Monday, August 10, 2009
I.Love.Joo.Lie.
There comes a point in your life when you'll feel that birthdays are overrated. For me, that happened when I turned 26, about a month ago. The thing is, that feeling wasn't aroused by the fact that I've celebrated too many birthdays, or that I'm crying over old age. No, I was simply too overloaded with work and overwhelmed by everything that was happening around me to even want to take time to celebrate Me. Yeaps, sad but it's true. It seems 13 July has become just another date on the calendar.But just as I was all ready to sweep it under the carpet and let the day boil over, I was reminded - as usual - of the little things that matter. See, it wasn't just a day for me to celebrate me anymore. It had become a day where people get to show me how much they love me; to spoil me and let me bask in my moment (as narcissistic as I may sound, I'm actually coming to a point).
This realisation came through a series of smses in the beginning of July - when the thought of my impending birthday hadn't even dawned upon me yet. Good friends start asking if I'd be free for a meal together soon. And you know what? That's basically it. The simple yet powerful gesture of friendship was all it took to get me all hyped up about 13 July again. And that, for me, is a true testament of friendship - that no matter how little we see each other nowadays, how little we are involved in the daily happenings, some things are set for life. And the best part - we meet up and chat like we just saw each other yesterday. It's really like planting a seed and after years of water and care, you now reap the fruits (flowers) of your labour.
Gosh, I realised I've been talking a lot lately, so here are some photos for a change. I'd love to feature some other sets of people (Maria, Vin, Godpa + co) but we didn't take photos at dinner! Bummer!
Posted by Jo at 9:01 PM
Thursday, August 06, 2009
The keyword is "Emptied"
And I had to wait a whole day just to do this...Shortly after my post yesterday, as I was lying in bed doing my daily reflections, my jaw literally dropped when I read this passage. Uncanny would be the best way to describe it. Yesterday's reading fitted perfectly with how I was feeling at that time, and all I can say is "Wow".I took the effort to type the entire reflection of Fr Gary Caster for you, so make sure you read it!
"Christ emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross." - Phil2:7-8
One of the great joys in watching children play is the ease with which they take familiar things and use them in unimagined ways. Children see hidden potential in playing cards, plastic containers, paper bags, and other ordinary objects.
The objects are "emptied" of their common purposes and given new and greater significance. These new possibilities are limited only by the creativity and imagination of the child. What children do at play provides an insight into who they are, what they are thinking, and how they feel.
The self-emptying of Christ provides similar insights with respect to God the Father. By "taking the form of a slave", Jesus allows the unbounded creativity of the Father to be revealed. This new way of Christ makes possible the self-emptying of our humanity, so that we can be filled solely with the Father's imaginative purposes. We are given new significance and greater purpose because Jesus willingly abandoned himself to the Father. Jesus wholeheartedly took upon himself the limits of the humanity he assumed.
The power of St Paul's words lies in the truth to which they testify. The Father has taken what is most familiar to us and in Jesus used it in the most unimaginable way.
Lord, help me empty myself as you did, so that I might be filled with the Father's love and order my life according to His purpose.
Amen.
Posted by Jo at 10:01 PM
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
When was the last time you got inspired?
I'm an introvert by nature. And being an introvert in a compactly dense society, you need to be creative in order to find your alone time. For me, my alone time comes when I go for a jog. That's probably the only time when I'm stripped of my worldly possessions (gadgets) and distractions (work and people), and I can simply be silent. These days, I even make it a point to leave the watch at home so I don't have to keep track of time. You'd be surprised how different the world looks when you're focused on nothing but your breathing.Today, I noticed the yellow flowers blossoming from a tree. I smelled its sweet natural fragrance. I saw a precious tinge of blue in the cloud-covered sky. I stopped thinking of whether there's urgent work to be completed, or what's my next tweet going to be. And if I had to describe the experience - apart from being hot and sweaty - I felt pure freedom. I felt what it means to be worry-free, stress-free, and joyfully innocent - The way God had intended us to be. And the thing is, the longer I jogged, the more refreshed I became. I've never noticed this about myself before, but some of my best ideas come during a jog. Yes, scientifically, our body releases endorphins, and we become happier and more alert after exercise. But if we just leave logic at the door for a moment and strip it all down, what I really felt was utter bareness. I felt like I was running my trash away, detoxifying my system, and in that void, something fresh enters - God takes over without me even realising it.
All of us need to be inspired. Some find it in books. Others through a conversation with a friend. But seriously, how often does that happen these days? The only form of inspiration we get really, is seeing money being cashed into our bank accounts every month. For me, I've had the privilege of meeting many people in my line of work, and if there's something I'd learnt, it's the fact that beyond wealth, beyond the successful career, we are all looking for that one thing that makes life meaningful. Sadly, we seem to have forgotten to even want to look for that anymore.
So what is my point? (Man, I swear this long-windedness comes with age.) My point is that we all need to have our alone time, be it through a quiet jog in the park, or sipping coffee at Starbucks. And we need to be inspired every once in awhile. You'd be surprised how much more exciting life will be when there's a little spark of hope. You may even start to see a mundane matter or solve a long outstanding problem through a different light.
Today, I'm inspired to rethink my priorities. There are certain things and people high up on my priority list, and ironically, I spend the least time on them. It's little things like these that we need to sort out, and once that's done, life will hopefully, make a little more sense. That's when we can move on to bigger, better things in life.
