You are God alone.

food for thought.

i read this from a blog and i loved the mind teaser.

i really do enjoy poems and literature writing.

I’d rather be a could-be if I cannot be an are; because a could-be is a maybe who is reaching for a star. I’d rather be a has-been than a might-have-been, by far; for a might-have-been has never been, but a has was once an are.

~ Milton Berle

kids say the darnest things.

my organisation launched its 20th year of service to the community and to celebrate the event, we had a ‘reunion lunch’ together as a family.

yes, you heard it right. a family. HUGE one, in fact!
we had our favourite guy hosting the event and even my GM sang a love song to honour his wife. to top things up, our Chairman also sang a few lines. as i sat there listening to the men sing, i can’t help but be thankful for this organisation that i’m in. it is not easy to find one which is family-oriented and one whose bosses are so down-to-earth!

one highlight of our lunch was an impromptu interview the host had with a 5-year-old Charis. we had a good laugh listening to her! details below.

enjoy!

in awe.

came across alex honnold in a video by nikon and i freaked out.

oh my gosh.

i went to youtube videos of him in research for my training content and i freaked out more at this next vid. *looks of horror* my gosh! this guy is GOOD! i have a new idol!

21 years and counting.

my babe tied the knot yesterday. i’m really, really happy for her!
not only she is my longest-standing friend (since primary 1), i also had the privilege of witnessing her journey with her husband. God is so good to them!

tough love.

2011 has been a pretty eventful year. i hoped there wouldn’t be much repercussions but sadly, i was wrong. on the night we welcomed the new year, the Lord revealed my fear for 2012.

wow. 

as the first days of january creeped past, more unpleasant news came up. i found myself grumbling to my buddy about the people around me and the disappointment i felt when i think about the people in question. as soon as i realise the complaints, God also reminded me of His love for us in a paragraph from a book i’m reading.

in the chapter, the author talks about God touching the Untouchables. He used the story of the leper in Mark 1:40-45. from the passage, the author drew out 2 miracles:

1. the miracle of approachability – Jesus made Himself approachable and He chose to approach the leper (who is considered unclean and untouchable in those days)
2. the miracle of touch – going near to an unclean person is unimaginable…and to touch someone like the leper, it is scandalous! Jesus could have healed the guy by uttering words but He chose to touch before the words of healing were released. not only the leper was healed physically but his soul, which was tainted and bruised by years of shame and ostracization, is made whole

in regards to the latter, the author penned a sentence and quoted C.S. Lewis which caught my attention:

when you reach out to the untouchables in your world, you are signing up for pain. love means disappointment and heartache. (bullseye for me) but what is the alternative? C.S. Lewis wrote,

“to love at all is to be vulnerable. love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. if you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. but in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. it will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. the alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. the only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.“

in an instant, my grumblings caused me to reflect upon 2 things -

1. doing it right - though not fully edifying, my emotions towards those around me are somewhat legitimate since i’m experiencing disappointment and heartache (according to the author)
2. am i willing to love? – tough question but pretty obvious answer (for me)

there were a few incidents (this week) which got me pretty discouraged. the more i thought about it, the more i can’t decide how i should be feeling towards the various incidents. yes, politically correct answer is to surrender to God but well, we are all humans aren’t we?

the words tough love came to my mind. these words brought a certain amount of comfort for my soul. if there’s one thing i did right (which i lacked doing in the past) this week, i turned my eyes to God. the fears and struggles, i surrendered it at His feet. have i fully succeeded in doing that? no. well, i try to.

love itself is never a bed of roses. the kind of love the world promotes doesn’t last…but God’s love is different. however, His love doesn’t promise a warm, fuzzy feeling in your body. in Hebrews 12: 5 – 13, it says,

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

how i handle situations and ‘discipline’ others is a constant struggle of mine. i detest the fact that it makes me seem to rule with an iron fist and appear to be ‘heartless’. well, it is true that i don’t stand for nonsense. if i see something unacceptable (according to His Word), i will not hesitate to point it out.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16, 17 

and i struggled because i wanted to be like my mentors…gentle and tactful. in the last month, i’ve finally learnt that i don’t have to live in the shadows of my mentors but to be who i am, the way God intended me to be. i may not be as tactful or gentle, but i try my best. i cannot control how others may compare, so long my actions and words are acceptable before God, i’m in the clear.

having said much, i know that i’m in the clear in regards to the recent incidents. perhaps, a little more tact to my statements but it was my best.

just want to encourage you with this:

if the Lord has put you to it, He will bring you through it. have faith!

goodbye for now. i love you.

happy new year!

bots posted this on her fb wall yesterday and i must say i fell in love with this song! perhaps i love the chemistry between zooey deschanel and joseph gordon-levitt or simply, their vocals are awesome. but but…who wouldn’t swoon at levitt? he won my heart at 500 days. heh.

well, happy new year peeps!
may 2012 be one which is fruitful and filled with joy abundant!

What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?

Maybe it’s much too early in the game
Ooh, but I thought I’d ask you just the same
What are you doing New Year’s
New Year’s eve?

Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
When it’s exactly twelve o’clock that night
Welcoming in the New Year
New Year’s eve

Maybe I’m crazy to suppose
I’d ever be the one you chose
Out of the thousand invitations
You received

Ooh, but in case I stand one little chance
Here comes the jackpot question in advance:
What are you doing New Year’s
New Year’s Eve?