Faith, Hope and Love. ♥

Friday, April 30, 2010 11:30 PM

When You Believe..

Many nights we've prayed
With no proof anyone could hear
In our hearts a hopeful song
We barely understood

Now we are not afraid
Although we know there's much to fear
We were moving mountains long
Before we knew we could

There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe

In this time of fear
When prayers so often prove(s) in vain
Hope seems like the summer birds
Too swiftly flown away

Yet now I'm standing here
My heart's so full I can't explain
Seeking faith and speaking words
I never thought I'd say

There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe

They don't always happen when you ask
And it's easy to give in to your fears
But when you're blinded by your pain
Can't see your way straight through the rain
A small but still resilient voice
Says hope is very near

There can be miracles(Miracles)
When you believe(Lord, when you believe)
Though hope is frail(Though hope is frail)
It's hard to kill(Hard to kill, Ohhh)
Who knows what miracles,you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will(somehow,somehow, somehow)
Somehow you will
You will when you believe

You will when you
You will when you believe
Just believe...in your heart
Just believe
You will when you believe~

Saturday, April 24, 2010 11:13 PM

Church + Children = :D

Rev Kim Sunghae came to preach for today's service! :)

While it was a bit hard to follow her at times(mainly it's because of her Korean accent), in general the session was enjoyable! And she seems like a really nice grandmotherly figure, and definitely, young-at-heart is the most apt description for her! :)

And cell group last night was enjoyable too! Albeit the fact that I was 15 minutes late because I ended work at 7, and I was stuck in a traffic jam on my way to Jenna's place ZZZ.
I definitely didn't expect yesterday to be so hectic, and I was actually asked to come in to work a few hours earlier because some teachers were on MC/leave and they're short-handed. Mainly due to the horrible weather lately that contributed to more people falling sick.

For the first part of work I actually went to the nursery class. And the kids are sooo cute! :D They're considered to be more well-behaved in general because their speaking ability is not quite there yet, so in a way they're more orderly. But of course, there're exceptions, those who are a bit more on the talkative side tried to climb to the top of my head. -_-

And there's a Chinese-Japanese boy in the nursery class, he's really adorable! :D :D :D And his name's Tanaka Ryo. Sweet name, and he's a sweet-looking boy too. No photos, because I think I have to reserve some privacy here. :/

I like what was preached at cell yesterday, it's really true in every way, in every aspect of life.

1. Testings and temptations are common to man.
2. God is faithful. He will not put anything in life that you can't overcome.
3. God always provides the way of escape.

So true! :)

Part of W398+N385 :)

Until now, whenever I see this photo of De Jia, Peixin and Kumar, I'll keep on laughing to myself. This was snapped by Peter on EXTREME MAKEOVER day, and earlier after service, some of us were feasting on KFC at the rooftop at church and Peter snapped another photo, with the above 3 people in it HAHAHA.

Needless to say, many of us in cell liked that photo on Facebook, and there were a good deal of comments too HAHAHA.

Thursday, April 22, 2010 11:30 PM

hot, hotter, hottest = sunburn!

I fancied a swim today because the morning weather was hot enough, and jumping into the swimming pool sounds really inviting and it's something that I've been wanting to do ever since the weather became insanely hot lately.

What I didn't bargain for was sunburn! >< Partly because there was this random guy who suddenly struck up a conversation with me at the swimming pool, and I just chatted with him to be nice and polite. It turned out to be quite an interesting chat, and this partially accounts for my very tanned skin now.

As a result, I now have a combination of brown and red skin, and the parts that were originally not so dark is pink. And the skin feels really warm to the touch, and it makes staying in an air-conditioned room sound very tempting.
And my very-much-darker skin has resulted in many dropped jaws, and plenty of comments from my parents, my students, the teachers and even the kids' parents.

The incredible part that made my jaw drop as well:
Samuel(1 of the kids, and also 1 of those that I really dote on) asked me how come I was so red. And I initially thought he was asking me why I was holding something red when in the first place, I wasn't holding anything red. It took me a few seconds to understand that he was referring to my skin colour.

Let's keep fingers crossed that I don't start peeling. My biggest mistake was not applying sunblock and suntan lotion, but the thing is that I don't have them in my house!
So it's a lesson learnt zzzzz. -_-

And I can't quite understand the very erratic weather lately. It can be extremely hot in the morning, then it starts raining heavily in the afternoon, or it'll be the other way round.
The sky this afternoon was suddenly so black it was near impossible to discern much of the view in the distance! But the upside was of course, the very strong and cold wind. :D

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 11:11 PM

Family

Yesterday, something happened that I would never, ever forget.

I shall not reveal too much over here because I think it's a bit of a sensitive issue - even though I honestly think that the people in concern would not read my blog, because 1 of them is really young! (And if you honestly want to know, please just ask me in person!)

But the main point I'm trying to get across is, family is one of the most important things we must have in life, after God. Because the thing is that if parents split up, the biggest casualty isn't the parents, instead it's the children. They are the ones who bear the brunt of the emotional burden. And it's something that I've witnessed firsthand in my life - but of course, not from my family!

Especially if they're really young(ie. 5-10 years old). In my opinion, I feel that while they may seem like any other normal kid on the surface, but their actions and the way they speak sometimes can be heart-warming, yet heart-breaking at the same time.

Honestly speaking, while young, their actions can give some hints about their family backgrounds - whether it's stable or not.

This incident made me feel a combination of happy and sad, and it's made me realise how truly fortunate I am - with a stable family, with God in my heart and life.
Because when your family is dysfunctional/broken, it can be really painful to go through life, without anyone really close to turn to.

Henceforth, the essential thing is: Treasure your family. You never know what can happen in the next instant.

Sunday, April 18, 2010 6:20 PM

How a small difference to us, can mean a lot to another person.

It was really one long day, and really a tiring one at that!

Cleaning of 3 studio apartments belonging to the elderly today at Chinatown is not an easy task, that much I can safely say. Furthermore, the 3rd apartment was a total warzone, to put it mildly. Cluttered, presence of cockroaches, lizards, a bee, a dead rat (!!!!!) and really messy.
It made the previous 2 apartments seem really clean in comparison, and to be really honest, they were actually quite clean, the only cleaning we needed to do was just general cleaning, sweeping and mopping the floor, and cleaning the door and windows.

But really, it's satisfying in a way, and actually I feel that I haven't done that much, compared to the others. But it's worth it, to help in making a difference to their lives.

The old man living in the 3rd apartment is actually visually-impaired, so in a way I can understand why his apartment is a total warzone. And the way he talks-I shall not go into detail what he said-is funny on one hand, but listening to what he said, it's hard not to feel compassion for him.

And I really, from the bottom of my heart, give thanks to God for my surroundings. It also made me realise that I've taken many things for granted.

On a lighter note, I know this is a bit whattheheck, but when I knew we were going to Chinatown, my first thought was 'KOI bubble tea'! OK I know it's dumb. :D But anyway, we got our KOI fix! :D

Visuals up!

After Saturday's service. W398 and N385! :D
Heehee Peter's expression is really very funny.

It happened to be Jun Yuan's birthday today too, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you! :D
Part of the cell. Wah I look like a small girl in comparison to Peter, seriously!
Joycelyn, Cherie, me :D
Cherie Lian! :D :D :D I look so chui here :(

Heehee a picture speaks a thousand words. x)

Friday, April 16, 2010 12:41 AM

Kaleidoscope of thoughts

Most people who've been keeping up with the news would have heard about how Loh Ying Jie met with a jetski accident in Phuket, and didn't manage to pull through the ordeal.

Heartache! Furthermore, he's so young, he's only 1 year older than me and had his future ahead of him too. Who would have expected something so terrible to happen! Unfortunate and untimely. :(
And I realised that he happens to be my senior's friend. Saddening and shocking to hear.
I can never fathom the thought of losing a loved one-regardless of whether it's family or friend. It's too upsetting to contemplate, even though in life, death is definitely inevitable.

Rest in peace, Ying Jie.

On another note, I finally signed up for Basic Theory Test today at BBDC. Something which I'd been intending to do since last year, but kept putting off.
I was with my mum, and we were watching candidates take their driving tests while waiting for my turn to register. It was quite funny to watch them somehow, but I could also sense the astronomical stress level the candidates were definitely feeling.

Somehow, the thought of the practical test intimidates me totally. The thoughts that kept running through my mind when I was going through the Basic Theory guidebook basically were fears that I would meet with an accident when I was driving.

I think it might have been a go-kart accident that I had when I was in J1. While I walked away relatively unscathed, save for an abrasion on my neck(thanks to the seat belt) and 2 mega-sized bruises high up on my thighs, I was extremely shaken. The impact was really strong and if I didn't fasten my belt, I'd definitely have been seriously hurt, or even killed.
I think that was the closest that I came to death. No joke.
At the time when I crashed, the first thought that came to my mind was 'OMG how am I going to pass my driving test in future?!'
Sounds dumb I know. ><

The funny thing was, I didn't feel anything until I got home, told my parents about the accident, and suddenly broke down crying. And when I was in front of my classmates, I was still laughing and feeling more or less light-hearted then.
Perhaps in front of my classmates, it might have been an act of bravado, trying to convince them and myself that I was really alright. But the sudden breakdown might have been the shock taking longer than usual to set in.

And generally, I don't cry in front of people.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 1:23 PM

KOI=豆=Love!

