Your Personality Cluster is Extraverted Intuition

You are: A true wordsmith - a master of words Original, spontaneous, and a true inspiration Highly energetic, up for any challenge Entertaining and engaging, both to friends and strangers

Find Out with 3 Surprising Color Clues

This quiz was featured quite some time back by Dewey Sadka. It is surprisingly accurate, at least for me. If you're single and wondering who's Mr. Right then take the quiz. If you're not so single and wondering if he is Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now then go ahead. If you're married and still wondering if you are with Mr. Right, then sister, please check yourself... As usual, I would advice people to take quizzes of this nature with a pinch (some need more) of salt. Without further ado, here we go!!

Did you know that your preferences for green, purple and orange, the secondary colors, reveal your desires, needs and relationship goals? They show how your personality type attracts and bonds with men -- including Mr. Right! To learn more about how your favorite color affects your life and what that means for your relationships, try this quick test.


STEP 1: Select Your Favorite Color
Choose the color that you would prefer to look at: BRIGHT ORANGE, DEEP PURPLE & MID-TONE GREEN. This is not necessarily the color you use in dressing or decorating.


STEP 2: Get Your Results
Now that you've chosen the color that you prefer to look at, check out the corresponding description below to find out what this says about your love style -- and the way that you relate to your version of Mr. Right.



If Your Chosen Color Is GREEN...

When you first meet a man, your practical and nurturing ways encourage him to talk about his life right away. You make Mr. Right feel comfortable. He feels that you fully support him.

It's easy for you to see exactly what's important to a man from the start. Trust your instincts, along with your keen listening skills, because they help you understand what a man wants from a relationship.

Intelligence in the other sex is a real turn-on for you. It entices your curiosity.

In the end, you marry or commit for security. This might mean having a home with children, lots of money or a relationship in which you feel cared for. Your permanent Mr. Right will be a stabilizing personality in your life. "Greens" marry the stable guys!

One word of warning: You are open to the world and appear innocent, and these qualities can make it difficult for you to find your true Mr. Right. Some men misinterpret you altogether and later may be shocked or disappointed when the real you isn't what they expected.



If Your Chosen Color Is PURPLE...

When you first meet a man, you're attracted to his energy. But in truth, you are probably best matched with a guy who calms you down and makes you comfortable with yourself.

Your sense of drama wins men over, and your enthusiasm can make men feel empowered. They feel their lives are more exciting with you, and that possibilities are infinite.

You're loyal. Relationships are serious business to you.

Your decision to get married, assuming he has passed all the basic criteria, is largely based on physical appearances. "Purples" marry the good-looking guys!

One word of warning: Give a possible Mr. Right a chance. Don't assume things about him. Judge him on his behavior, not how he compares to your ideal.



If Your Chosen Color Is ORANGE...

Your charismatic, lovable and affectionate nature wins men over. Touching gives you the ability to see the truth in situations and relationships. It's your way of letting others know you're listening and that you care about them.

You are lured into relationships by the way men look. Your decision to get married, however, is based on intellect.

You dedicate yourself to a man who's smart, and usually marry for life. You build relationships with a guy who can teach you things. "Oranges" marry the smart guys!

One word of warning: When first meeting a guy, you hide the sensitive side of yourself. Your clever defenses are all he sees. He may be mistaken about your true personality if you aren't willing to open up over time.


Ever wondered which color I picked? Take a guess and reply!! =)

I just finished editing an article for a friend on Colored Eggs & Bunny Baskets by Audrey Yen that is about to be featured in a local magazine called D2Y2 and it talked about the real meaning of Easter. When I was growing up, I had always held a puzzling belief that Easter means more to me than Christmas. Why? You ask? Well, the thing is, while I do enjoy getting presents that come my way on Christmas day, I also think that the meaning of Christmas would be nulled if there was no Easter.

Think about it. I know that if there was no Easter, there wouldn’t be a Christmas to celebrate. The world would still be shrouded in pagan beliefs whereby bunnies would be celebrated and eggs would be exchanged. There would of course be a celebration as everyone would have a romp into the hills after a round of merriment and feast on each other to complete the Spring Festival. We would be going to (super)markets to get our supply of eggs and of course the other things for our feast. Come to think of it, isn’t this how Easter is normally celebrated?

If it isn’t about bunnies and eggs and all the feasting on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, then what is it all about? What is the true meaning of Easter?

Well, for starters, the real reason I have held on to the weird belief that Easter in a way is so much more special to me than Christmas is because on Good Friday, Jesus was whipped, taunted and mocked, tortured, made to carry His own cross and finally He was nailed to that cross. If that wasn’t enough, He hung on that cross for the sins of me, you and the rest of the world. But what made it amazing, was not the fact that he didn’t die. He did. The amazing thing is that He did not remain dead. He arose from the dead three days later and is alive even now. Even as we speak.

Best of all, He is Mad About Me as well! He is Mad About Me, He is Mad About You and He is Mad About Everyone. He is so Mad, He would take my place and be punished for all my wrongdoing, whether it is in my past, things that I am struggling with right now and wrongs that I may not know yet in future. He sees me for who I am and He sure sees you for who you are. The question is will you choose to believe that which I have just written. You may ask questions here... There is a book that you can read…

Remember that you are free to think for yourself and to choose for yourself that which you believe. Remember that to be unable to choose for yourself is to say that whatever is pressuring you that way is a dictator–it is dictating your life for you. Remember that to do nothing about it is doing something about it. Remember that every single time you turn thoughts away, they are still at the back of your head.

So now you know, the real reason I think so highly of Easter is because it really is the watershed mark of History, both mine and His. Yes, He was born on Christmas Day but He paid for my wrongs on Easter Day. Without Easter, there would be no Christmas to celebrate. I would not know of someone who would take my place anyway. Would you?

Why
by Nichole Nordeman

We rode into town the other day,
just me and my daddy.
he said I’d finally reached that age,
and I could ride next to him on a horse
that of course, was not quite as wild.

We heard a crowd of people shouting,
and so we stopped to find out why.
There was that man that my dad said he loved,
but today there was fear in his eyes.

So I said, “Daddy, why are they screaming?
Why are the faces of some of them beaming?
Why is He dressed in that bright purple robe?
I bet that crown hurts Him more than He shows.
Daddy please, can’t you do something?
He looks as though He’s gonna cry.
You said He was stronger than all of those guys;
Daddy, please tell me why.
Why does everyone want Him to die?”

Later that day, the sky grew cloudy,
and Daddy said I should go inside.
Somehow he knew things would get stormy.
Boy was he right, but I could not keep from wondering
if there was something he had to hide.

So after he left, I had to find out.
I was not afraid of getting lost.
So I followed the crowds to a hill
where I knew men had been killed,
and I heard a voice come from the cross.

And it said, “Father, why are they screaming?
Why are the faces of some of them beaming?
Why are they casting their lots for my robe?
This crown of thorns hurts me more than it shows.
Father please, can’t you do something?
I know that You must hear my cry.
I thought I could handle a cross of this size.
Father, remind me why.
Why does everyone want me to die?
Oh, when will I understand why?”

