My Christmas Prayer

Dear friends,

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful time with loved ones and a wonderful celebration of the greatest gift on Earth.

This Christmas, I pray that God will be ever real and close to you as you ponder and stand in awe of such amazing love and sacrifice for us, who are not worthy of such grace. Christmas is not about the gifts. It's about the love so powerful and great that we have no ability to fully realize its true magnitude. I pray this love will enter your heart and grow deep and lasting roots.

Merry Christmas and God's love.

Debby

As our eyes gaze upon that bright Christmas Star
May Gods presence be with you wherever you are

As we celebrate this beautiful season of love
May many of His blessing fall from above
May your heart be filled with His peace and his joy

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Gods’ boy
May His love and His comfort
Make your heart whole
May His sweet Holy Spirit
Penetrate your soul

This christmas I ask Him
To keep you in His care
And bless all your loved ones
“My Christmas Prayer”

By Brenda Lewis

Current Status

I am missing someone terribly and I don't even know why. Praying and praying. Trying to enjoy my time at home and I am, don't get me wrong. But why, oh why, do I miss the person's company and presence so much?

I'm Leaving On a Jet Plane

I know when I'll be back again... Jan 6! hehehe!

Wohoooo! I'm heading home! I'm soooo excited and soooo happy!!! Home home here I comeeeeeee!!

Car Dream Busted

You know when you were young and you dreamed of owning a car, of being free to go wherever you wanted to with no worries.... POP!! The dream has burst.

Within this week, I've:

1. Locked myself out of the car when EVERYTHING in it, my cell phone, keys, the works! To make things more interesting, it was during the worst snow storm of the week. I was freezing, covered in snow and very stressed and worried.

2. Gotten a flat tire. Now this I know I had no choice or hope or not getting it. Went to get my license plate this morning and as I was driving along the road, out comes this big pot hole with NO SIGN and no WARNING. I couldn't have seen it coming even if I was searching for it, as it blended in with the road. I couldn't change lanes because this huge truck was next to me and I couldn't slow down because the car behind me was so close to me. So I had to go through it. WHAM! Front tires took the brunt of it. Didn't realize it until I was driving this evening and someone told me of the flat tires. Went to pump air into the front 2. the left one worked out fine. The right one is busted.

But I have to thank God for giving me so many people who helped me out. To the kind lady on Monday who drove me around trying to get my AAA membership number, to AAA who has come super fast to help me out for free, to the random guy at the gas station who helped me look at my tire and to the Holy Spirit who helped me stay calm and listened to my pleas of help.

Ah.. responsibilities... Bummer.

Wisdom

Also from Regina Franklin's Book "Who Calls me Beautiful".

Find Wisdom and let her teach you how to silence the voices that do not reflect the truth of who you are in Christ. Hear the voice of God as He calls you His beloved.

Find Wisdom and let her teach you to love the woman God has created you to be. Let her teach you to stand in awe and wonder at the marvelous work of God's hand when He made you.

Find Wisdom and let her teach you how to treat your body as the temple of Christ. Know that you are a sanctuary for the One who is your refuge.

Find Wisdom and let her teach you to stand in a place of proper perspective. When you seek her, she will guard your mind and transform your thoughts.

Find Wisdom and let her teach you how to allow your husband to revel in the body of the wife of his youth, not in his wife's youthful body. Let him take pleasure in the true, genuine, one-of-a-kind you -- sags, bags, rolls, and all.

Find Wisdom and let her teach you that your life will change and so will your body. Let her also remind you that you serve an unchangeable God who has loved you from the beginning of time.

God's Defintion of Beauty

I've been reading Regina Franklin's "Who Calls Me Beautiful" for religion class and I'm glad I took the opportunity to do so. This book is AMAZING and very insightful, thought provoking and personal.

I HIGHLY recommend all the ladies to read this book. And Men, this will make a great gift for the women in your life!

Let me share with you just a few bits that have made me think and reflect on my own life.

“Our inability to understand our own inherent true beauty destroys the very beauty that results from our being the temple of God. … If we do not value the temple, we cease to be the temple.”

“I see beauty.
She leans against her Savior, and she finds grace. Knowing that only God can sustain her, she stands in the face of fear and resolves not to give up. She recognizes that the things of God are the only things that matter. Seeking after the things of Christ, she lives a life of integrity. She is a fighter, a survivor, a woman of strength.
She is beauty.”

“Thus, a woman’s beauty must be found in and defined by things that are eternal, life-giving, and true. We must desire things that draw us to Christ and bring us to fullness of life in Him. He is our salvation; so too He is our beauty.”

Beautiful Snow

So, even though i don't like the cold, I have to admit that snow is BEAUTIFUL!! It just shows how amazingly creative our God is! Look at the pictures He paints with the snow!! I went around campus taking some pictures today after the snow stopped falling for a while. Look and see the beauty and wonder of our God!

Christmas & Snow 12/1/06 3:27 PM

Snow has arrived. So has the shoveling...

From Christmas & S...

Snow is pretty when looking from the inside. When we have to walk in it and worst still, SHOVEL it off our walkway... Not so nice!!

On the bright side, I don't need to go to the gym anymore. Snow Shoveling is a much better work out AND it tackles those never-been-used-for-decades arm muscles of mine. Wohoo, here's for building those muscles!!!!

Noise is Back

The people are back from break and things are back to its noisy, fun, laughter-filled self! I'm happy!

I'm also happy that I'm heading home soon in 14 days!! 2 WEEKS!! I can't WAITTTTTTTTTT!!

Quiet House, Amazing Realization

I didn't realise how much I value the talks and laughter I share with my house mates and my friends until they went back home for Thanksgiving break and my house is suddenly so quiet.

A sense of loneliness came over me, partly because I wish I could go home too for the weekend, and partly because I miss the conversations I have with them, especially with someone who has unexpectedly became one of my very good friends in just 3 months.

Funny how God surprises us with unexpected gifts. I never thought I would so comfortable and so open to this person. After many hours of talking about our life, our purpose, our families and stuff, we've become close and I value his presence and comfort. What a blessing! What a true friend, someone who senses that I need support or just the presence of a comforting soul and is willing to push aside other things to be there for me.

We have almost daily conversations and just talk about random stuff and have fun. I didn't realise how much I've gotten used to him being around and just being there. Funny ah?

Word of the Day: Armor of God

On the Last Chapter of Ephesians. In the later part of the Chapter, Paul tells the church to "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." (Ephesians 6:10).

He talks about the armor of God and what it means to put it on (verses 14 to 18).

