My current favorite band: Gungor

I found out about Gungor in Spotify when I heard their song Beautiful Things. I liked it and thought that the lyrics were very creative. This video puts it up very creatively as well.



I then checked out their other songs in Spotify and begin to like their alternative feel. I was attracted to this one called Late Have I Loved You, and found the phrase quite interesting that I wondered how it came about. Moreover, it has very good lyrics and a very attractive tune.



I was reading Raymond Ortlund's commentary on Isaiah and found out that it was actually penned by Augustine who wrote about how God has worked in his life to remove idols and liberated him. Gungor rewrote it into the song. Brilliant!

And it was then that I understood the song:

Late have I loved you, Beauty so old and so new; late have I loved you. And see, you were within and I was in the external world and sought you there, and in my unlovely state I plunged into those lovely created things which you made. You were with me, and I was not with you. The lovely things kept me far from you, though if they did not have their existence in you, they had no existence at all. You called and cried out loud and shattered my deafness. You were radiant and resplendent, you put to flight my blindness. You were fragrant, and I drew in my breath and now pant after you. I tasted you, and I feel but hunger and thirst for you. You touched me, and I am set on fire to attain the peace which is yours.

pearlie
Source: Raymond C. Ortlund, Isaiah: God Saves Sinners, Preaching the Word Commentary Series, quoting Henry Chadwick, trans., Augustine’s Confessions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992), p. 201.

Stop talking...

...or I'll get into more trouble.

pearlie

The Heart of It All

I believe The Heart of Worship song by Matt Redman is quite popular in churches.

I once had a friend who asked me what this line means: "I'm sorry Lord for the things I've made it." I'm beginning to understand her issues with it. As much as I read it more conceptually to mean that we are sorry for focusing on other things in our worship when God should be whom we solely worship, that sentence is a bit vague. Can the act of worship be made into other things? It seems to do the very thing the song is warning us not to: a focus on the act of worship rather than whom we worship.

But that is not why I'm bringing up this song. I was reminded of it when I was praying this morning. Time and again, I find myself searching for meaning in all that I do, my work, my time, my life.

I was reading a devotion on Isaiah 41:21-42:17 in Raymond Ortlund's preaching commentary. What he says here stirred my soul:

More than we realize, our hearts complicate the profound simplicity of faith in God. And then we wonder why we’re disappointed with life.

God has a blueprint for human existence. He knows how human beings and human society can be at their best. He knows how to make us happy and fulfilled. And through his servant Jesus he’s bringing his plan down from Heaven, to reorder human civilization in a beautiful way.

God wants to take us where we’re helpless without him. To live free of idols is a new experience for us. It’s a path we have not known. God is saying, "Trust me enough to follow me. I want to show you a whole new way to live. As I lead you forward, I will not forsake you. I will be God to you."

That’s a miracle we urgently need — to love the Giver more than his gifts, to see in God our only ultimate delight and every other joy he gives as just one more reason to glorify and enjoy him. That way, we don’t have to cling selfishly to his gifts. If he takes them away, we’re not devastated, because we have him. That is worship — to be so rich in Christ, so filled with a sense of privilege, that we actually become happy on God’s terms.

If you will trust him enough to dive into the Ocean, he will make your life a story of overflowing salvation.

I'm now singing this song differently, not only treating worship in only music and songs but in all areas of my life.

When the music cadences of my daily living fades away, I come to worship and offer my life to God through Jesus Christ, my Lord, my Saviour, my all.

pearlie
Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr., Isaiah: God Saves Sinners, Preaching the Word Commentary Series

A timely reminder for myself

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
~ Isaiah 40:28-31

pearlie

The Noble Shepherd

The sermon this morning was based on John 10:11-18 on Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father."
John 10:11-18 (ESV)

Now that I read the passage again, I realise I'm asking a very basic question: why did Jesus use the adjective "good" with his role as a shepherd?

The Greek word used here is kalos as opposed to agathos, in that it is a good in relation to being good and not shameful rather than being good and not evil.

A more accurate translation of the kalos would be "noble". Jesus the Noble Shepherd has died a honorable death for the sake of his people.

To understand it, I found this diagram quite useful:


Source: Jerome H. Neyrey, "The 'noble shepherd' in John 10: cultural and rhetorical background", Journal of Biblical Literature (June 1, 2001, p267)

pearlie

Recruitment Drive Weekend

pearlie

How to be a great quality speaker?