My precious son, I hear them screaming.
I’m watching the face of the enemy beaming.
But soon I will clothe you in robes of my own.
Jesus, this hurts me much more than you know,
but this dark hour, I must do nothing,
though I’ve heard your unbearable cry.
The power in your blood destroys all of the lies;
soon you’ll see past their unmerciful eyes.
Look, there be love, see the child
trembling by her father’s side.
Now I can tell you why...
she is why you must die.

The past few weeks have been sheer torture at work. I realize that after I was confirmed, things started snowballing. Just last Sunday, I spoke to my mum and related how I have actually been having trouble sleeping. While it is quite untrue that I haven't been sleeping, it's just that my brains are in overdrive so much of the day that disconnecting for rest takes a long time.

I have to rejoice though, I have cut the hardest book I have ever edited with my current company. I would gladly say that The Monster's out!! The Monster is not really the title of the book, it's just what I call it in lieu of it's author. Nothing went right with this book, everything from the content to the illustrations, the cover to the ISBN codes all the way to dealing with the author, sponsor and truck drivers, all of it went wrong. There was always something missing. If there is one thing I have learnt from editing this book, it would be that I wouldn't want to publish a literary book ever again. Okay, maybe I will, just not anytime soon…

I remembered as I was editing the book, I was asking if God would just turn up at my office when regardless of what I do, nothing ever goes right? Then I realized that wasn't really the question I should be asking. I should have asked if God would please indicate to me if I am being where I am at the right place and at the right time. See, the thing that I have finally figured out is that God is Someone who is so interested in what I do, He has invested into every area of my life, including my corporate self. It is exactly what David meant when he wrote in Psalm 139: 16, All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

But how do I account for the time when I do my best and nothing seems to happen? I guess lately, I've been doubting myself as an Editor. Am I really good at it? Am I really doing something that is able to impact the masses? Am I making a difference in the world that I am living in? All of these issues resurface every time I get a horrible project.

They say that making a book is a labor of love, and boy, have they nailed it! While others are making babies, I make books every month and each of them comes with a whole new set of complications and contractions that multiply the pain of actually launching the book. I have not achieved a painless delivery date as of yet. I suppose I have to live with it until I achieve a semblance of balance and control in my delivery dates. Or maybe, just maybe, I need to sleep on it.

Here's a radical thought, at least for myself, I'm going to trust God and let Him work out the details for me while I get some rest. And while I am sleeping, maybe, just maybe, things will turn out better at the office. After all, one of the wisest men in the world had this to say about laboring and prospering with God: (you can read it in Psalm 127) Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it... It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep. So, while I am sleeping, I am going to ask God to build my house and give me the happiness that comes with eating of the labor of my hands. For I know that I am His beloved, sleep is something that is a given. I don't want to labor in vain anymore because life is precious, because everyday is a gift and because I am not alone in this.

In think my eyes are starting to droop… Good night guys!

We are all well aware of the fact that relationships are hard work. In fact, my previous blog post just reminded me of how much investment anyone has to make to nourish and nurture a friendship. I was always told that to have a friend you’ve gotta be a friend and I think that is healthy practice to be bringing into any relationship. I just emerged from a Valentine’s Day that was too close to Chinese New Year, and in the battle of festivities, Chinese New Year won hands down. =)

Over the month of February though was a slew of articles, Valentine’s and all manner of advertising gimmicks that confirmed (for me at least)Valentine’s Day’s position as the most over-hyped, insensitive and in a sense, fake, ‘celebration’ of love for the one calendar day that was dedicated to it. The reason I say so is that so many think that it is as day only for lovers and in that sense it is insensitive to the majority who are not in any ‘special’ relationships. (All relationships are special and precious. Your horizontal relationships reflect on your vertical relationship).

I can’t say I blame the Koreans for coming up with ‘Black Day’, a day that is specially dedicated to all those who didn’t get any Valentine’s to celebrate with and is done by celebrating singles in all things black. I will forever remember the Koreans as the most culturally sensitive people for their inclusion of all classes of society in their celebration of Valentine’s Day. They have the normal Valentine’s Day, when men buy women flowers and gifts and such, and then they have a ‘White Day’ (or I think that’s what it is called) for the women to return the favour. And for all those uninvolved in both days, they get to celebrate ‘Black Day’, which is when they dress in black, have black colored jajangmeoun, black candy and paint the town black, figuratively! How fun is that? =)

But ‘Black Day’ aside, this time last year, I distinctly remembered sharing about a Valentine’s Day Prayer based on 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8. And I also distinctly remember this passage as it captures the best essence of love in the whole course of human history, at least for me. There is something very real in this passage, a sense of love that doesn’t just happen to you when you fall, but a constant working out of that love. And the funny thing is, the world has finally caught on to it, shunning it’s traditional ‘I heart You’, Hollywood, Cupid and Hearts version of V-Day.

This came along in an article written by Chelsea Kaplan for MSN Personals titled ‘The hardest I worked for love’, which detailed 10 things people did against their own fear, self-will and sometimes even preference to show love for someone they liked. Some of them had to learn a new skill (swimming, foreign language), others had to give up something about themselves (getting rid of a beard or a hairy back, a tattoo or even a pet dog), some had to relocate (shifting to another city or apartment) and yet others who had to learn to love something new (supporting a favourite baseball team or a vegetarian diet).

All in all, I noticed the changes that happened were a conscious effort on the part of someone who was in love. And it is in this conscious effort that you get a heart at work, that constantly seeks out the good of others, that sincerely wants the other person to be edified and that doesn’t give up when is challenged to do something uncomfortable and extraordinary. It is in this active form of love that we find most hearts at work and it is wonderful to note that in this cynical day and age there are still people willing to change a huge part of their life for someone that they love.

Part of the fun for me this Valentine’s Day is the challenge to do something for people that would not be celebrating Valentine’s the traditional way. One of those was accompanying my colleagues to a concert held by campus students in lieu of Valentine’s Day and I managed to catch a game of bowling with my PG gals as well. Funny thing is, all of these felt like a better investment of time and energy than would otherwise be like last year. Well, it’s my turn to think of 10 things I can do to celebrate Valentine’s with my pals! Since I’m down 2, I’ve got 8 to go. Maybe I’ll check out that garden plant fair and get some blooms for someone who just moved into their first house… *Ciao*

Without doubt the most successful sitcom to come out of the '90s, FRIENDS was and remains one of my favourites. I've still gotta deal with the fact that they're dead! Haha!

Just like the sitcom though, I just realized recently that some of my friendships have changed over time. It’s not like I have I just woke up today and discovered that my friendships are in that state, it’s just come to pass that recently, I’ve had the chance to take a very good look at my friendships.