Waist Girdle: Truth
Breastplate: Righteousness
Shod the Feet: Preparation for the Gospel of Peace
Shield: Faith
Helmet: Salvation
Sword: Spirit - Word of God

Final Action: PRAYING in the Spirit, leading to BOLDNESS to make known the mystery of the gospel.

What I've noticed is that while God wants us to put all those equipment on to be strong, it is to be strong in HIM, not in our own strength and our own abilities. And I've also noticed that praying here is not used as a "doing nothing" thing but in fact, it is a very active ACTION word. God does not want us to go fight the battle without any preparation. Our prep work is the armor and the PRAYING, getting ready for the day when He calls us into active battle.

So dear friends, put on the Armor of God and prepare daily for the day when our dear Lord, Savior and King calls us to go out into the battlefield and win the souls of all who need Him.

Meaningful Lessons

I've been learning some life lessons during the last few weeks through various avenues - relationships, sadness, tiredness, the Bible and more... All of which are being used by God to guide me and remind me of life's priorities.

1. A True Friend is one who is willing to spend time with you, just being there, when you're down. He/She is willing to put aside other stuff and realizes that friendship is more valuable.

I'm sad and happy to say that I have had to realize this the tough way. Sad, because the one I thought was a good friend never did this. Happy, because the most unexpected person turned out to be this good friend. God is loving and He gave me the right person at the right moment.

2. Responsibilities are overrated. I'm realizing that I don't like them at all, but they are necessary to grow, learn and use my freedom wisely.

I'm going to try and shed some of the extra activities next semester that have no meaning and lasting impact and focus more on those which do. I am learning that being busy with activities is not good. Instead, being busy with building relationships is what I should focus on.

3. I am too negative thinking and it affects the way I deal with the issue. When I start focusing on the negative parts, my entire perception changes and it leads to me become unable to do well on that issue. I have to be more positive thinking and look at the good side, not forgetting the bad, but not allowing it to take me over.

4. I've reading Ephesians now and there is one line that has jumped at me.

"Be angry, and do not sin." Ephesians 4:26

That sounds like a paradox doesn't it? How can I be angry, yet not sin? Is this righteous anger? What categorizes it? How do I know that I'm sinning or not when I'm angry? This led me to:

"Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still." Psalm 4:4

Hmm... Meditate within my heart and be still... I don't know EXACTLY what it means but I'm guessing that its to reflect on it positively in private and quieten my heart and mind and allow God to help me deal with my anger. Any other ideas?

Word of the Day

Why I am up at 6:30am willingly without an alarm clock I do not know. I have not been sleeping well the last few days, been tossing and turning and have been unable to have a peaceful sleep. So instead of trying to fight it, I just woke up and decided to do my Bible reading for the day. Actually, reading it in the morning when I'm wide awake and when the house is very quiet and peaceful is VERY VERY good. So anyway, this is my reading for the day.

Galatians Chapters 4 to 6. I'm just going to quote a section that I've found very interesting and good for me.

Galatians 5:13-22
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty: only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself."
But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another. so that you do not do the things that you wish.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Tithing for the Bills or the People?

I have something against churches who get loans from banks for the sake of building an amazing place for the Lord's Work. I'm sorry, but the Lord's Work does not need expensive wall panels, thick carpets and comfy chairs. God does NOT need you to have a building to serve Him.

Whatever happened to not being yoked with the World. The way I see it, oweing tons of money to the bank and spending years to pay it off is being yoked with the World. Who are you constructing this building for, REALLY? For God, or for the impression and the good reputation it will bring the church. Because if God really wants you to have this building, I'm pretty sure he'll provide all the finances you need without you having to borrow money from the bank. After all, God has all the riches in the World. I'm sure he'll provide for your needs so you don't need to be in debt to the World.

This is RIDICULOUS!! What is happening to churches nowadays? It seems all I see are building projects and them encouraging us to 'tithe' to the church for the building. I do not want my money going to bills and interest loans repayments. I want it to go directly to the PEOPLE, to reaching out directly to the community and providing tangible help to them! I am pretty sure we can do all these without a fancy building, probably even more!

Will you love me enough?

With so many scandals ongoing now in the church, it has caused me to think. So many church leaders have sinned and continued to sin while serving in the Church and NO ONE SAID ANYTHING.

That is very sad. As members of the Body of Christ, we have to hold each other accountable for our actions, no matter what our "position" in the church. In fact, the more responsibilities we take on, the more people HAVE to hold us accountable because of the influence we have on others.

Many times, out of respect, people will keep their mouths shut when they see someone sinning or even close to sinning. That is not true respect. If you truly respect and love that person, you will not want them to fall into the pit of sin. You will pull them up and awaken them to their senses, even if this might cause you to lose their friendship for a while.

I'm not saying we have a right to be judgemental. I'm saying we have a DUTY to one another to lovingly reproach and help one another stay on the long and narrow path.

"Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear." Proverbs 25:12.

As one blogger (Everyday Mommy) wrote in her blog, "How immeasurable is the value of our friends who, in the bold act of love, reprove us when we need reproving. Faithful are the wounds of a friend who knows when to say, "Have you examined yourself?""

Will you be such a friend and hold me accountable? Will you tell me and pull me back when you see me walking close to the edge? Will you pray alongside me and help me find my way back to Christ? Will you LOVE me enough to reproach me?

21!

My birthday is happening in 12 hours!!! November 4, remember that wonderful day! wohoo!! I'm turning 21!! And I'm going to celebrate differently from a lot of college students! I'm going for a nice lunch with friends and... that's all! NO DRINKING!! NO ALCOHOL!! and NO GETTING DRUNK!!

Let's be unique!

Different versions of friendship

Things have gotten a bit better. She is somewhat talking to me, although she seems to love to talk to people on the phone more than to me who is living next door. She also asked me to go with her earlier to the dinner to reserve the seats. Although I take this as her saying things are back to normal, these past days have made me reflect and seriously analyse this friendship.

I have come to several conclusions after the thought process and heartache.

1. Her definition of "Best Friend" is very different from me. I expect a lot deeper and closer ties than she does.

2. She's never really been all that much interested in my life. She would let me talk a bit about stuff but then she'll switch the topic back to her life.

3. I've been blinded to all these and more maybe because last year, I was thrown into a new country and new school and life and she was one thing that was stable and she was one the quickest to get to know me. (She's very friendly and makes friends easily.)

4. I have different expectations of what best friends should do for each other.

All these have led to me concluding that maybe to her, she might label me as her best friend, but I've realized that I would just say she's a good friend. It hurts that I've "lost" a best friend but seeing that she never really was that close to me on a very deep level, I just feel stupid for not seeing this sooner.

