Decided to rely on God's love to love others last night-
Stepped out of my comfort zone of DnMs and focused on small talks with new friends.
Result: God rewarded me with a nice brief effortless conversation about church.
It's way more rewarding when I don't have a say or try.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Agape Love
Agape is God’s supernatural, unconditional love for you revealed supremely through our Lord’s death on the cross for our sins. It is the supernatural love He wants to produce in you and through you to others, by His Holy Spirit. Agape love is given because of the character of the person loving rather than because of the worthiness of the object of that love. Sometimes it is love “in spite of” rather than “because of.”
- Bill Bright (Transferable Concepts 8)
- Bill Bright (Transferable Concepts 8)
Friday, April 27, 2012
Old Annie
Relos are over from Malaysia and it's great having a bit of laughter and extra-loud voices in the house. Makes writing an essay difficult but it's okay, I'd rather this than that anyway.
Something totally unrelated, I'm probably watching Annie the Musical (alone if I must) and purchased the DVD from JB Hi-Fi this arvo for $6! Just finished watching it and I just remembered how good it was! It's my first time watching the original and even though I watched the remake a very long time ago, the smile on Aileen Quinn's face just lights up the world and makes it inevitable to smile along with her!
I also totally forgot how amazing the lyrics to the songs were in the musical! Even the hit soundtrack, "Tomorrow" is such an encouragement and almost drives me to deal with each day. I have a feeling it's going to be my anthem for the coming days prior to exams/assignments. I realised too that "Tomorrow" really overcasts all the other great pieces in the musical, like "Maybe" and "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here".
I like old movies. It's simpler, less plot development which is not a bad thing. But it's conclusive. And sometimes, simplicity is all we need to have that satisfaction fulfilled. Ann Reiking as Grace Farrell is AMAZING. Beautiful voice and graceful dancing- I don't mean to be a pain of a 21st century culture, but why can't actors and actresses today tap-dance and sing along. Multi-tasking at its best.
p.s. Watched The Avengers. Will probably watch it again.
Something totally unrelated, I'm probably watching Annie the Musical (alone if I must) and purchased the DVD from JB Hi-Fi this arvo for $6! Just finished watching it and I just remembered how good it was! It's my first time watching the original and even though I watched the remake a very long time ago, the smile on Aileen Quinn's face just lights up the world and makes it inevitable to smile along with her!
I also totally forgot how amazing the lyrics to the songs were in the musical! Even the hit soundtrack, "Tomorrow" is such an encouragement and almost drives me to deal with each day. I have a feeling it's going to be my anthem for the coming days prior to exams/assignments. I realised too that "Tomorrow" really overcasts all the other great pieces in the musical, like "Maybe" and "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here".
I like old movies. It's simpler, less plot development which is not a bad thing. But it's conclusive. And sometimes, simplicity is all we need to have that satisfaction fulfilled. Ann Reiking as Grace Farrell is AMAZING. Beautiful voice and graceful dancing- I don't mean to be a pain of a 21st century culture, but why can't actors and actresses today tap-dance and sing along. Multi-tasking at its best.
p.s. Watched The Avengers. Will probably watch it again.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Pause Day
Yay for packages!
Some things came in the mail yesterday but I was too tired to check so MD left them in my room this morning.
I am rather intimidated by the thickness of this. I knew it would be thick but that's just a whole new level of thickness. I could probably kill someone with it. But that's okay, I can make use of my 6-week mid-year break and hopefully come out victorious.
Challenge Accepted.
I shared with a friend of how excited I get when I rip CDs into my iTunes. It is really a thrill to see my CD collection slowly grow. No regrets there. Loving the tunes at the moment! Of course there are songs in the album which are perhaps rather, 'eh' but it's okay, because it came with several others which I didn't expect to like but really did enjoy!
ANZAC Day to everyone means something different. A mid-week break is really quite a reward and have been using it to catch up on several things as you can see below.
Unfortunately, hanging out with friends today is rather impossible seeing I have ticked only half of "ATS2691 reading and oral presentation" and "Masterplan Qs"- I have done the readings but no questions nor preparation for the oral presentation as of now. Still yet to do a review on The First Stone by Helen Garner and Diary of a Bad Year by J.M. Coetzee but I definitely recommend Coetzee's for now!
Some things came in the mail yesterday but I was too tired to check so MD left them in my room this morning.
I am rather intimidated by the thickness of this. I knew it would be thick but that's just a whole new level of thickness. I could probably kill someone with it. But that's okay, I can make use of my 6-week mid-year break and hopefully come out victorious.
Challenge Accepted.
ANZAC Day to everyone means something different. A mid-week break is really quite a reward and have been using it to catch up on several things as you can see below.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Cross-bearing
The last post was rather depressing, I apologise. But that is life- it's full of joy and tears.
It's funny.
I lost focus last week. My lens became hazy and blurry, my vision was vague.
I spun myself around trying to see things but while doing so, was so dizzy I couldn't see anything at all.
This morning I woke up and felt terrible. I wasn't sure why, but it ranks top #3 worst mornings of my life. And the fact that I didn't know why made it a million times worse.
I looked at myself in the mirror today and did nothing but frightened myself. I'm not talking about vanity here, but about fear. I wasn't frightened at how unpolished and imperfect my face was, who cares. I was frightened at the sight I saw when I looked in the mirror. I was confused. The eyebags were a distraction but I saw past that and felt like nothing was reflecting back in that mirror. It was all emptiness.