There is this saying that says you can’t choose your family but at least you can choose your friends and it is in this choice that mirrors who you really are inside. I have been known to be judged by the company I keep for as long as I can remember and working life is no different. There are cliques in companies just as there are cliques in high school. And then there is this whole ‘Who do you associate with?’ and people think that just because I work as an Editor I go out socializing with high–society at any chance I get. But when I look at it, this really is just on the surface of the friendships I keep.

Recently, I took stock of what may be termed as my best friend’s relationship with myself and even more I see how this friendship has been changed tremendously. Without any shadow of doubt, some parts of this friendship has died. I think the part where I can read her mind, she knows where I live and how I feel at the current moment has died. Though I miss it tremendously, I also see it as a sign of us moving on in life.

Most of this post will be on her, as I struggle to put into words the feelings I have had in the past months about our friendship and where it is heading. You may choose to read on and identify with the struggles in an adult friendship or you may choose to leave and reflect on your own friendships currently. All I know is that ever since I made the big shift to Subang, it has impacted me in ways I never thought possible.

I came to know my best friend in high school and it is in the unlikeliest of places that you meet the most amazing people. So, there I was standing in the darkened school bus, hanging on for dear life whenever my Ah Chik braked (He would have put drift kings to shame, the way he was driving) and I thought I would be talking to myself but surprisingly, she got my jokes the moment I started talking to her. Back then, struggle was the best way I could put my experiences.

I struggled to get up in the morning. I struggled to find a good place to stand in the bus. I struggled to get that good-looking guy to carry my books till he reached his school. I struggled to find new friends in the morning session. I struggled in school, trying to understand how the heck did refraction of light impact my teenage world. I struggled within myself as well, like if I say I like you to another gal, does it mean I’m falling for her? Or if she says “I wish you were a guy.” What does it mean?

Throughout the years, I have managed to keep an intriguing roster of friends but the thing that doesn’t change with her is the feeling that I can pick up where I left. We used to be tight and by that I mean we would spend after-hours on Friday together. What was common was the desire to leave home. I couldn’t wait to leave Penang. I had entertained thoughts of leaving since the start of secondary school and it was like finding a partner in crime. Up till the day she packed her bags for Singapore and left.

It was like part of the partnership died then. The part that said partner. She went on and got immersed in college life almost immediately. I was still stuck in the same high school, having the feeling that I never moved on. Her pace of life began picking up and she ran far ahead of me. She wrote long letters on how her life was like there, including her work and her college. I couldn’t relate. It was a life that was totally alien to me.

I sat for my university entrance exams and went through. By the time I started enjoying college life, she was already working. The gap was already there and it was widening. I felt that calling her my best friend was slightly hypocritical. We lived miles away from each other, we only meet once a year, if at all, and we chat with each other only about once a month. I might be describing my period and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. My life was taking dimensions on I didn’t even knew were possible. It was impossible for her to know my every thought, every emotion, every experience. In many ways I had began to think of her as a pen-friend.

By the time I graduated, I was so sure that the friendship was dead. It was sad that we no longer relate to each other and the worst thing is, I’m the type of person that moves on in life and generally disappear from my networks almost immediately. She, however, lacks my energy. She moves on in life but generally clings on to her friends, which in a way is the opposite of what I do.

In a way it is good, it preserves the friendship but I secretly wonder if this hampers flexibility in life choices. It’s like every single time I wanna go out and play with my new friends my old ones come along and I am under obligation to play with them. I wonder when will this end? Maybe it doesn’t… maybe it just makes you more set in your ways as you grow older and maybe, just maybe, it makes you unable to bond with more friends as you grow older…

Whatever my take, I know that it’s time to decide and we all know choices aren’t easy. To renew the friendship is gonna take all that I’ve got and the battle for relevance with an estranged friend is an uphill battle… but at the end of the day, it boils to whether or not she’s worth it. And that is another debate altogether.

This year has only 11 months to go. The sobering fact woke me up this morning as I tried to go back to bed but knew that in my mind I had to wake up. I chose to post this only after what the rest of the world is doing not because I'm slow (or that my understanding of slowness has become more like God's - where a thousand years is like a day and a day like a thousand years) but because I have begun to take stock of the things that really would require my attention.

I just got confirmed in my company today. Although the scores that I got were okay, I wasn't actually happy with myself. The thing is, I feel that I really could work better and so more things in the time that I was given. Granted, there have been roadblocks and setbacks along the way but I still feel that there is much more to be done. I wanted a stellar job review to put into place two different things:

1. To be able to afford my own transport: I've always wanted to drive around town. The only thing stopping me from actually doing that is the fact that I haven't driven in years!! Okay, that's an exageration, maybe months, but everytime I get behind the wheel of a car, I will tense up and I can't shake the feeling of being involved in an accident. It's a horrible mental block to have and I really pray that I will be able to get over it soon. I guess this is where faith comes in for me...

The other thing is, I really can't afford my own car. I would just pray that God would give me a break and help me gather enough just to get a car but honestly, I am soooo afraid of the amount I have to pay for the downpayment. From my point of view, I feel that it's not a sound investment to fork out lesser for the downpayment and so much for the car installments over a period of time. It ties up my cash over time. So, there is only one way, if my boss recommends me for a pay raise lor... Unless anyone else can help me think of other ways?

2. To know for sure that I am a worthy Editor: Many people who come across what I do always give me the once over and then proceed to ask, "So, which magazine are you from again?" Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against magazines, in fact, I used to freelance for them. But The Fact of the matter is, it gets me a bit downcast to hear that I am not considered good enough from my outward appearance to edit books.

I know that I am the youngest Editor in my publishing house, in fact, I was also the youngest Asst. Editor in my previous publishing house, but the thing is, I really prefer editing books to editing magazines. And I also feel that just because I am young, I shouldn't be penalised according to age but according to abilities and character. With editing, it's the inside that matters, not the outside.

I chose book editing to other mediums in part due to the fact that I love my brains, they are a part of me that I bring with myself into all my relationships, whether I am a student, debater, daughter, friend or editor. In book editing, I get to bring out the best part of me to my work. And work becomes play and passion combined in one.

The other part of it is due to the fact that book editing has a longer shelf life and therefore, a longer production time. I like it that I do not have to feel as though I am pressured to have an output of 12 titles a year just for the sake of having those titles. But that I would actually be part of a team that puts up an artistic piece of ideas that would stand the test of time. Every manuscript that comes my way has that potential.

And this is just the career part of me that is showing signs of renewal. I continue to take stock of the other things in my life that I shall share maybe in my future blogpost

Hahaha! Some people know this and some people don't and I'm kinda not telling yet. There are already people hinting that someone's in the zone but I'm really not sure if that person really is. I took this fun quiz to see if it was really true, but I guess the outcome is still very much in his hands...It would be an interesting Christmas though and I'd just like to see how far he's gonna take it. What was that? Am I in the zone? Yea... Sorta... Hehehe! But *shh**wink* I'm not telling yet till it's more settled... So, is he into me? Well...

He Is So Into You!