So the last few days of crying, being hurt and having everything accumulating on me, especially that emotional turmoil I've been experiencing, has taken a toil on my health. I'm eating less (which is probably a good thing), not sleeping well and having headaches.

Even though it really hurts now and it will take a while to get out of it, I do know that God is allowing this to happen to me so that I can realize how desperately needy I am of Him and His love. Progress is slow, but I am finally slowly taking those steps to abandon my pride and stubborness and cling on Him. To hold on tight to He who will never forsake nor hurt me like humans can.

If you are willing, please pray for me, that I will be willing to learn and accept whatever God has planned for me, especially in this hard time. Also pray that my loneliness will not push me away from God into other stuff, but will pull me closer into His loving arms.

Thanks.

Alone

I don't know why I'm crying...
I don't know why I hurt so bad...
I just know that God is my Father...
And even though I feel so alone...
He will never forsake me nor leave me...

Hurt

Today, she talked to me. Or should I say, I talked to her. I have to initiate the conversation if not she would never have talked to me. And she invited me to her birthday dinner tomorrow.

While I'm happy that she is making this step to rebuild our friendship, I can't help but be hurt that if I didn't approach her and find out what was wrong and tried to made amends, she would have totally not told me about the dinner and gone on without me.

It cut me deeply because when someone proclaims to be my best friend and then because of one problem intentionally not involved me in something so big, it makes me wonder if she even values this friendship. She invited people she just met but would have excluded me, her supposed best friend.

I don't know what to feel. I know I should be thankful that she finally is reaching out to me, but yet I am very deeply hurt by her actions. Everytime I think about it, I go on the verge of crying.

Another thing that makes me even sadder is that I've been sick and tired and been burdened with many problems to deal with, and yet my "best friend" doesn't seem to care or even ASK how I am doing. Instead, people I've just known for over a month seem to care more about me and are constantly asking if I'm ok and what they can do to help.

I'm so tired of being hurt and sometimes this is the reason why I don't like to open my heart and be vunerable to people. Because they can hurt you so deeply. Maybe I've chosen wrong for a best friend. Maybe she does not know how deeply she's hurt me. Maybe she doesn't even care.

Losing a Friend

I'm finding it tough balancing having to be "in charge" of this house and being a friend to the house people, especially my best friend. Lately, I've been feeling that she does not want to talk to me and is angry at me. So I asked her today if there was something up and she said there was. She said lately everything I've said to her has been instructional and telling her stuff. She didn't like that.

It shocked me but reflecting, I would say that she's right. I've been so caught up trying to deal with the issues of this house that I've not had a good friend conversation with her for a long time. It's so hard to be both a friend and a RA. Sometimes I hate being a RA because of that. I don't want to lose our good friendship yet I do have to sometimes tell her stuff...

I guess I have to learn to balance the two more. I'm going to have to work hard to rebuild this friendship because I don't want to lose it. I just pray and hope she is willing to work with me on this. She doesn't seem to want to do anything to make the situation better.

I'm feeling ever more lonely, stressed, tired and down. As I write this, tears are running down my face. I want to be home now, forget about all the troubles and worries and just be in the comforting presence of my family, especially my mom.

Journeying Back Home

Went to my friend's church this morning as part of my Religion Class assignment. After not going to church for a while, I realized what I've missed about church - Peace, Calm, Renewed...

I need church. I need the community... I need the peace in my heart... I need time with fellow believers in praising God.

