Whom i've been seeing

(Dear diary, let me tell you about my private dates for the past two months, which i had enjoyed soooo much...)(click on)

+Amanda 'watching' me eat the best porridge in singapore (at clementi hawker!)

+chill-out session with Belinda and our bunch of lovely coachees, Ainiah, Asyiqin, Amy, Elizabeth, Ronghui, and Yati, when we really lazed around. The highlight? Playing Pepsi Cola One Two Three at the playground)

+rambling about photography with Jingying, while drooling over her new camera...

+jogging alongside Ying Shuen at the NUS tracks under the moonlight.... *wooh*

+enjoying a cosy sumptuous 'candlelight' dinner with Meiqi @my friend's cafe Essential Brews in Holland Village

+clearing throats and letting the hair down at K-box with Belinda (first time i stepped into it since my uni days!)

+Sunday brunch with Ahmi Pastor Yueh Ping (plus feeding and catching her two cheekly lil daughters. ha)

+quick catch-up with sweetie Andrea to pass her her belated birthday present

(+tomorrow's afternoon tea with Xue Zhen)

(+Patricia, i'm going to catch you very soon! :P)

.... wooh, i just love going on dates with my precious daughters and dearest ladies. *winks*

Are you trying to please everyone?

Recently i was talking to a secondary four girl on the phone, and she was confiding in me how upset she was because her class monitor slammed her art design for the class tee.

It was a totally unappreciative moment for her, because she had held high hopes about her design, since a bunch of her classmates found it really nice.

i empathised with her a lot, especially that little innocent 'designer's ego' (having been dealing a lot with art and design since my primary days). 'How dare you criticise my design' is the silent and usually harmless voice within us at such moments. Ha.

But come on, you do not have to be a designer/artist in order to feel this crunch. I dare to say that almost every of us has felt unappreciated by others before, including me of course. Because of varying preferences, insensitivity, or even deliberate grudges, we do not "encourage one another and build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11a) the way God wants us all to.

(drawing above done by me in secondary days, which never won any award but which i truly like!:P)

Sometimes it could be because we seek man's approval too much, such that when we do not get it we felt rejected and dejected. I would like to encourage every of you that we seriously do not have to base our identities and successes on the approval of man, because we can never please everyone. As much as we long for others' approval, we will find that we have no control at all over how they want to react to us.

The Bible is even sharper in saying "Stop putting your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. How can they be of help to anyone?" (Isaiah 22:2) (with reference to Psalm 39:5b which says "each man's life is but a breath").

God is not asking us to not trust anybody. He is saying 'Don't lead your life based on people's opinions'. Be confident! Put in your best in what you do, and be proud of it. If it is truly not up to standard yet, humbly try harder without deflating your own esteem. Even when i knew my architectural project was not an A-grade, i presented my scheme and design to the critique panel with pride in my work, and then unassumingly listened to their suggestions for improvement. And walaa, i gained great insight for that day!


i told my girl on the phone about all these, and ended with a "Jia you! (mandarin for 'keep trying') Don't give up!". Well i really believe in her! *winks*

(another of my personal favs hanging on my bedside wall) =)

The Crayon Affair

i never thought i would draw with crayons again. They used to be a weekly affair when i attended art class (outside school) during my primary school days. My ten fingers would be stained with colorful smudges that smelled like rubber by the time to go home.

i attended an Inner Healing workshop conducted by Pastor Josephine for the past two Saturdays. And as though the class was not girlish enough (it being a ladies-only event), we were then sprawled on the floor to draw using crayons and poster colors! Some of the girly chatter went like this:

"Wah you draw butterfly!"
"I want pink....where's the pink crayon?"
"hey the crayon words are coming out (beneath the poster color)!"
"i finish drawing. This enough?" (by a sister who only put a big red dot in the middle of the white paper. i wouldn't mention who. :P)

i found it hard to start. After the years of architectural and design training, i was still tuned to the conceptualisation-concept translation-development-finetuning-finalisation-actual product cycle. Ps Jo prompted us 'Don't think too much. Don't need concept. Just draw what is closest to your heart'.

i thought of a rainbow, so i began with my first splash of yellow across the paper (i really don't remember the order of the color spectrum, hee), and then an orange, vermillion, red, violet, royal blue and its blues cousins, lime green... And tadaaa... i had a rainbow on my paper!

