The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty. Let all the earth ReJoiCe! :)

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

It's strange, but I was just thinking about my mom's homecooked food. So if you're reading this, mom. Haha! :) I miss your cooking!

Sunday, November 27, 2005

My biggest regret is that you've been so little involved in this.

Friday, November 25, 2005

Went to Toronto & Montreal this past week...

...so here are the photos...

http://community.webshots.com/user/nice2tango2

P.S. Thanks to my dearest aunt and uncle, who were so hospitable and all in Mississauga, sending me around. Plus I was often not in the house! Feel so bad! And to my dearest cousin, I probably won't be there on your birthday, but hope you like the present! :P

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

You've touched my heart again.

Lord, my main desire is to please You. Why is it that often I struggle with sin and often choose something that I know does not please You? And everytime I fall, I feel separated from You, as though I have failed yet again.

Your promise in John 10:10 - "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." is so heartening, yet why is it that I often don't feel that freedom?

AIA was awesome today. I'm glad I went even though I had just come back from Montreal. The Holy Spirit's presence was so strong during Lindsay's message. She spoke with a Holy Spirit fire because it was obvious that she had been strongly moved by what He had assured her with. And I too have been moved by God through her courage, her obedience to share with us.

Yes. I often fall short of it. But the battle within the recesses of my heart and mind and soul has never been sin vs. God. Instead, it is God in me battling with sin. We no longer have to wake up with a heavy heart, knowing we will again fall into the clutches of sin because God is on our side. Sin is no longer part of our identity. We are dead with Christ but also ALIVE with Him!

Go read Romans 6, 7. We are free. Eternally. Through Christ we have been set free. Feel the freedom. Feel the weight off your shoulders. We were never meant to live under the burden of sin. Christ has set us free! Take a deep breath. Breathe in the goodness of God. Amazing love, how can it be, that You, my King! would die for me! Amazing love, I know it's true. It's my joy to honour You...In all I do, I honour You!

God loves us and that's what it was meant to be. It is not to live a life of condemnation, of guilt, of making yourself feel bound to strict tradition. It is about living life free. And to the full. Abundantly. Forever.

Hallelujah.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Birthday prayer for a dearest friend...

HaPpY BirthDaY SeReNe aka KoNG BaK Pau! :)

I said I'd say a special prayer for her, especially since I can't be there to spend her birthday with her or to give her a hug. So a prayer transcends all time and space. Here goes:

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the 13th of November, way back in 1985 when Serene was born. You made her beautiful and she is Your perfect creation. You created her inmost being; You knit her together in her mother's womb. She has been fearfully and wonderfully made.

Today, I ask that Lord, You continue to bless the works of her hands and the thoughts of her heart. You know that she seeks to glorify You in all that she does. I ask that people around her will be touched by the love that she has for them, love that comes from You. I know that my life has been touched by her and You continue to use her mightily for Your glory. Hallelujah.

God, also, I ask for Your protection over her life. Be it from any harm or danger, or any hurts and distress, in Jesus' name, I ask You protect her. Whenever there has been any hurts or anything that is not whole, restore it Lord. Continue to allow that joy that is in her to flow unrestricted, all the time, that people might see that it is the joy of the Lord and come to know that joy too.

I ask for wisdom. Thank You that You have revealed so much to her through Your word and I ask that You continue to bestow upon her wisdom that she knows only comes from above, that she may again use this wisdom for Your glory.

Finally, in the areas of heart. God, thank You that we can come to You to submit the issue of finding our life-partners into Your hands. And I ask that even right now, You prepare Serene's heart and prepare the heart of her future husband, because You are the one who perfects a marriage! :) You know who's best for her, and together, they and their household will serve You and praise You, all the days of their lives. :)

In Jesus precious name I pray,
Amen!

Saturday, November 12, 2005

In the doghouse...

No, I'm not in great trouble. I was literally in the dog house! :) Went to visit Kingston's animal shelter on Friday. With a bunch of people from a club in Queens aptly called 'Lost Paws'. What this club does is that it arranges for car rides to ferry people to the animal shelter and give the little lost paws some TLC.

It was my first time and I was reaaaaaaaally excited. I haven't got in close contact with any animal since I left my dear Rusty at home. So what did we do that day? We walked dogs! (There was a cuddle-the-cats option, which I was well, less excited about though I have nothing against cats...)

The first dogs that caught my attention, and another Lost Paw-er were these two shaggy little doggies. They were poodles, but not like those you see in Singapore, those strange white woolly things...They had grey fur that looked like a mop and covered their eyes. It was queer because they were just sitting together at the end of the cage, not making much movement. But they were so sweet and since they were caged together, we felt they had to be walked together as well. So Andie (she's a girl...odd name eh?) and I took Pepper and Missy out.

As we were carrying the little precious pups out, the vet there told us, "Hey girls, they are so sweet aren't they? You can take them out, but I just wanted to let you know that these dogs are blind, so you have to watch out for them ok?"