This morning has made me realize how much I've been slipping... how much I've been letting my laziness and excuses carry me away from the peace and comfort of God's arms. It is time I journey on back home.

~~~~I'm weary and heavy-ladened. It's time I stop wandering and head back home into His loving arms.~~~~

A True Blessing

The process of getting to know someone deeper than the acquaintance level is very interesting and exciting. It is very time-consuming too but I love just sitting down with someone and spending time just talking about life and our views on things and having fun together. It is a very enriching and inspiring time for me.

I have never liked superficial friendships. To me, being a friend means understanding and knowing the core and foundation of that person. A true friendship is meaningful and helpful and inspiring and takes a lot of time and effort on both sides to develop.

I just had an amazing opportunity to reach into the mind and core of a new friend. After our house halloween party, a friend and I sat down for 2 hours and talked about anything and everything. We talked about personality quirks, the way we think, our view on church, baptism and a lot of other stuff. Time passed so fast and before we knew it, it was 2:40am. WOW! I truly enjoyed that time and always look for more opportunities to do that with people.

I'm glad that the Lord is bringing people like this friend who are willing to share their lives with me. It is truly a blessing.

Do It Anyway

So this poem has been floating on my compuer screen for the last week or so to remind and encourage me. I think it's time to share it with you all. Enjoy.

Do It Anyway
By Roy Lessin--

Others may not notice your efforts or give you recognition for something you've done. The credit may even go to someone else.
Do it anyway, as unto Me,
for I am pleased by your service and will honor your obedience.

There may be times when a job you've done will be rejected. Something you have prepared may be canceled or delayed.
Do it anyway, as unto Me,
for I see all things and will bless the work of your hands.

You may do your very best, and yet fail. You may sacrifice time and money to help someone and receive no word of thanks.
Do it anyway, as unto Me,
for I am your reward and will repay you.

There may be times when you go out of your way to include others and later have them ignore you. You may be loyal on your job, and yet someone else is promoted ahead of you.
Do it anyway, as unto Me,
for I will not fail you or make you be ashamed.

You may forgive others, only to have them hurt you again. You may reach out in kindness, only to have someone use you.
Do it anyway, as unto Me,
for I know your heart and will comfort you.

You may speak the truth but be considered wrong by others. You may do something with good intentions and be completely misunderstood.
Do it anyway, as unto Me,
for I understand and will not disappoint you.

There may be times when keeping your word means giving up something you want to do. There may be times when commitment means sacrificing personal pleasure.
Do it anyway, as unto Me,
for I am your Friend, and will bless you with My Presence.

The House Mom...

First off, before the moms who read this go, "You see what we go through everyday?", I'll admit that I highly admire and now understand how awesome you ladies are everyday. I'm about ready to kill my house residents over something that seems trivial... DISHES!

I've been nagging and nagging and reminding and encouraging and begging people to do the dishes so they don't just pile up. Some people do. Some people put it in the sink and say they'll do it later and some do come back, some never do. It starts to pile up. The record days the sink has been FULL of dirty dishes has been 5 days... FIVE DAYS!!!

I go around asking people individually if those are their dishes. Everyone says, "No. I ALWAYS do my dishes." Unless there's a ninth resident in the house I'm not aware of or there's a sink-filling ghost haunting our house, SOME PEOPLE AREN'T TELLING THE TRUTH!!!! Now, I've been giving them the benefit of the doubt and saying MAYBE they just forgot. But it's been happening too often to be just a forgetfulness thing.

I can't understand why it's so difficult to just spend 2 minutes washing and drying the dishes. It's not that hard!!!!! After 2 months of talking, it is not working. Thus I am resorting to more extreme measures to make them do their dishes, becoz honestly, I have SICK of doing people's dishes everyday.

I've sent an email out basically saying my displeasure with the current situation and that I am going to start taking pictures of the dirty dishes in the sink if they remain in the sink for more than a day. I'll email the photo to the residents and if the people responsible don't wash it within the day, I'll put up the lovely picture on the kitchen wall for EVERYONE to see how "HYGIENIC" and "CONSIDERATE" the girls are. If I find out whose dishes those are (with good evidence), I'll go talk to the girl.

Now, I know this sounds pretty bad and you must be thinking "It's only dishes, why so harsh?" Well, because it is my job as the resident assistant in the cottage to make sure everything is going smoothly and that the house is maintained and that the atmosphere of the house is happy and light. You'll be amazed at how dishes can ruin everything and make people snap at each other.

We'll see how this goes. If this still doesn't work, I'll ask everyone to take their own dishes and cooking stuff and put it back in their individual cupboards. Meaning, they are not to be shared anymore. Those who don't have stuff, have to get their own. This way, they feel the consequence of being inconsiderate and irresponsible.

I'm trying my best to be patient and hold my temper. I'm doing pretty ok so far, but I don't think I can nice anymore if they test my patience too much. Pray for me k? Thanks.

School Update

So, here's a few new stuff that I've gotten myself into this year:

1. Alpha Phi Omega
A Service Fraternity, focuses on community service. Definitely not a Greek one... you KNOW I won't join those! :P

2. Student/Faculty Judicial Board
The Judicial Board for Hope College. This is going to be interesting...

That's 2 of my many activities. Should be fun!!!

Singaporean Lah

My dad sent this to me recently and it CRACKED ME UP!!! It's Hossan Leong, a famous Singaporean comedian, singing about being Singaporean.

Hossan Leong's Song

WARNING though: it does contain a lot of Singlish so you might have a tough time fully understanding it if you don't know Singlish. But just hearing Singlish in its essence will be a cultural experience!

ENJOY!

Memories

Time for some interactive blogging!

Leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! Leave a comment on here. Next, re-post this in your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty cool (and funny) to see the responses. Repost as "memories."

Come on, you know you wanna post!

Annoying Crushness

Crushes... the lovely feeling that makes me wanna kill myself. They make me act funny and wierd and I hate that. I AM getting better at not acting differently than usual... BUT I still act funny... and people eventually learn to tell when I'm in the presence of someone I have a crush on, and that's VERY annoying.

So, the story goes a bit like this, I've been getting to know a few guys friends. They are totally cool and fun and natural and easy-going. As I got to know them better, one jumped out a bit more. I thought, "Oh, its ok. It's just my head playing tricks on me because of the loneliness issue." So I dismissed it and went back to normal life. Ok, after yesterday where everyone was dressed up so nice and sharp and handsome, the "crushness" hit me hard... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Someone help me!!!

I guess I'll have to wait it out and let it go away. It usually does... This is annoying.

PS: In other important news, two of my top three all time favourite blogs are going to be MIA for the next week... Oh what will I do? I'm addicted to their blogs!! NOOOOOOO!!

Homecoming Dance

OUCHIIEEEE, my feet hurt!!! And my muscles are aching! Dancing is sure hard work... but totally FUN!!!!!

Most of my house and our "honorary" house members went to the Homecoming Dance together. It was very nice to see the guys all dressed up and looking spiffy. The girls were so cute and BEAUTIFUL!!!

We jumped right in and started dancing! Most of us stink at it, but who cares!!! It was for the fun!!!! I also had my first slow dance with a friend!! Kinda wierd being so close to a guy but it was an experience! :)

