Frequently Visited Blogs (October)

Aside from the blogs that are on my sidebar, there are a few others which I have recently been reading:

• AREWESTILLCOOL? // Meet Cool Dad, Cool Mum and Cool Boy. And I snagged this from their About page, We are two new parents who love Jesus and are a little bit crazy about our baby boy. We think it’s possible to raise a kid and still be cool. Follow along to laugh at us when we find out how wrong we are. I like their writing style a lot and the wonderful peek into NYC life.
• Pear Mama// She is a crafty chica with six wonderful kids. Her blog entries most of the time crack me up and she is super artistic. I love the Dia De Los Muertos theme!
• Refine Me // I don’t really know where I stumbled upon her blog, but I must say that reading it has inspired me to not only pick up writing again but dive into the whole NaNoWriMo business. She also posts book reviews and recently had Camy Tang as guest blogger.

Do you have any blogs that you really love to read? SHARE!

Life’s Simple Pleasures//

To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.

- Jim Valvano

I have been listening to this awesome song from Superchick, sometimes we can take our lives for granted because it is ordinary, nothing remarkable. But everyday is a gift from God and we really need to cherish every single moment that we have. Life is too short for petty arguments and all that drama!

10 Ways To Make Your Day Special

1. Smile at a random stranger.
2. Hug your parents.
3. Watch the sunrise.
4. Do good to someone who can never repay you.
5. Curl up with a good book.
6. Drink a good cup of coffee.
7. Listen to soothing music.
8. Sing in the shower.
9. Write a letter to yourself.
10. Eat your favourite flavour of ice cream – for me Choco Mint Gelato!

and always remember to LAUGH! Check out HappySlip if you need some brushing up on that area.

W351 Dedication Post

Jerb on CLEO Nov. Issue

 

This is from CLEO’s November issue.

A Few More Days Till NaNoWriMo!

I am so excited and terrified at the same time, suddenly, 50000 words seems an awful lot for a novel. But it has always been a goal for me to write stories at least once a year. Admittedly, they may be crappy stories but practice makes perfect. And if what Prof. Mendoza and Sir Hernandez told me about my writing is good enough fuel to tread on these NaNoWriMo waters then so be it.

Whoosh! I am so scared. What if I don’t meet the quota? Or worse what if I meet it but end up with a lot of crap? Haha.. – that was a nervous laugh.

The thing is I am struggling with two stories. Both have different voices and different point of views, which once again attests to my limited attention span. I don’t know which story can I be committed to for the whole NaNoWriMo.

I know I can live with my decisions. Baahh…

Immunity

I didn’t care when you walked into the room

And talked to me, with eyes boring a hole at the back of my head

I didn’t care when you called at night

And talked to me, about every single  tear that you’ve shed

I didn’t care when you roused me from sleep

And talked to me, professing undying love at ten o’ clock

I didn’t care when you stood out in the rain

And talked to me, concealing your shock

I did care after four years though, and all I had was silence

Your cold silence, which left a chilling void in me

I did care when you reached out your hand,

And talked to me, we picked off where we left our story

But I found myself not caring…

I guess I’m immune to you.

Pics That Make Me Go, “Aww, Shucks”

Grabbed a few from Carissetala’s site! Wish I could be there, anak!

Anyway, the tradition has been that for every birthday we just have to have Don Henrico’s pizza, but we’ve also tried Domino’s and Yellowcab.

 

 

LONI? What on earth are you doing?

This is so you, Tey!

I so miss you guys, see ya soon!

On the Lucksmith’s First Frost

If you haven’t lost your head

Come lay it in my lap

Another band from Down Under that I have been listening to non-stop. The songs in their latest album First Frost is the perfect chilling out. The third track’s catchy tunes make me want to bob my head and tap my foot to the beat and going “Aahhh”. Haha! While Songs of the Undersea really gives me the warm fuzzies (a feat that few songs can create in me). No matter how sad some lyrics are you get the feeling that everything’s gonna be all right.

Track listing:

1. “The Town & The Hills” – 4:06
2. “Good Light” – 2:50
3. “A Sobering Thought (Just When One Was Needed)” – 4:54
4. “California in Popular Song” – 3:52
5. “South-East Coastal Rendezvous” – 3:50
6. “The National Mitten Registry” – 4:19
7. “Day Three of Five” – 3:17
8. “Never & Always” – 2:50
9. “Lament of the Chiming Wedgebill” – 3:48
10. “How We Met” – 5:15
11. “Song of the Undersea” – 3:28
12. “Up With the Son” – 3:03
13. “Pines” – 4:56
14. “Who Turned on the Lights?” – 3:47

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Frost“

Yes, I took a break from the non-English, I need a translation songs

New Seasons

He who rejects change is the architect of decay.  The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.  ~Harold Wilson

November 2008 is gonna be the best month yet! There are tons of things to do and be a part of, I am sooooo pysched!

