Shiney.

Monday, July 18, 2016

There is something comforting in
The tactile feel of fingers tapping keys,
Seeing a blank canvas before you
Fill
With words - such sublime sensation!
It is going back to roots
Creativity unleashed
I am in my element -
Loving it!

To keep your lovely face
Ever before my eyes
This is my prayer
Make it my strong desire!
That in my secret heart
No other love competes
No rival throne survives
And I serve only You.

A pure heart- that's what I long for
A heart that follows hard
After You
A pure heart- that's what I long for
A heart that follows hard
After You
A heart that hides Your word
So that sin may not come in
A heart that's undivided
But one You rule and reign
A heart that beats compassion
That pleases You my Lord
A sweet aroma of worship
That rises to Your throne.

planted @ 9:43 PM

Return.Thursday, May 21, 2015

It's been awhile.

Time to return, after a long haitus.

I've missed you.
Missed the feel of fingers on keys, tapping away gently, leisurely, blissfully.
Missed the quiet repose of stringing thoughts into prose, and seeing them form on a paper screen.
Black-and-white letters.
There is something comforting in this.
Few things thrill the heart
And stir up as much pleasure
As this.

I hear a faraway bell;
I hear the ocean in a shell;
I hear the merry carousel;
And each one has its tale to tell -
Each has its music.

planted @ 9:55 PM

Monday, May 31, 2010

Lesson learned from King Ahaz (2 Kings 16):
If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all (Isaiah 7:9).

planted @ 5:29 PM

Monday, May 24, 2010

Thought I had better start journaling the things I've been learning in and out of church, so as not to forget them!

Today's sermon was on Acts 2 - the Holy Spirit's coming upon Jesus' disciples at Pentecost. What really struck me was the symbolic signifance of the believers praising God and telling of His works in the many varied languages represented by the cosmopolitan population of Israel at the time. The gift of tongues was not so much a gift for the sake of the individual disciples gathered there, but for the ears of their international audience! It was a spiritual BURST of praise unto God for His work to reconcile all peoples to Himself, a cacophony of joy heavy with symbolism, heralding the start of a new age of peace through Christ, and prophesying the end of ages where every knee would bow and every tongue confess the Lordship of Chirst.

The Holy Spirit decended in fire, and the mouths of the believers were opened. They could not stay silent. They had to proclaim the good news of great joy for all peoples in every language that was spoken in the city, so that everyone could hear. What a celebration it must have been! What a glorious filling and empowerment of the newborn Church to start her journey of obedience to her Commission and her Great Commissioner. In the words of the One who sent her:

'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'

The Holy Spirit is a missionary spirit. His work is to make Christ known. The same Holy Spirit who descended in power upon the first band of Christian disciples, today dwells within every Christian believer, empowering us for our Christian witness to our generation. Best of all, the same Holy Spirit remains with us to the very end of the age. He will not abandon us, or give up on us, and will continue to empower us for the ministry of reconciliation. Just as Jesus promised.

So what are we, as the church and as Christian individuals, doing?

We need to be praying and desiring what God desires - no less than the reconciliation of the world to Himself. If there's one most important thing a Christian needs to be engaged in, it is the journey of obedience to God's call to join in His work of reconciliation. The work is beyond huge, but our God is God. He has promised. And He will do it.

The universe in all it's chaos, is still a tiny one in His hands. That's what makes the work He prepares for us incredibly exciting. We are borne the shoulders of the Almighty, priviledged witnesses of His glory and goodness, and of His marvellous works in this world that He loves.

planted @ 2:36 AM

Saturday, March 27, 2010

At the end of another five week term, I have time once again to stop and reflect. It's times like this that I feel very blessed and thankful for being a student, for being 'alone' in a sense, in a foreign country, for the time that it affords for thoughtful pause, rest and stock-taking. I'm not sure how often working life affords such moments for introspection, but seeing how Shen Kiat makes an effort to retrospectively reflect has made me better appreciate the importance of such an exercise (a very strenuous exercise for one like me who isn't naturally inclined towards reflection and introspection). I'm grateful to God for his good example and inspiration in this area that I'm weak in. Challenge is good :) It's all part of growing in discipline. And discipine is good. Leads to greater Christ-likeness.