Here are the pictures from my eventful night! :)

Edit: Added Picture! Don't the guys look nice in their suits?

Networking Really Works

As you probably know by now, I'm a Senior in College and am starting to panic about having to go to work... And thus, I wanted to buff up my resume and also possibly get a job around here by doing a Spring internship with an international company based around here, interning in marketing or event management.

So, there was this networking session for Hope alumni (Homecoming Weekend) that was organized tonight and so I went thinking MAYBE i can get some connections and build some possible options, or just hear from experienced people in my line.

Guess what happened!!!

Not only did I get to hear from people's experience, I met someone from Alticor who said that Alticor is always looking for young fresh blood who are willing to work and have great ideas. He gave me his contact and ASKED me to send him my resume!!! He's going to see if he can get an internship for me there! WOHOOOOOOO!!

I am SOOOO EXCITED!! I am hoping this will work out!! Please pray for me, that I'll handle this well and maybe get this internship. If I don't get it, pls pray that I'll learn to be ok with it too and trust God with my internship. THANKS! :)

6 Steps of Blogging Ties

You know the "law" of 6 steps to... where you can connect two random things in the world with just 6 steps? Well, How about the 6 steps of blogging ties... U see, I've been reading a few blogs diligently and one day I decided it'll be fun to go click on their links for more blogs... One blog led to another and I ended back.... with my TEACHER!! I think she's my secondary school teacher... or maybe my primary school... my memory is all mushed together right now.

And the funny thing is, I didn't REALIZE that it was my teacher's blog. I just randomly left a comment on her blog coz i thought it cool that I ended up with a Singaporean's blog after all the American's. Than, she made the connection and left a comment for me!!!

Anyway, here's my cool journey:

1. My Thoughts... My Say (my blog)
2. That's my story and I'm sticking to it...
3. It Could Happen To You
4. Rocks in My Dryer
5. Everyday Mommy
6. Twinkle Twinkle Little Tar (my teacher's blog)

See!! WAY COOOLLLLLLLL!!! It's amazing the little things that God does for me that brightens up my day and just marvel in His creativity and ingenuity. Who would have guessed that a tiny seemingly insignificant fact like that can cheer me up so much??!!!

Even better, my wonderful teacher even posted on her blog a reply for my post to encourage me in my loneliness struggle now. Thank you SOOOO MUCH!!!!

Don't Find Him, He'll Find You

I found this on someone's Facebook Notes and it really hit me and made me stop and think. Its perfect timing because of the loneliness I've been feeling and wanting that "special someone". Always thinking, "Is he the ONE?" is making me tired and preventing me from building good, strong friendships. I hope this will help you too, just as it helped me realize that what I've been doing isn't right and good. The Lord has a plan and we just to wait patiently while growing in the Lord... easier said than done.

So read on:

Don't Find Him, He'll Find You
A.J. Kiesling
Author & Contributing Writer


A few years ago someone said the words I most needed to hear as a single woman. Ironically, it was another single woman who uttered these words – a bit of wisdom gleaned from her mother, I suspect. If I could tell her now, I would let my friend know how much her simple reply comforted my heart, and how many times it has anchored me when I despaired of ever finding “the one.” They are words I want you to hear too.

Having just passed the time of year that privately makes every “searching single” wince – Valentine’s Day – it was a relief when the words from this long-ago conversation floated back to me, as relevant as the day they were spoken.



My friend Heather had pulled me aside after our church’s midweek worship band rehearsal that night. The sparkle in her dark brown eyes reflected the joy of a newfound love in her own life – a relationship that indeed turned out to be “the one” two years later.

“So how’s everything going with Joe?” she asked, eager to hear the latest developments of my on-again off-again relationship with a guy from church. I almost felt guilty when my disappointing answer stole the smile from her face. Things were definitely not so good, I told her, and it looked like Joe and I were headed for a dead end.

Before I could stop myself I lapsed into that despairing mode all searching singles are familiar with. I call it the “Why Has God Forgotten Me?” syndrome (you might also call it a pity party). When everyone around you seems to be coupled off or at long last meeting the man or woman of their dreams, you soldier on alone. You purchase your meals-for-one at the grocery store and wonder: Has God forgotten my address?

Sighing, I told Heather, “It’s okay. I know God has someone special out there for me. I just wish I could find him.”

My friend looked at me intently and shook her head. “No, Angie, he’ll find you.” My puzzled look must have told her the words needed repeating: “The right man will find you.”

The words sank into my spirit as Heather continued. “Remember? The Bible says he who finds a wife finds a good thing…it’s the man’s job to find you. You just have to wait.” She rambled on in this vein for a few minutes, but all my mind could register was an overwhelming sense of relief. The pressure was off; the search was over.

If you’re a single guy reading these words right now, you may be thinking, "Great! So shove the burden onto our shoulders!" But believe me when I say this arrangement is not the female gender’s idea – everything within us seems bent on trying to make things happen. We work ourselves into a frenzy trying to go here, be there, attend all the right functions, search online, and discreetly ask our friends for blind-date setups. But I have a hunch this is not what God intended for our single-woman status to look like. In allowing men to be the hunters – the ones who do the searching and finding — He must have a perfect design up His sleeve.

Even though my friend’s words comforted me the night I first heard them, the passage of time has a wearing-down effect. Sometimes the rest and peace inherent in those words get lost in the worry that time is running out. I find myself in search mode again, wondering of every passable guy I meet, “Could he be the one?”

In her classic book "Passion and Purity," Elisabeth Eliot talks about this rather unpopular notion of waiting – of being a single woman not intent on finding Mr. Right but allowing God to bring him to you. The Bible is replete with examples of this pattern: When the time was right, God “brought” Eve to Adam; Abraham’s servant went out and found a wife for Isaac; Jacob, traveling to a distant land, found the girl of his dreams in Rachel. But note this: All of them were going about the business of doing the work God had for them to do.

A few months ago I read a passage in a book that brought Heather’s words back to me. In the (true) story, a father asks his young teenage daughter if she ever worries about who she will marry and whether she is even interested in boys.

The daughter laughs and says, “Oh, Daddy, you and I both know God has a special guy out there for me, and when the time comes He’ll bring him along.”

Once again, those words of quiet assurance stopped me in my tracks. "Lord, give me faith like that young girl," I thought.

We have no divine guarantee that a longing for something ensures ultimate satisfaction, but at least now I know (and keep reminding myself) that as a single woman, if God does have one special man waiting for me, it’s not my job to find him. He’ll find me.

A. J. Kiesling is the author of "Jaded: Hope for Believers Who Have Given Up on Church But Not on God" (Baker). She welcomes your thoughts and comments. Feel free to write her at jaded0351@yahoo.com. For more information about "Jaded," visit her online pressroom.
Copyright 2005 by A.J. Kiesling
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In Honour of My Mom's Battle with Cancer

My mom fought cancer and she kicked its butt!! So in honour of my wonderful and AMAZING mom, and my family who stood alongside her and fought too, I'm joining in the Hope's Relay for Life this October.

If you know me even slightly, you know that I am in NO WAY a physically active person, so for me to VOLUNTEER to walk for a couple of hours must mean that this is important to me, and it is.