So give it some thought - Find your alone time, embrace your bareness, and be inspired!
Posted by Jo at 10:34 PM
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
20 great things about dating a writer
Saw this on someone's tweet and thought it was funny, ego-boosting, and oh-so-true!1.Writers will romance you with words. Dating a writer means that you will receive love letters. Quirky notes will turn up in your pockets. Flowery descriptions of everything great about you will be shared on special occasions. See my recent post on things to write someone for Valentine’s Day for an idea of what you may receive when dating a writer.
2.Writers will write about you. Date a blog writer and you’ll find yourself bookmarking that blog to see if there are references to you in it. Date a poet and you will see yourself reflected back in some of the lines of poetry that the person recites at open mic nights. Your narcissistic tendencies will be happily fed when you date a writer. Of course, the drawback here is that dating a writer means that personal details about you may turn up in written form and the writer may write much less flattering things about you if you break up.
3.Writers will take you to interesting events. Writers, as a general rule, are curious people. We like to go to lots of different types of things so that we can widen the boundaries of our life experience and therefore broaden our writing. When you date a writer, you can expect to be invited to everything from burlesque shows to roller derby races to foreign countries.
4.Writers will remind you that money doesn’t matter so much. People who write for a living don’t do it to get rich. They know that money may matter but it’s not the most important thing in life. Dating a writer will help to remind you that it’s important to pursue your passions.
5.Writers will acknowledge you and dedicate things to you. Writers are big on acknowledging those who have helped them. Almost every book at the bookstore has a page for dedications and / or acknowledgments. Song writers and poets frequently include a dedication on their work. Date a writer and the world will know that you’ve supported someone in the arts.
6.Writers will offer you an interesting perspective on things. There is a writing quote about how writers taste life twice - once in the living and once in the re-telling on the page. Writers pay attention to interesting details in life so that they can recapture the world in their writing. When you date a writer, you will be privy to all of their insights about life’s events and experiences - and you may find that you get to see things in a whole new light.
7.Writers are smart. The majority of writers are intelligent people. They are usually well-read and well-educated which means they can hold their own in many types of conversations. Dating someone dumb just isn’t fun for long; dating someone smart is always an interesting challenge.
8.Writers are really passionate. Writers use all of their senses. They are passionate about their work and passionate about their lives. Your life will be enhanced by this passion for things when you date a writer.
9.Writers can think through their feelings. Writers may be really passionate but most of them don’t fly off-the-handle with emotion. They like to take time to process things. This ability is a true asset in a long-term relationship.
10.Writers enjoy their solitude. Unless you’re in the honeymoon phase of your relationship, you probably want at least some time to yourself and time to spend with your friends and family. Writers want time to be alone to write and think which means that you’ll get your own much-needed space as well.
11.Writers are creative. This sounds obvious but it has a deeper truth to it. Creative people are more capable of coming up with solutions to problems in life. Dating a writer means a chance to come up with creative solutions to life’s problems.
12.Writers wear their hearts on their sleeves. Sure this depends on the writer but most writers are pretty good at articulating what is going on with them. If they adore you, you’ll know it. If they’re mad at you, you probably won’t have to guess at why.
13.Writers will teach you cool new words. Writers love words. It can be irritating when they use ten dollar words in normal conversations but it can also be kind of fun to stretch your mind and build your vocabulary. Expect to play lots of Scrabble when dating a writer.
14.Writers may be able to adjust their schedules for you. Writers who can set their own schedules might be willing to rearrange things to spend time with you. They might be happy to meet you for a long lunch or to spend a luxurious morning in bed with you. Don’t expect the writer you’re dating to give up all of his or her time - they have to work regularly to pay their bills just like anyone else - but do know that there are some scheduling perks possible when you date a writer.
15.Writers can find 1000 ways to tell you why they like you. Writers are wordy and they like to express themselves. You can bask in the glow of hearing good things about yourself in ways that you’ve never heard them before. Of course, some writers will also be all too happy to tell you your faults so make sure you date a kind writer!
16.Writers communicate in a bunch of different ways. Most writers are pretty flexible in how they communicate. They’ll be just as content to get an email from you or to chat on IM with you as they are to talk on the phone (maybe even more so). This means that however you communicate regularly is probably fine for the writer you’re dating.
17.Writers can work from anywhere. This is nice because it means that writers can happily travel with you. They may have to take a laptop and spend some time at the hotel when you go to the beach but you can enjoy much easier vacation planning with a writer than with someone who works a 9-5 job.
18.Writers are surrounded by interesting people. Writers have a lot of characters in their lives. If you like meeting interesting people, just plan on being the date that goes along to parties and other gatherings with a writer.
19.Writers are easy to buy gifts for. Writers are happy with little things. Most writers like getting books as gifts. Since they aren’t really into the pursuit of money, they aren’t going to be chasing you for the big bucks you spend on them. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t spoil a writer if you want to but you should know that they value thoughtfulness way more than most material things.
20.Writers are sexy. There is a reason that people have fantasies about the school librarian. Male or female, those bookish types are hot hot hot.
Source: http://kathrynvercillo.com/blog/2009/02/07/20-great-things-about-dating-a-writer/
