the time of singing has come!

When the Lord God gave His people up to captivity in Babylon, it wasn't for evil, but for good. If you weren't aware of the story behind this action, nor understand the heart of God, probably you would find God very mean. But it's not like that.

See what Jeremiah said to them in the letter?

Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands , so that they may bear sons and daughters - that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. (Jer 29:5-7)

It was a way to keep the people of God alive, till the Lord delivers them. These are the people who truly seeks after God, because it was actually like a second chance for them to turn back from their evil ways and follow after God. But there were those who still refused to believe and they were those who remained in Jerusalem. And the Lord would destroy them...

So, being carried away into captivity was a test of one's faith to God. Nobody would think that being taken captive is a good thing, nor is living in a foreign land something one would be comfortable with. It was a temporary place until the Lord comes to them again - seventy years, the Lord promised. It was a waiting place, until deliverance, until the day that they can return home.

And what were they supposed to do while waiting? Get on with life. Build houses, work, start a family, and pray for peace.

If today, the Lord says to us, "You have to be taken captive, but don't worry, I will come to you to deliver you when the time comes." How would we have responded to that? Do we have the faith to do it? Or we rather remain in Jerusalem, in our comfort zones, not wanting to move?

I don't know if it's a little too far-fetched to think of it this way, but I was just trying to apply this portion of the bible to my life (or anyone's life which might be similar). Sometimes, we have to endure certain strange and unfamiliar circumstances unwillingly. The original cause might be something that we have done wrongly, like how the people of Israel/Judah sinned. But subsequently, perhaps we really want to turn back to God, and God is ever merciful to receive us once again. Yet the path that He set before us might not be something that we have ever imagined. "Harrrr. I have to be taken captive to follow after God???" What would we do then? Do we still walk in it? Let's learn to endure through those seemingly strange circumstances that we might be currently facing. See it as a period of transition. (In fact, it is a period for growth, because through enduring, we grow.) Remember, all circumstances, whether good or bad, will change.

And then what happens when we are on this strange and foreign path? Jeremiah's letter said to get on with life! We don't just do nothing, thinking that oh, God is coming again mahh. We still have got to do the work that we have in this life, whether your job, for your loved ones, or for church. There's much to be done, so while waiting, we keep busy. But not forgetting to pray for the Lord's peace amidst all that buzz.

It's the same with us Christians on earth today. During this seventy years on earth, we are in a foreign place that is not exactly our home. At times, we will feel uncomfortable in it. This is good, because we yearn for our home, the place where we truly belong. And God promised, "After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place." (Jer 29:10)

"I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive." (Jer 29:14)

Lord, I am waiting.

Judge not, that you be not judged.

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

which means, if I want to be loved, then I must love even more first. :D

Nobody loves me,
Everybody hates me,
Going in the garden
To-eat-worms.

Everyone needs a little love to get through life. Whether it is a reassuring nod, a bright smile, a quick pat on the shoulder, or just quality time together (no matter how short).

I need all of that too.

I get upset when I don't seem to receive them from the ones I really want to receive from. But I'm learning to cherish all the little moments that I didn't expect - moments of love showered upon me, when I feel most unworthy. Thank you for the multiple phone calls to wake me up, and thank you for bringing along your lappie just to help me. I was seriously touched.

And thank you for loving me, almost like how God loves me. I'm really really really really really really glad I have you in this world. At least you are just a sms away. And I know you love me.

Been feeling teary-eyed. Haha. I think I am quite stressed-out and tired. I will just take one thing at a time.

And, no expectations. especially from people. then life can be easier. (: Still holding on to my "not asking for friends, but to be a friend". May God strengthen me in this.

UNCERTAINTY.

"We pull each other."

If you never felt pain, Then how would you know that I am a Healer?
If you never felt sadness, How would you know that I am a Comforter?
If you never made a mistake, How would you know that I am a forgiver?
If you knew all, How would you know that I will answer your questions?
If you never were broken, Then how would you know that I can make you whole?
If you never had any suffering, Then how would you know what I went through?
If you never went through the fire, Then how would you become pure?
If your life was perfect, Then what would you need Me for?