If you want to support me and the tons of people who have gone through or are going through Cancer, please contribute ANY AMOUNT through the Relay for Life website.

Pls donate it under my name - Shuchen Li.

Thanks for helping me meeting my goal and encouraging me to walk on!!!!

Confused and Depressed

Uprooted, Unsettled, Unstable, Rollercoaster Ride...

That's how I've been feeling for the last month or so... and it accumulated to today.

I don't know what I wanna do... They call it Senioritis... the phenomna that hits seniors in college. Maybe that's it.. or maybe not.

I've been moving from one place to another for the last 2 years. I hate that. I hate being uprooted, the sense of not belonging, the unsettleness... I HATE IT!!!!

I feel like breaking down and crying... But I won't let myself... Maybe I should. Might help... or might make things worst. I don't know what to do. I hate being so uncertain about everything. I've also been the one who knew what I wanted and went for it.. and Now.. I just don't know...

Pray for me k? It's been very hard for me to pray these days. Maybe I'm angry at God or maybe I'm angry myself... I think the latter is more likely. ARGH!!!

Steve Irwin

I know this has nothing to do with me but Steve Irwin, the Australia Crocodil Hunter, has passed away in a freak accident. He was doing an underwater documentary and got stung in the chest by a stingray barb.Article

What is sad is that as of this moment, his wife is backpacking in the mountains and has not idea what happened.

PLEASE pray for her and their 2 children. The kids are still so young...

Please Read This...

For months now I've been reading a blog of a wonderul witty lady named Amelia. Her posts about her days with her daughter and husband are so entertaining and at times, emotional.

Well. now she is going through a time of uncertainty and hardship. Read her post here: and please PLEASE pray for them.

Arrived

Typed out at Saturday, 10pm.

I just arrived at my house about an hour ago. Took a NICE long shower and than set up my bed.

The journey across was interesting. The security increase was very obvious and resulted in some interesting results. In Singapore, we had 2 bag checks and a body search, but it was fast, typically Singapore. In Hong Kong, what usually takes 10 mins to walk across took an hr. Only ONE counter was open in the 1st check for 2 plane loads of people. Then had to go through another bag check and body search. Thus, the flights out of Singapore and HK were a bit delayed.

But in Chicago, it was opposite. Usually, Chicago customs is the SLOWEST and most ANNOYING. Also, the luggage takes eternity to come out. Well, today, it was SUPER fast. What usually takes me at least an hr took me 45 mins to do everything and end up at my boarding gate. Almost all custom counters were open and they were moving moving moving. For chicago custom officers, that is unusual. hehehe. And the baggage came up very fast and i just grabbed and walked right through the other customs with my bags. I got to my gate with 2 hrs to spare. So I went and ate something coz I was starving and just picked a good spot, hugged my bags and took a nap. lol

This time, I didn't sleep very well during the journey. I only went into FULL sleep on the Chicago to Grand Rapids section.... all of 27 minutes.

Well, I thank God I'm safe and sound. My friend picked me up and helped me bring my luggage into the house and up to the 2nd floor where my room is. The house is beautiful and cosy. Really a blessing.

Anyway, I miss you all already. I'm about to go crash in bed. Update u more later!!

Flying Woos

Sigh.. Now with the terror attempt discovered in UK, the US is on red alert. I'm flying back next Sat... when security will be at its all time high. I can expect to spend a longgggggg time waiting at Chicago airport and MANY checks and delays.

I'm going to push my flight from Chicago to GRR back by an hour. Pls pray that my luggage and I will make my flight.. and I won't have any trouble going through customs.

single and happy!

I have therefore concluded with meself as of this particular moment, that I'm glad I'm single. hahahaha!!

My mind keeps changing man!!

See,
1. I'm not stable in my location now.
2. I like doing stuff on my own and my time.
3. No one to have to go and spend all those emotional time with...

Of course, that's not to say I never wanna have that special someone... but problem free me is kinda happy and glad. Like my mom told me, thank God for my singlehood. Coz we probably might not have that time for long. :)

Lonely

These few days, I've been having these longings... to have that special someone..

The feelings have been coming and going for the past few years, normal i suppose.

But these few days, its so intense. It's like I am craving a relationship... I cry out to God. When Lord? When?
Every decent guy i meet, I cant help it.. but the first thoughts that pop up in my head are, "Maybe he could be the one."

It's annoyin!!! I try not to think that but it alwayssss come. Then it subsequently makes the conversation awkward for me... I just wanne get to know a FRIEND!! AHHHHHHHHHHH

Life Hurts

Another reminder how tough and heartbreaking life can be.

I've been playing this online game, Puzzle Pirates, for a few years now and have formed a close bond with my crew mates on it.

One of my maties was anticipating the birth of his first child. We've all been so excited with him... But last week, the baby was born prematurely at 28 weeks with a heart defect. After 3 days, the baby passed away.

the pain and anguish that both of them feel pains us, as a community. They have no hope as they do not know the Lord. Pls pray with me that they will discover the love and peace that God brings and that He will hold them as they grieve and mourn the loss of a precious baby.

My heart aches for them. Life Hurts so much. I just jolts me out of my daily routine and reminds me that life is painful and short, esp for those who do not have the everlasting hope and peace.

It is my responsibility to bring this Peace to them. I cannot wait and hold back. They need God.

Pain

hm.. my back hurts, my tummy hurts. everything hurts...

Why is it only when I am on holiday that my body starts creaking and complaining...

Part of life I guess....

Alone

Have you been truly alone? Not only physically, but spiritually and emotionally? Have you felt the deep despairing feeling of total abandonment by everyone, even those who profess to love you?

Thank God I haven't... but Jesus Christ did. I'm reading "The Path of His Passion" by Bill Crowder and for the first time, the weight and true scale of what Jesus had to suffer for me has hit me. It's not just his time on the cross... its before that too.

In the Garden where He prayed, everyone was abandoning Him. This sentence in the book explains it best:

"His family had turned from Him (Mark 3.21), the crowds had walked away (John 6:66), the Twelve had become Eleven, the Eleven were reduced to Three -- and they were asleep."

Asleep? On the final hours of Christ's life on Earth, they chose to SLEEP? As much as I would like to point fingers, I can't. Because u know what, I probably would have done the exact same thing. How foolish, undependable and hurtful can we be?

When Christ died, He was alone... His disciples had fled and denied Him. His Father in Heaven had turned from Him... how painful the agony He had to go through.

This hymn is quoted in the book:

"It was alone the Savior prayed
In dark Gethsemane;
Alone He drained the bitter cup
And suffered there for me.
Alone, alone, He bore it all alone;
He gave Himself to save His own,
He suffered, bled and died alone, alone."

Weak

How Weak I am!
How easy it is for me to fall back into sin!
How vunerable and helpless I am!

Oh Lord, help me keep faithful in you
Help me search for your Will everyday of my life
Help me not get lazy
Help me keep to the hard road that you have set before me

I need you O Lord!
I am nothing wth you!
I am so evil and so deprived!
Please keep me close to you!
Please help me fulfill my promises!
Please never stop loving me and giving up on me!!

My Cry

O LORD, You have searched me and known me,
You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowlege is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost partd of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall leade me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.

For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139. Verses 1 - 6, 7 - 10, 13 - 15 & 23 -24

Prayers Needed

Dear friends,

