Therapy-ed

These few days feels like hibernation in a cold season. I haven't been out of the house for the past 2 days, and what a bliss! Put me with a group of people and i'll still enjoy myself, but at the end of the day, it's my comfort zone to be by myself with my own thoughts. I'm an introvert, or you can call me a situational extrovert. Anyways, back to my topic.

What better time to give myself some home therapy, yes, right in my humble abode.

Housekeeping Therapy!

I finally took the courage to venture into the recesses of chaos.

The Formidable Wardrobe.

Many years ago, when i got to choose a new wardrobe, i happily flipped through Ikea's catalogue and picked out a wardrobe. It's got the "cool" factor, with something like a wire mesh for the door. But for every up, there is a down. Practicality was compromised. The lack of foresight did not calculate the amount of clothes I'd accumulate over the years. And very often, my wardrobe is still looking cool, on the outside, but when you open the doors, I'd be surprised if you don't suffer a stroke when the clothes come tumbling down on you.

Here is the BEFORE situation,

Very scary.

Yes, even I was shocked.

So when i tell you i'm an organized person, i'm probably lying half the time. But something must be done, and soon! It was time for Mission Tidy-Up.

A surge of energy shot through me as i dug my hands into the rumpled pile of clothes, i could smell a new beginning coming on. I even plugged the iron right in my room, so that i can iron and fold my clothes at the same time. To jive things up, i put in a few CDs and i worked away!

Heigh-ho Heigh-ho!

After awhile, there was progress! From topsy-turvydom to i-forgot-i-had-this-ness! However, things started to get a little mundane. My neck was aching from looking down for so long (urm, i did say clothes accumulated over the years). The only place of respite is, of course, the kitchen.

Time for my chocolate fix!

(to spare you the boredom, insert many hours of ironing, folding, ironing, folding, ironing, folding, chocolates, ironing, folding, ironing, folding etc)

And then, the hour had finally come! After ploughing the deep, and throwing out a few old socks, and white-tees-gone-mouldy, my wardobe can finally breathe, if it had a heart, it would be pounding healthily, and thanking me for unclogging it's arteries.

the result?

SO.MUCH.SPACE.

It was celebration time, with the man himself..... Spongebob!

happy happy joy joy!

It's not really the end of MTU, i look around and i see another small pile of clothes, which i had picked out and set aside, to be ironed and hung up. But that's sup-sup-siu (easypeasy) compared to what has already been conquered.

Now, instead of picking out clothes from the top pile and wearing the same outfits over and over again, i finally have choice! To start off, i changed into a clean set of pajamas, and i was so impressed that i could quickly scan and pick out what i wanted immediately. (i do change my pajamas very often by the way)

I feel so darn pleased.

The Return of The King

No, not a reference to the thrid instalment of The Lord of The Rings.

But what if Christ returns today?

Will i want to be found complacent?
Will i want to be caught doing what i'm doing right now?
Will i still be looking for the right person to spend my life with?
Will i miss opportunities to gather people with me?
Will i be disqualified?

Having heard what was spoken yesterday, I must admit that it's not my foremost thought to think that Christ might return today. But it did leave me pondering. Usually, what i do is determined by my immediate circumstances; i eat when i'm hungry, i bathe when there's a need to ( and i need that everyday, mind you). What about long-term? What about eternity? Sure, i've given eternity a thought or two, and it seems like a distant idea that the entry might be today.

In light that the unexpected becomes expected, there must be a focus-shift in thoughts, where it overflows to my actions. To live my life, (as posited by P.Tiak)

• being alert and self-controlled

So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.
1 Thessalonians 5:6

• building each other up

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
and sharing with those who have no hope
1 Thessalonians 5:12-14

• and sharing with those this same hope

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27


The question is Am i ready?

pre-NS farewell dinner for Philip

doon-nai! the dessert

splish-splash!

50 things

in the last 7 days, i

1. celebrated Easter in church, 2 times
2. met my insurance agent
3. and top up my CPF investments
4. met Philip O everyday for 2 consecutive days
5. went for a body massage
6. ate steamed milk with egg white (yum!)
7. cut my own fringe and looked cute
8. went to the salon to further cut my fringe and look nerdy
9. stayed over at Bonny's
10. met my classmates for the first time
11. missed CG
12. met my ex-colleagues
13. met an ex-client from Japan
14. ate at Cafe Vienna in Royal Plaza hotel
15. went mystery shopping with JY
16. played in a water fountain
17. dreamt about MP Wong Kan Seng
18. ate Mac's seaweed shaker fries
19. cleaned up my desk
20. found old undies lodged at the back of my drawers
21. met my cute neighbour after his run
22. borrowed money
23. practised scales on the piano
24. vacuumed my room
25. had choco fondue
26. burnt a few cds
27. caught up with and old friend
28. missed hanging out with berrie
29. slept in late alot
30. job-hunted
31. prayed
32. heard alot and enough about the GE
33. went to Sentosa
34. took alot of pictures
35. found out how to lock my documents on this shared PC
36. like the name Gemma alot
37. ate 2 cups of Meiji Aloe Vera Yoghurt
38. cried
39. wasted alot of time
40. went to the Esplanade
41. wore tight red shoes
42. and developed painful blisters
43. had homecooked lunches
44. wondered what am i doing with my life
45. got caught in the rain
46. saw stars in the nightsky
47. squeezed a few pimples
48. walked around Raffles City on my own
49. danced in my room
50. did many other things i can't remember

bang bang

peekaboo!

