Happy Wednesday!

Compared to the last 2 weeks, this week is pretty relaxing for me.  Catching up on my Google Reader outstanding and these really made my day.

This really cheered me up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~via~

Wow this outfit.  Really gotta try it some day..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~via~

Fresh flowers in a jar..mmm..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~via~

I’m hoping to be able to make a trip down to immigration today to get my passport renewed.  Maybe after that, there’ll be some time to squeeze in coffee and cake.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Of Things, and a little technology

Its been a long day.  Long, but rewarding when I manage to check off 11 items from my to-do list.

I love the Things application that I downloaded onto my mac.  This has got to the best the to-do list application I have tried out so far.  Actually, I’ve had it on my iPhone for a while, but now that I’ve got it on my mac too, I love how I can sync it with my iPhone.  I love how I have everything that needs to be done sorted nicely into Areas and Projects and Scheduled items.  Suddenly, I can see my whole life sorted into little “Areas” like “Cell”, “Birthday Surprise”, “Admin”, “Revamp”.  I used to buy little notebooks and stuff and spend time “downloading” my brain into a long list of to-do items.  These days, with Things and an iPhone, everything just looks and functions better.  Sigh.

My day got a little rough around the evening, rubbed shoulders with a person.  But nothing that chocolate, friends and some good ol’ prayer wouldn’t fix.  Regardless, she made her point, and I accept it.  It doesn’t really matter, and I choose not to indulge in the feelings that the devil tries to set up in me.  I choose to forgive, release and surrender my rights.  I choose to serve the Lord in fear and rejoice in trembling. For He is a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.

So after I finished checking things off my list like a maniac, well, being the tech savvy person that I supposedly am, I spent a relaxing forty-five minutes making myself a nice new wallpaper from a small selection of my very favorite collection of pretty pictures.

Note: Pictures are taken from various websites for my own personal viewing.

Overdoing it?

These days, I have been thinking if we are too quick to blame everything on the devil, giving him more “credit” than he deserves.  Over-sensing, over-spiritualising too many things, when sometimes, it could be more humanistic than spiritual.

So I had been attending a (non-Christian) wake for a few nights in support of a close friend.  On the last night, the conversation topic led to spiritual attacks and entering into fervant prayer at the end of each night.  Praying till something in us would “lift” and that “burden” from the wake was lifted.  I personally did “hear” the funeral chants in my head on one of the days, then again, after nights and nights of sitting there, while the chanting tape played in a continuous humdrum, I do wonder, who wouldn’t find himself/herself with an earworm of the chant?  If so, does that count as a spiritual attack?  More issues were raised such as the inability to sleep well or through the night, ie, spiritual attack.

I personally had been sleeping well, up until the night we had that conversation.  I couldn’t sleep that night, wondering about the different spooky things we talked about and praying hard against every fear that had settled within me.  So it led me to wonder if sometimes, we get too spiritual about things, when really, it could just be something simply explained.

Not to say that we take God and His protection for granted.  Not to say that all things classified under Spiritual Attacks are a bunch of whack.  No, but to have wisdom, discernment and well, I guess, simple faith coupled with applied logic?

I am not sure, so I am leaving this an open-ended question.

Saturday morning. Breakfast is served.

There is nothing that can compare to a Saturday morning patio breakfast of bacon, toast and eggs sunny side up.

Warning.

I have had this feeling for a while. Almost like a warning of impending danger. So I tried being more wary, more careful.

Today it finally happened.
Now I am not sure, what next?

过客

Though the road ahead looks uncertain, the hand of God is a constant amidst all the variables.  He is always there, always near.

Perhaps what is hardest about it all, apart from the great unknown that lies ahead, is letting go.  Of people, of friendships, relationships.  Accepting the fact that we have each served that particular need in the others’ lives at that point in time, and now we stand at the tip of a fork, where the paths divide and we walk on our individual ways.  Until our paths cross again.  Some relationships remain preserved, whilst others simply fade away regardless of how you try to maintain it.  The sadness lingers at the realisation that you are no longer drawing strength from one another, nor ministering to the needs of the other, where every other conversation seems superficial.  Sometimes we wonder if it was something we did, or said, or did not do. All that is left is but a memory of the good times and the bad times, the tears shed together, the prayers prayed for one another, the lessons gleaned from it all.

I choose to believe that while we make choices, His purposes always prevail.  While letting go of any relationship is hard, making the choice to let go is the hardest.  Yet without doing so, we cannot free our clenched fists to receive new things.  Amidst it all, God is good.  He never fails, is always faithful, whose love endureth forever.  He will never leave us, nor forsake us, for He knows the plans He has for us, to prosper us and not to harm us.  So even when the road ahead looks long and winding, when it looks dark and lonely, I pray that we would grow to become people of mountain-moving faith.  Trusting God at every turn, every juncture, knowing that everywhere, He sends His angels to be by our sides, to tap upon, grow together, spur, pray, intercede, war together until the season comes to yet another end.

过客.  Our lives will always be filled with many of such passing guests, some who come and go, others who stay for a while, returning visitors with praise reports to share.  We are no doubt blessed by each of these divine experiences.

But there is only so long you can stand at the tip of the fork when you finally realise that the time has come to pick up your bags in one hand, put your hand to the plough on the other and walk on without looking back.  Walk on with boldness and courage, compelled by the Holy Spirit and ready to meet the new season that has been beckoning.

But I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that as long as we never lose the wonder of the cross, we will never walk alone.

I can’t do it.

It hadn’t dawned upon me, up until yesterday, the weight of it all.  The path that I have chosen.  As I look ahead, it seems arduous and challenging.  I wonder if this is the correct path, if this choice I made is right.  I wonder why am I the way I am and not something else.  As I look ahead, around, I’ve come to realise that I really am alone (yes, with God) in this.  And I am so afraid.

In my fear, I said, Lord! I don’t know if I can do it!  I can’t do it!
Then He said, I will prosper the work of your hands.

I am not sure, but that is all I have to cling on to, I think.