Awww...Those little things were blind! Their owner had been sent to a home, so they were left alone. But! An elderly couple who were supposed to adopt a spaniel at the shelter were too late for the spaniel, and they fell in love with Pepper and Missy (who wouldn't...) and they've been adopted. Yay! :)

But they were so sweet. We let them loose in the dog run and they were just so excited. Each time you called their names, they would prick up their ears and come running back to you...Their sense of sound was excellent! And they'd be so excited and jumpy and loving. Awww...Oh, but it was well, a little funny, a little sad when they ran into the fence that surrounded the dog run because of their excitedness. But they were fine. So yeah. :)

The saddest part was when we put them back to go walk other dogs. They started whimpering and wouldn't let us go!! Awwww...They were so lonesome...We were so reluctant. But oh wells. They other dogs were just as eager to go for a walk...Sighs.

I managed to walk another dog...A Siberian Husky mixed! It was a husky, but it had ears that flopped down! Hehehe...The opposite of my Rusty. Rusty is supposed to be a Jack Russell but his ears stick out...This Husky, (name's HUNTER!) is supposed to have upright ears but apparently they're down! Hehe. But he's really cute. And frisky.

When I came in, he started licking up every single scrap of food in his bowl. He probably thought I was going to eat his food. When I took him out, he was elated! He's kinda a big dog, so he was kinda dragging me around. Hehe. But it was alright. It was a nice experience since I've always wanted to have a big dog! I also realized I do need to train up a little to make sure that I am strong enough to handle them. Haha. I took a treat with me to keep Hunter in control...Just in case he got a little too strong, I had a treat with me. And it worked! I really love big dogs. So huge and cuddly.

I didn't bring my camera in. Grr. So I don't have photos of them yet. But I'm going again next Friday! Yay!! :)

Thursday, November 10, 2005

First snow!

This morning, Kristin, my housemate was all excited. Our conversation:

"I saw snow, I saw snow!"

I looked out.

"Your eyes are playing tricks on you."

"I saw white stuff falling."

"Rain?"

"There it is again!"

True enough, white stuff was falling from the sky. It was not rain. Rain comes straight down as gravitational forces act on it. But erm. This white stuff, it floats in the air...But, it wasn't quite snow either. It was just bits of ice, like bits of shaved ice from ice-kachang.

BUT! I finally got to see snow in the afternoon! And walked in it. I was probably the only idiot who was smiling my way home cos the snow was quite pretty. None of it accumulated on the ground of course, cos it's not quite time for that. It's only the 10th of November! Gosh! :)
But yes, snow.

Reminds me of Chris Tomlin's - "Indescribable":

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
'
None can fathom
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
You are amazing God

Hahahahahaha...When I read through the verses again, before the chorus, the answers went through my head...It's You, God! It's You! You've seen the heavenly storehouses laden with snow, just waiting to release the flakes and fall all pretty down on Kingston, and of course the other parts of the Earth. Hehe. Oh, when it was the earlier part of fall, I was also singing the other verse of the song, really appreciating the beauty of it all. ("From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring, every creature unique in the song that it sings!") How can there not be God.

Friday, November 04, 2005

Praise.

I read this book about the ABCs of praise just before I left for Canada. I remember being really excited about it because it did open up my praise to God and made me more specific on how to praise Him for, thus making it more sincere and real. Well, it's been 2 months and I have not even done that. So I decided to because God deserves all our praise and our honour.

How Awesome are you oh Lord. I have had the most Amazing journey that I know, You provided. The Beauty You have allowed me to experience makes me go Ballistic. Lord, You are Beauty epitomized. For You Created the things around. You alone are Constant even when seasons change and the leaves fall. You are the Conqueror of Darkness. Darkness trembles in the light of Your glory.

I celebrate in Your Divine power with Dancing. I smile and live abundantly for I know that You are a God of Everything. You are my Everything, the very Essence of what I am, who I am. You catch me when I Fall and even when I've been far from You, You have been such a Friend. I would be a Fool to ever turn my back against You.

Instead, in all I do, I want to Glorify Your name, for You are worthy of all of it. In fact, You are worthy of much more. You are Goodness and I Honour You. You deserve the Highest praise. I want to praise You like that sweet Innocent child with that child-like faith, to know that though sometimes I don't feel or see You, I always know, Holy Spirit, that You are In me.

I want to Jump for Joy, excited to love You and obey You. I want people to know that You are the King of my heart, that they too will experience Your Kingdom. I Live for You alone, to tell the story of Your wondrous Love, how You gather the Lost and Lonely and Love them to bits.

Messiah! I love You. You never cease to Move me each time I think about Your death on the cross. Nothing comes close to what You have done. Your Nail-scarred hands speak of an Offering that can match no other. Thank You that You have chosen me to Open up my heart to You, that Your love has filled every crevice of my heart and given me great Purpose in my life. Prepare me dear Lord, to do great works in Your holy name, that I may Point People You love so much to the Father and they too, will Praise You.

Hallelujah. :)

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Cold, dark and hungry.

I feel like a little child, afraid of the dark. It is 5pm. And it's dark. As a geographer, I should be excited about the fact that this is due to the Earth rotating about the sun and the fact that I am in the Northern hemisphere and hence experience shorter days.

I am not excited.

The dark feels scary, especially when it creeps in before you know it. You expect the light to linger about a little more but it disappears as it is invaded by night. Dark isn't scary if it's supposed to be night. It only feels strangely eerie when it comes when it isn't supposed to (or at least at the Equator, it isn't supposed to).

So now, it's not only the cold that is making me blue. The dark is making me oh so blue. Sighs. And what do you do when you're blue? Eat.