I like it very much, even though some said i look like a migrant from China. but otherwise, i think it's cute, haha!

Easter

We put up a production for the Chinese Easter service, on Saturday. It was an amazing feat. I heard that the script was written but only about a month ago. There were only 2proper rehearsals and the props and costumes were done up in less than a week.

The story is about Ah-ling, a fruit seller who encouters a schoolkid who's trying to sell him tickets to an Easter drama. Skeptical ah-ling who thinks Easter is about bunnies and eggs, mocks him and goes on with his own life. That night, Ah-ling is transported back into olden-day Jerusalem, the night that Jesus was being entombed. He witnesses the entombment to the resurrection of Jesus. And then Easter suddenly makes sense to him.

Here're some snapshots!

Undertakers hoisting the body of Jesus.

Jewish commoners grieving over the death of Jesus. Modern-day Ah-ling stands by and watch.
The Roman soldier guarding the tomb of Jesus.

Jesus is Alive! and stunned ah-ling falls to the ground.

The Cast in character
The Cast and the Props/Costumes team. [i'm at the far left! =)]

recount

Today's the first time in a long time, since i reached home before 2pm after church on sundays.

It feels like the wind has died down after a storm. The last four days made up of serial activities and events. From retreats to the CG multiplication, to the two easter services. My body was racked with aches from the lack of sleep for 2 consecutive nights. But even so, it was refreshing for my Spirit as i spent time with fellow believers, like-minded people.

Most significant was the CG multiplication. From a group of 20 members, we've now grown into 2 groups with about 10 members each. Bittersweet really. Faces I'd conveniently see every fridays and sundays, will become occasional glimpses on sunday and other church activities. The flesh is resistant to change, where there will be adjustments which calls for a move out of my own comfort zone once more. Yet, at the same time, i know that if not for change, there will not be growth. As it will be limited by the constraints of being in a big group which leads to divided attention amongst the members and thus, creating a gap rather than building bridges.

This is a brand new start in terms of Cell Group. And i long for growth, not just in terms of numbers, but in the quality of the lives of people, including my own. Let the adjustments take place, however awkward first beginnings may be, but let it lead to a superfluous worship of our lives, in due time. Amen.

Okay, talk aside. Pictures time!

The Fruits Go to Chinatown!


Girls and Boys @ Aloha Loyang


The men worked the kitchen.


And whipped up a storm.



while the rest of us played away.

hope

My mom and I were on a train ride. We were casually talking about children, where I shared with her the antics of the various children i knew, from cousins and those in church. And from there, she would reminisce the various episodes of my childhood, tales which i've heard many times and can continue the sentences on my own. Not that i minded.

She shared how when i was about 2years old and living in HK, i would stand by the door when the sun set, and await for my grandpa (affectionately known as YeYe) when he came home from work. The moment he stepped in, i would be so delighted at the sight of him, that before he could settle down, he'd pick me up and bring me for a walk at a nearby park downstairs.

Just the memory of him made me cry in the train. As it does now.

I miss him.

Two decembers ago, my family received a call from our relatives in HK. It's not usual that we do at that time of the year, and i wished they never did. They called to inform us that my YeYe was found in a river. He drowned. And as the story unravelled between making travel arrangments and packing our bags to HK, it was found that YeYe had committed suicide. I'd never seen my father cry so hard before.

Yeye. Stroke victim. Old. Feeble. In the cold december waters.

On that fateful day, he was supposed to be at home as usual, but he sent my Mama (grandma) down to buy something, and when she came back, he was missing. Rather alarming, as he was then feeble and couldn't go anywhere without assistance. My aunts and uncle were alerted and they combed the vicinity for about 3 hours. And it was around then, that they received a call from the police saying that they had found a body in a river not too far away. Yeye had his identification on him, so that we would not be searching for him, for too long?

The trip back to HK wasn't like any of the previous ones. I wasn't looking forward to seeing my relatives, in grief. I had little consolation, what with my limited cantonese, and my lack of time spent with the family, but these were family, and the moment i saw my mama, i just cried.

It's a story of hopelessness. Yeye thought by ending his life, he could end the problems. Common problems. In between the medical bills and trying to restore the family relations, Yeye must have felt that he was a burden. (you were never).

My only regret is not being able to spend more time with him, even in his last years. And my fear is that I'll not see him in Heaven.

I pray that at that very last moment, Yeye called out to Jesus and angels took him away.
Did he Lord?

There are people around me, with the same cry of the heart. The lives that speak of a desire, for a better tomorrow. The longings of a brand new day in the shrouding darkness. The hope. that slips through their fingers. Their lives echo the verse,

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12

Where is that tree of life that fulfills our longings? Are we destined only to grasp at hope with our fingertips and not taste it's fulfilment?

I don't think so.

I've found my hope, and my hope is in the Lord. In His unfailing love. In His word.
Because He lives.

This is my desire and prayer,

In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone