"I should have never started killing time,
I can't go slow; Once more into the crowd, temptation wears you down; Go home, your heart too loud; Always." //Dryer; Seen Enough
We had lunch on Monday at Hog's Breath@Chijmes, apparently it's a favourite of the law faculty and their go-to place for work lunches, meetups and the sort. I know you order huge plates of steak when you go there but we just weren't in the mood for more burgers haha, so we shared a salmon and fruit crepes. Of course the conversation got kinda awkward at times, it's not easy trying to chivvy conversation along with someone who's so well-read, learned and ages before your generation, but at the end, I thought it was lovely spending an afternoon just talking about stuff I don't usually come into contact with. And he had perfect English manners, calling us dears and telling us cute stories about how he tries to get around the time difference to watch cricket on Singapore tv.
But I think the best part was when everyone was just sharing about their lives and what they were doing at the moment and the conversation kinda got to me. And I was totally, 'I'm not doing anything at the moment, I just resting and relaxing. In fact, I go to bed at 1130 and get up at 9, most days.' Haha and everybody was like, 'Ohh I'm sure we can find things for you to do. Here, why don't you TA for him and earn some money.' HAHA THERE IS NO WAY THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
Didn't your hear Michael Ross Watson on Sunday? He said that it takes a concentrated effort to enter into rest. So that's what I'm gonna spend my entire holidays doing. Learning to enter and enjoy my rest.
"The more often [a man] feels without acting, the less he will ever be able to act, and, in the long run, the less he will be able to feel."
//C.S. Lewis; The Screwtape Letters
I first came across the Screwtape Letters when I was in secondary school. My uncle had just bought a copy and he was raving about it, telling me to read it when I had the time. He loaned me his copy and I finished it within a few weeks. At that time, I was more of a voracious reader, of the type to press on through a book, consuming the words but barely understanding the ideas. And with something as sharp and sophisticated as the Screwtape Letters, I always knew I would have to read it again when I got older to understand it properly.
So I finally got the chance to go down to Tecman when I was free to get a copy for myself. And I'm taking it slow this time, reading it chapter by chapter, sometimes going over one chapter again when the writing style and ideas got a little bit too much for me. And I have to say that the sting of Lewis' words don't fade away with time. All the things he said are still as important and relevant today as they were 70 years ago.
It's a surreal and strange experience to see things from the Devil's viewpoint and be forced to constantly reflect on my life. At some points, the book made me laugh out loud, at other points, it made me uncomfortable because it confronted me with some of the things I do that are not exactly all that noble. In any case, I'm not even halfway done with this book yet but it caused me to be a lot more aware of the things that happen around me. So get it and read it, I think it'll help you, whether you're a believer or not.
"Inside me, there is an organ more important than my heart. Although you can’t see it, I feel it going right through my head and down to my legs, and I know that it exists inside me. It’s the one that lets me stand up and walk forward. So that I can walk forward, without ever trembling. If I stopped here I feel like it would break … My soul would break. Even more than if my heart stops beating, to me that is the most important. Even if I become senile and my back gets bent, I still have to walk forward."
//Sorachi Hideaki; Gintama
Sometimes it seems that people will never change. That they'll always be selfish, immature, irresponsible, causing hurt and pain wherever they go. But I know that there is one who knows better, who sees all that we can be for him. So trust and keep praying. He will turn things around for all of us. It will not stay the same forever.
"He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."
//Isaiah 61:1-3 (NKJV Version)
There was once a time when I thought I would never be able to understand what it meant to go past the age of twentyone, when I thought that getting into your mid-twenties meant that I was getting old, well and proper. But this year, I turned twentythree and I'm only beginning to see that this time truly, is the time of my life. Looking back so far, this has been a year of milestones for me. I conquered the Jessup, officially graduated from law school and am going to move from Highlife to Onelife in church. And in this period where I am waiting to take the Bar exam and be called, I am really enjoying a time of rest and recharging that I've not experienced in the past four years of school life.
Thankfully I've also had the opportunity to think more deeply about the direction that I want my life and ministry to go in. This morning I was suddenly reminded of the verse, He has traded our ashes for a crown of beauty. And I was reminded that I am here and saved by grace, that my life was nothing until He came and reached out for me in my times of desperation. He took away my ashes and gave me beauty, He exchanged my despair for joy and He gave me hope in darkness. Where would I be without you? Because of this, I know that I want to continue to grow and reach out to people who do not yet have this hope in their lives. To minister to those who are sick, who have lost hope, who cannot find the strength to take the steps in front of them.
I know that I'm in no way perfect or near completion, but God hasn't called me to do the impossible. All He asks is that I trade in my brokenness so that He can give me wings. And this I will learn to do, each and every day. I know that there is a lot coming my way when I enter the law profession, that there will be trials and temptations, stress and suffering and that my values will probably be challenged at each turn. But I also know that there is One who has conquered the world and that He is for me. Nothing is impossible for Him.
Thus, I want to commit to continue praying and supporting my family and friends, to continue to go for cell and prayer meets even when the going gets tough, to grow and eventually find an area of ministry that I can serve in. I want to hold onto his vision until it comes to pass in my life. I want zeal for your household to consume me.
You've carried me for the past twentythree years and my gratitude to you knows no bounds. Continue to lead me all the way.
"I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string."
//L.M. Montgomery
When I left for my grad trip to the US, I wasn't sure what to expect. Afterall, this was the first time that three of us were travelling together and it was my first time in a long time with a tour group. But the Lord is good and I think he really blessed us a lot on this awesome trip! It's really difficult to put the entire experience in words bcos I think the feelings I had before, during and after the trip were slightly different. But one thing I was really grateful for was that we grew closer on the trip and we saw sides to each other that we had not seen before :)
What can I say? We basically went and we conquered. We played our hearts out in LA (even though there really wasn't enough time), we shopped alot in Vegas (and got tanned a lot) and we ate tons of seafood in San Francisco. I don't know when we can carry out our Korean trip together, since we're probably going to be crazy busy once work starts up again, but I know that I'll be really looking forward to our next trip together. So here's to our grad trip, I'll remember it forever.
"READY STEADY CAN'T HOLD ME BACK! READY STEADY GIVE ME GOOD LUCK!
READY STEADY NEVER LOOK BACK! LET'S GET STARTED READY STEADY GO!
The scenery blowing by like it's rolling forward; Even if things start looking desperate,
I won't lose sight of the target;
If I can't depend on this map, may as well burn it up; I'll seize the buried truth in these palms;
I've run through quickly with singular determination; My racing heart beats so loudly it could rip me apart."
//L'arc~en~Ciel; READY STEADY GO
I was going to begin blogging about our awesome grad trip but then I got distracted by spring-cleaning and my secondary school notebooks which I discovered after going through my cupboards. It was so amazing seeing all the stuff I had written inside my notebooks, I couldn't believe I used to be so crazy about J-culture!
So I went to dig up all the old videos of the songs I used to love and I'm happy to say that my taste hasn't changed even though I'm equally into K-culture now. I miss all the times talking about stuff like gackt, l'arc~en~ciel, arashi, 20th century, exile, MISIA, TOKIO, flame and kinki kids so much! I miss all the time we spent at comic shops looking for stuff like hunter x hunter, naruto, kindaichi, rurounin kenshin and slam dunk! I miss all the anime I watched, all the fullmetal alchemist, neon evangelion and fushiki yuugi! I can't believe I didn't know laruku was coming to Singapore and so I missed them cos we were flying off to US for the grad trip, I'm sure the concert was super awesome.
So here's a trip down memory lane for all those people who love J-culture like I still do.
"I should have never started killing time,
I can't go slow; Once more into the crowd, temptation wears you down; Go home, your heart too loud; Always." //Dryer; Seen Enough
We had lunch on Monday at Hog's Breath@Chijmes, apparently it's a favourite of the law faculty and their go-to place for work lunches, meetups and the sort. I know you order huge plates of steak when you go there but we just weren't in the mood for more burgers haha, so we shared a salmon and fruit crepes. Of course the conversation got kinda awkward at times, it's not easy trying to chivvy conversation along with someone who's so well-read, learned and ages before your generation, but at the end, I thought it was lovely spending an afternoon just talking about stuff I don't usually come into contact with. And he had perfect English manners, calling us dears and telling us cute stories about how he tries to get around the time difference to watch cricket on Singapore tv.
But I think the best part was when everyone was just sharing about their lives and what they were doing at the moment and the conversation kinda got to me. And I was totally, 'I'm not doing anything at the moment, I just resting and relaxing. In fact, I go to bed at 1130 and get up at 9, most days.' Haha and everybody was like, 'Ohh I'm sure we can find things for you to do. Here, why don't you TA for him and earn some money.' HAHA THERE IS NO WAY THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
Didn't your hear Michael Ross Watson on Sunday? He said that it takes a concentrated effort to enter into rest. So that's what I'm gonna spend my entire holidays doing. Learning to enter and enjoy my rest.
"The more often [a man] feels without acting, the less he will ever be able to act, and, in the long run, the less he will be able to feel."
//C.S. Lewis; The Screwtape Letters
I first came across the Screwtape Letters when I was in secondary school. My uncle had just bought a copy and he was raving about it, telling me to read it when I had the time. He loaned me his copy and I finished it within a few weeks. At that time, I was more of a voracious reader, of the type to press on through a book, consuming the words but barely understanding the ideas. And with something as sharp and sophisticated as the Screwtape Letters, I always knew I would have to read it again when I got older to understand it properly.
So I finally got the chance to go down to Tecman when I was free to get a copy for myself. And I'm taking it slow this time, reading it chapter by chapter, sometimes going over one chapter again when the writing style and ideas got a little bit too much for me. And I have to say that the sting of Lewis' words don't fade away with time. All the things he said are still as important and relevant today as they were 70 years ago.
It's a surreal and strange experience to see things from the Devil's viewpoint and be forced to constantly reflect on my life. At some points, the book made me laugh out loud, at other points, it made me uncomfortable because it confronted me with some of the things I do that are not exactly all that noble. In any case, I'm not even halfway done with this book yet but it caused me to be a lot more aware of the things that happen around me. So get it and read it, I think it'll help you, whether you're a believer or not.
"Inside me, there is an organ more important than my heart. Although you can’t see it, I feel it going right through my head and down to my legs, and I know that it exists inside me. It’s the one that lets me stand up and walk forward. So that I can walk forward, without ever trembling. If I stopped here I feel like it would break … My soul would break. Even more than if my heart stops beating, to me that is the most important. Even if I become senile and my back gets bent, I still have to walk forward."
//Sorachi Hideaki; Gintama
Sometimes it seems that people will never change. That they'll always be selfish, immature, irresponsible, causing hurt and pain wherever they go. But I know that there is one who knows better, who sees all that we can be for him. So trust and keep praying. He will turn things around for all of us. It will not stay the same forever.
"He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."
//Isaiah 61:1-3 (NKJV Version)
There was once a time when I thought I would never be able to understand what it meant to go past the age of twentyone, when I thought that getting into your mid-twenties meant that I was getting old, well and proper. But this year, I turned twentythree and I'm only beginning to see that this time truly, is the time of my life. Looking back so far, this has been a year of milestones for me. I conquered the Jessup, officially graduated from law school and am going to move from Highlife to Onelife in church. And in this period where I am waiting to take the Bar exam and be called, I am really enjoying a time of rest and recharging that I've not experienced in the past four years of school life.
Thankfully I've also had the opportunity to think more deeply about the direction that I want my life and ministry to go in. This morning I was suddenly reminded of the verse, He has traded our ashes for a crown of beauty. And I was reminded that I am here and saved by grace, that my life was nothing until He came and reached out for me in my times of desperation. He took away my ashes and gave me beauty, He exchanged my despair for joy and He gave me hope in darkness. Where would I be without you? Because of this, I know that I want to continue to grow and reach out to people who do not yet have this hope in their lives. To minister to those who are sick, who have lost hope, who cannot find the strength to take the steps in front of them.
I know that I'm in no way perfect or near completion, but God hasn't called me to do the impossible. All He asks is that I trade in my brokenness so that He can give me wings. And this I will learn to do, each and every day. I know that there is a lot coming my way when I enter the law profession, that there will be trials and temptations, stress and suffering and that my values will probably be challenged at each turn. But I also know that there is One who has conquered the world and that He is for me. Nothing is impossible for Him.
Thus, I want to commit to continue praying and supporting my family and friends, to continue to go for cell and prayer meets even when the going gets tough, to grow and eventually find an area of ministry that I can serve in. I want to hold onto his vision until it comes to pass in my life. I want zeal for your household to consume me.
You've carried me for the past twentythree years and my gratitude to you knows no bounds. Continue to lead me all the way.
"I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string."
//L.M. Montgomery
When I left for my grad trip to the US, I wasn't sure what to expect. Afterall, this was the first time that three of us were travelling together and it was my first time in a long time with a tour group. But the Lord is good and I think he really blessed us a lot on this awesome trip! It's really difficult to put the entire experience in words bcos I think the feelings I had before, during and after the trip were slightly different. But one thing I was really grateful for was that we grew closer on the trip and we saw sides to each other that we had not seen before :)
What can I say? We basically went and we conquered. We played our hearts out in LA (even though there really wasn't enough time), we shopped alot in Vegas (and got tanned a lot) and we ate tons of seafood in San Francisco. I don't know when we can carry out our Korean trip together, since we're probably going to be crazy busy once work starts up again, but I know that I'll be really looking forward to our next trip together. So here's to our grad trip, I'll remember it forever.
"READY STEADY CAN'T HOLD ME BACK! READY STEADY GIVE ME GOOD LUCK!
READY STEADY NEVER LOOK BACK! LET'S GET STARTED READY STEADY GO!
The scenery blowing by like it's rolling forward; Even if things start looking desperate,
I won't lose sight of the target;
If I can't depend on this map, may as well burn it up; I'll seize the buried truth in these palms;
I've run through quickly with singular determination; My racing heart beats so loudly it could rip me apart."
//L'arc~en~Ciel; READY STEADY GO
I was going to begin blogging about our awesome grad trip but then I got distracted by spring-cleaning and my secondary school notebooks which I discovered after going through my cupboards. It was so amazing seeing all the stuff I had written inside my notebooks, I couldn't believe I used to be so crazy about J-culture!
So I went to dig up all the old videos of the songs I used to love and I'm happy to say that my taste hasn't changed even though I'm equally into K-culture now. I miss all the times talking about stuff like gackt, l'arc~en~ciel, arashi, 20th century, exile, MISIA, TOKIO, flame and kinki kids so much! I miss all the time we spent at comic shops looking for stuff like hunter x hunter, naruto, kindaichi, rurounin kenshin and slam dunk! I miss all the anime I watched, all the fullmetal alchemist, neon evangelion and fushiki yuugi! I can't believe I didn't know laruku was coming to Singapore and so I missed them cos we were flying off to US for the grad trip, I'm sure the concert was super awesome.
So here's a trip down memory lane for all those people who love J-culture like I still do.
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