Being centred

Being back at the hotel room at the end of the day is always comforting (provided that the hotel room is comfortable and safe). It is where you can place all your bags down and plop yourself onto the chair, sofa or bed. It is the place where you feel most relaxed, where you get to clean up and just rest. It is also the time you get to reorientate yourself and your plans for the next day.

Similarly, for me, when I come to focus on Jesus again, either through that quiet place, through being in church, or through God's presence when listening to songs of worship, I feel centred. I feel at home, I feel that I am brought back to the path I was meant to walk on. My sense of direction is once again god-centred. My plans become god-oriented. It is good to be in this place. A day in His courts is better than thousand elsewhere.

Being centred strengthens me. It's as if Jesus setting an anchor in me, weighing me down so I will not waver, so that in times of desperation and need, I can remain grounded and draw strength from that tower of refuge.

When Jesus makes a home in our heart, I believe it is His way of reaching out to us intimately. This reaching out from the perfect God to the imperfect human always bewilders me. Always amazes me. Such amazing love.
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The fine art of balance

I like the idea proposed by Nouwen on about how we can offer a place for refuge and growth at the same time. He gave an analogy of a wounded bird that he holds in his cupped hand. If he opens the hand too much, the bird will try to fly, fall and die. If he closes his hand, the bird will be crushed to death. An intimate place, he suggests, is for his hand to be neither totally open not totally closed. There is where growth can take place. What is the practical application in our relationships today, especially for people who come to us with needs?
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“Take me to that place Lord, where there’s nothing else but me and you”

This statement is made possible only with the sacrifice of Jesus, where he tore the veil separating God and us. Where God was once viewed unapproachable, now we have direct access to Him.

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The most important first thing

This song is currently on repeat.

Holy holy holy

Lord God Almighty

Early in the morning

Our souls shall rise to thee

Holy holy holy

Merciful and mighty

God in three persons

Blessed Trinity

You are Lord, You are Lord

You reign eternally

You are Lord God almighty

My savior and my king

No matter how far one is away from the Lord, there are no obstacles in  communing with the Lord when one takes the first step in praising God  for His might and His glory, declaring God as Lord, Lord of all creation, Lord of all, including our lives. Our God is merciful, compassionate and loving and desires to draw near to everyone who seeks Him. All we need to do is to take the first step to praise and worship Him.

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I love long train rides

My best train journeys had been the ones in Europe eons ago. I remembered being extremely ministered through reflecting, contemplating and writing. Hence, long train rides were what I looked forward to for this trip. There were 5 main rides. Florence to Milan (2 hours), Milan to Florence (2 hours), Florence to Naples (3 hours), Naples to Venice (5 hours) and Venice to Florence (2 hours). And they have been great so far. Great views, comfortable (made better by 1st class travel).

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2nd morning in Italy

It is 8a.m. local time (1p.m. SG time). I slept at 10p.m. and woke at 630a.m. this morning (3a.m and 11a.m. SG time), trying to adjust my sleeping pattern so I won't suffer from jetlag when I arrive home. Jetlag is not fun when I have to go to work the next day. So no late nights in Italy. Early mornings instead.

I am currently sitting by my balcony reading the bible, having brekkie and staring at the majestic view I have over Florence city. The accommodation in Italy is extremely expensive compared to many cities I know, but at SGD 240, this is prolly the most expensive hotel of my entire stay. I was willing to pay more for the first night because I know 15 hours flying from Singapore to Florence (including the transits) won't be easy. And I was right. Before I went to bed at 10p.m. local time (5a.m. SG time) last night, I reckoned I only had 4 hours of sleep the 24 hours from the time I took off from Singapore till I arrived at this hotel at 7p.m. .local time.

I had a great time yesterday, but I couldn't do anything beyond touring because of sleep deprivation. I couldn't read my book nor bible and couldn't even engage with God while listening to songs of worship. Today's much better though I am slightly distracted from thinking about my travel plans for today.

Florence is very pretty. I am amazed at what I see every corner I turn. Two of my favourite cities are Edinburgh and Vienna because of the buildings' architecture and the grandeur of their Cathedrals. But Florence is Edinburgh and Vienna magnified many times over.

Today's going into the Tuscan countryside of Florence ONCE I OVERCOME THE INERTIA AND START PACKING. Ciaoz bellas.

