (for the first 7 episode, thereafter, he had some health problems and were unable to continue with the show!)

know why i like this song? Look at the lyrics! It is not repeated but it paints a story. Even the chorus has some slight variations. and i like the way that the song ends! (:

ENJOY!!

OLDER | NEWER