I tend to feel that not a lot of people are good speakers. It takes quite a lot to be one. What do you think?

Four Qualities of Amazing Public Speakers

pearlie

7 Habits of Highly Effective People My Debut Day 2

I am got the hang of it today and made sure I knew what I was doing and not miss anything. Did I? Miss anything?

Of course I did!

But I will be more certain now of what I need to take note of in my next round.

But all in all, it is evident that the participants had a good time and I had a great time. More than I expected I would.

pearlie

7 Habits of Highly Effective People My Debut Day 1

I don't think I've over prepared. In fact, I'm a tad under prepared. I do not have any issues with the content. I shouldn't since I've attended this course six times since May last year!

The only issue I have was the sequenced activity and the scripted things to say at the right place and time. Since I've have been more spontaneous in my other training sessions, this is quite stressful for me.

But I must say, except for a few minor glitches, it went quite well. I have not been really training for awhile now, and I'm glad I'm doing it again.

pearlie

A Thousand Words #168

I'm afraid I'm over preparing for the training session tomorrow. I think I better just go to bed early.

pearlie

Prepare, prepare, prepare

I've been prepped to be one of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People certified facilitator in my work place and this will be my final leg of the certification.

I have attended the version 4.0 public course. Attendance to five of the version 3.0 in my company didn't count (five times because I was managing the sessions). I've gone through the 24 hours of video training. I've complete my one day teach back session. And now the final session is the facilitate my first class and if all goes well, I will be certified.

I'm talking these two days to know, frame and refine. To prepare.

pearlie

Book Review: The Uncommon Reader

The Uncommon Reader
by Alan Bennett

I woke up in the middle of the night and could not get back to sleep. And so I decided to continue reading and finished the last two chapters of The Mind at Night. I wasn't feeling any sleepier and thought I'd start another one and decided on The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett.

I found out about this book when I was reading the delightful Mrs Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn, where the Queen was discussing the book with the people she met in the train.

I found out that the title was the author's play of words in three ways. It's in contrast with the "common reader" referring to a person who reads for pleasure as opposed to a critic, or a set text that everyone reads in a group. But the significance is in its contrast between a commoner and Her Royal Highness the Queen, the Uncommon Reader.

I was delighted when I found that out, since I love reading (if you don't know that already!) and I am recently quite intrigued with the British monarchy.

The story began when the Queen stopped by the kitchen area in the palace when the dogs were making too much noise and it turned out that the mobile library had stopped by. Out of courtesy she got herself a book and from there, the Queen began seriously reading, and the book become more and more amusing as it went along.

The Duke, the household staff and especially her private secretary weren't too pleased with the new development, when she kept burying her nose in a book all the time. And I thought this too funny, from a non-reader to an avid reader:

‘To read is to withdraw. To make oneself unavailable. One would feel easier about it’, said Sir Kevin, ‘if the pursuit itself were less … selfish.’

Quite ironic, right?

Anyway, I managed to get back to sleep midway (and ended up with another vivid but disgusting dream, but that's another story) but since it's a 100 over-page novella, I finished it in the same afternoon.

A great read indeed.

pearlie

Would you survive without your phone?

What would you do when your phone breaks down? Will you go into a panic? What is this thing we have with this small piece of machine that seem to control us? It's like we can't live without it.

I wonder how I would survive without a phone for one day?

I suppose if I don't have work to do and my family members are where they are suppose to be and I have access to either my books or the Internet, I'd be ok without my phone.

Well, my hubby's phone died today. He just went out and got a new one. Reason being he works with his phone like how we'd do it back in those days when we have our Filofax.

I can't argue with that. But his phone resurrected later in the evening.

pearlie

A Thousand Words #167...or just six

pearlie

Chronic Complainers

I so needed this article today because I finally concluded that this one person i was with is a complainer.

Who is a complainer? Here is how Dr Guy Winch describes it in comparison with optimists and pessimists:

Optimists see: A glass half full.

Pessimists see: A glass half empty.

Chronic complainers see: A glass that is slightly chipped holding water that isn't cold enough, probably because it's tap water when I asked for bottled water and wait, there's a smudge on the rim, too, which means the glass wasn't cleaned properly and now I'll probably end up with some kind of virus. Why do these things always happen to met.

But the thing is I usually see the good in people and so I just nodded as he spoke and then I changed the subject several times before he goes into it again.

