Ice Bat

1.43am and I've only packed halfway through for Taiwan tomorrow.
Distracted by everything else.
Been wearing the same winter clothes for 7yrs... daggy.
'Tis Tink being haunted by my new friend Ice Bat (isn't he ugly!). He comes with a paragraph of sweet nothings: "Ice Bat lives in an ice cave inside an icebox. Anything he touches turns to ice... yet he warms your heart! Ice Bat is lookin' to chill with you. He wants to sit next to your computer (which is also frozen) and hang out. Ice Bat wants to go with you. Why? He thinks you are cool." :)

Blessed Christmas!

Merry Christmas peeps!!!
Went to watch A Jazzy Christmas the night before last with the Jeremy Monteiro Trio along with Leroy Jones, Craig Klein and Charlie Gabriel. It was totally mind blowing, the synergy between the musicians... the way the trumpeter starts singing in perfect tune a split second after he blows the last note on his instrument. Charlie Gabriel.. cute little old man who packs a punch on the clarinet and sax more than his age and stature would behold. Amazing. Totally. The best $80 I've ever spent on a concert. *chestnuts roasting on a fireplace...* no.. *gao lucks roasting on a fireplace..." (arghs)
Had a lovely family dinner last night, and an even lovelier cell group dinner tonight. The Lord's blessed me with so much. Christmas... when love came down. Thank you God!

Getting older

It's 2 days to Christmas! Been caught up the commercialisation of it all, buying gifts and stuff. These past few days have sort of floated by, maybe coz I've been running about Singapore with Jason. Think the greatest achievement was Wednesday- went cycling around Pulau Ubin and decided to ignore the barrier on the path towards Chek Jawa and made it there! Though it was high tide... again.
Turned 24 yesterday. (gee. Feel a lil old) Jason got me a pair of pyjamas with cartoon cat prints (ha!) on them, a beautiful bouquet of roses which was delivered to my doorstep, and a card with a pencil sketched portrait of us, which really reminded me of the picture I drew of little Daniel for Ruth about 10 yrs ago. The highlight of the day was.. er.. the Chronicles of Narnia. :P And not forgetting the call from the boss midway through dinner, scolding me unreasonably (I felt) for nothing in particular.
I suppose, even with the call, it was all pretty special. :)

Jack of all trades, master of none.

Sloth her long dark arms encircle
Slender and genteel
Promising comfort without pain
If I would just remain
Content with mediocrity.

Am I chasing after the wind
For self gratification?

the weekend past

When the boss books in an extra 2 surgeries for you on top of the 5 you already have, he can just mention "sorry" and get away with it. Oh well. *tired*

I've had a wonderful weekend (i mean the real sat-sun weekend). Was quite a mad rush on sat- dinner with Criss after church hospitality after work. note: Coffee Club's swiss mushroom melt and banana cheesecake are absolutely sumptuous! To top it all off, Southbridge. The evening was sorta ruined by an obnoxious waiter who almost picked a fight with Dale for no good reason at all. Really bad customer service, and poor Dale. But at least I got to hear Misty played by Jeremy Monterio. :) Sunday evening was spent manning a Club Rainbow booth at Novena Square with 2 quite unfriendly 16 year old girls. They were moaning about how 'there's no love in the world' after a few attempts at asking for donations and being rejected by passers-by. A few kind souls really made my day though... twas only after this that it occured to me how much one can make a difference by just sparing a dollar or 2. Then there was this really naughty Arabic kid who came to disturb us, throwing our stuff off the table, hitting the girls and making aggressive growling noises! Scolding didn't seem to help, and worst of all, his mum totally ignored his atrocious attitude, continuing to window shop purposefully obliviously. Gee people discipline your kids if you wanna have 'em!

Polly's back and is a total nuisance in the clinic. She screamed each time I stepped outta the consult room, or as-and-when-she-liked, prompting many a client's eyes to dilate before asking "er... is that a BIRD you have behind?" To which I'd answer "Yes. She's been talking nonsense all day and is really irritating." Only consolation being they'd find it really funny.

Made it to the Expo for the 2nd half of Holiday on Ice... it was splendid. (Thank you SO much. Albeit that wrong turning after which the airport control tower appeared in front of us.. that was scary.) Can't remember the last time I saw figure skating live. Brought back memories of Year 12 in Perth when I first saw Tara Lipinski skate to Journey to the Past at the Winter Olympics on TV, and was totally bewitched by the magic of it all. How Denise and I would rush to the rink after school sometimes for lessons, and how I'd keep on practising backward skating and try to jump a turn. Still remember it being really secluded at Berrigan Drive, and if Denise weren't there I'd be the only asian skating by myself before I got chased away by the ice hockey players who always came at 6pm.

Am listening to A Christmas Story by Point of Grace. It's delightful! (esp. track 11 Jingle Bell Rock!) http://www.pointofgrace.net/index.php?content=musicchristmas

Jason's confirmation presentation is the day after next. 4 days more and I'll be meeting you at Changi. It's been 4 and a half months. Seems so long, my enthusiasm is subdued... surreal-ity. Can't wait for the day before you come when I'll be all excited again. :)

:)

(this is trivial stuff)
I had a breakthrough yesterday. Bought one of those small ladylike handbags! Been meaning to get one for approximately the last 5yrs in an attempt to look less kiddish, but always ended up with something more... teenager-ish. Just got scolded by a few friends the other day for still using a winnie-the-pooh wallet. (but but but. I like pooh.) Also, I did some successful shopping for presents. What's wrong with me.

