Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Your mission

Jesus said to them again,"....As the Father has sent me, I also send you." - John 20:21
A missionary takes this verse to heart. What is a missionary?

Today I read
"A missionary is someone sent by Jesus Christ just as He was sent by God. The great controlling factor is not the needs of people. but the command of Jesus. The goal is to be true to Him - to carry out His plans."

I was just writing in my last post: http://angelina-bong.blogspot.com/2011/10/book-lover.html about missionaries that I met, those going around the world to sow seeds of hope and love.

But what about the rest of us who have 9 to 5 jobs? Those of us who have kids and are stuck at home everyday. Those of us who are handicapped and are glued to the wheelchair.
Not many people can relate to this verse.

Let me share a story about Therese of Lisieux. She never travelled anywhere but she was deemed a missionary in spirit. If you have the chance, grab a copy of her biography. Missionaries have always been traditionally known to be those who travel far especially to third world countries to spread the gospel. Many of them need help in materials, finances, kind souls and etc to helped them in their mission.Therese knew that many are in need of all these. She really had a burning desire to be a missionary. She wanted others to know Jesus and she wanted to share Jesus. However, God never called her to leave the country but instead had a different calling for her. She realised her mission in life was to pray intensely for the church and to offer up everything for that intention. Even as young as fifteen, she has heard about missions all over the world. She remembered each story and every names and would pray fervently for these missionaries.

A missionary once told me that there are not enough people praying and interceding for salvation of souls and for missions. Like Therese, You can be that missionary in spirit. Every mission needs people to pray for them.
Acts 6:3-4
Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

That is not all. Think of your workplace as your mission field. You may dream of travelling to the Middle East to evangelize but due to circumstances, are unable to. Perhaps you are right where God wants you to be. Perhaps you're the only christian in your entire auditing firm. You might not be able to preach the word directly but your actions of love will show who you are to the world. Perhaps you are a housewife with two kids and could not go anywhere. That is your mission field. Educating your kids and sowing seeds of love in them. Perhaps you have neighbours who do not know God's love. That could be your mission field too.

You are needed right where you are, exactly where God sends you to be.

God bless you and your mission wherever your mission field is!


Book Lover?

Do you love books?
Do you spend hours burying yourself in books?
Do you wish for a library the size of the castle's library in the Disney animation, Beauty and the Beast?
If yes, you are just like me.

I spent my childhood days pouring myself on books. When I was seven, fears got hold of me and I would cry whenever I go to school alone. The only thing to stop me from crying was to buy me a storybook. Haha..what briberies my aunt had to go through.

I remember my delight the first time I stepped on board Doulos, the ship that 'sells' books. I remember gasping in amazement at the multitude of books. I don't remember exactly how many times I have been to that ship but definitely enough to leave a mark in my heart. I can even remember telling myself that it would be a dream job for me to work there as I can be with books all day and all night long. Well, unfortunately that never happened. I would make a bad employee anyways as I would be reading instead of arranging books. Hmmm..so it's a good thing haha

Last Sunday, I was casually asked to tag along to visit Logos Hope, another ship similar to Doulos. This time, we had a proper tour by two hosts volunteering on the ship. We had more than a tour. We met wonderful people from the ship. Young missionaries who had that sparkle in them as they spoke of their work on board.

It might look all bright and shiny like a big youth  camp everyday but they had their tough times too. One volunteer told me how he had to worked for a year just washing dishes daily. Imagine 2000 dishes a day. There are those who had to clean toilets everyday. A lot of times you have to get up early and sleep late. At times, you do not get along well with cabin mates but you have to learn to deal with that. Whoa...etc etc...

However, at the end of it all, each and everyone I met said it was well worth it..the experiences are invaluable, you make friends from all walks of life and from all corners of the world and most of all, the joy of bringing hope to people all over. If you ever travel anywhere in the world, you get a host!Thanks to them, I get cheap books too! ;) Need I say more? Planning to join? Check out
 http://www.omships.org/

Well, this ship is now sailing to Kuching. If you are in Kuching and a book lover, check it out! Logos Hope will be in Kuching starting tomorrow and the book fair will be open to public on Friday. Happy scouring the books!

Here is a picture I love of the ship taken by my dear friend, Joey.

Logos Hope taken at night by Joey Sia


Enjoy Logos Hope!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Be Still

How do you listen to God when your mind and hearts are so preoccupied with a billion things?
Come away..
Be still even if for five minutes..
Take a breather..
Away from the crowded subways..
Away from gossiping colleagues..
Away from Facebook

Be still and just be silent
Let God speak to your heart

"Jesus is always waiting for us in silence.
In that silence, He will listen to us,
There He will speak to our soul,
And there we will hear His voice" - Mother Teresa

Be still and get to Know Him

In the Silence

In the silence you wait,
Gently and patiently for her,
In the breeze that passes by,
You whisper sweet words of poetry,
Your barely there voice hums and sings,
In a notch only nightingales and owls can hear,
Your delicate tone seems so far away,
Yet noble words you shower her with,
Unlike human voice to render to her,
You speak to her heart with soft tender whispers,
So demure to touch and sooth her broken soul,
To caress the emptiness of a decaying heart,
Chained and poisoned by life's noisiness,
Your one note is like fragranted incense
Ascending to the throne of grace
You bestow her with showers of love
More precious than the gifts of the three wise men,
You call her to the deepest, most sacred sanctuary,
Far away from the world's cares and wants,
Bringing drips of honey to parched divine soul,
Clad in a garment richer than silk or velvet,
Waiting in the dark is she,
Unknowingly of a majestic persona she will encounter,
In the silence you shall meet her there


"You're my place of quiet retreat; I wait for your Word to renew me." Psalm 119:14

Friday, October 21, 2011

Dance the blues away

Behind the blurry stardom the music is spinning,
Clinking waves of fantasy through one's mind,
Being still is not an option anymore,
One is plagued by many cares and worries

Lalalaa lalaaa laalaaaaa lalalalalala,
The opera man seemed to chant over and over,
Deafening although absurdly addictive,
Chaining one's brain to captivity of the sweetest things

Curiosity will soon kill the boredom,
Yet emptiness resides in the midst of swirling rhythms,
Melancholy notes springing in the air,
Depressing yet joyously enchanting the tunes rock

Tadaaa dadaaa diiddaaa dddaaadeeeee,
Endless beats of drums and bass,
Graceful dances from piano and jazzy plays,
One could just dream the night away

Imagination presses harder than reality,
Painting away the blues and blacks,
Chirpily welcoming another world filled with rainbows
Dancing into the colours of the night

Revamp Deconstruction

Darts, pleats, pintucks, slashings,
Fabric manipulation of all sorts,
Garment reconstruction one by one,
Tearing out what's outside rebuilding a whole new look,
Torn jackets and stained white blouses,
Faded jeans and ripped sheer camisoles,
To carefully cut away what is not wanted,
To resew and reinvent what is left behind,
The mastermind Jacques Derrida would have bowed,
An approving clap from genius Alexander Mcqueen,
A blend of skills and creative mind,
Plus the brains of an architect and an engineer,
Cooking up the greatest recipe of fashion,
Take courage and go all the way,
Dare to differ and bid the norm goodbye,
Alas, deconstruction and revamption is the key to it all
All the best my fashionistas

Friday, October 14, 2011

Wait on the Lord

It has been a while since i write of the things that matter.
I have been swarmed with so many earthly cares, duties and obligations.
It is not a bad thing to be busy but when it starts distracting your spiritual life and your relationship with God, that is when all these things that seem to be so urgent are robbing you of your life.
I am so happy and thankful for time alone to rejuvenate, refresh and invigorate my soul.
How else can I live the life God wants me to unless I commune and be with Him?

Sometimes we are so overwhelmed with family, work and people around us, even church ministerial services that we forgot the one most important thing, that is spending time with God.
He is always there waiting for us.
How many of us rush through life as if someone's life depends on our urgency of doing things?
How often do we snoozed the alarm clock only to wake up late and rush to work, not hearing the wonderful chirpings of the birds and the glorious sun shining down on us?
We claim God does not exist and He does not care when we are bogged down by problems.
But how many of us actually seek Him first before we do something or stop and enjoy His creations?