I want KOI!!!!! Seriously, I'm craving for their milk teas as of now.
But the only problem is that the nearest outlet from my place is Chinatown. -___-
I hope they open outlets in the west! ie. Jurong Point, IMM, West Mall.

Pretty please?

Just the very thought of KOI alone is enough to make me drool, but the problem is that I'm not really that willing to travel all the way to Chinatown just to get 1 milk tea. Much less to Marine Parade(unless I stayed in the east, then I wouldn't mind so much).

Monday, April 12, 2010 1:26 AM

This is amazing! Lin Yu-Chun singing Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You'. While I find it nothing short of astounding that a boy can sing like her, he still loses out to Whitney Houston though. The original singer is usually still the best! :)

Sunday, April 11, 2010 12:39 AM

thought-provoking.

During service today, Pastor Kong preached that attitude determines altitude.

It suddenly got me thinking really deep into myself.

Do I have the right attitude to pursue what I want?
Do I have the right attitude towards things in life?

You see, a simple change of a letter from 'T' to 'L' can alter your course of life totally.

Sunday, April 04, 2010 9:15 PM

Give thanks to the Lord, for His love for us is undying.

It's been an action-packed weekend, because of Good Friday and Easter. And my whole weekend was revolving around church. :)

I loved the Friday service, the preaching was really something truly thought-provoking and inspiring.
Especially the part on how we could remove our garments of guilt, shame and failure.
And I really give thanks to the Lord, for giving us his beloved son who died on the cross for our sins.

Yesterday was my first trip ever to Expo and Changi Airport via MRT. Yes, honestly I feel as though I've been living under a rock for the past few years, because when I went there it was usually by car. And it's something I'd like to do again, but NOT too often because yours truly stays in the West and travelling all the way to the other end of Singapore is going to wipe out my EZlink. (Damn adult fare!)

Anyway, random photos from ACJC Fun-O-Rama and my adorable niece and nephew! :)

I must say that this was really innovative!
Giant smiley face! :) The heat literally melted me and I swear I'm another shade darker no thanks to it.

:) So true!

Laughing Ryan! :D I thought I wouldn't be able to snap this because my handphone camera has a tendency to be abit lag, but thanks to my dad for making him laugh, it was possible!
Indeed, faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. :)

And from our class outing at Waraku, Marina Square. The food was not bad, but service wise it's 2 thumbs down! We waited really long for our food, at least half an hour! Annoying and irritating. And now you know why it's said that a hungry man is an angry man.
What I ate. Forgot what it's called, but it was not bad, and I'm trying not to eat too much these days. (But I ended up eating Mac for dinner on Saturday after service, at Changi Airport. So much for dietary plans -___-)
Marilyn with her VERY big bowl of ramen.

My iced lemon tea. HAHA Su Hui thought I was drinking beer because the glass happened to be a Tiger Beer one, and the slight white foaming at the top and the colour of the tea does give that appearance! xD
We originally planned to go KBox but we scrapped the plan because it was insanely expensive, so we thought of going to Si Jie's dorm room at NUS to cut her birthday cake. I didn't go for that in the end because it was already 11plus when we were discussing about going to NUS, and the next day was going to be a busy one for me with the Good Friday service. :(

How I wish there was overnight MRT services. :(

Thursday, April 01, 2010 1:12 AM

Music Muses-The likes of A1, Backstreet Boys and WESTLIFE. :)

I had the sudden urge to watch Westlife earlier, so I just popped in my Westlife Karaoke DVD and let it play.
Really, seeing the videos made me realise how fast time really flies. The old hits like 'Swear It Again', 'If I Let You Go', 'Flying Without Wings', 'Fool Again', 'My Love' to the more recent ones like 'Us Against the World', 'Where We Are'.....

Somehow, I felt like I'd taken a walk down memory lane because it'd been 11 years since Westlife burst out into the music industry with 'Swear It Again', and from there notched up 14 Number 1 singles and 10 albums. And I still love their songs, until today! :)
Those who've known me like forever would know that I'm still a big fan of Westlife!

Currently, it's Backstreet Boys playing on my playlist. They're another group that I like, they came into the industry before Westlife.
And coincidentally, both boybands(should they even be boys now that they're men?!) were once 5, now 4.
But still, it doesn't change my opinion that Backstreet Boys and Westlife have produced really good music, and are still capable of doing so. Examples: 'Straight Through My Heart' by Backstreet Boys, 'How To Break A Heart' by Westlife. :)

A1's also another example of boybands. I know it's been a really long time, but I do occasionally listen to their music.

Sorry to people out there, but artistes like Miley Cyrus totally doesn't appeal to me at all. Britney's much better than Miley, seriously.

Alright, this was totally random, but the sudden inspiration came after watching that Westlife DVD. :) And also partly because meeting up with the S34 people tomorrow would probably be for KBOX, and also to celebrate Si Jie's birthday. :)