----
The pathway is broken
And the signs are unclear
And I dont know the reason why you brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I will go through the valley
If You want me to

Now I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise
You're not through with me yet
So if all of these trials bring me closer to You
I will go through the fire
If You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my own
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'll never go alone

So when the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
And I will go through the valley
If You want me to

(Ginny Owens\If You Want Me To)

Why is my pain perpetual
And my wound incurable,
Which refuses to be healed?
Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream,
As waters that fail?

Therefore thus says the LORD:
"If you return,
Then I will bring you back;
You shall stand before Me;
If you take out the precious from the vile,
You shall be as My mouth.
Let them return to you,
But you must not return to them. "
(Jeremiah 15:18-19)

"Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
(Isaiah 43:18-19)

I have the key.
I have the key.
I have the key.

Do not return to the past.
What good does it serve?
Do not remember the former things.
They are but a piece of history now.

Do not let the music from the past still play in your head.
Change to a new tune!
Hum a new song!

You have the key.
You have the key.
You have the key.
You had the key.

Don't lose it.

你的回话凌乱着
在这个时刻
我想起喷泉旁的白鸽
甜蜜散落了

情绪莫名的拉扯
我还爱你呢
而你断断续续唱着歌
假装没事了

时间过了 走了
爱情面临选择
你冷了 倦了 我哭了
离开时的不快乐
你用卡片手写着
有些爱只给到这
真的痛了

怎么了 你累了
说好的 幸福呢
我懂了 不说了
爱淡了 梦远了
开心与不开心一一细数着
你再不舍
那些爱过的感觉都太深刻
我都还记得

你不等了
说好的 幸福呢
我错了 泪干了
放手了 后悔了
只是回忆的音乐盒还旋转着
要怎么停呢

怎么了 你累了
说好的 幸福呢
我懂了 不说了
爱淡了 梦远了
我都还记得

你不等了
说好的 幸福呢
我错了 泪干了
放手了 后悔了
只是回忆的音乐盒还旋转着
要怎么停呢

(作詞：方文山　作曲：周杰倫 )

Sometimes, all I need is
a listening ear,
a heart-to-heart chat,
a good laugh,
a kind soul.

Sometimes, I wonder why is life so difficult?
Why am I so difficult?
Sometimes, I just want to shred myself into pieces,
and then ask God to use me according to His purpose.

Sometimes, I still want to run away.
But I won't leave as long as there is work to be done.
I will go to where You want me to.
Only shield my heart,
Cover my eyes and ears.

---
Thank you, if you have ever made me laugh before.
A laughter that comes from deep down within me.

I'm thankful to God for a good and blessed Sabbath rest.

I'm glad to be of use today.

I'm glad to hear the full sermon about following Jesus.

I'm glad I had the chance to really pray before God.

I'm glad I stayed for choir. (we sang "My Peace", beloveds!!! im learning the alto part (:)

I'm glad choir ended at the time it ended.

I'm glad for the beautiful sunset, and the rainbow(s) that stretches across the sky.

I'm glad for the people who were kind to me today.

I'm glad for those who were willing to spend their time talking to me today.




I wished my beloveds were with me! And we can sing "My peace" together while admiring the beauty of God's handiwork!

---
sorry, I didn't mean anything bad really. I thought it might serve as a potential starter to a real conversation. maybe I used the wrong topic. or maybe it's just too hard now....

I noticed myself going back in time more frequently this past week.
Reliving the past in my memory.
Refeeling the sweetness, but also
Reexperiencing the bitterness.

I found myself lost more often this past week.
Lost in thoughts that I should not be thinking anymore.
Lost in the work that I must be responsible for.
Lost in this world of complexities.

I miss many people. And I wish I have more time for them. Perhaps it is really true when they say that its only after you have lost something, that you learn to appreciate and cherish the things and people around you more. I just want to make sure that I treat everyone around me to the best of my ability - giving love and care to the best that I can give.

I miss you, someone I used to love the most. But perhaps I didn't love correctly.

