quote of the day

all guys lie.

the bad ones lie to get into your bed.

the good ones lie... to get into your heart.

heh. thot that was pretty good. cynical, but good :)

living for Jesus

this song expresses my desire but also highlights how much & how often i fall short of Him & His call. paul's words in roms 7 rings so true in my life:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do... I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

help me Lord to do what I cant, to live the life that is worthy of You.

_____________________

Living for Jesus, a life that is true
Striving to please Him in all that I do
Yielding allegiance, glad hearted and free
This is the pathway of blessing for me

O Jesus Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee
For Thou in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me
I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne
My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ for Thee alone

Living for Jesus who died in my place
Bearing on Calvary my sin and disgrace
Such love constrains me to answer His call
Follow His leading and give Him my all

Living for Jesus wherever I am
Doing each duty in His holy Name
Willing to suffer affliction and loss
Deeming each trial a part of my cross

Living for Jesus through earth’s little while
My dearest treasure, the light of His smile
Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem
Bringing the weary to find rest in Him

Thomas Chisholm, Carl Lowden

what the world needs now

What the world needs now
Is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now
Is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone

~ Jackie DeShannon

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 1:27

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

1 Tim 6:17-19

And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.

2 Corin 8:1-5

the eager bridesmaid

me the bridesmaid at first fitting :)

did i mention its 2 weeks' to my best friend's wedding? its my first time being a bridesmaid & im pretty darn eager.

Eels is getting married june 4th & preps began months ago. but its gotten increasingly exciting & busy the last 3 wks in the leadup to the BIG DAY!

was initially apprehensive abt wearing an apple green dress (green was never my colour to be honest) but i was willing to don whatever given its only 5 hrs of my life & id do even this kinda thing for the sake of friendship :P

as it turns out (& as reluctant as i might be to admit) the dress is quite pretty, good enough to be worn even after wedding. yippees!

so far the lil' bright-eyed bridesmaid has been tasked to (you can tell ive not been too efficient - no completed items yet. yikes):
(i) print wedding programmes - in progress
(ii) prepare wedding dinner moosic - in progress
(iii) plan hen's nite - in progress
(iv) be photo filler & servant to Eels on the Day - to be executed
(that reminds me - i need to go get mini portable fans!)

and thats just a teensy winsy bit of what has to be done overall. in the process ive learnt (i think!) to tell the difference b/w MINT and APPLE green and just how many tones of pink there can be in the pantone palette! :) from all ive seen & heard (horrors & pains of finding venue, getting good florist, designing gown, coordinating invites & RSVPs, adjusting to new in-laws, managing parents) a wedding is no fun to plan & execute - trust you me!

credit has to go to Siuling, the bride's lovely sister who has been doing bulk of preps from helping to source venues, to flowers & tailors, to managing anxious parents. She really is a gem of a sister i tell you. Siuling, YOU ROCK!!!

watch out for more pics & documentary :) woo hoo!

ps: Carms, dont worry Ill still be eager beaver bridesmaid when your turn comes! just more experienced. heh heh heh :)

pps: Eels' wedding colours (if you havent yet guessed by the looks of this) are apple green & pink

clothe yourself with beauty

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful."

last night's sermon was both funny & provoking. pastor Chris was preaching on 1 Peter 3:1-touched on gender roles & how men & women are to relate in the context of marriage. beyond that, he also highlighted the difference between what the world values as beautiful in a woman and the kind of beauty that God values.

the world constantly busies, obsesses itself with how to look better, younger, slimmer... the worldly woman is fashionably fickle and capricious.

yet God calls me, the christian woman, to clothe myself not outwardly, by inwardly with gentleness and a quiet spirit - a beauty that will last forever.

i know this idea isnt new but i was convicted again how often i get caught up w looks myself. im probably not the vainest girl in town. in fact, there are times i find myself feeling self-righteous next to friends/colleagues who seem alot more materialistic/superficial - i think: im not as bad as those pple who queue up for hours at the mango sale or do manis every wk. (haha not that theres anything bad with manicures or mango - dont take offense!) But growing up with well-to-do, goodlooking friends & american tv has made me value outward beauty alot more than i should. im guilty of an envious heart and obsessing about my weight, skin, clothes, shoes too (as some of you wld know, i want a skinnier face!). its one aspect of 'living in the world but not conforming to it' that is really hard for me, the urban christian girl.

even as i struggle w God to uproot the warped values in my heart, i wondered what really is that elusive "gentle & quiet spirit"? last nite's sermon shed some light.

in the context of marriage, the wife is to trust God & submit/obey your husband even when its tough (in my own words: even when he is stupid!). thats why girlfriends, one must choose wisely :)

for the christian single, i think the passage still applies. we are to seek meekness, a humble and submissive attitude, to not be quarrelsome or destructively assertive... to accept, revel in our God-given, God-created feminity & its limitations :)

so for me, im working to change "my wardrobe". not that ill be dawdy here on, but to ask God to re-work my heart in this area. transform & change me Lord, that i may be clothed in true beauty... one that pleases You & lasts forever.

all i want

i come, with a heart that is desperate
And i cry, wanting just to be heard by You
And i pray, that You won't remain silent
That You'll stand here beside me
That my heart won't call out in vain

Chorus
Cause all i want, is just to see You Jesus
And i long, just to hear Your voice
And i need, just to be near You
Cause Your presence is all i want

i come, with a heart that is hungry
And i sing, wanting You just to know my love
And i pray, that my life will be counted
For the sake of Your kingdom
That my heart will be truly Yours

Bridge
One day we'll look on Your face
We'll see You in all of Your glory
And we won't need the sun
And we won't need the moon
All we will need is You

all i want by jeff deyo

when i first heard this song, i was rather skeptical abt its lyrics, i thought: rather me-focused, experiential, etc. i dont agree with all of it still (i dont sing just so God knows i love him, for eg) however, as i listened & thought harder, i felt myself relating to the core of the song. sometimes the ache for God - His nearness, voice, presence can be so deep & real... of cos, He is never far from each of us & for the believer, we can always be assured of His presence regardless of our feelings. still, my heart sings along with the majestic bridge - longing, rejoicing in the hope of that day when we will see Jesus & truly all we will need is Him :):):) oh, the joy that awaits us. on days like these, i can't wait!

captivating II

ling & i had the most wonderful time on sat night... by candle light may i add.

more than each other's great company, the night was memorable cos we discovered the wonder of a talent - a cute chinese boy armed simply with acoustic strings & heart-melting vocals was the source of much entertainment & pleasure that evening. captivating night #2 for me this week.

we were so enamoured with his voice, we were swooning non-stop. felt almost like sec school again haha. we even changed seats to grab a better view, er-hem i mean, earreach of him. almost couldnt believe he was asian, much less a local guy (no offense to local talent!! he just doesnt sound local lar)! gorgeous singing & playing, really. his repertoire of songs was sufficiently varied & very enjoyable - from damien rice, beatles to even norah jones & jann arden! haha versatile or what?

what made the experience complete was the fact that the restaurant wasn't crowded or smoky or too noisy (save occasional laughter from the bday bunch at corner - how cld anyone not stop to listen?) and the warm choc cake? yummilicious.

and thats why you won't find me far off a particular seafood restaurant in holland v the next couple of sat nites ;)

captivating.

lisa wahlandt was simply captivating.

despite my scratchy throat, stuffed nose & an impending headache, she still managed to capture my attention & heart with her almost intoxicating voice... bringing brief but sweet relief :)

the band was great too. intricate & amazing playing by the guitarist. drums was fab fab fab.

:) swoon