Come on, why was there any question in your mind? If he hasn't asked you out yet, he will! All signs point to strong flirtation - And that's always a good thing.

My heart is heavy within me, even as I type this blog post. For the past one week or so, my thoughts and actions have been saturated with only one subject, the thought of unfaithfulness. I have heard since I was a child that being faithful is one of God’s attributes, it is a fruit of the spirit and faithfulness is always rewarded by God, being faithful it seems, is the best way to experience relationships that heal and bring wholeness, not ones that tear asunder every single thing you hold dear.
With the definition of faithful as being dedicated and devoted to a party or a person and doing everything that you can to be firm in your decision and support, I think that I have failed miserably in many areas. Likewise, I have just come across many people just like me, people who have failed miserably in their thoughts, words and deeds to be faithful.

In my line of work, I recently met an adulteress. Like anyone else, she has a normal life, work, kids and her husband fills her day. Unlike other wives though, her current husband is not the husband of her youth. It is the man she was caught committing adultery with. My mind turns instantly to the woman at the well in John 4 and I hear Jesus say to her: How right you are, the man you now have is not your husband, you have had five husbands. He does not tolerate sin and daringly points it out.

Yet, in the same book, I have read how I am to treat this person. Jesus says to an adulteress caught in the act (very much like this person): Woman, where are thy accusers? If they do not stand to condemn thee, neither do I. Go in peace and sin no more. If He could cast the first stone because of His blamelessness, who am I to judge this woman whom I work with? Am I not as bad as the Pharisees of Jesus’ day?

He knows what sin is and what it does to us and our dearest, yet He chooses to forgive instead of condemn. How am I to do what He does? To go where he went? Into the deepest parts of a person’s heart and hear the desperation within? Adultery then and adultery now has not changed in its essence. It is a disease of the heart and a desperate cry to be loved and accepted by another and for validation of person-hood.

Adultery is clearly a sin when it involves the contract of marriage. But what about when it doesn’t involve marriage and the couple is just in the dating phase? What if one of them is no longer able to fight the flames of passion and desire with another person of the opposite sex? And what if that person he wanted was not the one he had promised to be devoted to i.e. his girlfriend? Does that constitute adultery? Is that defined as being unfaithful?

One of my recent Top 40’s hits addresses this issue straight on. I love that song, Lips Of An Angel, especially the chorus, simply because it sounds like what someone I know would say to me about himself. The chorus goes like this:

Well, my girl's in the next room
Sometimes I wish she was you
I guess we never really moved on
It's really good to hear your voice saying my name
It sounds so sweet
Coming from the lips of an angel
Hearing those words it makes me weak

And I never wanna say goodbye
But girl you make it hard to be faithful
With the lips of an angel

The lips of an angel did more than just say his name, kiss him and tell him about the condition of her heart. The man was well-known for, among all things, being righteous in thoughts, words and deeds, carrying a standard of faith that was unrivalled. Yet, he found it impossible to be faithful to the one he pledged his heart to initially, his girlfriend in another place.

He calls his angel every single night, telling her that she is his dear, his partner and his friend. She tells him that he’s amazing, her safe place and her partner too. The thing is, while she was totally innocent for liking him, he wasn’t.

When word seeped was out that he was already a committed man, she couldn’t stop her heart from breaking. And while she stood, picking up the shards that were her heart, she questioned me about the heartbreak. How could she love a man so much that knew he was stringing her all along? And why did she miss the signs that were obvious to all who knew about his other relationship?

Well, what else could I say? He’s not a married man? That normal rules don’t apply to him? That emotional betrayal does not equate marital adultery? What? What would you say?

I turned to the only place I knew had the solution for her pain. And I found it written in Ezekiel 18.24 that questions if a righteous man who turns from his righteousness, commits sin and does detestable things in God’s sight, will he live? The answer is a shocker. It says that NONE of the righteous things he has done will be remembered and because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and the sins he committed, he will die.

That is how serious unfaithfulness is. Guilty of death. Now we know why both parties caught in adultery would be stoned to death in Jesus’ day. Notice how both of them had acknowledged each other as their partner. Now, in my limited Law lingo, this is called a verbal contract. In the old days, when marriage was not registered, a verbal contract was sufficient to be considered as good as a written marriage contract. Granted, with sufficient time (i.e. 10 years for Malaysia) if the couple had lived together, the wife would be called a common law wife and be afforded all the rights and privileges of a legal wife.
How does this relate?


I pressed deeper into God’s word and found that the other word used for a spouse is also a partner. In a deeper study that I had, it mentions in Malachi 2:14-16, the LORD acts as a witness between a husband and the wife of his youth and when faith is broken, though she is his partner in the marriage covenant, divorce happens. It goes on to say that the LORD has made them one through marriage and how He seeks godly offspring and instructs men not to break faith with the wife of their youth because God hates divorce.

In many ways, they had become one, though not bonded by marriage. And when the break-up (or divorce) happens, it was seen as more than just breaking her heart. It was seen as breaking her faith, tearing away a part of her soul and most of all, according to Malachi 2:16, an act of violence. What can I say? She stands there with her broken heart in her hand while he goes out unrepentant. Shall I then call him to repentance? What can I do to love her back to health? What should I do now? What do these lips of an angel need now?


"Lips Of An Angel"

Honey why you calling me so late?
It's kinda hard to talk right now.
Honey why are you crying? Is everything okay?
I gotta whisper 'cause I can't be too loud

Well, my girl's in the next room
Sometimes I wish she was you
I guess we never really moved on
It's really good to hear your voice saying my name
It sounds so sweet
Coming from the lips of an angel
Hearing those words it makes me weak

And I never wanna say goodbye
But girl you make it hard to be faithful
With the lips of an angel

It's funny that you're calling me tonight
And, yes, I've dreamt of you too
And does he know you're talking to me
Will it start a fight
No I don't think she has a clue

Well my girl's in the next room
Sometimes I wish she was you
I guess we never really moved on
It's really good to hear your voice saying my name
It sounds so sweet
Coming from the lips of an angel
Hearing those words it makes me weak

And I never wanna say goodbye
But girl you make it hard to be faithful
With the lips of an angel

It's really good to hear your voice saying my name
It sounds so sweet
Coming from the lips of an angel
Hearing those words it makes me weak

And I never wanna say goodbye
But girl you make it hard to be faithful
With the lips of an angel

And I never wanna say goodbye
But girl you make it hard to be faithful
With the lips of an angel

Honey why you calling me so late?

HINDER

Yes, I'm talking about the Bryan Adams song. The one featured in the Don Juan De Marco soundtrack. I find it frustrating that Multiply just doesn't allow us to pin up lyrics in the music section. Oh well, whatever the matter may be, I will have to make do with my blog then.

I find the lyrics of this song really, really, really... well, real. My colleague informed of the Spanish version of the song as well and that one was so super sexy. En Espanol, el titulo este cancion es Mujer Que Amas. In every way, it's a love song that has hit masses with it's lyrics as well as it's tune. How I wish that there were more songs that were written that way.

One of my friend's dad told her that this song captures the essence of a mature love. The kind that sort of crosses from the teenage high school sweetheart crush to the When Harry met Sally kinda love. Makes me wonder about it too...

Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman

To really love a woman,
To understand her,
You’ve got to know what's deep inside,
Hear every thought, See every dream,
and give her wings when she wants to fly,
and when you find yourself lying helpless in her arms,
You know you really love a woman

Chorus:
When you love a woman,
You tell her that she’s really woman,
When you love a woman,
You tell her that she’s the one,
She needs somebody,
To tell her that it’s gonna last forever,
So tell me have you ever really, really, really ever loved a woman?

To really love a woman,
To let her hold you,
Till you know how she needs to be touched,
You’ve gotta breath her,
And really taste her,
Until you can feel her in your blood,
And when you can see your unborn children in her eyes,
You know you really love a woman

Chorus

You’ve got to give her some faith,
Hold her tight,
A little tenderness,
You’ve gotta treat her right,
She will be there for you,
Taking good care of you,
(you’ve really gotta love your woman) (yeah)
And when you find yourself lying helpless in her arms,
You know you really love a woman

Chorus

Just tell me have you ever really,
really, really, ever loved a woman?
Just tell me have you ever really,
really, really, ever loved a woman?

La Mujer Que Amas

Si sientes que tus ojos,
se iluminan al mirar su cara,
y el corazón tiembla de amor,
y te sacude los hilos del alma,
es la señal de su llegada,
es sin duda la mujer que amas.

*CORO*
Abre tus alas,
dile que ya la esperabas,
dale tus sueños,
no dejes que se vaya.
Dile que nadie,
te hara cambiar este amor por ella,
dile que el amor existe,
dile que lo conociste en ella,

Si sientes que le hablas,
con los ojos tan solo con tocarla,
en tu interior sientes el sol,
arden tus venas y tus ganas,
y hasta te sientes como un niño,
es sin duda la mujer que amas

*CORO*

Cuando se ama a una mujer,
logras entender el verdadero amor,
el verdadero amor,
amala por siempre asi,
ella te dira que es tuya.

Cuando en verdad tu amas a una mujer.

Y si te sientes como un niño
es sin duda a mujer que amas

*CORO*

Dile que el amor existe,
dile que lo descubriste en ella,
dile que el amor existe,
dile que lo descubriste en ella.

Welcome once again to another session of soul searching. If only Vonda Sheppard knew how much I adored her song, she wouldnever have bothered stopping what she did in Ally McBeal. That aside, it has been quite awhile since I had the chance to actually seek what I have been searching for or even bothered to listen to some of the murmurings of my heart. (That's where they usually stop, at the murmuring stage that is...)

A few thoughts occurred to me even as I read a friend of a friend's blog. She had entitled the post 'Taking Steps Toward Your Soul Mate' and those who are desperately interested in finding out how may do so by clicking here. Those who are not that desperate, well, may continue on with me.

Interesting to note is that so many of us who are still single find it such a challenge to be even considered an entity of social standing in this world. Some of us try our best to understand why we are what we are and then proceed to rectify what we think needs to go in order to not be a single anymore (that would make you a double?)...

Others desperately look around left, right and corner just to find someone else that will go along with them on this journey called life. Just so... you know... you won't be so alone anymore... (yeah...I suppose the other person thought the same too)

And then again, there are some who just give up and throw the in the towel regarding their social fate, resigning to the fact that once and for all they will be the one and only.(I suppose that makes you great somewhat, it was after all a title bestowed to kings and emperors circa...oh I don't know...200 B.C.?)

Of course this is a subject of grave concern, hence it has been researched, published and promoted to deathby any and every person who has ever written a book, a song, a poem/verse or a movie. But in the midst of all this strife (yes, I just used another big word once again, deal with it J, or go look it up in the dictionary...) I am really amazed that we never stop and ask ourselves why are we so stressed out about it in the first place?

I just read a book by William P Risk titled Dating and Waiting. It proposes how to find love in all the right places. On the outset, I felt that the book did tackle the majority of our problems: We, all of us, fear singlehood. Many are afraid for a variety of reasons. Some for fear of loneliness, others anxiety over future and sometimes some out of perceived responsibility. These lead to many results, some out of desperation begin making impossible promises to themselves and yet others come out with this laundry list of what they might expect their future spouses to be. (I know that I've been there before...Just for the record, I really like gentlemen. I can't stand a man who doesn't know how to hold the door open or draw out chairs for ladies)

I find that it has never, nor will it ever be, easy to be a single person in a world so full of couples (ie doubles). When my girlfriends announce that they're seeing someone, or announce their engagements, or weddings, they will usually tease me and ask me when it's my turn, and unfortunately, jokes aside, I would be wondering much the same too.

I guess what they say is true, women just don't know that they give other women such amazing amounts of pressure. Because beneath all the lace and champagne and lovely wedding vows, sometimes I wonder if and when will that knight of mine come? (Maybe some night, but not on Girls Night Out, Bowling Nights or Movie Nights please. I might miss you! )

After reading Risk's book however, it did check some of my graver concerns. I've always known one of King Solomon's sayings to be proven wise. It is said that God has made everything beautiful in His time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11). And I guess in many ways I'm reminded that many things are not in my control. In many ways giving up that part of me that wants to have control is just something that is just the hardest thing to do.

Another thing the book reminded me about was that singlehood is one of the best times in a person's life. They are free to go and do with their lives things that doubles aren't able to do. In many ways, it's liberating to know that I can go to so many other places and do so many things that do not necessitate me to tell/burden/inconvenience the other person.

Finally, that one read also reminded me to be patient in waiting. Sure, that's the toughest I've had to deal with yet. I just can't seem to wait patiently, in fact, I just don't like to wait at all, but then again so do a lot of other people. The trick of waiting patiently is not by waiting next to the phone, hoping that it will ring somehow, but by employing an active form of waiting, the type of waiting that employs all off you in a process of discovering and improving even more of yourself. That type of waiting will produce fruit, the former? Well, just another bundle of nerves I guess.

Not that I have attained it yet, but one thing I do, I press on towards the goal... Ah, yes, the eternal words of someone who went before me. At least I know that Paul, the apostle was a happy single and he used his life and his time to the max. It may not have gotten him a wife, but he got something else instead. It got him a life.

So I've come yet again, another full circle. Taking steps to find your soul mate may be helping both you and yours but taking time to BE the soul mate that someone would love to have... now, that's just heavenly.

It never fails to amuse me how many times this year the roof of my house has changed. In fact, it never fails to amuse me how many times this year my thoughts on my work has changed. If I’ve said it before then I’ll say it again, the only thing constant in life is change. That and death and taxes (of which one is decided by God, the other is decided by got). What can I say? I like to move it, move it!


