Death and Heaven

Death is not something people always talk about. It is even taboo in many cultures.
Yet, it is something we cannot avoid. For those who have lost their loved ones, they know precisely what I am saying. Death is inevitable.

For many people who have no God, this earthly life is all they have. That is tragic.

But for many of us who know and believe in Jesus, death is not a bad thing. This life is a temporary journey for us. We are to live life to the fullest on this earth as it is a beautiful gift from God. Life is beautiful but death can be beautiful too. I do not mean that we should end our lives for that is terrible. Life is too precious to be thrown away.

However, our life on earth has an expiry date. There will come a day when God will call us home. A place Jesus has prepared for all of us who believe and follow Him. A place where there will be no more hunger and sadness. A place of joy for eternity.

If you think life is unbearable now, think of the eternal home you will enter. What we are facing now is just a tiny fraction of trials but soon, when all is said and done, we shall have eternal bliss. For now, be patient and be thankful for everything.

The recent Boston terror and China earthquake has lost so many people. It is a moment of grief and sadness especially when one were not able to say their goodbyes and bid farewell to their loved ones. However, there is still hope. These souls are not lost forever. Your loved ones are not lost forever. There is heaven.

That is something we all should look forward to. May we all be reunited with our loved ones in Heaven. Wouldn't it be cool to see Moses, Abraham, Mary, Peter and Paul?

Dream Dancer - Dance with God

As a child, I dream of many things.

I wanted to be an author like Enid Blyton. I wanted to be a ballerina like Anna Pavlova. As I grew up, I grew so fond of one of the characters in Famous Five which Enid Blyton created that I wanted to be like her. Her name was George. I longed to solve mysteries and be a greater detective than the Famous Five and Sherlock Holmes combined. When I leave high school, I wanted to be world's most successful fashion designer. I am none of the above.

As times passed and circumstances changed and break our dreams, we grew used to broken hearts and dead passions. We became numb to heart-wrenching feelings and we dare not dream anymore.

Sometimes we realized we were chasing dreams that would never be real and we give up. Sometimes the realities of the harsh life we are facing made us succumb to everyday life with no soul left in us. Perhaps sometimes we are chasing the wrong dreams.

The prodigal son in the bible squandered his father's wealth in pursuit of a dream of fun and pleasure. Not all our dreams are good. We could be so caught up with the world and we wanted to be like the rest of the world, chasing wealth and fame that will never last.

So what's left for us? What about our feelings and desires? What about our broken dreams?

Sometimes we over-analyzed our dreams and talents that we forgot who knows us best, better than ourselves. We put limitations to our life and we crushed the dreams that we had.

This verse from a poem really got me thinking.

"Step then

from the staid and somber line.

Move out in dancing

into dreams so daring; 

without them you will settle for the road

that wanders by and winds to nowhere."

-Dream Dancer

Let us dare to dream again but this time not our own selfish dreams but of God. When you truly trust and love God, it is not about your feelings but more of "What Does God Say?"

Let our dreams be with God 

and let us dance into His arms 

and let Him lead us to the dance floor of His choice. 

A Prayer for Our Shepherds

Today the catholic church has a new leader by the title of Pope Francis I. He has chosen the name Francis after Francis of Assisi.

Who is this Francis of Assisi and what is so special about this man?

I personally went to Assisi few years back during a trip to Italy and came to know much more about this man who later became known as Francis of Assisi.

Son of a wealthy merchant, this man wanted to be a knight. He was wounded when he served as a soldier and he heard God telling him to re-build his church which was becoming very materialistic. He was so convicted by the gospel and good news of Jesus that he left everything and lived in poverty. He began preaching on the streets and tend to the lepers who were shunned by society. Many soon followed him.

Till today, people from all over the world visited Assisi and is still touched by his life story. A life of actions and not by mere words. A life to serve the people and not to serve himself.

This is one of his famous prayers that I feel compelled to share.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

How beautiful it is..the seeds of love, faith and etc that he hoped to sow in a world full of darkness and misery. Let us bid to do the same.

Let us also pray for our shepherds who will be leading us to God. The bigger the church, the greater their responsibility. No matter what church you belong to, your shepherds need your prayers. Let us never cease praying for them. Let us pray that the prayer above be their prayers too.

Francis of Assisi seek to re-build the church; may the new pope also seek to do the same.

Amazing Grace

Clipped,
Stayed beside Him,
Utter darkness

Blinded,
Led by Him,
Loving Assurance

Afflicted,
Rest in Him,
Comforting Glance

Abused,
Hold His hands,
Gentle Touch

Ruined,
Healed by Him,
Restoring Heart

Died,
Reborn in Him,
Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace

Clipped,
Stayed beside Him,
Utter darkness

Blinded,
Led by Him,
Loving Assurance

Afflicted,
Rest in Him,
Comforting Glance

Abused,
Hold His hands,
Gentle Touch

Ruined,
Healed by Him,
Restoring Heart

Died,
Reborn in Him,
Amazing Grace

That First Day

Caught off guard by surprise,

A gentle stare blew shyness away,

Fragrance of kindness yield to the heart,

A lovely greeting so melancholy

Threw self love off the feet,

Spread of roses beaming its way,

Radiance of cool waters lies beneath,

A dream so childlike and pure

Reality speaks even harsher,

Swooning at the fingers of romance,

Thinking of what will be will be,

A thought to be held like kisses

Daydreams of air wishes of love,

Enchanted by the smile of innocence,

Creations of poise with imperfections,

A world with no worries within

Highest statures of cravings,

Passionate beauty of the dainty mind,

No one so fair and true to be found,

A stage where all wins an Oscar

Every day is an expression,

Set free from a dying gesture of love,

Where words and eyes collide,

A storming of heaven to set its spark

Patience shall win with glory,

Triumphant envies dancing in echoes,

The beginning of a celebration,

A reminder of that first day

Happy Valentine's Day

Many people around the world today are celebrating Valentine's Day but many of us are alone and single. Some of us are widowed; some of us are broken-hearted; some of us just got dumped or some of us are just secretly in love with our best friend who only think of us as friends.Whatever the reasons are, many of us are looking at Valentine's Day with a bitter and resentful heart.

However, Valentine's Day is not just about romance and passionate love between Romeo and Juliet. It is definitely about love. Look around you. How many of us are blessed with friends, siblings, parents that love us to the core? I know of friends who spent hours caring for another sick friend. I know of children giving up careers to tend to their sick parents. All these are love.

You might say that you are alone and have none of the above. You are probably homeless with no friends or family. Perhaps you are an orphan who are living on the streets. You must be contemplating Valentine with knives and swords piercing your heart because love never exists.

I am telling you that Love does exist and I want you to know that there is one person who loves you very much. He loves you so much that He laid down His life for you. This person is Jesus Christ. You probably know this already but I want to remind you that God loves you so much. He cares about every single details in your life that He knows the very numbers of hair on your head.

If you feel alone today and there is no living being around you to celebrate Valentine's Day with you, then come to Jesus. He is your greatest LOVER. He is passionately in love with you and He is waiting for you to yield to Him and embrace His Love.

Don't ever feel that you are alone because you are not. You might not see it but Jesus is with you all the time and He has His angels watch over you everywhere you go.

I may never have met you and probably never will but I love you because God loves you and you are precious to Him.

Happy Valentine's Day!

John 15:3 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends".