Emmanuel

Emmanuel = God with us. 

This word has increased in the depth of its meaning for me over the years. 

it is a word worth meditating over, pondering over and keeping in your heart. 

Emmanuel. God with us. 

Double Take @ DFP

it was a totally enjoyable hour. angelic voice + amazing guitar skills.

it's like magic entering your soul and the music takes you away from everything else in your mind...

and when u leave the concert hall... u take a little bit of that magic with you.

ahhhh.... the little pleasures in life.

mac-ing

i never thought the day will come when i'll actually be using a mac. it's like - how do i know what button to press and where to find what? 

recently, there's been so many new things coming my way, sometimes I wonder if i'm still me. 

it's not that bad. if we limit ourselves to what we're used to at a young age, then life'd be pretty boring eh? 

if we're looking for adventures, for exciting journeys, then i'd say - get onboard His plan! not sure where to start? on our knees. 

"and I stand, I stand, in awe of You"

the biggest theme this year, is perhaps, how God's grace and mercy have so enveloped me that I stand in awe, speechless, astounded when I reflect on the journey in the past year. In fact, things have turned around in less than a year - waaaaay faster than I had expected.

something said today made me wonder, perhaps He did try to work on me once I touched down on homeground. I just wasn't ready. apparently my body language was all "back off" and "give me time".

and perhaps for that, I had to take the longer route - few months through the desert dry land.

few months is but a little detour. that His hands would lift me up again, turn me around in less than a year - speaks of the depth of His mercy, the richness of His grace.

I am led to think, that perhaps, all along He is extending His outstretched arm to us - it's just how long will we take to finally realize that it's no point writhing with pain in our own sorrow and misery?

a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness

instead of mourning,

a garment of praise,

instead of a spirit of despair.

(Isaiah 61)

what's in a name?

思 - think of; long for; miss

亲 - parent

I've always thought my dad was thinking of, missing his parents when I was born and hence he gave me my name. Never mind that my last name has the same sound as the Chinese negation.

Then I found out yesterday that actually, dad obtained my name from the Chinese saying:

“独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲“

"All alone in a foreign land, I am twice as homesick on a festive occasion"

yea, I know. What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. But as I pondered over it, I can't help but wonder...

perhaps unbeknownst to dad, he has already "released" me - to the ends of the earth. The only condition, is that I'll remember him and mum.

digging deeper

He took a big spade and dug deeper and revealed silly unfounded fears that weren't supposed to be there.

Or maybe I just haven't noticed them.

it's unnerving. but it's stuff that needs to be dealt with.

Father, have mercy on me.