Japanese subtlety

One of them went back to Japan. Everyone thought it's for some important meeting, really short trip - 2 days off + weekend, total = 4 days.

He came back to work this morning, went round to every dept... with the nice lady from Admin. Imagine the shock they gave when they held up their left hands, shiny silver band on their fourth finger and said "We married".

Whoa. Right under our noses. And some of those noses are especially sharp. But nobody knew! Who knows what happens after 4:30pm? It's like Ben Stiller's "Night at the Museum" - things come alive after 4:30pm!

When probed,

guy: To me, we started in Jan.

girl: To me, only March.

it's only April!

Japanese subtlety - drops bombshells at u, leaving u standing transfixed, mouth open wide, for a few seconds. Well... it's not my first time.

Another one also left for Japan at the same time - for a week! Maybe we'll have to keep a lookout for the left fourth finger when she returns next week...

laughingstock

so I've failed. it feels like the whole world is laughing at me. but I'm sure it's just my imagination. so what if they're laughing? they mocked at my Lord too. that glimmer of hope lines the horizon. yet, it simmers there in that faraway horizon - within sight, yet out of reach. when will it burst forth in glorious hope and pierce through the darkness?

School of Prayer

"Prayer is not a means of removing the unknown and unpredictable elements in life, but rather a way of including the unknown and unpredictable in the outworking of the grace of God in our lives." -Ray Anderson, theologian

Jesus' own prayers for his disciples surely did not remove the 'unknown and unpredictable elements'. ... Eventually, however, eleven of the twelve underwent a slow but steady transformation, providing a kind of long-term answer to Jesus' original prayer. ... The one exception, Judas, betrayed Jesus and yet that very act led to the cross and salvation of the world. In strange and mysterious ways, prayer incorporates the unknown and unpredictable in the outworking of God's grace.

We want God to intervene more decisively, ...Jesus' prayers underscore God's style of restraint out of respect for human freedom.

When I betray the love and grace God has shown me, I fall back on the promise that Jesus prays for me, as he did for Peter: not that I would never face testing, nor ever fail, but that in the end I will allow God to use the testing and failure to mould me into someone more useful to the kingdom, someone more like Jesus.

from the Chapter "Why Pray?", [Prayer - Does it Make Any Difference] by Philip Yancey

I Just Wanna Love You

Simply Love You ~Ginny Owens

Seems that life's become so complicated
I don't think it was meant to be this way
I find myself so distracted
Caught up in the chaos of each day

When did I stop asking for your wisdom?
As if your words were meant for someone else
Why do I choose to second-guess you?
Oh I only frustrate and confuse myself

I just wanna love you, Simply love you
The way it used to be
When your love was new to me
I just wanna love you, simply love you
To hear what you say and live every day
Like you asked me to
I just wanna simply love you

Many times you spoke of us as children
Childhood seems to me so long ago
You say I can trust you like I did then
If I give you my hand you will lead me home

I just wanna love you, Simply love you
The way it used to be
When your love was new to me
I just wanna love you, simply love you
To hear what you say and live every day
Like you asked me to

Oh...to fall on my knees
With the freshest belief
Stirred once again by the story
of how you loved me

I just wanna love you, Simply love you
The way it used to be
When your love was new to me
I just wanna love you, simply love you
To hear what you say and live every day
Like you asked me to
I just wanna simply love you

****

If loving you was that simple.

Putting One Foot in Front of the Other

This Road ~Ginny Owens

A million miles away from anything familiar
A thousand places I would rather be
So I choke back the tears
and try to find the bright side
Though I find it hard to see beyond my suffering
In my heart I know Your plan is so much bigger
But this small part is all that I can see
And I believe you haven't left me here to wander
Still I can't help but ponder where You're leading me

And I ask why this road
Why this way and this load
Tell me how far must I go
Til I see, Til I know why this road

A million miles away from anything familiar
What was it like to be so far from home
And though You came in love
the world misunderstood You
There must have been some days when You felt so alone
But You endured 'cause there was joy before You
Joy that came because You sacrificed
Since You gave Yourself just to spend forever with me
Surely I can trust You'll lead me through my darkest times

When I ask why this road
Why this way and this load
Tell me how far must I go
Til I see, Til I know why

From here I cannot see why You choose this path for me
But I don't have to understand to believe
that You know why
You know why this road
Why this way and this load
You know how far I must go
Til I see, Til I know why this road