7 hours pass. I find myself looking in a mirror again in the toilets in my university and I still see that empty face. I'm not trying to be artsy-fartsy or philosophical but that's the truth. I just saw blank.
12 hours pass from the start and I feel worse. It feels like everything around me is crumbling and all I want to do is go on an indefinite hiatus like John Mayer, except with life. Hit pause, or maybe even eject.
14 hours pass. A smile finally creeps in. I spend some time with God, which I have admittedly neglected over the week and sing worship songs in the shower. If now was not a good time to turn to God, I don't know when would be.
16 hours have passed. I am ashamed that in this week, God needed to push me right down to the bottom to remind me that He's got it all together. I am disappointed that I struggled through so much on my own when God was telling me, "Get in, I'll drive." And guess what I read in my time with Him today-
"Then [Jesus] called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:34-37)
So, here's me taking up my cross.
How's yours going?
It's funny.
I lost focus last week. My lens became hazy and blurry, my vision was vague.
I spun myself around trying to see things but while doing so, was so dizzy I couldn't see anything at all.
This morning I woke up and felt terrible. I wasn't sure why, but it ranks top #3 worst mornings of my life. And the fact that I didn't know why made it a million times worse.
I looked at myself in the mirror today and did nothing but frightened myself. I'm not talking about vanity here, but about fear. I wasn't frightened at how unpolished and imperfect my face was, who cares. I was frightened at the sight I saw when I looked in the mirror. I was confused. The eyebags were a distraction but I saw past that and felt like nothing was reflecting back in that mirror. It was all emptiness.
7 hours pass. I find myself looking in a mirror again in the toilets in my university and I still see that empty face. I'm not trying to be artsy-fartsy or philosophical but that's the truth. I just saw blank.
12 hours pass from the start and I feel worse. It feels like everything around me is crumbling and all I want to do is go on an indefinite hiatus like John Mayer, except with life. Hit pause, or maybe even eject.
14 hours pass. A smile finally creeps in. I spend some time with God, which I have admittedly neglected over the week and sing worship songs in the shower. If now was not a good time to turn to God, I don't know when would be.
16 hours have passed. I am ashamed that in this week, God needed to push me right down to the bottom to remind me that He's got it all together. I am disappointed that I struggled through so much on my own when God was telling me, "Get in, I'll drive." And guess what I read in my time with Him today-
"Then [Jesus] called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:34-37)
So, here's me taking up my cross.
How's yours going?
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Unknowingly Alone
Someone asked me today, "What would cheer you up?"
A. Someone to finish my assignments for me.
But frankly, I'm not sure. I don't know what would really make me smile right now.
I feel like I'm being tested in almost every way possible- to draw from His strength, His love, His plans and His calling. I can't cling to soandso any more. Unfortunately, people just move on.
For the first time in a very long while, I actually feel alone.
Thanks table-light for shining some light.
A. Someone to finish my assignments for me.
But frankly, I'm not sure. I don't know what would really make me smile right now.
I feel like I'm being tested in almost every way possible- to draw from His strength, His love, His plans and His calling. I can't cling to soandso any more. Unfortunately, people just move on.
For the first time in a very long while, I actually feel alone.
Thanks table-light for shining some light.
Audience Participation
My biological clock is failing me today. It is 0109 and I am not exactly as exhausted as I would be. But it has been a good day- I have learnt much and loved many.
As another week passes, another book review will come soon. I have two lined up which I am really quite excited to share with you. I have also ordered Passion 2012: White Flag, Every Falling Tear by Matt Hammitt and And If Our God is For Us by Chris Tomlin so perhaps an album review will be up soon too! My copy of NEEDTOBREATHE's The Outsiders came the other day and have been listening to it on loop. WORD Bookstore has a sale at the moment on all Music, which means NEEDTOBREATHE's The Reckoning and Matt Redman's 10000 Reasons would be on sale too. But, I shall be patient and wait it out for awhile longer.
In the book-shopping arena, I have challenged myself by buying Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. I am disallowing myself from buying the 2nd and 3rd until I have finished the 1st. Also in the same cart was Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, Ulysses by James Joyce and Grimms' Fairy Tales by George Cruishank and the Grimm brothers. I am rather nervous in buying the GFT but I think as long as I read it in broad daylight, I should be okay. [I'm not trembling]
So if you would like to find out how the album/novel is going- pop me a comment!
Meanwhile, here's a song that pulled me through the difficult night.
As another week passes, another book review will come soon. I have two lined up which I am really quite excited to share with you. I have also ordered Passion 2012: White Flag, Every Falling Tear by Matt Hammitt and And If Our God is For Us by Chris Tomlin so perhaps an album review will be up soon too! My copy of NEEDTOBREATHE's The Outsiders came the other day and have been listening to it on loop. WORD Bookstore has a sale at the moment on all Music, which means NEEDTOBREATHE's The Reckoning and Matt Redman's 10000 Reasons would be on sale too. But, I shall be patient and wait it out for awhile longer.
In the book-shopping arena, I have challenged myself by buying Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. I am disallowing myself from buying the 2nd and 3rd until I have finished the 1st. Also in the same cart was Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, Ulysses by James Joyce and Grimms' Fairy Tales by George Cruishank and the Grimm brothers. I am rather nervous in buying the GFT but I think as long as I read it in broad daylight, I should be okay. [I'm not trembling]
So if you would like to find out how the album/novel is going- pop me a comment!
Meanwhile, here's a song that pulled me through the difficult night.
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