Just caught Perhaps Love with Sarah, after getting coffee on the house from Starbucks. (christmas open day!) The movie, as its name suggests, is about love... found and lost. It has a beautiful soundtrack and cinematography, though it was...ultimately depressing.

Gonna be totally busy from today till january, but it's gonna be awesome. Jeremy Monteiro @ SB, Club Rainbow @ Novena, family/cell group/new friends'/old friends' gatherings, wakeboarding, Chronicles of Narnia opening in cinemas on my birthday. :) And the icing on the cake, Jason's visit! (note: visiting, not coming back.) Thank God for Christmas- no not only because of all these blessings- but because Christmas is evidence that Emmanuel, God is with us... and it's only because of that we live... we REALLY live.

Irony

In between going through piles of tissues blowing my nose and wiping my tearing eyes, I ponder over the last 24hrs. (note: no I've not dumped or been dumped...it's one of the most severe bouts of allergic rhinitis I'm having. The chlorphenarimine doesn't seem to be working. Wish I had some steroids with me.)

***
Ok that was last night, after which Ruth came along and we went out. I got my first parking ticket ever!! 4/12/3005 12:12am, Rule infringed: R3, Cap 214, 4(1), Holland V. I suppose it was my fault not putting a coupon, thinking that I needed an overnight coupon (which I didn't have), though when I checked later all the other cars had put normal ones. (??) Oh whateva. But my company was worth the fine.:) Thanks babe, you bring sunshine into my life!

So... I now ponder over the last 48hrs, and thank God that my runaway nose has decided to return to its mistress.

Met up with a few high school friends on friday night. Apparently I hadn't informed them that I've been back in Singapore for 2yrs (oops), and therefore had a bit of a scolding. One of them has a new 33yr old boyfriend who zoomed by in a bright yellow Lamborghini to pick her up, car disappearing before the sound of its accelerator did. After which my other friend commented quite matter-of-factly, "Yeah we call that the yellow one. He's got..about 4 more, one's a Ferrari and another a Merc." It was all a bit scary, how some of my friends have changed.

Yesterday, Jackie Pullinger spoke at the 4pm service. As a teenager, she'd obeyed the call of God to set sail from England whilst praying, on the boat, about where to get off. 40yrs on, she's still in Hongkong, her final destination on that trip, working with the destitute, prostutites, drug addicts and the gang triads. She simply stated that many more "normal" people were needed in fringe ministries, rather than broken-hearted people who take so long to be healed themselves before they can help others. They serve out of a grateful heart, being able to reach out to people going through the same hardships as them. She stressed that it's not exactly just HER ministry to be housing 300 homeless people- if a church of middle class people could come out of a willing heart and care for just 1 homeless person each, the gospel would go forth with so much more effectiveness. She spoke of how, in such a time as this, the generation of young people seems willing enough to give their lives to Christ, and that it's the parents' generation which is unwilling to let them go. She beckoned the people of the service to "let your children go", just as Abraham was willing to let go of Issac. She said : "I find so much joy in giving my life to Christ like that... but it's killing too. We are all so tired."
Her message tugged at my spirit. I partially understood why I sense that my life will be a nomadic one. Because God knows full well that if I stay put in one place long enough, I would be as I am now...quite contented with middle-class life. And very soon, I'd be so comfy that I certainly wouldn't budge. The prospect of leaving Spore is painful enough even now. And I'll definitely end up being one those who'll say: "Some people are called to missions. I've been called to stay here and support missions."
(gee I hope I don't read this blog in 5yrs time realising that I've really ended up like that)

Ironically, immediately after church, my friend took me to Holland V in his brother's Volkswagen convertible, with the roof down. As he said, it's just like a high-class motorcycle. I mean, it might be lovely driving like that at 80kph in springtime along some countryside road...but along Commonwealth Rd flanked by lorries and taxis? Just... wrong.

A gift

Been meaning to post this picture since my trip to Kluang. It's a diary that dearest Mel surprised me with. Made from scratch, the cross-stitched cover all the way down to each page leaf! I'd bought this pattern from Nakhon Sri Thammarat 2 yrs back whilst on a mission trip, thinking that I'd have the time to stitch it as a reminder to "Slow down and enjoy God's work". As it ironically turned out, I didn't, thus sent it to Mel to make for herself... but she gave it back to me instead!! Sweetie! :)

God is good, all the time.

"For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." Matt 12:34

Oh Lord, may it be so that my heart will overflow with things of thy Spirit, out of which will come speech that reflects thy goodness.

These were a couple of songs I felt the Lord lead me to choose on Sunday for worship today. No underestimating the power of these words.

Be Magnified

I have made You too small in my eyes O Lord, forgive me
And I have believed in a lie, that You were unable to help me
But now, O Lord, I see my wrong, heal my heart and show Yourself strong
And in my eyes and with my song, O Lord, be magnified

Be magnified, O Lord, You are highly exalted
And there is nothing You can't do, O Lord, my eyes are on You
Be magnified, O Lord, be magnified

I have leaned on the wisdom of men, O Lord, forgive me
And I have responded to them, instead of Your light and Your mercy
But now, O Lord, I see my wrong, heal my heart and show Yourself strong
And in my eyes and with my song, O Lord, be magnified

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone, I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory, let it be said of me
My source of strength, my source of hope
Is Christ alone

We have displaced God off the throne in our hearts. We've limited Him to what our minds can fathom, trusting in only the future our eyes behold. But God does not work within the boundaries of the human imagination. We've just gotta let go and let God; only then will He be magnified. Jesus Christ asks of us to place our trust in Him alone; which means walking by faith and not by sight.