I am actually writing this from the confines of my brand new place. Finally, I get to rest in my new room. I have had such an eventful day today and part of it was hearing that Kim would be getting her new car soon… That alone was quite a piece of news… It means that she has beat me to getting a car! Rats…She’s faster than me…

Well, the day dawned bright and early yet I was already panicking like mad cos I have not finished my grandiose plans of packing. I would say that this time, the packing and moving process was the most unplanned and haphazard in all my adult life.
I had a sinking feeling that I would not be done with packing particularly when I kept coming up with things to pack even after I had decimated half the population of 3 boxes which were previously unopened from my last house shifting exercise.

Then I found out that Jess had already helped me loads by asking around in church for free hands to help with the move. (Thanks so much gal!) I had determined the things I could leave behind as I would be coming back to this place for my PG’s slumber party on the eve of Merdeka.

Ah, there was the satisfaction in knowing that I could freely leave my things without them being thrown away. Also knowing that what I couldn’t take would be a blessing to D and the house.

So, the guys who actually made it were from the Blue Tribe (Thanks Ps Alex!) and some gals from my PG. We had some yummy breakfast near Jess’ family shop and then started with the shifting… Of course that meant helping me with the packing first. Then we discovered that one of the guys was Kim’s ex-classmate in SMI. Talk about weird, first I talked to Kim then I got to know Kim’s friend just within a space of 1 hour… Yes, yet again, the world is a very small place…
So after that, there was the circus that ensued with loading all the barang-barang into Jess’ van, getting the guys to come around to the new place and unloading the stuff and helping me set up my new place. I knew right from the start that I had to locate the place and with 3 cars driving at different speeds, there was bound to be miscommunication. So we waited for each other and Jess got lost looking for my place. But finally, when all of us arrived, we got treated to the warm smiles of my landlady, Aunt M’s mum.


She was so friendly even as she watched us shift one box at a time all of my things. When we had finished, she offered all of us water. But by then Kim’s friend had to run and the rest of us were rather hungry. So off we went for lunch at Summit.

Now, in the aftermath of moving, my room looks like a bomb just hit it. The good thing is I at least will have time after church tomorrow to clean it up. I hope.

To all my CF friends out there, nope, I’m not referring to Combined Christmas 2004’s theme. Yea, that’s right? Have you found it? Found what? Well, that’s the question almost everyone I know is asking me about my hunt for a room in the Subang area… And the thing is, I’ve asked nearly everyone I know including my faithful seniors, my work mates and my church friends to keep an eye out for me so that I could find the best room that met my requirements…

I know for sure that C, my senior has shown me a few possibilities in the Sunway area and for that I am most thankful. In fact, meeting up with him was a great experience in itself… Then there was another room in SS 15, my church mates’ house thanks to Z’s info. However, that room was already promised to another church mate and it didn’t feel right to deprive her of the room promised to her. Then there was help from my mum’s friends who also showed me rooms that were either not in budget or really inconvenient to get to work. Also, there was my Uni mate, A who tried her level best to bring me on a tour-de-force of the neighbourhoods in Subang Jaya. Not forgetting too the various rooms that I had searched for both online and via mass media. But in all these close encounters the rooms that I viewed just didn’t feel right or didn’t match my budget or sometimes there was such a strong feeling of discontent, I had to excuse myself from the viewing interview half way through.

I knew that I had to ask God for a room and I had been since I told my housemate that I’d be moving out but there seemed to be a famine of the right rooms. And the worst thing is, it wasn’t like I didn’t do my homework, it was just a mismatch of things that I wanted. Now I am close to desperation hunting for a room… It’s another 2 weeks before I have to move out and I don’t have a roof over my head.

Just this Monday, I went to Prayer Meet in church and asked my whole PG to stand with me in prayer once again, lifting up the same need. I was so tired of not having good news to share with the gals only that of a desperate woman caught in a desperate situation.

Many would have just hit the back of my head and ask me what is wrong with me when I had so much choice laid before me. I knew that if my mother were here, she would… Then again, the thing is I never felt at ease with all the choices given and I’ve learnt from experience never to live in a place in which you would feel uneasy about because if you do that then you might end up in a horrible place in which it would feel more like a prison than a sanctuary. Trust me, I’ve been there before…

With that said, I went to the Ladies right after Prayer and told my junior about the tough time I was having in finding a room. To my utmost surprise, she exclaimed that she had been looking for rooms all across Subang too and told me of a room in USJ 2 that belonged to one of my church aunties. The location was an answered prayer already, it was near enough to church to walk and I found out near enough to the company transport to walk to as well…

So the date that I had set to meet Aunty M was on Wednesday night, right after work. I took one look at the room and felt that it was really where I would want to stay. The room used to belong to Aunty M and although it was a small room at the back and all you could see when you opened the window was the back lane, it was fully furnished, with a clean coat of light purple paint, air-conditioned and with both ceiling fan and light. The bathroom that I could use was a shared bathroom and I could also use the washing machine about twice a week. The amazing thing was, all these actually met my budget of below RM 300 per month for the room. Aunty M told me that the full rent plus electricity and water would come up to only about RM 270.

So amazed was I that I wanted to say yes immediately! However, I told her that I would come back to her in a week as I had appointments to look at other places around Subang as well. In that period of one week, I really prayed hard as if to ask God if that was the room for me. Interestingly, the other rooms that I viewed had the same impressions that I had of other rooms previously and it became clearer that Aunty M’s room was clearly the best of the lot.

So I went back to her in a week and confirmed the date of me moving in. Have I found it? Yes, I have! Finally!

There are only two thoughts going through my mind right now even as I write this. The first is how could I leave this gorgeous room behind and the second is, Gal if you don’t leave this room behind, you’re not gonna have much time on your hands to enjoy life.

So with a sigh, I pick up yet another shirt from off the bottom of my wardrobe and stuff it unfeelingly into the cardboard box that I got from D, my housemate and landlady. I know I should really pack properly but I’ve reached a stage where I don’t really wanna pack no more. I’ve been discussing things over with D as to when would be my final day in my bachelorette pad and it was decided that anytime before the nation celebrated it’s birthday would be excellent.

The thing is, ever since I began my new job, I’m so, so, so tired at the end of everyday due to the extra early morning and extra late nights that I have to endure just to get to my new place of work. I’ve actually considered my traveling time to be around 3 hours per day to and fro. That means my sleeping and partying time is cut short during the weekdays… For those who have just entered my mad world, I have just changed jobs, which of course includes shifting bases as well, from KL to Subang Jaya. The main problem is I have yet to hunt down another place to stay after I move out from this place. This is involving a lot of pain and heartache on my part simply because of the insecurity bred by the situation. That and the fact that I am actually nervous as to my capabilities of researching for the suitable place.

Compounding the problem is of course the fact that I really love this place. I mean like so totally dig it! The main reasons are of course due to the amount of freedom I actually enjoy in such a place in the first place. Those who have a chance to stay with me in this place would also agree that it is an amazing place! I mean we’re talking about a fully equipped family house minus the presence of parents. It feels like heaven! You’re free to go in and out as you please, yet have the freedom to do your own laundry, cooking and watch TV. Then there is the ultra-amazing security system and pool, the nearness to two LRT Stations and Two bus stops, food courts and hawker stalls opposite the road, Jusco and Carrefour within 5 minutes walk… It can’t get any better than this!