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The retreat to Yangon

This trip has been kinda spectacular. Kinda because it was not exactly what I expected, just like Medan where I did a solo overnight retreat last year. I attributed that to the fact that they are developing cities, and more than that, of my unfamiliarity with the new surroundings and the cultures. And.. Spectacular because it's always awesome going to a new place for the first time.

It's always not easy getting accustomed to new areas and the people because you don't know how much you can trust is safe, which road to take when walking, which taxi to take etc. It was much better after the first few hours- at least I dared to look at and observe people instead of avoiding their gazes to avoid unnecessary problems.

On the last day, I had wanted to cry at one point in time, and no I wasn't feeling emotional because of PMS. So..I told the hotel staff I wanted to go to Inya Lake and they called a taxi for me but the translation might be lost somewhere and the taxi driver took me to Inya Lake Hotel and told me the lake is by the hotel. I was doubtful but couldn't think on my feet fast enough to ask the taxi driver to stay while I check with the reception. As expected, he had not brought me to where I wanted to go- the main area where there were coffeeshops near the lake. So I had to pay extra and take another taxi to the lake. I recovered after a while. And it all turned out well because I ended up paying just USD$2 more than if I were to take a taxi directly to the airport from my hotel. And I got to spend some time having a drink by that lovely lake.

More than that, I had a lot of time reflecting and contemplating. I thought about anything and everything concerning life, my family, the people around me and of course my love. I thought about work as well as my thesis. I had the time to reread the book of first Samuel and complete Viktor Frankl's book.

I had lots of down time too, watching telly, surfing the internet, reading trashy mags that the love had bought to entertain me with, and editing my photos putting them on Facebook and Instagram. All in this period of time from 4pm Monday till Thursday midnight.

It's been great and much needed before two days of hard work setting the English prelim paper and more editing before Italy (yes, the supervisor messaged me to ask when I can collect my revised chapter 1 and edited chapter 3). She has not abandoned me so that is good, but it will be tough ride ahead. But it's good I just finished reading Frankl's book, a great reminder to find meaning in my suffering and ride through it.. with a smile.

Everyone should read his book, but they should prolly write an abridged version of the book for weaker readers. I felt like I was reading a psychology textbook! 😱
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This made me go "Wow!!!!"

The question was whether an ape which was being used to develop poliomyelitis serum, and for this reason punctured again and again, would ever be able to grasp the meaning of its suffering.

Unanimously, the response was that of course it would not; with its limited intelligence, it could not enter into the world of man, i.e, the only world in which the meaning of its suffering would be understandable.

Then he pushed forward with the following question: "And what about man? Are you sure that the human world is a terminal point in the evolution of the cosmos? Is it not conceivable that there is still another dimension, a world beyond man's world; a world in which the question of an ultimate meaning of human suffering would find an answer?"

Viktor Frankl
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The meaning and purpose of love

"Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his/her personality.  No one can become fully aware of the very essence of another human being unless he loves him. By his love, he is enabled to see the essential traits and features in the beloved person; which is not yet actualized but yet ought to be actualized. Furthermore, by his love, the loving person enables the beloved person to actualize these potentialities. By making him aware of what he can be and of what he should become, he makes these potentialities come true."

Viktor Frankl

Yangon Day 1

After several failed attempts in taking photos of an ariel view of the sea from the plane, I have learnt that certain scenes are best captured with the eyes and remembered in the mind. It is the same with experiences. Sometimes, it's more important to savour the richness of the experience rather than overanalyse it.
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Thoughts

Spiritual authority is accepted when there's a gap that the leader is able to help bridge, or if there's some area where the spritual leader can help stretch and grow. If there's no chance to grow, wouldn't the disciple look elsewhere that can help in spiritual growth?

I am looking to be spoken to in the heavenly relam, I feel that growth cannot be stretched with merely earthly logic and reasoning that another spiritual leader of another faith can replicate. I am looking to hear words inspired by the Holy Spirit, words that stir the heart and produces God-directed visions that inspires and empowers me to good deeds, so that I can be all that Jesus desires me to be.
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true power

gentleness and meekness are born of power, not weakness.

Having said that, I learnt from the book I have recently completed that we should avoid displaying our commitment to Christian discipleship in a way to make others feel guilty, taking care not to " break the bruised reed of the hurting Christian or snuff out the smoldering wick of the immature christian".

That is gentleness in action.
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the heavenly realm

when we are in the heavenly realm, we will speak of things belonging to the heavenly realm. We will pray in the tongue and the language of the heavenly realm.
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