I miss you, someone who will listen to all my thoughts and feelings conveyed verbally. Someone who always seems so busy. Someone whom I wonder if you actually like me as much as I do. But I learnt not to expect. To be a friend, not asking for friends. I only pray that you are well.

I miss you, someone whom I can share a good hearty laugh. Someone who I thank God for in church. Yet sometimes, it is hard..... I don't know. But I just want you to know that you are someone special to me.

I miss you, someone who takes delight in God's creation as much as I do. Someone who don't mind spending time quietly with me to appreciate the wind, the rain, the sun, the stars, and the clouds. Someone so dear to me!

I miss you, someone who is almost just like me. But not quite. Someone who can laugh, cry, play, pray,.... with me! You are also the dearest friend on earth to me (despite differences in language, culture,.....sometimes :P)

I thought of you too. You who are already gone. But come to think about it, it's only been slightly more than a year. I remembered the frequent visits to the hospital, and how I held your hand. I remembered I was on the train when I got the news, and how strange I felt. And then, you are really gone.

I thought of the people who come and go in my life, and I kind of miss everyone. I miss the interactions we had, no matter how brief it may have been.

I thought about love too. I thought about how love isn't a feeling, just like faith isn't a feeling. If you based ur love or your faith on feelings, once the feeling is gone, everything will be gone too. So love isn't a feeling. It isn't that I have stopped loving you, but that I have learnt to stop loving you (or at least, am still learning to).

I thought about the tears I have shed. Some silly, some still heart-wrenching, some with hope. Some which I looked back now and know that it was a path worth walking through. Despite the pain and the tears, it had made me who I am today.

I thought about God and how much I want to draw closer to Him. I want to know Him. I want to be like Him. I thought about how He is the only One who truly knows me and loves me. And I really feel comforted by this.

I think too much. It's time to go.

It's been five years since I started looking for you. And I am still looking for you.

Where are you?

Are you hiding in a corner too? Do you feel lonely too?

I felt lonely today, that's why I thought of you.

You know, I can't help but feel left out today. I know it must be me; why do I feel so different from everyone? Am I looking for the wrong things? I must be. It must be my own heart. I tried very hard to have God change my heart. Not asking for friends, but to be a friend.

I really really miss you. I wish you were right here with me. Then I would tell you all that is kept within me. I would pour out all hidden emotions, and you would understand. Yet, you would also give me godly advice. You would gently rebuke me with the Word of God. And I would do the same to you too. We would hold each other by the arm, and be very thankful.

I once thought I found you. But it turned out that it wasn't you.

You must be somewhere. Where are you?

---


Actually, as one grows older, one gradually realise that only God can take up that place. That special you is the Lord. This thought actually made me smile, despite everything else.

In our journey of faith, are we going to finish strong? Are we able to be like Paul, saying "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." and be confident of that crown of righteousness which God will give us that Day (2Tim 4:7-8)?

Keep going, keep trying, keep striving to be like Him. That really is the ultimate goal of our lives on earth. Don't give up, it is possible, with God.

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time for prayer.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2008.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:

25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business..
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

32. Do the right thing!
33. Always speak the truth even if it leads to your death.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

(a forwarded email)

Count your blessings that God gives you each day!
Live life to the fullest such that even if you were to die in the next minute, you know you can do so with a smile. :D

My favourite love story



Memories of my first Japanese drama

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days
That the mountain of the LORD’s house
Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
And shall be exalted above the hills;
And all nations shall flow to it.

Many people shall come and say,
“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
(Isaiah 2:2-3)

I was once asked to draw the imagery I got while I read these verses. What is the visual image that you have while you read it?

I really love these verses because it tells of the glory and the majesty of the House of God. I believe that this will come to pass. 真教会一定会复兴起来的！

However, a building requires that its foundation be firm and stable. Imagine the pillars that support the building. If even one of them breaks, the entire building will not be able to stand anymore. It will be reduced to ruins. The thought of it pains me. How can we ever allow such a thing to happen to God's house? The church which He purchased with His own blood?

And what are the pillars?
The Truth.
And the Holy Spirit.

Where the Truth is, the Spirit of Truth shall abide.