However, I know that I’ve gotta leave and it sucks! The only thing that I can do now is continue looking for places in either SS 15, SS 17 or USJ 2. Which means that it is either near to the KTM Station or near to church… Hmm… the many things that plague the mind of someone mad about heself… Well, I better not slack off then… *reaches for red marker and the classifieds*

I just came back from meeting with the Dean of USM’s School of Arts. Charming old man with grand plans… I think I just got more polished at talking to the older generation today. That, and the fact that my holidays have just become an extension of my work despite me having left my company. Sometimes when I think about it, it really doesn’t make sense. If I do not work for them anymore, why should I continue doing things for them? Then comes the issue of good will and how it will continue to raise my profile in my own industry. *Sigh* the complicated games that adults play…

I’m just glad that I’m back in Penang just because I haven’t been back for ages! One thing is, I know that I’ve been hoarding my holidays but because I am leaving earlier, my holidays were then on a pro-rated basis and I now find myself being compensated for the remainder of my holidays… Still a great thing for me, because now I have some extra pocket money!

The one thing that I really wanted to do besides catch up with my family was to celebrate my juniors and friends who were graduating. Although I had planned to come back for their graduation, I just don’t think I can make it with the change in jobs. So that leaves me with 2 weeks to catch up and go places with them. When I reflect on the times that I used to have with them, I just miss those moments.

Relocating from a place where you grew up and studied and graduated seems harsh and many times I’ve been stopped by people who ask me “Why did you move?” Sometimes I would say for career reasons and other times I would say that I just can’t stand living in Penang anymore but now when I really reflect on it, I know that it isn’t just me. It must’ve been another reason that God would place me here.

This post marks the 4th year of me trusting God to move me where He wants to. Exactly 4 years ago, He had me placed in a course I never wanted to do, in a University I never wanted to be in and in a place I was dying to leave. My hometown, Penang. At that point in time, I really wanted to say “I’m leaving and I’m not coming back” but as many of my varsity friends know, that was not the case. (Instead they had to endure the company of a crazy, funky, passionate woman who wishes she wasn’t there half the time… talk about confusion!) Guess it was hard for me to trust God then, especially when He displays His excellent sense of humor. Whenever I told Him of something I didn’t want, He would give me exactly that for purposes that are best known to Him alone.

I distinctly remember telling Him “Please God, after this no more Chemistry!” right after sitting for my STPM Chemistry paper. I knew that it was my Achilles’ heel… I mean Bio I could do well, Physics was more practice makes perfect, but Chemistry…Well lets just say I just didn’t have chemistry with it. Then in varsity, I went on to take Chemistry as my minor… Who’s my Daddy again? The funny thing was, whenever I felt like I was gonna fail or I was so totally dead after I discovered a serious mistake in my exam answers, He never once let me fail my Chemistry papers. (Refer got la, but fail never) That’s when I knew that it wasn’t just what I said or thought about myself that mattered. It was what my He said and what He thought that mattered even more.

So, logically, if He has proven that He is trustworthy with your life, you learn to trust His decisions for you, (yes, I’m a creature of habit too) especially the larger decisions of life. Ever since my varsity days, I’ve learnt that the God that I trust never bothers sending me where He doesn’t want me to go. As for me, the vain pot that I am, I prefer to go where I am celebrated not just tolerated. Also because He knows the plans for me in His heart, I choose to trust Him.

Well, I have come again to that place where I really need to trust Him. For my life, for my career, for a roof above my head, for my family & friends, for my hopes & dreams and for my place in this world. When I see the list of the things that I need to trust Him with, it makes me glad to see how little I really have to worry about. So I’m having a holiday! Pick up your beach towel and come and join me in the Sonshine.

The constant buzz in my office on my impending final day is one that I have been counting down too as well. My first job after university was in so many words my dream job. Even now, as I tidy up my desk and tie up the many loose ends that I have to tie, I can still remember my first day and my first week here. Now, I have my replacement to train, I can only hope that she has a better time in the office than me.
I knew right from the start that I would have to able to hold my own in my current job as my supervisor, who so happens to be the Deputy Publishing Manager, wasn’t even in to show me the ropes upon my arrival. I’m thankful however that I had a Senior Editor to look up to as a mentor and as a friend, even though he left one month after I arrived.
Competency & staying power in my job was something that had to stand the test of time as so many Editors who have come before me have gone before me too. I noticed a particular pattern of my own when I start a new job and I could only learn this if I had been given this job in the first place.
Overall, I’m really glad for the many lessons that I have learnt on-site, particularly in editing spreads and using QuarkXpress on a Mac. Previously, I wouldn’t even have an inkling of an idea on how to operate a Mac let alone how to use QuarkXpress. Besides that, I learnt how to be tighter in editing, how to watch out for discrepancies in the text and basically mind my English. Another interesting thing I learned was to edit layouts as well, which basically means controlling the way the text will appear after the images have been added.
There were also certain abilities of mine that I had that made this job a natural fit for myself too. I like it that I didn’t have to work so hard on my PR skills to obtain pictures, images and information from the different corporations, unlike my supervisor. I’m thankful that I have the ability to research well in order to get the best bits of or nation’s history to include in the publication that I’m working on. Also, I like it that I have been able to use my photography skills to meet the picture deadlines.

However, from this job also, I have managed to see the underside of any workplace and learned from the many mistakes that I have made in order not to repeat them in my new workplace. I’ve learnt how not to take constructive feedback too personally because it can paralyze your work progress, not to indulge in office politics because it can ruin a lot of inter-personal working relationships and it’s important to be the best person you can be because you never know who you might have to meet again. Diversity in the workplace took me some time to get over. I realized that just because people have different work ethics than you, it doesn’t make them or you wrong or right.
Even as I look back now, I realize that I have to move on for career advancement’s sake. Maybe it’s also true that I’m good and ready for more, a job that would most likely occupy more of my time and my talent and have more rewards as well.
Well, whatever it is, I never thought that I would have to finish writing this chapter in my life so soon as my initial projection of 2 years was cut down to 11 months. I formally resigned on the 16th of June, corresponding to my 10th month in the company. With a month’s notice, I have been able to say my goodbyes and move on to better things.

My new company has offered to wait for another 2 weeks before I begin with them. Which means that I will start with them on the 1st of August. Exactly a year from when I began working in the publishing industry.

The more I reflect on this change, the more it seems that God is really providing for me, even in ways that I never thought were possible before. Here I stand, with my dreams and hopes leaping within me…and in the boxes of my stuff… I am ready now, to run, to fly, to soar!

I'm on the road to true love. Get out of the way!

