Higher

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,


Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,


So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

After the Rain~

Caprices

Picked up my violin and not even halfway through Rodes' Caprice No. 2 when the sky starts crying. 
I'd like to say my beautiful playing moved the sky to tears but alas...'beautiful' does not quite capture the intricately out-of-time and out-of-tune style of performance I find myself exhibiting. 
Nor does 'beautiful' quite capture my idiosyncratic command of English. hehehe :0

Funny. The rain stopped just as I did.

Word of the Day: Caprices

~sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behaviour.

Well, better get back to practising! :D

The Lord is Faithful

"The Lord is your keeper;


The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,


Nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;


He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in


From this time forth, and even forevermore."

Psalm 121:5-8

"But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one." 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Praise God for His protection. Thank You Lord.

Tune my Heart

Come, thou Fount of every blessing, 
Tune my heart to sing thy grace; 
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, 
Call for songs of loudest praise. 
Teach me some melodious sonnet, 
Sung by flaming tongues above. 
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, 
Mount of thy redeeming love. 

Here I raise mine Ebenezer; 
Hither by thy help I'm come; 
And I hope, by thy good pleasure, 
Safely to arrive at home. 
Jesus sought me when a stranger, 
Wandering from the fold of God; 
He, to rescue me from danger, 
Interposed his precious blood. 

O to grace how great a debtor 
Daily I'm constrained to be! 
Let thy goodness, like a fetter, 
Bind my wandering heart to thee. 
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 
Prone to leave the God I love; 
Here's my heart, O take and seal it, 
Seal it for thy courts above. 

~Robert Robinson 1757

One of my favourites! So beautifully expressed :)

Painting and Poetry

Praising God for the holidays! So blessed by God's goodness and mercy, so wrapped in His unrelenting grace. :)

Psalm 23 on my mind ~ 

"The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

2 

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake…"

Enjoyed a hearty blend of relaxation and celebration lately! Blue car cakes, delicious half-cooked eggs, train ride poetry, Disney colouring pages, outdoor flute and violin duets, a chat about the relationship between dactyls and wedding invitations…...these are just a few of the many things that come to mind. :)

Japanese food and film with a dear friend and sister-in-Christ

Shared palette and paints to create a masterpiece with my 姐姐 today! Twas awesome fun, ho ho ho! :D

Tada! Pretty colours :)

Also, I've made an unusual habit of spending a solid twenty minutes peeling off the dried acrylic with my fingernails. It's strangely satisfying!

Look at that palette ~ practically brand-new! ;)

Last but certainly not least (not that I was counting or anything haha) I've reinvigorated my love for writing poems. It would be nice to have a solid anthology of verse by, say, March next year? (Hahaha just kidding!... Or am I??) 

One poem ends as follows: …yet how much more glorious to be wrapped in Your Grace? 

I like how I'm able to substitute the preceding lines with anything really. All the glories of this passing world pale in comparison - no, shrivel and vanish into oblivion in comparison to the glory of God the Father displayed at the cross of Christ. God's perfect grace…given to us.

Paul writes in Philippians 3:7-8: "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ." Amen!

Forever & Ever!

Home

Nothing like a glass of soy milk, some homemade Anzac cookies and a little Up "Married Life" playing in the background. I quite like this moment. :)

Deliquescent

I discovered a brilliant word this morning.
deliquesce (intr. v) 
a. To melt away
b. To disappear as if by melting

Then I discovered this quote from inasentence.org:
We are fleeting shadows; we deliquesce like ice; and there is only time, in the narrow span of hours between birth and death, to stand, to walk — to fly.

I quite like that random quote. I like the imagery and contrast and the use of semi-colons, but most of all I appreciate the embedded truth: we are indeed fleeting shadows. After all, what does the Bible say?

"All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:7-8

"Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'" James 4:14

"When, with rebukes, You correct man for iniquity,
You make his beauty melt away like a moth;
Surely every man is vapour. Selah." Psalm 39:11

"We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away." Isaiah 64:6 (My sister told me about this verse! She is ~and I quote~ esurient for new vocabulary! Aye, me too ;)

"deliquesce" ~ A striking word indeed! (quoting my sister once again)

Yours Sincerely

So excited to do some more letter writing in the next two weeks! It is such a joyful activity!! :) Trying squeeze in a bit of writing here and there in between essays. 

Until the Dawning of that Day

2 Peter 1:16-21

The Trustworthy Prophetic Word

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,

21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Spent time reflecting on this passage today. We do not follow cunningly devised fables. Jesus Christ is Lord and the ultimate fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies.
This is the Word of God.

Love this worship song called 'Thanksgiving'. Playing it now on guitar (softly! everyone's asleep!). 

Verse 3 below:

Thank you Lord for giving us hope and grace


And thank you Lord that we shall see your face


And so we know


That your promises are sure


So help us see things your way


Until the dawning of that day.

And yes we know


That your promises are sure


So help us see things your way


Until the dawning of that day.

Thanksgiving ~ © 1988 Rob Smith

Drawing cars and changing nappies

We've all seen Cars over a dozen times in the last two weeks! Love my little bro!

"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for such is the kingdom of God." Mark 10:14b

Fiery Storm

Storm + sunset.
Perhaps even cooler than the red moon? Thanks, bro!

My sky tonight. 

The Discipline of Contentment

So blessed and thankful for the way God has been speaking into my life and the lives of my sisters in Christ through the work of various Christian authors. Yesterday we read about cultivating contentment in Christ (Barbara Hughes Disciplines of a Godly Woman) and it really, truly spoke to our hearts! WOW.
We got to discuss some of the ways we can build Christ-centred contentment ~ through prayer, trusting God's will, rejoicing in Christ always, recognising our unique value in Christ and how we can use our gifts to serve, having confidence to approach God through the blood of Christ, and letting God change our priorities to be more gospel-focused.

Afterwards, it was a beautiful blessing to go to a prayer meeting with such an unexpectedly massive attendance! :))))

This song has been playing in my head all morning. It's one from my childhood. ;)

We have the words of eternal life
We have been made to live again
We have the words of eternal life
How could we ever keep them in?
So won't you – go tell the world that Jesus is Lord
And that He died for all our sin
And that He's promised to come back again
So we might live forever with Him!

"Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!" Psalm 144:15b

So very thankful!

Letting God write your story...pt 2

So. Completely. Mindblown. Just came across this paragraph in Cindi McMenamin's When God Sees Your Tears: 

"As women, it's easy for us to get lost in the drama of us and miss the real, life-changing story—the story God is weaving in our lives about Himself and what He can do when we give our tears to Him. Through the pages of this book I want to encourage you to trust Him with your story…a story that is perhaps in the conflict stage or at the crisis point. Yet God is working toward a concluding chapter that I am convinced will astonish you, even though at this point it may seem to you as if it's hardly possible. I'm convinced that when we give our stories to God from beginning to end, tears and all, He takes our longing—and our losses—and turns them into a legacy." ~Cindi McMenamin

I just bought the book this afternoon ~ God knew this what exactly what I needed to hear! Been learning so much and praying so much about totally trusting God and letting Him write my story over the last month. Just…wow. All glory to God!

"O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off…Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it." Psalm 139:1, 2, 6

Love You, Jesus!

A Page of Petals and Thunder

This is a a week-old photo. Every time I look at it I recall tattered paperback books, soft laughter, pink petals, white light and a freak storm through stained-glass. Pleasant memories.

In the Heights

This is actually the top of a waterfall!!

Up in the canopy ~ a rainforest lookout!

I've never really been the hiker but I went to great heights to take these shots ;)

Love seeing God's creation from above! So incredible. (Just don't fall!!)

Coral Skies

Yes!! So happy to paint again! Just finished up a small canvas this morning.
Hope to give this one away as a wedding gift :)

Do I follow a certain procedure whenever I paint? Hmm…let me think…

First I gesso the canvas (one horizontal layer and one vertical layer)

After the gesso dries, I do a rough sketch in pencil.

Then I begin blocking in the main sections with diluted acrylics. You can also use watercolour or diluted ink for blocking.

For landscape painting: I start layering on the background colours, then I gradually move to elements of the foreground. This usually means beginning work on the sky.

I mostly work from dark shades to light. But I'm always back returning to accentuate darker shadows, to highlight here and there.

The awesome thing about acrylics is you can just paint over and over the same spot until you're happy.

And then I just wing it hahaha! ;) Nah…

Anyway, it's important to have reference pictures. Where would I be without them?

Tada ~ my palette! A work of art in itself...

Have a lovely day!

1 Corinthians 10:31 "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

I love prayer!

What a gift and absolute joy it is to pray to our Heavenly Father and know that He hears us! 

Over the last week, God has really opened my eyes to the healing power of prayer. In the midst of my anxiety and kind-of heaviness of heart, God used prayer to draw me closer to Him, to teach me to trust Him more and more. Friday I woke up renewed and strengthened - praise God! I rejoice that in my weakness, God is strong. And I'm loving prayer more than ever. :)

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Yesterday I was so encouraged and blessed to be able gather with fellow believers and pray for the persecuted body of Christ in Iraq. Keep on praying in Jesus' Name!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:17

A little rumpled up in spirit?

"I am well in body although considerably rumpled up in spirit, thank you, ma'am," said Anne.
~ L.M. Montgomery

Thinking about this quote made me smile today! Ahh, I think I know how you feel, Anne! hahaha

I've been feeling both physically and emotionally drained in the last week. It's time to fight back with prayer and the sWord of God! 

Say it out loud and build yourself up: "Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10b
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

Letting God write your story...

Sometimes God surprises you in ways you least expect.

I am just...mindblown.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24

Spring Blooms

The first day of spring really felt like the first spring day! Warm white-gold sunshine, sharp shadows on the concrete, a bluer than blue sky ~ I realised how much I missed these things during winter. 
I especially loved the return of bright colours to the day. How amazing is it that God created every single colour in the universe.

September sort of marks the start of the end of the year for me because all the rest of the months end in 'ember', well, except October. But 'ober' is pretty close to 'ember', isn't it? Haha!

Below is a very encouraging passage I read this morning, and a great prayer for myself and my brothers and sisters in Christ! 

Ephesians 3:14-19 (NKJV)

"14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Aaaaah it's 11:58!!

11:58 -- nooo 11:59!
This has been fun :)
A brilliant way to end the challenge

Night night

Reflection

I can't believe I posted at 11:59 last night. Hahaha so hilarious, what a close call! Tonight I'm a little earlier so not to worry.

I finished reading the Gospel of John on either Wednesday or Thursday morning. I'm so glad I've been able to reflect on passages in John, as well as a number of other Scriptures over the course of this month. :) I'm blessed to have learnt so much, and learnt that so much is still so little! What I mean is~ there's just so much more to learn about God and His Word. Need to pray a lot more!!

Thankful for each day of this month, even the rainy-wind-in-your-face-umbrella-destroying ones! 

Some stand-out moments from this month (just off the top of my head):

-Reminded of God's guiding light through the fog of life

-I have an identity in Christ and God knows my name

-New life is a blessing from God!!

-Realising the importance of childlike faith

-Birthday surprises! :)

-Reading John's Gospel

-Little praise and worship sessions

-Vanilla tea

-Being encouraged to totally trust the Bible

-Jesus wants us to be joyful!

-God alone is my heart's desire

-Meeting up with friends for lunches/breakfasts/chats/milkshakes!

-The Cross of Christ by John Stott

-Disciplines of a Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes

-Beauty and the Beast the musical

-Family reunion

-Sibling band ~ You Raise Me Up

-Primary musical

-Two broken umbrellas

-Rain, rain...

-Realising it is a small world after all!

-Edith

Goodnight :)

PS. Hopefully I don't forget to blog tomorrow! Last day of August!! Nearly finished the challenge…

hello

Painting Inspiration :)

So awed by the beautiful progression of this sunset (28th July 2014)! Check it out below!! :)
Such great painting inspiration! Probably won't be able to paint again until December, but I'll definitely keep these dreamy skies in mind.

Walk in Unity

"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Ephesians 4:1-6

Love these verses!! :)

Busted light & a lotta rain

Last night it was flickering. This morning I flicked the switch and it didn't work. My room light's busted! :( Typing up this post in a very dark room. Well...not exactly. I've got my little desk lamp on and the light from the computer screen, but I don't think either of them are very good for my eyesight…

On a completely random note, I just wanna say that this has been the rainiest August I've seen in years!

When I Grow Up

When I grow up
I will be tall enough to reach the branches
that I need to reach to climb the trees
you get to climb when you're grown up.

And when I grow up
I will be smart enough to answer all
the questions that you need to know
the answers to before you're grown up.

And when I grow up
I will eat sweets every day
on the way to work and I
will go to bed late every night!

~Lyrics: When I Grow Up from Matilda the Musical

Went to watch a primary musical tonight and some of the children sang this song. I'd never heard the song before but those lyrics just made me tear up on the spot! :'( Yep, I actually started crying. And it was one of the rare times I'd decided to wear eyeliner too haha.

The lyrics are just so sad, so heartbreaking~ for me anyway. Takes me back to my own childhood musings and then it mingles with reality and adulthood and ideas about naivety, intuition, changing perceptions and unfulfilled expectations…

I just~I think it's something I would have thought as a kid. But what really gets me is how as a "grown-up" you no longer think about the prospect of climbing trees, and you're not smart enough to answer all those questions you thought you'd be able to answer. 

I realise I know so little. And more and more I'm seeing a certain wisdom in childlike faith, and a hope I admire.

The Lord Jesus said: (John 10:15) "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." 

Tonight I want to pray to have childlike faith in God, His kingdom and His Word :) And I thank God for the hope of salvation and eternal life. That's a hope that won't change even as I change and grow up. It's an eternal hope in Christ.

Light Through The Fog

This morning on the train, I stared at the fog through the window. It was thick and smoky and oozing over the rooftops like white gravy. It was hard to see where the train was going with all my surroundings so blurred. What I could see though, beaming unashamedly through the low-lying clouds, was that golden bulb of light - yes, the sun, handcrafted by the spoken Word of God. 
And I thought: In a fog, it's difficult to see where you're headed. Maybe it's a fog of emotions, or a fog of work, or relationships, or anything else…but God's Word, like the sun, shines through that fog of confusion. God's Word is clarity in the haze, and light in the dark. God is always there and His Word is eternal.

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105

After the fog cleared, this scintillating golden light just filled the scene outside the train window. It just poured into every crevice. It glittered off the leaves. It highlighted all the electric wires. And after being in the fog, it was kinda like an "aahh" (Insert Eb major chord here, two octaves above middle C) moment. 
And I had another thought: Other times we see things so clearly, as God reveals things to us through His Word or through signs and wonders or through other people, or in just the billions of little things in the world! Sometimes these moments are incredible and illuminating (because Christ is life and light!), and sometimes the brightness is piercing. But the Word of God is a sword after all!

"For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it…That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world." John 1:1, 4, 5, 9