Look around you. Look and observe, not just glance.
How many of us truly appreciate what has been given to us?
Look at the beautiful sunset, breathe in the fresh air and if you're in the city, look at the wonderful architecture and immense buildings..God-given talents to mankind to build and multiply.

Stop before you miss those precious moments.
Stop daydreaming and start living.

Many of us are longing for more earthly things and companions and that is normal.
However, before we jumped on the wagon from one thing to another, let us ponder and rethink.
Take a moment and really meditate..do we really need what we long for? Or are they just merely attractions that would never satisfy?

Perhaps we have been waiting so long for the perfect job or the perfect spouse or the perfect house..
Wait my dear friend..
Wait..
Most of all, wait on the Lord.

Take a moment, stop what you are doing and just be enveloped in God's presence.
When you're filled with His love, He is all you need.
And wait on Him to do the rest.

Here's an excerpt from an article I stumbled upon that explains in a sentence what it means to wait on the Lord.

"To wait on the Lord means to learn contentment with His provision and timing in any given situation through fellowship with God—knowing Him, clinging to Him, and trusting Him."

If you are tired of waiting, I encourage you to read the rest of the article at:

http://bible.org/article/waiting-lord

Why Silence?

Close as breathing you were,
Yet this time all is silence,
The craving depths of her soul,
The chaotic rhythm of her spirit,
The innermost thoughts of her heart,
You knew it all

No one could understand her like you do,
Often misunderstood,
A ball that bounces in every direction,
You follow ever so closely her every move,
In her dreams and neverending hopes,
You were a pillar that held it all together

She's a child yet an old soul,
A flaming torch lits her very being,
Her passion goes beyond earthly desires,
Vulnerable, fragile yet resilient to emotions,
You were her living water that keeps her young

Why silence?
Is it you or is it her?
Perhaps the noisiness of earthly cares deafens your sweet whispers
Her spirit is willing yet her flesh is weak

Keep knocking at the doors of her heart,
She is unaware of how much she needs you,
Her love is unrealised but you can see it all,
She cannot go on without you,
You promised
Your yoke would be easy and your burden light
She believes and she holds on to that
Be silent no more

Non abbandonare il tuo sogno

Gold, red, black, white
Splashes of paint across the pure one
Splattering ink and blotches of spray
Without thinking twice if it should be or not

Drunken with art and unconventional love,
A mist of fresh romance lingers,
Bossa nossa and trance intertwined,
Catwalking down the aisle

Was it Mondrian or was it Van Gogh?
Picasso seemed to hold hands with Bob Marley,
Yoko twirls around with Christian Dior
My precious is all he calls out

A cloud of smooth sailing confusion hangs on
While the new buds of love watch on
Eccentricities prevail over rules and regulations
Or is it a forbidden fruit that arts had dropped

A concoction of fusion and crazy blends
Even Marilyn Monroe would shake hips with Albert Einstein
Its the new season of love
A graceful yet rocky journal is about to begin
Staying true to "Non abbandonare il tuo sogno"

Thursday, October 13, 2011

A Quiet Spirit

In the quietness of the morning,
The eyes are awakened to the chirpings of the bird,
Craving solitude amidst busyness and chaos,
The heart and soul wishes to hide

The body continues to labour,
Twenty four seven spinning and twirling,
Each quiet moment is precious,
More esteemed than gold or diamonds

The soul is forced to move along,
As the body wishes to follow the world,
Yet it has its own mind,
A free spirit that only has one wish

Communion with its Maker is its sole desire,
Longing to dwell in that secret place,
Abiding in the shadow of the Mighty One,
Only then it can truly rest

A quiet and gentle spirit
The unfading beauty of being alone
The soul hungers and thirsts for it
Where flesh and heart may fail
but the soul shall have its life

Monday, October 10, 2011

Carpe Diem!

Another morning has dawned,
Is it another day chalked with endless to-do lists
Or is it going to be a different day?

Look with an open mind,
Breathe with an imaginative heart,
Love with a generous thought...

You never know if today might be a breakthrough,
You never know if today you will encounter the burning bush
You never know if today your life will meet its fate
You never know if today the star shall meet you

What are you waiting for?
Seize the day..
Carpe Diem!!