Al-Masih Qam—Hakkan Qam!*
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

asia....

howdy, howdy to all from the singapore airport.... have just arrived in singapore after spending 4 days in kuala lumpur..... malaysia is absolutely amazing.... green, lush, hot, humid, laid-back, .... it's beautiful! if you ever have a chance to travel to malaysia, take it!

now it's off to explore and work in singapore for 2 days before heading up to hong kong..... i'll keep you posted and will hopefully be a little more specific and detailed in what is going on during this trip!

a big thanks for anne and the skaffs for their kind assistance in KL!!!

No Music?

The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are as dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus;
Let no such man be trusted.

~William Shakespeare "The Merchant of Venice"

If Thou Must Love

If thou must love me, let it be for naught
Except for love’s sake only. Do not say,
“I love her for her smile - her look - her way
Of speaking gently, - for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day” -
For these things in themselves, Belovèd, may
Be changed, or change for thee - and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity’s wiping my cheeks dry.
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love, thereby!
But love me for love’s sake, that evermore
Thou mayst love on, through love’s eternity.

~Elizabeth Barring Browning

Happy V-Day Everyone!!

influenza

baka wa kaze o hikanai

i'm told that in japan stupid people don't get sick..... hmmmm..... now i wonder when the last time was that i got sick.

beautiful one

Wonderful, So Wonderful
Is your unfailing love
Your cross has spoken mercy over me
No eye has seen no ear has heard
No heart can fully know
How glorious, how beautiful you are

Beautiful One I love
Beautiful One I adore
Beautiful One my soul must sing

Powerful so powerful
Your glory fills the skies
Your mighty works displayed for all to see
The beauty of your majesty awakes my heart to sing
How marvelous how wonderful you are
You opened my eyes to your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love
Because nothing on earth is as beautiful as you

~By The Tree

Joy Unbroken and Lasting

Sacrifice yourself for once for the sake of God's will. It will not be in vain. Sacrifice yourself for truth, for justice. Sacrifice yourself for once against all human sense for something that is truly good. Sacrifice yourself for Christ in all things, and seek the kingdom of God. There is great strength in this… Stand for something; then your joy will be unbroken and lasting.

~C.F. Blumhardt

passionate for jesus...

am i passionate for jesus? i love jesus, but am i really passionate for him right now? i spoke with a friend from BC yesterday and was completely blown away by the passion he has for jesus.... all he could do was give non-stop testimony to what god has been doing in his life. scripture and praise bubbled forth from this guy who just three years ago seemed to be plodding through bibleschool in sweden, trying to stay on top of his first love of basketball, and dealing with family issues a continent away.
and i suddendly realized that i so badly want that same passion, or i want to be back in that place of passion... i want my life to give testimony to the goodness and faithfulness of god, i want to bubble over with joy and praise, i want jesus to be my first love. may he remove the fog of the world from me so i can see clearly.... i'm terrified that my own wants and desires in this life overshadow my wants and desires for the lover of my soul.
lord, loosen my tongue so i may give praise and glory to your name!
i don't want the rocks to cry out for me! (luke 19:40)

peace starts here

We often think of peace as the absence of war; that if the powerful countries would reduce their arsenals, we could have peace. But if we look deeply into the weapons, we see our own minds - our prejudices, fears, and ignorance. Even if we transported all the bombs to the moon, the roots of war and the reasons for bombs would still be here, in our hearts and minds, and sooner or later we would make new bombs.

Seek to become more aware of what causes anger and separation, and what overcomes them. Root out the violence in your life, and learn to live compassionately and mindfully. Seek peace. When you have peace within, real peace with others will be possible.

~ by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Story of the Weeping Camel

what odd and wonderful creatures!!