What else? i then asked the Holy Spirit. Hmm..probably the bottom right corner fitted a pasture. And what better stuff to draw on green slopes but little lambs! And what better number of them to draw but twelve! haha... And they all had got to head in the same direction, towards the rainbow, and the heart that was spurred out of nowhere.

Holy Spirit, what do You want to tell me thru' this picture?

Just then i saw the word freedom, and i realised this drawing spoke my heart's desire so well - to love my sheep (my 12-to-come) in freedom. A love that is as free as that Jesus has given us, a love that is not easily shaken, a love that sets them free as well.

Yes, that is the way i want to love my spiritual daughters. In a freedom that allows the Holy Spirit full reign. =)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Would you want your kid to look like him?

My daily routine of getting ready for work in my room includes listening to Class 95 on the ray-deee-yo. Not been catching up with the ongoing Singapore Idol contest, the upbeat conversation between djs The Flying Dutchman and Glenn Ong brought me to the image of one contestant, Paul Twohill, once again to remember how it really stunned and then puzzled me when i first saw him on tv.

"Would you like your kids to look like him?"
"Well, my kids are not performers..."
"But...Paul looks like this even when he is not on stage!"...

Some of Paul's looks in the photos sent a little chill down my spine. I would not want my kids to look like this! Personally i felt the image speaks more of a lack of self-esteem, you know, like not being able to face the world, more than an unique style. Is the world so glaring to him, that his sight has to be screened through his fringe?

i am guessing this cos' i remembered a period of time in my youth days when i tried to use my hair to cover my face. *Gasps*. And i knew deep down, it was definitely not a stylish act.

Back to the question. So..
Would you want your kids to look like this?

To what extent can we be different so as to be unique, without (ahem) scaring the world? :p

Disclaimer: This post carries no intention to undermine the singing ability of Paul Twohill (i have heard he sings really well *well done!*) or to suggest a revolt against Paul's hair.style. The written is only a personal opinion.

:p

Antennas to receive signals from God?

A brother referred me to this project's website and we have only one word to describe the prayer antenna/helmet - dumb. Or probably i should use the favourited remark that youths nowadays like to say - lame (which implies dumb-ness, crappiness etc, usually referring to a cold joke) . =p

The inventor wrote "The antenna receives signals from God (yes, your God)".

I do not mean to sound critical, but my 'violent' response actually indicates an immense thanksgiving: Thank you Lord Jesus, the only true and living God, that You do not need us to stuff our head into such a gadget in order to hear from You"! =) Yesh, i have a feeling i may be suffocated or claustrophobed while praying inside it. hee.

______________________________

The truth is that, when you truly and sincerely want to hear God speak in reply to your prayer, He will. He can resonate His voice thru' the noisiest cacophony and also whisper tenderly in the silent-est of all moments.

But you have to come before the Heavenly Father like a child - teachable, obedient, humble, and never losing the sense of awe but always bearing faith.

The bible recorded this incident of God speaking audibly to Samuel when he was a young boy, in the book 1 Samuel, Chapter 3. One night when Samuel was sleeping, God called him by his name three times, wanting to tell him something. Each time it happened, Samuel rushed to his teacher and priest Eli immediately and said "Here i am, you called me". (i see here that Samuel really has a subservient and childlike heart in serving his master. i could have dilly-dallied in getting up in the middle of sleeping :P)

If you wonder why Samuel had thought that Eli, and not God, had called him, that was because 'Samuel did not yet know the Lord; the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him' (1 Samuel 3:7).

GASP! God spoke to Samuel so audibly even before he knew Him! The priest Eli had ten sons of his own, but God chose to speak to Eli's servant Samuel, simply because He knew the humble and obedient heart of Samuel who was always faithfully serving Eli in God's work. On the other hand, 'Eli's sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord' (1 Samuel 2:12).

And guess what, God definitely used no helmet or antenna to speak through to Samuel. =p I seriously do not think such things existed too between 913 B.C. and 722 B.C, when the books of Samuel were believed to be written.

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"Hello miss, are you in a hurry?"

There was a period of time last year when i was almost eaten up by stress. I guess i even lost control of it, and realised i was rushing and stressing myself out all the time, even when i was in no hurry. And the worst thing is, i became not even conscious of it!

The breakthrough came when God spoke firmly to me one evening 'Where are you rushing to, Mirabel? Why are you rushing?' (i was then, yes, rushing and jostling my way through). I stopped immediately in my path, dumbfounded for that split second, cos' i realised i could not answer God. I had no answer.

And the next moment, i felt my tensed shoulders drop. I could then resume a normal pace, and gone were my breathless gasps, excessive palpitations, and screwed forehead. Ha. Hallelujah, i am cured divinely from extreme stress, just by a word from God! =)

______________________

+ Are you someone who has a relationship with Jesus, and always been longing for Jesus to call your name?

Drop your defences and surrender to Him; you will hear Him call. And like a child, you will delight in the Father's voice.* =)

+ Don't have a relationship with Jesus, but want to hear Him speak?

God called Samuel by his name, even before Samuel knew Him. Drop your human logic and reasoning. Not rejecting Jesus can really be a starting point to hear the wondrous yet tender voice of God, i am sure. =) *

My Love Languages

My primary love language is probably
Physical Touch
with a secondary love language being
Quality Time.

Complete set of results

Physical Touch:		12
Quality Time:		7
Acts of Service:		5
Words of Affirmation:		4
Receiving Gifts:		2

Information

Unhappiness in relationships, according to Dr. Gary Chapman, is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. Sometimes we don't understand our loved one's requirements, or even our own. We all have a "love tank" that needs to be filled in order for us to express love to others, but there are different means by which our tank can be filled, and there are different ways that we can express love to others.

Take the quiz

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Took this test again to gauge a better idea of how i give love to others. Touch is definitely my top love language; people who know me usually get an affectionate hug or friendly tap on the shoulder or back, for no reason. Especially when many words express little, a hug is the best substitute, and i do that a lot even on msn and smses. =P

Hmm...as for quality time, i guess that is how i receive (and perceive) love most, second to physical touch naturally (which is also why i love hugs; it's got to be reciprocal!). Giving thru' spending quality time....well that's something i gotta work on actually. Sometimes i still get carried away by my little worlds-of-my-own. :0

Acts of service...doesnt that sound like my mum! Not exactly liking the way she does things for us to express her love, yet seldom giving a word of affirmation (it's just not her), i have actually been imparted subconsciously to do, i call them, little secret acts of love. Why secret? Cos' what you do for others may go unnoticed if they are uninformed of them. =(

Definitely i love a pretty word or two at times, but i can't really receive praises and thanks heartily. But oooh, on the other hand, i love to give them away *winks*.

Hee, do not be surprised that 'gifts' have been relegated to the bottom. i appreciate all pressies, but i feel they usually don't feel as personal as a cheery smile, and a fitting hug, or a good time spent together. Nonetheless a simple handwritten card is the best gift i always look forward to! =)

Have you tried loving someone From the Inside Out?

From The Inside Out

by Hillsong United
album: United We Stand (2006)


A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
I'm caught in Your grace

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing You praise

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

In my heart and my soul
Lord I give You control
Consume me from the inside out
Lord let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart
Is to bring You praise
From the inside out
Lord my soul cries out



Yes Jesus, i want to simply serve You, and to simply love You, from the inside out. =)

Session. Party. Play. ground.

Flash Slideshow

Presenting my wonderful Life Coachees!

Going to share more about them soon. Stay tuned to this space! =)

Gals, Catch the videos & photos Amy took @ her blog. Oh my... =p