Identify

Know who you are.

Verbatim

Is the act of repeating word by word, exactly.

Are you having verbatim worship?

Are you repeating whatever is on the screen, or the lyrics, or whatever the leader is singing?

Are you having worship of worship?

Is your worship dependent on who the worship leader is, how good the vocals are, or how well the musicians play?

Sometimes its good to stop, and listen.

I heard the voice from the guy behind me. Slightly out of tune he might be, but it sounded as beautiful as the music the band was playing on the stage.

The simplicity of a single untrained voice comparable to the level of music a band can achieve? Come on! What am I saying, that's impossible.

But the truth is, that the only way it is possible, is because the purpose of worship, is to glorify One.

Drop Everything Now

The most memorable snippet of advise I remember reading is from non other than AMA Artist of the Year 2011 Ms Taylor Swift.

She said that she likes to divide things into two categories. 1) Things I can change and 2) Things I can't.

Its simple, yet it works. When dealing with an issue, I am able to identify with this and divide it into these 2 categories. It doesnt mean giving up on 2), but rather concentrating my efforts into the stuff that has a higher priority. Thats revolutionary, because Sag's like me and Taylor love nothing better than to overcomplicate, overthink and want to deal with every minor detail that crops up. Remembering this helps me keep on the right track.

Interesting thoughts Ive got from this so far in my life.
1) One thing you can always change, is yourself.
2) Things that you cant change, wont stay unchangeable forever.
3) Sometimes, you need to realise that you cant change things by yourself, and you need Someone to change it for you. :)
4) All that being said, sometimes change can wait.

So, heres to never changing, yet never staying the same. Its a Sag thing. after all.

and meet me in the pouring rain

Once Upon A Time

we caught on to something. 


Hehehehe. 4 more months, Me Gusta.


Back up, baby back up.

Wise Words

Be Joyful in Hope, Patient in Affliction, Faithful in Prayer.
Romans 12:12 (NIV)

Tanah Airku

Yesh, I am back! Haha, in the time since I've been home, so many things happened. The first day it rained and lightning spoiled my internet. The first roti I had, took so long to arrive, and it wasnt nice. The first time I took my dog out again, my dog almost died. The first time I went out to see my friends, I was forced to walk around in wet shoes/socks the whole night due to flooding @ Monash.

But every single time, I just feel so blessed to be around family and friends once again. I am glad to be around and experience the ups, and downs, because I know in the end, it will always be Up. There is nothing like His love after all, He is the Author and the Way.

Its good to be home. Let the good times roll! :)

Imagine

If everything you wanted was granted to you,

If you never faced disappointment,

If you just had to ask and it would be given immediately,

If everyone acted the way you want them to,

If all your desires are met,

If all your expectations were exceeded,

If there was no obstacles,

Imagine, all that.

I say,

How boring.

Whatever You Say

may matter, but the real truth in it will come out in what you actually do.

I'm choosing to believe that actions matter, not merely words by itself.

After all, as the wise people in life will say, time will tell.

On another note, 

:)

Au Revoir

Why so gloomy, O Mind?

Why so sorrowful, O Heart?

Have you not received more than you deserved?

Have you not been taken in?

Have you not been pardoned, when you should have been condemned?

More than that, have you not been promised greater things than what you thought you wanted?

Train the mind and guard the heart, all for the single purpose, that,

In the end, the only one that matters is You.

Earth

Without "Art", is just "Eh".

Remember, Remember

the 9th of November.

Lifted up,

Thank You.

On this day

may the prince of peace and the lord of lords, be my strength, as in, replace my strength with His.

MADNESS?

THIS
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IS
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SPARTA!!!

1 more paper! 

Ready, Steady, Go

The Traffic light is Green. I repeat, the traffic light is green.

Even after a crappy day,

Feeling so blessed now,

ThankYouJesus!

Joy

It can be said that today, I am literally at the edge of everything. Exams are starting tomorrow, I am feeling so tired, I slept so much and forgo-ed my studies for the day, I skipped meals and took friendships for granted, I stumbled in my walk, and in the process caused others to stumble as well. Most of the time, I chose myself, over God. Even when things are going well, I manage to mess it up.

But I woke up, not feeling the weight of all these upon my shoulders, I woke up, with a sense of peace and a Psalm in my head. It is not my own strength that lifted these things off me. It is by grace that I,with all my imperfections am still secure. He said that He will change me for His glory, and that for change to happen, repentance must come. I share with you now the Psalm that I have never seen before this.

Psalm 7

¹ 

LORD my God, I take refuge in you; 

   save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
² or they will tear me apart like a lion
   and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

 ³ LORD my God, if I have done this
   and there is guilt on my hands—
⁴ if I have repaid my ally with evil
   or without cause have robbed my foe—
⁵ then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
   let him trample my life to the ground
   and make me sleep in the dust.^[c]

 ⁶ Arise, LORD, in your anger;
   rise up against the rage of my enemies.
   Awake, my God; decree justice.
⁷ Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
   while you sit enthroned over them on high.
 ⁸ Let the LORD judge the peoples.
Vindicate me, LORD, according to my righteousness,
   according to my integrity, O Most High.
⁹ Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
   and make the righteous secure—
you, the righteous God
   who probes minds and hearts.

 ¹⁰ My shield^[d] is God Most High,
   who saves the upright in heart.
¹¹ God is a righteous judge,
   a God who displays his wrath every day.
¹² If he does not relent,
   he^[e] will sharpen his sword;
   he will bend and string his bow.
¹³ He has prepared his deadly weapons;
   he makes ready his flaming arrows.

 ¹⁴ Whoever is pregnant with evil
   conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
¹⁵ Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
   falls into the pit they have made.
¹⁶ The trouble they cause recoils on them;
   their violence comes down on their own heads.

 ¹⁷ I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness;
   I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High.

The message I take from this is threefold. v12-v16 Firstly, nothing wrong can be justified in God's eye, and nothing evil will go unpunished. IF you have done wrong, God knows and will display His wrath. Keep in mind that this is from a position where one KNOWS better, and yet does not repent (v12).

But at the same time, God loves righteous people and will bring an end to wickedness and make them secure (v9). God saves the upright in heart (v10). So here it is, its not a matter of whether we can earn our love from God, that is already given, but the message here is that God is not a PASSIVE God that stands by idly, but a RIGHTEOUS and HOLY God that transforms and changes us so that we might do greater things.

Lastly, I take refuge in the Lord my God (v1). There are always situations we find ourselves in and realise that we cannot depend on ourselves any more, because we end up failing some point down the road. Stubborn as I am in always doing that, I hope to bring this verse into my life as I keep on learning to listen to Him. v10 - My Shield is God Most High. No others above Him.

May the joy of the Lord be my strength, because that is the only joy I need, not any other.