I must watch myself too, lest I complain too much in my engagement with others.

pearlie
Source: Psychology Today

God has given us the signs of the days to come

Daniel: The Triumph of God's Kingdom
by Rodney Stortz

I started this book on 1 March and commented that I wasn't too happy with it. But now that I have completed the book, I gave it four stars out of five in Goodreads.com.

I have not been much into the prophetic portions in the Bible, finding it hard to understand with my limited exposure to that genre. But this book has opened the door for me.

Stortz has convinced me that I need to spend time studying it closely. He contends that God has revealed the future to us, albeit not in clear statements. But he has spoken about it and it is our duty to read and study it so that when the signs are before us, we will be aware that the end is near and the beginning is here.

I must say I didn't understand much of the second portion of Stortz's book, which means I will be spending more time with it.

pearlie

Tribute to my blogger friends

I realise it has been too long since I've spoken about my fellow blogger friends and it's time I do.

I'm amazed myself that I've been blogging for almost 10 years. I started in March 2006. I've made several friends but blogs have been slowing down for awhile now and so I would like to pay tribute to these few of my stalwart bloggers and friends:

Bob of Kansas City Bob
Bob has become a very good friend. He has helped me so much from helping me fix my blog to giving me advice about life. I'm not sure if I'll ever go to the States but if I do I must make my way to the middle of the continent to meet him.

Susan of Penless Writer
Susan is so dear to me as a blogger friend. She's wonderfully sweet and she finds joy in the simplest of things, that which is a hard thing to do for stressed up people like me.

Julia of Kingdom Jewels
I must make mention again that Julia is my first blogger friend and even though we have not really been connecting very much lately, it really have been 9 years since we known each other. I literally watched her kids grow up from kids to adulthood.

And it's wonderful that I've just made a new blogger friend:

Retha of retha's rambles
She sent a birthday surprise to Susan and husband Mickey in the form of a meal in a restaurant. I found that to be so special that I went to her blog to leave a note. She on the other hand saw my comment in Susan's blog and wanted to visit my blog and then saw my comment on hers. As I don't really want to believe in coincidences, I hope this marks a start to a great new blogger friendship.

Long live blogging!

pearlie

Book about HR practices in Google

Work Rules! Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead
by Laszlo Bock

I was reading this article on Here's Google's Secret to Hiring the Best People and it turned out to be an introduction to the writer's newly published book Work Rules.

The title is really not very interesting but I'm sold. This will be my next read after I finish my book on dreams, which is taking me longer than expected.

Looks like my list of books to read is getting longer and longer.

pearlie

Counterfeit Gospels

Counterfeit Gospels: Rediscovering the Good News in a World of False Hope
by Trevin Wax

Pastor Joshua preached on Col 1:1-8 today and made a reference to this book by Trevin Wax.

Wax categorised the counterfeits to these six:
1. Therapeutic
2. Judgmentless
3. Moralist
4. Quietest
5. Activist
6. Churchless

This will be a good read when I finish reading N.T. Wright's How God Became King, Getting to the Heart of the Gospel. I'm especially interested in the Quietist counterfeit.

pearlie

Talent is bad...

My hubby is tone deaf but he is more updated with the music industry than I am. Not surprising, since I don't listen to the radio much if at all.

So it is not surprising that he sent me this interesting article: The Talent is Bad...Now What?

The article begins with, "As Christians, we do our best to share our God given talent. However, what happens when you’re faced with your worst nightmare… The singer who can’t sing! I’m talking American Idol highlight of terror bad."

So what would you do? It's a tough call.

pearlie

Book madness, again

I took part in the recent Logos.com March Madness and D.A. Carson won, again. I could not find the annual winner list but he won consecutively three years in a row, 2013 to 2015. The champion for 2012 was N.T. Wright, and the few years before that, March Madness were on volumes rather than persons.

Anyway, I always look forward to Logos.com March Madness because books at 75% deals are a big deal. However, I didn't think I would get any of Carson's since I already have many of them, both printed and electronic.

But I just noticed a "just-a-few-days-left-deal" email in my inbox and thought I'd check it out anyway. And know what? I ended up buying three books! Sigh...

And the thing is I have all the three in printed copies!

Well, the reason why I got them was because I have been trying to read A Call to Spiritual Reformation since 4th Jan but right now the book is still less than half read sitting on the table in my living room. It's now more than three months since I've started on it and I have not picked it up for the last two.