If there was one word to sum up how I feel about my student experience thus far in London, it's 'thankful'.I'm thankful for the hostel I'm living in, for the peaceful atmosphere it provides for study, prayer, reading. I'm very thankful for the good neighbours I have, who do little acts of kindness and will go out of their way to care, especially when someone's feeling down, or stressed, or angry or fearful. I've learned that a cup of tea, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, and a good long hug can work wonders. Even better if God opens the heart to honest sharing and prayer. And I'm thankful for God's preservation of my friendship with a close neighbour, despite the touchiness and senstivities of a difficult subject that I broached with her. I'm learning that love can be complicated - something I never really appreciated until I met her and got to understand her situation better. I hope this is God's way of teaching me empathy, though I must admit that there are certain trains of thought and ways of thinking that I struggle to understand. Oh yes, I've learned just how rigid, inflexible and stubborn I can be when it comes to certain convictions with regards to lifestyle choices. Better check myself more often to make sure I don't become a judgemental prude. Humility is key. Without it, there's a very rapid descent into prideful, self-righteous morality.

I'm thankful for the course I'm doing, for the things I've learned and am still learning. I'm thankful for the opportunity to study something I really like! It is really very much easier and much more pleasurable to spend long hours in study, when the subject is a preferred one. Best of all, I'm seeing how the science that I've been schooled in is applied in real-life clinical situations. Don't know when I developed this desire to see theory applied, but I'm sure it was somehow shaped by my time in VCF, seeing the Christian life through fresh lenses, through the living examples of faithful brothers and sisters serving Him in their different capacities and callings. The truth of Christ incarnate, the Living Word in action, finally sunk in at a ripe old age of 20 plus years (after more than 10 years as a well-schooled Christian). You see, I always absorbed the theroy quickly in school and in church but struggled with the practical application of it in real-life situations. I grew up in a theoretical world of possibilities and fantasies (all within my head of course), but was too timid and introverted to translate theoretical ideals and moral intuitions into practical action. I was a shy girl with low self-esteem, bound by a fear of rejection. It took a long time for me to come out of my shell, and an even longer time for me to be secure enough in Christ to break out of my comfort zone (self-absorption) and start to love others besides myself, but thankfully God continued to work in me and taught me many things during my undergraduate years in NUS. Christ-love is a lesson that I hope to never stop learning and growing in through the years. Ouch. That's a painful prayer.

And most wonderfully, most graciously, most beautifully and most lovingly, in the process of teaching me some painful lessons during those years, God prepared a good guy for me in the form of Shen Kiat! Every time I think about it, I'm struck by how different we are, but also how we make up for each other's weaknesses. I'm very thankful for this particular Lesson from God :) He's probably the most challenging one yet. But I know he's a good lesson, and I know he's from God. I hope he's equally challenged to grow in Christ as well, being in a relationship with me (which I can imagine must be trying at times).

There's probably much more to be said, with regards to what I've learned and how I've grown in the past half-year (so fast!) that I've been in London, but it's all too much for me to blog in a single post. If you care enough, keep me accountable for the follow-up post! The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. (Yah la I know that's not an excuse).

planted @ 9:03 AM

Christian Aid's Palm Sunday reflection, which I found very moving:

The gates of the city are open.
If we walk through them,
we will have to challenge power and vested interests,
to overturn status and wealth.
If we walk through them,
we will have to re-evaluate the way of the cross,
and recognise the sacrifice of the fearful and the proud
to preserve their own power.
If we walk through them,
we will have to leave behind the images of a Messiah that we long for,
a Messiah who will rule to the popular vote,
a Messiah who is always on our side,
a Messiah who is gentle, meek and mild.
The gates of the city are open.
Will we dare to walk through them?
or will we stand at their entrance
politely singing our hosannas?

planted @ 1:18 AM

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Jesus said, 'Come to me all you who are labour and heavy laden, and I will give you rest'.

He invited everyone who felt the burdens of life, of sin and of sorrow to come to Him for peace.

'Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'

In taking on Christ's work and agenda, in gentleness and humility, we find true rest and release - from striving and straining in anxiety to grasp at things for ourselves, from contention and competition with others in the workplace, from stressing and fretting over every test or challenge along the way.

As Elisabeth Elliot wisely put it, 'the heart which has no agenda but God's is the heart at leisure from itself'.

'Seek first his kingdom, and these things (food, clothes) will be given to you as well'.

My heart needs to desire what Christ desires.

planted @ 7:05 PM

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Overheard in lab the other day..

P: How do you cure someone of hydrocephalus?

S: Huh?

P: Give them a tap.

S: -_- |||

(Ed's note: That's not even right. You should put a shunt in him to let the CSF drain off.)

planted @ 11:22 PM