• Goodbye W351, Hello N178: Yesterday was my last cellgroup meeting at W351. I thought I was OK with the whole changing cell thing. I mean it’s normal and sometimes we need to be pulled out from our comfort zone. So the whole time I was OK with the idea, but then we started to sing, “That’s What Friends Are For”, during the first line, I didn’t know why but I started to be all sentimental about it. This cellgroup, Jerb and all the members, they have really seen me through thick and thin. I remember the first time we celebrated my birthday, I was so overwhelmed by their love for me I cried during the birthday speech. I remembered the time when Jerb really encouraged me to go for deliverance and be set free, the times when Sandy and Louisa would pray for me whenever I got attacked. I remember Nicole hugging me when I cried during an altar call. When I would lock myself at the office toilet cubicle and call Birdie because I was having a breakdown. I will miss my duets with Deborah and the time where we danced and sang like crazy (well mostly me, haha). So, when the third line on the song began, tears started to fall quickly and I couldn’t help it. I know I made people cry because they saw me crying, haha, as what Su Ting said I am just emotionally rich! But yeah, I love you guys so much, and I really grew spiritually during these past two years with you. I will need another post for this!
• Arise and Build 2008: I am so excited for this year’s Arise and Build, I know it’s another time that God can work miracles and bring prosperity in our lives. I am more than ever, vigilant in looking for a job, I keep praying for this one specific job that I went on an interview for last thursday. But it’s God’s will that I am submitting myself to.
• Asia Conference: Pastor Kong’s sermon today was like more than triple awesome! And I believe that it’s really the CHC members that people are interested to know, more than the speakers. Sometimes being in CHC we can take for granted the revelations, blessings, and opportunities that God has made available for us. I know some people who DREAM of attending a service at CHC. The Asia Conference is a time when old, traditional, DEAD mindsets and attitudes will be changed and the churches of Asia will be reborn with the power and creativity of the Holy Spirit, and I am so glad to be doing my part.
• NANOWRIMO: This is my first year joining NaNoWriMo, and I have this sinking feeling that I really shouldn’t have done this. C’mon, 50000 words in 30 days? I don’t even have a concrete plot outline!But I know that it’s a step closer to my dream of being a published author. I used to be ashamed of my dreams but recently God has given me…
• REVELATIONS: During praise and worship for the past two weeks at cellgroup, I didn’t have a chance to share the word given to me. What’s amazing is that the word yesterday was a continuation of the word that was revealed to me last Saturday: “Can you quantify God’s love?”. I thought about that question that was popped into my spirit, I really didn’t know the answer, and then it came: “God’s love is as high as the heavens are above the earth. God’s love was personified in Jesus, who knew no sin, and became sin on your behalf as He hung on the cross at Calvary”. Sometimes I doubt God’s love for me, I know He loves me, but sometimes I feel like, “Do You care about what’s happening in my life?”. And I realize what He did for me back when I didn’t even love Him – He died for me – how can He just save me and then ignore me? That’s not the way God works. Another thing which really encouraged me was after today’s praise and worship, Pastor Kong read a few verses from Psalm 73 – the very same passage that God gave me during my Wednesday quiet time. I had a lot worries and anxieties, but in spite of it, I decided to fix my mind on Him, and the verses just came out from my mouth in song while playing the guitar. I started to cry, not because I felt helpless, but because I know no matter what, I have decided to bless the Lord, because He is all I’ll ever need. I just thank God for these wonderful moments!

Have a great week! Ciao!

Freefall: Anna Levine

 

Singaporean males need to complete their National Service in two years, but did you know that in Israel, both males and females need to complete national military service – females for two years and males for three years. In Anne Levine’s novel, Freefall, Aggie Jacobs has decided that she doesn’t want to be stuck in a cold, musty army office pushing papers – she signed up for the elite combat unit for women. But the question is does she have what it takes? Aside from the I’m-in-love-with-my-best-friend’s-brother issue that she needs to deal with.

What I liked about the story was that it had other concerns besides the bewildering relationship that Aggie and Noah had at first. Aside from the mandatory two-year military service that women had to go through, it tackled the reality of war that few of us would get to experience, that in the midst of border disputes and air raids a joyous wedding could still take place. There was the relationship that Aggie had with her family which isn’t the usual teenage angsty my parents are out to ruin my life that you usually get from other novels in this genre.  Plus the parts where Aggie starts the training with a bunch of girls who are also intent on being part of the female combat unit. Although it is cliched that eventhough they have their differences they managed to be united in the end.

I was even more surprised that I had reached the final chapter at great speed – and feeling “full” at the same time. There are just stories that aside from the information about another culture that they provide, they also make you  feel happy that you’ve read them.

You can check out other information about the novel here, here, here and here.