So I thought I should get the electronic copy with the 75% deal. And I thought since I'm at it, I might as well get a couple more. Sigh...


A Call to Spiritual Reformation, Priorities from Paul and His Prayers
by D.A. Carson


A Model of Christian Maturity, An Exposition of 2 Corinthians 10 - 13
by D.A. Carson


Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, and His Confrontation with the World
by D.A. Carson

pearlie

Free Fall Dream!

It's weird that I keep having vivid dreams lately, and since I've been sharing them here, I might as well add this one I just had.

My hubby told me this morning as we were waking up from our slumber that I had screamed in my sleep, which woke him up.

I actually screamed? I told him that I jumped off a plane in my dream!

It was very vivid and in full colour. I was in an airplane (again). It was flying over the sea. The door was opened and someone was edging me towards it and told me to jump as part of a test I'm taking. I was scared and held back but the person coaxed and nudged me, and I jumped--no parachutes or boards. Just me.

This must be when I screamed. I tightened my body, legs together and arms tight at my side, straight down, waiting to hit the water. I can feel the air rushing up as I fell. But I never touched the water.

Instead, I found myself floating in a carnival and stopped at a booth where two clown-like contraptions were offering some kind of sweet buns and I took one to try.

Then I woke up.

I immediately bought the dream book I posted couple of days ago. I'm eager to get into the why in all these dreams I'm having. It will be interesting to find out. I'm not into the secrets and the meaning and the subconscious mind--I don't believe dreams are secret messages. I'm into learning about the science of it all--the why's and the how's.

pearlie

Pot Luck @Work

We put this up quite quickly with less than a day's notice. Some of us were having lunch together yesterday and someone suggested we should have a pot luck, and that we did.

With very little planning, each of us just brought what we can. But in the end, we still had a very, very nice lunch.

It was suppose to be a pot-luck sandwich party, i.e. each to bring a sandwich ingredient to assemble as we like but it turned to be a party of a good variety of food.

Other than the sandwiches, we also had curry chicken, a salad, roast duck, fried noodles, fried rice, yam cakes, bunches of grapes, ice cream, roti canai, egg tarts, pineapple tarts, sardine cakes and an absolute yummy tiramisu (with ladyfingers, marscapone, Kahlua, the whole works).

Such a spread!

We certainly both work hard and play hard. We still know how to have fun and enjoy the company of one another, and that is very much the culture of where I work.

pearlie

The secret of dreams

I just had a really interesting and vivid dream: one of the rare few that I really remember (other than the one that I dreamt I died that I blogged a few days ago).

In my dream, I was in a posh but abandoned mansion. There were two other persons with me, and one of them brought with him his personal chef, and we had a really scrumptious meal. I then got out of the mansion and roamed around and found a white cave made of white rock salt that was used as a garage. Next, I left the house and got onto a horse to take me to another place but soon found that the horse was wooden. I got down and started walking and found myself in a picturesque town in India.

What is it about dreams? Some message from God? Inner hidden or secret desires? A peep into our subconscious mind?

This gave me a good topic to look for a popular-science book to check out and I found this:


The Mind at Night, the New Science of How and Why We Dream
by Andrea Rock

It really looks interesting and promising and I've just downloaded a preview copy from kobobooks.com. If the preface and the first few pages of its first chapter turned out to be a good read, I will buy a copy and jump in immediately. And of course there will be a book review if it is good.

pearlie

Have hope, be patient, and never stop praying

pearlie

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed

We were late for church service today, not realizing that being Easter Sunday, it was an hour earlier. We were half an hour "early" and so we just missed half an hour of the service. I'm sad to miss the praise and worship part, but glad we were there nonetheless.

The sermon today was on John 20:19-31 on "Doubt: Good or Bad?"

I remember blogging about Doubting Thomas before, here.

Back then I was crazily into chiasms. I still am but I don't do it much anymore.

