Just want to share this song with you guys that came to my mind. It's titled 'Above All', & I'm not sure how many of you have heard of it, but it means alot to me. Everytime I'm discouraged or down, the lyrics of this song really shows me that yes, my expectations may fail me and nothing have been on the right track for ages, but above everything that we may obtain, above all that we gain, I'm comforted to know the best thing I can have in my life is the love of the one who gave His life for me.
ABOVE ALL
ABOVE ALL POWERS, ABOVE ALL KINGS
ABOVE ALL NATURE AND ALL CREATED THINGS
ABOVE ALL WISDOM AND ALL THE WAYS OF MAN
YOU WERE HERE BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN
ABOVE ALL KINGDOMS, ABOVE ALL THRONES
ABOVE ALL WONDERS THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN
ABOVE ALL WEALTH AND TREASURES OF THE EARTH
THERE'S NO WAY TO MEASURE WHAT YOU'RE WORTH
CRUCIFIED, LAID BEHIND THE STONE
YOU LIVED TO DIE, REJECTED AND ALONE
LIKE THE ROSE, TRAMPLE ON THE GROUND
YOU TOOK THE FALL, AND THOUGHT OF ME
ABOVE ALL
On another note, I remember reading 2 persons blog, where person A said something like "I wonder when I look back at 2006, what have I gained?", and person B replied to that "How about thinking in terms of what you have given instead of what you have gained?" That really wow-ed me. (To that person, you know who you are, continue to shine for Jesus!)What have I given to the people around me? How have I given my life a living sacrifice? After all, the life of God was one that focussed on giving.
Zoe, Vic & Bernie! 3 different definitions of black...
Zoe and Shiyun. Partners-in-crime. (The crime is not doing justice to the wonderful song Yuan Dian by Tanya and Yanzi, i.e. our song of the season. YET. We're working towards it though.)
Note to Shiyun: we need to work on volume and voice quality blending, double beat, perfect pitch, feeeeeeling and soft palette arch. Sigh. Anything else? Haha...we’re getting there, we’re getting there…默契是最宝贵 的语言!
Argh! 2 reasons for that erm...groan?
Firstly, my blogger server can't seem to upload my photos and convert them to HTML mode! Anyone can help? Otherwise, I can't share my nice nice photos with everyone already...=(
Secondly, I realised I haven't been blogging for quite some time. Reason being? Work! I'm in the process of adapting to abstaining as much as I can from having a nocturnal lifestyle, so in the meantime, I want more energy! Zoe life! A part of me wants to go out after work to have time with myself or others to relax, yet the couch potato in me secretly desires to come home straight after work and crash on the sofa. Hee...I should be more enthusiastic as a newbie to the workforce! Okay I am. I promise. Because when there is no passion, I will never see my dreams fulfilled 100%. And of course, for the sake of O..O..Ohio!
Anyway, Business Breakthrough with Dr A R Bernard was awesome. Now I finally remembered the reason why he still remains my no. 1 favourite speaker. Everyone arounds me finds him too cheem to understand, but this is what I love most, deep things that stimulate my thought life. He always puts everything very much in perspective, and that impresses me so much. I want to preach like him! (And it helps that people have been telling me that the messages I do have the chance to share, e.g. during preaching challenges and the occassional cg meet-ups, are always like Dr Bernard's style. Bu gan dang...to be associated to a man of his calibre. And of course, the fact that games I play in cg are always intellectual? Hee...)
It was really a revelation that came back to my mind about the words Dr Bernard shared about, passion and persistance/perserverance. It has always been this way: things fail in my life, I realise how imperfect I am more and more and more and...still MORE, and I come to God in my weakness. In that place, my heart surrenders to the fact that my emptiness and weakness is dissolved away, and all my Daddy God has to tell me is just 'I know you can. The greater the destiny, the greater the challenges. Run on, keep on! I'll always be there for you.'.
When I see how imperfect and not-so-pretty my life is many a times, I realise that what sustains me is not talent, intelligence or a born-winner thing in me. Of course I am called to be a winner in life, but when the rubber meets the road, let's face it, you (yes you reading this) know my flaws. Sometimes I overcome, sometimes I still am overcoming. But what keeps me going, are really the words passion and persistance. In fact, if you read my previous entries, you would have realised its what I'm been blogging about all along.
During my job interviews and conversations with people, they ask me what will keep me going when the going gets tough, and will I crash under pressure. My response has always been the same, that I'm someone that is very much into the buy-in theory. Get me interested, passionate, heat up the iron in me, and the rest will be history. I will do above and beyond, serve the company, make sure everything is not short of excellence. and give my all to make it nice nice. (Not trying to blow my own trumpet, coz it definitely takes alot to get me going and start the engine, many will know!) Many ask me, why am I still so onz about being committed to my vocal lessons and all? That's coz its my destiny, and I will never let go of it. In there, I know I find my place, my confidence is restored, and I am happy.
On my wall, there is a poster that I bought more than 5 years ago, and everytime I look at it, I remember I got to never compromise in life. It says 'Perserverance- The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.' This poster shows a woman scaling a mountain under the hot sun alone, but yet she keeps going, she keeps looking up. Recently, I had a chance to rockclimb again during Emerge 06, and I finally remember what thrills me about rock climbing. Let me tell you, scale a rock wall alone under the hot afternoon sun for 10minutes, and the next moment you'll find hands covered with blisters from the hot rocks heated by the sun, knees with abrasive scars from chionging up the wall and not wanting to fall off, arms and legs shaking from all that muscle contraction, and sweat trickling, or gushing down your forehead. But let me tell you what thrills me about it all, is simply the adrenaline that fills you when you reach the top, look down and you can absail down the rock wall in style, with everyone down there cheering you on. Its awesome to know that you've made it. That drives me in life. Persistance outlasts persecution. It outlasts the greatest challenge yet to arise, and persistance is reflected in the nature of the humble, little ant- who'll always go over every obstacle in its way.
Go to the ant, you sluggard, consider its ways and be wise. This verse is what my secondary school teacher used to tell the class, and what a timely reminder for me. How about for you too? =)
Just felt an inclination to go back to the days of writing chinese songs. Was sharing with SweeKay (hope to seeya join us in church okay, if you ever see this...=)) today about what I really love in life, what never fails to help me examine how good God is to me, & what is my calling in life. For those who know me well, I'm not expressive verbally, and would very much prefer to keep quiet, but songwriting (or basically, any kind of writing, e.g. blogging...=)) has allowed me an outlet to speak out in faith. When I'm down, I tell myself to refuse to bow down to the thoughts that bombard my mind and challenge my spirit in great measure. Instead, I command, I will myself to do just the opposite, and God really encourages me alot as I songwrite, or blog in faith.
Passion is a powerful ignited flame that we should never allow to be quenched by uncontrollable circumstances. Someone once told me, when you feel like giving up on life, on yourself, always come back to your first love. Come back to the thing that drives you. Come back to Jesus.
The reason why I wrote this song (primarily it was inspired by the Holy Spirit, not trying to be overly spiritual ah...) is because there is alot of power in entering to a place of thanksgiving. At the end of the road, when everything finally unfolds, despite everything that may have tried me, I want to thank God for being there for me, at my lowest times. He's always the answer to my prayers, the strength of my heart and mind, the one who holds me in clsoe embrace till I feel safe and ready to fly again. Here is presenting..(yes it's time to applause la...haha! Oops..)
到最后只能说谢谢你
我的生命在于你的一切
当眼前黑暗你照亮我世界
路上难免也会碰到多少挫折
但你 出现了
你的同在安抚慌乱的心
当我孤单时你不曾离开我
走到尽头我才终于了解
我的心 为何完全都交还给你
你 是我的歌曲
荣 耀全归给你
爱 就是你为我流出保血
让我深深体会
生命是多么宝贵
(耶稣你/ Ohh 你）
占 据我的心房
赶 走所有害怕
将 我生命拥有全新的希望
有了你 配着我
到最后 只能说
谢谢你
Me! Yah this one acting only, when I sing I'm always very focussed one okay. (Just in case Maggie laoshi chances upon this...)
and so, jamming has resumed! meet the gang.