Before I even attempt a proper post, let me just say this: It pays to support underdog teams right from the start. I've been supporting Portugal since my church’s World Cup Live Party and look where they are at now? Hahahahaha!
That’s why la, support Brazil some more! Sometimes I wonder if the Brazil supporters were supporting Brazil based on either track record, crowd/peer pressure or the ethos of the Brazilian team to samba all the way to the Finals… Oh, plus their jersey’s colors are pretty striking too (that one was culled from a hapless girl...)!
Whoever predicted a Brazil-Germany Finals must have been crying all the way to the bank this morning (yes Dad, I mean you!). Finally, I bettered my Dad’s prediction! Hahaha!
Moving on however, World Cup Season is coming to a close this weekend and even if there has been a lackluster interest in this event in the Quarter-Finals, at least there is more pathos in the Semis to start the ball rolling toward Fever Pitch. Overall, I was thoroughly bored with this year’s installation of World Cup. The first inkling that it would be a boring event was during the England-Paraguay Quarters when the only goal scored was an own goal… After that I must admit that I preferred my bed to the telly, depending on my Maxis match alerts to keep me updated.
The other thing was, nobody in my office, save the designer guys and my English boss, were remotely interested in following the developments taking place in the World Cup Quarters. (After both Brazil & England were eliminated, there has been a deathly silence in the office… Grim innit?) Like one of my colleagues were saying in reply to my question of which team she was supporting, (she is one brilliant woman, aight!) “Ask me again during the Semis la… At least by then can tell which team on form ma!”
After the Germany-Argentina game however, I began taking more interest in the proceedings. One reason was of course I was hoping for Argentina to beat Germany so that we could have a quality Finals, the other was of course now I owe on of my artists a drink la…
As for the Portugal-England match, it was a crucial decider match for me as though I’m quite interested in the EPL the only jersey I own is a Portugal jersey… So I had to decide la… Good thing I supported Portugal, cos I just knew that England was gonna koyak if there was an overtime penalty shootout.
The game that caught most of my church mates by surprise however was the Brazil-France game. I guess after Brazil lost, many of the people just didn’t have the mood to watch anymore. All I could say to these people is, there is still hope… Germany might crash out too…
This morning, when Germany crashed out, I was rejoicing all the way to the office! Yes!! The reason that I find this amusing is, I feel that all the matches in the World Cup at the Semis are somehow staged/fixed. And Germany as the host (of all nations!) should have taken preventive measures against the bookies. Oh wait, they ARE the bookies! Serves them right! Hahah! Furthermore, if Argentina had advanced against Germany, we would have a better match to watch. Plus, don’t forget the trouble brewing for the Germany camp during the supporter fracas… All in all, up to this stage, I’m a real happy woman!
Let’s see if this would change when Portugal meets France tonight. *zzzzz*

People who know me say that I’m blooming (not blooming mad I hope…) and always wonder why I have this current penchant for pink and white blooms everywhere I go. (Hint: Couldn’t resist the blooms at church…) Well, just last weekend, the church that I have been attending held a conference for women and never have I seen such a happening yet hard/heart-hitting conference held before for women my age.

Although I am somewhat familiar with women’s work in various capacities in my home church, the women that attend are frequently women of my mother’s generation and I always have this niggling doubt that it catered more for my mum than myself. The thoughts that always run through my head whenever I hear of any sort of ladies meet or women’s outing was ‘Wow! This is exactly what my mum would love…’

Somehow, there was this failure to relate these to myself and I don’t know if it was because I was the only one who didn’t get it or because I always felt as though somehow there was a barrier that prevented me from learning these things about what women were supposed to be and reconcile it to the woman that I am. As a result, I hung back or shrank from any contact that these ladies tried to institute me into simply because I felt that there was nothing I could offer or the issues discussed were just not very relevant to me. (God forgive me, I know they tried their best!) The worst part was, I felt a sense of alienation every single time I went that I just stopped going after awhile.

It wasn’t till I attended this conference that I felt I could develop the whole of me to be relevant again, to dream again, to hope again and most of all, free to be myself again, not worrying about what others would say or think all the time. It’s as though I finally could connect the issues that I face as a young female adult with the person that I’m supposed to be. It was such a refreshing change of pace because the focus of the conference wasn’t just for learning skills or feminist empowerment but rather on the person-hood of a woman. It covered different areas such as identity & personality, fashion sense or work (for some) and relationships with both God and man.

It made me realize how far I had come in terms of my relationships as well as being a person and also at the same time how much I still had yet to go. In my previous blog post, God’s Letter to Women, it was really a timely start to ponder the issues that I face as a woman. It’s so different from being a girl, so different from being a teenager and definitely so different from being one of my mother’s generation. It’s got so much more to do with blooming where you are planted (God doesn’t simply plant you where you are not meant to be), with being ok with the flower you are (some of us want to be roses when we are better at being gerberas or orchids) but also about reaching out for sunshine which you need to thrive (How else shall a man live except that he remain in me and I in him?).

Blooming yet? You bet!

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An interesting letter actually... Maybe that's why sometimes when guys call their girlfriends 'Girl' and then start to act like their dads, they are ready to move on? =)

Well, to the guys, do remember to treat the ladies right and to the gals, remember to treat the guys like you would love to be treated as well... =)

God's Letter to Women
When I created the heavens and the earth, I spoke them into being
When I created man, I formed him and breath life into his nostrils.
But you woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man
because your nostrils are too delicate.
I allowed a deep sleep to to come over him
so I could patiently and perfectly fashion you.
Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the creativity.
From one bone, I fashioned you
I chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs and supports him,
as you are meant to do.
Around this one bone I shaped you, I modeled you
I created you perfectly and beautifully.
Your characteristics are as the rib, strong yet delicate and fragile.
You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart
His heart is the centre of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life.
The ribcage will allow itsellf to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart.
Support man as the ribcage supports the body.
You were not taken from his feet, to be under him,
nor were you taken for his head, to be above him.
You were taken from his side, to stand by him and to be held close to his side.
You are my perfect angel...you are my beautiful little girl.
You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence,
and My eyes fill when I see the virtues in your heart.
Your eyes... don't change them .
Your lips, how lovely when they part in prayer.
Your nose, so perfect in form.
Your hands so gentle to touch.
I've carresed your face in your deepest sleep.
I've held your heart close to mine.
Of all that lives and breaths, you are most like me.
Adam walked with Me in the cool of the day, yet he was lonely.
He could not see Me or touch Me. He could only feel Me.
So everything I wanted Adam to share and experience with me, I fashioned in you;
My holiness, My strength, My purity, My love, My protection and support.
You are special because you are an extension of me.
Man represent my image, woman my emotions.
Together, you represent the totality of God.
So man...treat woman well.
Love her, respect her, for she is fragile.
In hurting her, you hurt Me.
What you do to her, you do to Me.
In crushing her, you only damage your own heart;
the heart of your Father and the heart of her Father.
Woman, support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion I have given you.
In gentle quiteness, show your strength.
In love, show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self.
Did you not know that women are special in God's eyes?