'The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going ...' - John 3 : 8
Monday, May 18, 2009
Indulgence
Greta made a stopover in Singapore during her flight back to Adelaide on the weekend. Thus, a few of us met with her and caught up over lunch yesterday. We also shared a Muddy Mudpie from Coffee Club - superbly rich chocolate and coffee indulgence... mmm :)
The 5 C's of indulgence... Chocolate, Coffee, Cake, Conversation, Company :)
Everyone walked past the small and seemingly insignificant roadside plant. Not hidden from view, but somehow, still easily overlooked. Yet, a reminder of the beauty, creativity, intricacy, and design of each piece of His handiwork.
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." - Ecclesiastes 3:11
I had a dream about them last night. Brought back memories of times spent, meeting up with them before I left, and the farewells, as well as the presents and hugs.
Friends who spent several hours waiting with me at Cocolat in the airport, waiting with me before accompanying me and sending me off
"We savoured our moments together, and we would gather in out-of-the way places, ostensibly to talk at great length about inconsequential matters, but in fact to cement faces, the sounds of voices, and very personal connections forever in our memories." - The Hidden City, by David Eddings.
I had an injection with a dose of the influenza vaccine. Although it wasn't a vaccine against the H1N1 'Swine Flu' virus, the vaccine was supposed to dampen the severity if I did catch it, and would provide better immunity against other strains of influenza.
Thus, I finally went to visit 'Doc', an old friend, whom I hadn't seen for almost 7 years. After the injection, we chatted and caught up a bit, had a few good laughs, and talked about his collection of figurines. However, all too soon, we knew it was time for him to tend to other patients.
"It's been so many years... Well, hope to see you again." he said, with a smile on his face.
"Yeah," I said sincerely, missing our longer chats in the past, "but hopefully not in here, haha."
"Yes, that's right!" and both of us laughed, as I opened the door and stepped out of his clinic.
The injection site on my arm is still a little sore, but I guess the opportunity to catch up with an old friend made it worthwhile :)
Almost everyone knows the saying 'A picture paints a thousand words'. Indeed, a picture or photograph can often portray so much more than a simple image. Each picture tells a story in itself, displaying elements like the situation, background, and subject(s)... the context of what was captured. More than that, it often (intentionally or not) encapsulates one's emotions, thoughts, perspectives, focus, interests... sometimes made obvious to the person viewing it, and at other times, made known only to the person who created it.
Behind every picture, there's a story, a reason why it was captured or created.
A friend once suggested starting a photo-blog. One photo a day. To capture and remind us of something that happened or struck us that day.
And perhaps I'll take up her suggestion. To chronicle my life and thoughts. To capture the memories of each little blessing that comes along each day. To remind me how each day is special and unique. To help me treasure things, and avoid taking them for granted.
Sounds idealistic? Perhaps :) Realistically, I probably won't update daily, but will try to do so at least once a week. After all, it doesn't take too long to upload one photo with a short caption, right? :)
Just a brief update, while I take a short break from work, to put an end to what has become a 6-month long hiatus...
It's been half a year since I last updated, and (as expected :) much has happened during that time. One of the biggest changes has been the move from Adelaide back to Singapore. Even though there have also been a number of challenges along the way, God has been faithful throughout. A month after returning home, I've pretty much settled into life back here, while still fondly missing my friends over in Adelaide :) The process of writing and editing is still going, though, which has been quite a bit of a frustration. But life goes on as well. Celebrated the weddings for 2 pairs of old friends over the two long weekends (Easter, and Labour day), and looking forward to more to come :) Apart from that, life has pretty much consisted of meals, sleep, reading, writing, writing, writing... :) I'm also starting to suspect that my study chair is moulding to the shape of my body, because I've spent far too much time sitting in it at my desk.
Manda has also inspired several ideas for updating this blog, which have had to be shelved until after I finish. Till then, I'll try to update a little more often (at least more than once in 6 months, haha), and perhaps fill in some of the gaps from the past half a year.
On another note, we've had several really beautiful sunsets here over the past few days (like this one from yesterday). I'm thankful for the view from our place, where I could appreciate those brief moments, when the sky was streaked with a rich array of pinks, purples, and blues. A visual reminder of one of His masterpieces, whether it's miles away in Adelaide, or here in Singapore.
"Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures."
The people in my life to whom this blog is dedicated :
(1) Friends and Family: Hopefully, although some of us are lands apart, we can still keep in touch, and can still be updated with what goes on in our lives :)
(2) Myself: Now that I've got a little space to pen my thoughts, maybe I'll start muttering to myself a little less often... :)