John 20:19-31
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you."
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."
24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe."
28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

I noted then that the passage can be divided into 2 parts: firstly, when Jesus appeared to the disciples but Thomas was not around (v.19-25) and secondly, Jesus appeared to the disciples again and this time Thomas was with them (v.26-29). I came out with this chiastic structure:

Disciples, in fear inside with doors were locked
    Jesus came and stood with them
          Jesus proclaimed peace, showed his physical being
                Disciples overjoyed!
          Jesus proclaimed peace and breathed on them
    Jesus commanded them to receive the Spirit for mission
Thomas was not there, was told, did not believe

Disciples were inside, with Thomas, doors locked
    Jesus came and stood with them
          Jesus proclaimed peace, showed his physical being to Thomas
                Thomas believed – my Lord, my God!
          Jesus proclaimed Thomas’ belief because he has seen him
    (No command given)
Those who have not seen but believe will be blessed

Right now, I don't think this I structure would carry much water. The second chiasm is broken with Part B' missing. But the first one holds. So what's the difference between the two sections?

I think that's where the focus of the passage is--where it diverted from the structure is where the emphasis of the message is. If you compare the two parts of the passage:

Part 1 v.19-25	Part 2 v.26-29
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."	26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.	27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe."
Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.	28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."
24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."
	29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
	30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

I find 20:23 very interesting. Apparently it has to do with the receiving of the Good News of Jesus Christ, of the Holy Spirit in the preceding verse. Colin G. Kruse says, "The non-forgiveness of sins is always related to refusal to believe in Jesus, suggesting that forgiveness of sins comes through belief in him. It is noteworthy that Jesus’ statement ‘If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven’ is intimately connected with the (symbolic) bestowal of the Spirit (22–23), which is in turn related to the disciples’ being sent into the world as his witnesses (21–22; cf. 15:26–27). This supports the view that the way in which the disciples forgive sins and retain sins is by preaching the good news and declaring the effects of believing it (forgiveness) and rejecting it (no forgiveness)."¹

I would the interpret the emphasis of the passage as this:
1. Jesus is risen and he is sending us to preach the Good News
2. So receive the Holy Spirit, and preach the forgiveness of God
3. To those who have yet to believe, believe even though you have not seen
4. Because though you have not seen, the word is given to you that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and by believing you will have life in him

pearlie
1 Colin G. Kruse, John, Tyndale New Testament Commentary, IVP, 2003

Distant and Dream and Dead

Today is Holy Saturday and we all need to wait on God and meditate on his forgiving and steadfast love.

But I must admit, I have not been spending time with my God lately. This Lent, Holy Week and Easter season is one where I feel quite distant from him.

And I dreamt that I died. I was in a flying contraption and it could not take off and it crashed and I died. Even though I do not have an actual phobia of flying but even before the many recent plane disasters, I did not and do not like being in a plane.

There isn't much of a connection here I know but this is what marked my day today. The fact that I feel distant from God and I dreamt that I'm dead.

pearlie

It's Friday...but Sunday's a Coming

pearlie

Waste and rubbish, meanness and forgiveness

I was once referred to by someone as his favorite waste of time. I remember feeling ambivalent about it but not very happy at the same time. That was a long time ago. I don't know why I suddenly remembered it.

But this I remember very well. Recently someone indirectly said that the work I did was rubbish. I was quite angry.

Sigh...I don't understand why people say the things they say that aren't very nice.

Maybe this is good advise--How to Deal with Mean People:

1. Control Your Response - which I did. I could feel the surge of anger coming but I kept telling myself to step back and create the space to cool down.

2. Response to Meanness with Compassion - I think I did this too. I did not react but continued on the relationship ordinarily as if nothing happened. I'm working towards forgiveness.

3. Take Care of Your Own Pain First - this I feel is important. I'm a person who forgets easily whatever that is said or done against me except when I feel it's big. And so I acknowledged the pain but when I felt it again, I laughed it away. And right now as always, writing as a therapy helps. I think and write the pain away.

4. See Mean People for What They Really Are - and feel compassion for them. Not easy but necessary.

5. Fight Fire with Water - I pray for them. I pray that God will surrounded them with his holy presence.

The key to all this is forgiveness. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians in chapter 4, verse 30-31:

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

It's time I concentrate on this lesson this Holy Week. Jesus has died for my sins and with his death in the cross, God has forgiven me. Who am I not to forgive others for what they have done against me?

pearlie

Planning ahead of myself

十划都没有一撇 (in Cantonese, sub wak dou mei yao yat pit) meaning, out of the ten strokes, not even one is yet made.

I am not sure if I got the right Chinese characters for this phrase, but this seem to be the theme of my day. It means that I am planning ahead of myself and I'm thinking further than I should when nothing is actually in place at all.

Doesn't it happen to you? That you are so looking forward to something that hasn't even happened yet.

Life can be funny weird at times.

pearlie