At this time, I would like to ask for your prayers for my brother, Joel. My brother is going through a very tough time now and needs as much support from the saints as possible. The Lord is breaking him down and it is very painful and hurting for him. What's more, he's in Australia now and is away from me and my family.

If you could fit him into your long list of people to pray for, please pray that God will carry and hold him and that my brother will lean on God for support for the pain.

Thank you in advance. Although you may not know my brother, I believe that with many saints lifting him up in prayer, he will be surrounded by the support of his spiritual family.

Thanks.

Debby Li

Adult World

So, exams are finally over for this semester and just when it gets exciting.... I start May classes on Monday. No rest for the wicked I guess. hehehe.

Well, some interesting stuff have happened to me lately. I won't go into it BUT I can say that its part of me growing up. As my mom said, "Welcome to the Adult World!" ... ... ... I'm not liking the Adult World too much right now! I wanna stay a teenage forever!!!! ok ok.... there are some nice things about adult world... but so far, the cons outweigh the pros.

Oh well, this is my complaint. Bye bye teenage world. Hello Big people world!

Time for Goodbyes

It is a sad time. Some good friends I've made are graduating and moving on with their lives. Time with my apartment mates are coming to an end. I'm going to miss most people a lot.

I really thank God especially for my wonderful roommate, Jessica. She's the 2nd one from the left. She is such an AMAZING roommate. She is easy going and supportive. She doesn't mind my messes (and believe me, I can get very messy), she allows me to rant and rave when I'm frustrated and mad, we talk and laugh a lot before we fall asleep and I just feel so comfortable around her. I know that she doesn't judge me and is willing to listen. It is truly the Lord's gift to give such an amazing person to me, especially on my first year here. He knew who I needed and He gave her to me. God is so loving and thoughtful. I probably would not have eased into here as well if I didn't have Jess!

I am sad because next semester, she'll be in Chicago doing an off-campus semester. Then when she comes back, I'll be in Philadelphia. We probably won't spend much time together again just because of the different circles we hang out in. I am sadden that I won't have her as a roommate anymore. :(

But oh well, people have to leave eventually. I'm just so grateful that I had her for a year!!

Equally Yoked

I'm learning more and more why God wants us to marry and give ourselves to someone who has the same beliefs and mission in life as us.

Seeing people around me argue with their boyfriends over alcohol and gambling, and the amount of time and energy wasted on this, is really an eye opener.

When God commanded us to bond that closely with another who loves Him deeply, He just wants to save us the pain and heart ache caused when we bond with someone who does not want to serve Him. Alcohol and gambling are just some ways that it shows where are priorities lie.

Yes, simple quarks of each other can and will probably have to be worked out. But if a couple is together because they both love the Lord deeply and the relationship is rooted in obedience and service to God, then arguments like those will probably never blow up to the depth and I am seeing that happen around me.

I pray that God will show and guide me so that I may choose wisely.

REFLECTION: Spiritual Warfare... But God is Good

If you know me well, you know that I don't like to equate everything with spiritual warfare and the devil.

However, I now seriously am convinced that I am right now in spiritual warfare. Over the last few days, one bad thing has been hitting me after another. It seems like the minute I am calm about something, another thing comes up and punches me in my gut and my soul.

I have been going through a torrent of emotions, sadness, grieve, anger, frustration, disappointment and many more in just one day.

And you know what? I praise God for this. Yes, I praise God for the hard times and the punchese and kicks. I am not glad that I'm experiencing what I am experiencing now, but I still praise God for His love and grace and most of all PEACE.

Thinking on this, if these have happened to me a few years back, or even last year, I would be depressed and deeply troubled and will be in a negative frame of mind. However, I can see the Lord's hand in my life, especially over the last year. Even when I've been fighting Him all the way, He still loves me so much that He's been shaping and molding me into someone who trust in His peace and His strength. I can see this through me being able to rejoice in the simple joys of the day, without letting my troubles over cloud them.

I take no credit for my calmness and ability to think with a clear mind now. It is all God. He is the one who is helping me say the right words and think the right thoughts. If you know me, you'll also know that I tend to shoot my mouth off and saying the wrong things. But amazingly, when times were tense and the right words NEEDED to be said, it came out of my mind. God put it there. It's no way me. I'm not that good and wise, I'm not even close.

My heart may be troubled by the stuff I see around me and what I'm experiencing, but its a troubleness with calm and peace. It is knowing that when I try to tackle these stuff, God is there and carrying me on His strong shoulders and lovingly holding on tightly to me. He is never going to let me go.

God is soooo amazing. He convicted my heart to seek Him. All year, I've tried to jumpstart a daily devotional time with God. I've come up with grand schemes and plots to make these work. They never do. But one night, a quiet and also negligible thought came into my mind - "Start tonight." there was no plans, no plots, no schemes. Just a whisper from God and this time, amazingly, I listened.

and you know what? In just a few weeks of starting this every night before bed, I can feel His amazing peace in my heart and soul. the sense of God that I've been craving and searching for has come because I listened to that tiny whisper. God works wonders, and I thank Him daily now, for His wonders in my life.

Is anyone reading this?

Hm... I think I'm posting to myself now. Doesn't seem like anyone is reading this. If you are, can u pls leave a message letting me know? Thanks

Campaigning is so fun!!!

Ok, so I got sucked into the elections campaign! I personally am so stoked!!! I'm helping with talking to my friends, emailing people, putting up posters and just promoting the two candidates for president and vice-president of student congress!!

I decided to throw my weight behind this pair because I know that they are very passionate about what they want to accomplish and Anne is always looking to make the multi-cultural and international students' voices heard!! The other pair can't care less about our voices. They just want the majority vote so they do everything for the majority and if the other students can join, great! If not, oh well, too bad.

Ok, getting too passionate about this! lol. This is so different from back home!!! EXCITING!!

I'm so MAD!!!!

We had to watch a movie for my communications class called "Mississippi Burning". It was about racism in the 1960s in the state.

When I was watching it, I got so mad!!! How can people be so hateful and evil? How can they take another man's life one day and the next go to church and worship to God?!??!?!?!?!?!?! How can they justify the taking of another human's life? How can they live with themselves?!?!?!?!

I am so MADDDDDDD right now!!! The racism shown in the movie went all the way up to the court system!! And because of the corrupt judges and police officers, they can get away with it!! It is just not right!!!!!

I know it was about an incident that happened on the 60s, but its still going on today, just much more subtle!!! Instead of whites shooting blacks, we have evil people doing hateful and hurtful SUBTLE things against others!!!

I am so thankful I am from Singapore where its not based on the colour of your skin but by your skills and perseverence!!!! I'm so thankful to God for blessing me with a racism-free childhood!!!!

What I hated the most was that the evil people were claiming Christ the whole time!! BLASPHEMY!!! Christ came to bring salvation to ALL!! He didn't set the conditions that you had to be blond with blue eyes!! He loved EVERYONE!!! And further more, Jesus wasn't blond with blue eyes!!!! He was born in the Middle East!!!!!

You know, if there was no Christ, what would be the meaning of life? With all the evil in this world, why are we even trying to live? It's only through Christ and His love and strength do we have meaning to live in this hateful world!!

Politics is entertainment!!!

I've always said that Politics was dirty and brings out the worst in people.

Firstly, It makes people super competitive and that is enough to get me cringing.

Then, people start finding every opportunity to make the other look bad. (The concept of being a good sport just went out the window.)

Next, they plot and scheme and try to undercut the person in public and feel proud about it. (By this time, I'm tuning out.)

And the worst thing is, its all under the pretense of being NICE and FRIENDLY. Everyone has a nice big smile on their face and try to make jokes about it when they are trying to cut another person's reputation. This is deception in the worst form.

When it enters this stage, the funniess thing happens. I stop feeling annoyed about it and start enjoying the show! Of course, when it gets too bad and ugly, I won't stand being around it. And of course I won't do anything to spur on the competition. But before it comes to that stage, it's kinda funny. It's like being an audience in a battle of wits and skills. Who can be the smartest and best presenter? Who can win the audience over by their charming smiles and dashing good looks? Who can bug their friends to vote for them even though the friends don't personally think they are capable of such a task?

Do you see all these during even a simple group election? I do and currently am. And Boy am I being entertained!

Life Sucks right now, but its OK

I learnt a very valuable lesson today. Life may not go according to my plan, but its ok. God is always there.

Got my Commuications 160 Exam 2 paper back. Got a C-. Compared to my first exam where I got a A-, there's a big drop. I was so angry at myself. how could I have blanked out in the exam? What happened? I've never gotten a C- for any communication classes ever. I don't know why I was so upset. Throughout the whole class after, I could not concentrate and was feeling depressed.

After class, I rushed out of class and went to the Intl Student Lounge where I cried. Looking back, why was I crying over a C-? But in that moment, where I felt so crappy and lousy, I pleaded to the Lord to help me accept it and for His comfort.

And you know what? He responded instantly. Immediately, I felt a calmness and peace fill me. The tears dried up and even though my C- was still there, I felt ok. God is so good! He knew my hurt before I even told him and he hugged and held me while i cried.

Amazing Lord. Thank you God. you are so amazing

The Angel and Devil on my shoulders

I feel like I'm torn inside. Whenever it comes to making a decision about my spiritual life, I feel like I have an angel and devil sitting on opposite sides on my shoulders, you know the common representative always used in tv.

The angel - The side of me that wants to be closer to God and give up my evil ways
The devil - The lazy side of me that does not want to put the effort, determination and discipline into seeking God and turning from my sins.

I just had a mental conversation with myself.

My angel said, "I want to start having a daily routine of personal quiet time with God."
My devil said, "Nah, its too much work. And we don't see any results."
Angel, "The only way I can see results is if we form this routine and keep at it. Learning and talking more with God."
Devil, "We always fail the next day anyway. So why bother?"
Angel, "I can make a timetable. Either every morning or every night, at a set time."
Devil, "If in the morning, we'll have to get up early. And u know how much we hate that. At night, we're doing work or destressing."
Angel, "Talking to God is destressing. The best destresser ever."

This was what was going on in my head, until I decided to sit down and write it out here. Well, it's not in whole sentences, but you get the idea.

Thinking back, I usually like my "devil" side win... When it comes to important spiritual matters, I turn lazy and don't wanna bother, since I don't see the results instantly. Maybe that's what I need to change, that instant attitude.

Pray with me, that my angel side will win...

"Dear Lord,

Pls Pls Pls help me. I can't do this alone. I'm too stubborn. Lord, plsssss help me. I don't wanna end up far from you. I want to be with you and in you. But Lord, its so hard. I can;t do it alone. Pls, give me the determination and strength to seek u every day and second. Help me be the woman I envision myself to be years later. Pls.

Amen"

Danced Out!

Just returned from Dance Marathon, a fundraiser for the DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids. It was organised by my school. I was moralling for dancers who had to be on their feet for 24 hours straight! can u imagine? I was there for 10 over hours and I was dyinggg.... Boy, I'm unfit!

Anyway, I had a wonderful time dancing, massaging my dancers, hanging out with friends! It was amazing! I'm so glad i decided to do this! It is definitely a once in a lifetime event!

Pictures! view them here: http://hope.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2003885&l=d66d3&id=11402930

My first ever Formal Dance

I went to "Winter Fantasia" my first ever formal dance. It was put up by the school. I enjoyed myself immensely!! I got all dolled up, did my hair, makeup, nice jewellry and a BEAUTIFUL gown that my mom and I bought back when I was in Singapore!! I felt soooo special and beautiful!!

The food was splendid and the dancing was FUN! I sure got a workout!!!

The pictures are here if anyone is interested: http://hope.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2003617&l=6781d&id=11402930

In Enemy Territory

hahaha, posting this from Calvin College! I'm going to be here over the weekend for the Faith and International Development Conference!! The peeps here are cool.. and i get to track down a friend who transferred from Hope to Calvin this semester!

Taking Credit where its not due

Don't you just hate it when someone takes credit where its not due? Especially when its YOUR credit they are taking? Well, someone did that to me.. and i found out by a close friend who was there at the time...

A feeling of indignation rose in me. Wqit a minute, that was MY idea! I did the work! ARGH!!!!!

Then it occurred to me, why am I feeling this way? Yes, she has "wronged" me, but its such a small thing and people will know... They will look down on her for it. So I don't need to let it get to me. I can just shake my head and shrug it away. People will always be doing this to me.. Get used to it! Let God deal with it.. Not worth my time to waste energy thinking about.

Please Pray

Just got back from the Movie "End of the Spear". It is a very moving movie that has started a lot of questions and thoughts in my head.

I need urgent prayer for one thing. I invited a non-Christian friend who has had unpleasant encounters with "Christians" to this movie. please pray that the movie will be used as a tool to spur some questions in her head, like "Why would people do this?" or "Why didn't they take revenge?". I pray that these thoughts will start or continue her on a journey to finding these answers and prayerfully, to the truth of the gospel. This journey may take years for her, but pls pray with me. :)

New Semester, New Goals

Back to school and work work work!

Landed last Wed night, by the time I got back to campus - 12:15am, Thurs morning. slept at 12:30am. woke up at 8:30am to start my classes. First day - THREE assignments due in 2 days. 2nd day - FOUR assignments due in 3 days.... sigh... they must have collaborated to HELP me get over my jet lag faster!!! all those work!!

Anyway, tonight at 9:30pm going to see the movie End of the Spear with a whole bunch of people. Check it out at: http://www.endofthespear.com/ It'll be fun!

Oh, I started this semester with a few new goals:

1. Wake up at least an hour before class start, instead of 30 mins... less rushing.
2. Spend more time talking to my roommates.
3. Get to know more people deeper.
4. Get to know the life stories of at least 2 people: Jesse and Gabriel.. from snippets I hear, their stories sound VERY interesting
5. Be more positive
6. Don't lose my temper. Keep cooolllllll.

Ok, so at the end of the semester, we'll see if I kept them... hmm

New Template

Like my new template? like it? like it?!?!?!

Aren't the cats sooo cuteeeeee.. hehehe

found this online.

So, comments?