Bougainvillas on an overhead bridge

Roger passed his earworm to me. It's a song that he sang in college during preaching conference, and then during a few chapel sessions. It's Indescribable, by Chris Tomlin. The lyrics of the song reminded me of a reflection I had a few years ago after gazing at the bougainvillas on an overhead bridge.

The bougainvilla plants were in full bloom. So full that I could only see a wave of bright pink and only tinges of green at the sides. I thought of how those flowers displayed the full extent of just being how they were created, and that was, a praise unto their Maker's name. And as I descended the overhead bridge, I prayed that God may help me be like the bougainvillas, to live how He has intended me to live, and live it to the fullest, that in the same way, I may be a praise to my creator.

The tune is still ringing in my ear.

Indescribable

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea

Creation's revealing Your majesty

From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring

Every creature unique in the song that it sings

All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,

You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.

You are amazing God

All powerful, untameable,

Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim

You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go?

Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow

Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light?

Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night

None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,

You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name

You are amazing God

All powerful, untameable,

Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim

You are amazing God

Indescribable, uncontainable,

You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.

You are amazing God

Incomparable, unchangeable

You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same

You are amazing God

You are amazing God

Day Out!

April, Chloe, Charis and I had a Day Out on Saturday to the baby expo. This candid photo taken by Roger at our driveway after the trip. Guess what we were saying!

Song

I enjoy listening to songs with a story. Partly because they are good materials for teaching English! I still remember my students nearly fainting when I taught them the structure of a narrative using Colin Raye's song Love Me. 'Don't analyse a song! It spoils it!' Or so they cried. But how can you let go of such a song when it's also a good illustration of what 'third person narration' is? =P I digress...

Recently I heard another song on the radio that made me teared. That made me reflect about marriage. The song is Walking her home by Mark Schultz. It's a typical love story which highlights the 'ups' of relationships, not the 'downs', but what stuck with me was the theme of marriage as walking your spouse to your heavenly home. It's the theme of faithfulness for a lifetime.

May God keep us to our marriage vows, until He returns or calls us home.

The Singaporean Fellowship

Amidst making new friends here, we've also been strengthening old ones. Here's a pic of the Singapore friends we hang out with quite often. This pic was taken at CS' home. CS is the pastor of the church (Cornerstone Presbyterian) we are at. His wife (Lyn) and son (Brenden) are not in the pic as Brenden's taking the photo while Lyn tried very hard to get Charis and Chloe to look at the camera. =) Thank God for fellow pilgrims!

Standing (from left): CS, Roger

Sitting (from left): Juliana, May Hsin, Charis, April, Chloe, Kenneth (April, Kenneth and Chloe are also known fondly by us as 'the Tohs')

Walking on

3 weeks passed. The blog hasn't been updated since as the Chias blog author (aka May Hsin, if you haven't already guessed =P) has been ill. A cough and runny nose is still lingering, but i'm really much better now. Though Charis had a runny nose for a while, she was still her happy and active self.

As I'm writing, Roger is enthusiastically preparing for the 'great' debate tomorrow for his OT class. I'm quite impressed with his diligence. Last week was SMBC's biennial preaching conference. So he had an intensive week of hearing from Don Carson and Dale Ralph Davis preaching on preaching. *I'm so envious!* Of course, he enjoyed every bit of it.

And today, Roger received a gift! It's a copy of the Greek New Testament, given to all SMBC students studying Greek by the Bible Society. Till now I'm still amazed by the generousity of God's people through the bible society cos a copy like that cost AUD$90.00 at Koorong!

It's still just Greek to me. =)

Roger has another church history essay to write and then it'll be his exams in mid-june (a month away!). Please pray for good stewardship of time and right focus for studies.

Wish I could be there - May Hsin's thots

To my dearest sister and comrade in Christ,

And you will be wedded tomorrow. I wish I could be there.

Could we have ever imagined our lives to be what it is today, a decade ago?
A decade ago, when we were bright-eyed freshmen in NUS?
Fruitful years of growing in VCF, learning, serving and crying (the crying bit, definitely more me than you)
These were followed by the years of being newbies in the workforce,
Struggling to prioritise our life so that we have time for God, for ministry, for GM2.
Remembered how we held hands and sang 'Declare His Glory' again one JM?
How different it felt when we were singing it as working adults as compared to undergraduates.
Yet, how richer the conviction became because of the struggles we faced when we started working.

Yes, could we have ever imagined, our lives to be what it is today?
My heart sings with joy to know that a like-minded brother-in-Christ will be taking your hand at the altar tomorrow.

Really wish I could be there tomorrow.

I'm ever so thankful to God for His grace to us, for blessing me with your fellowship.
Press on dear sis, for His glory.

blessed,
mayhsin.

Signs that we're getting the hang of living in Sydney

• We don't need to 'study' the Aussie dollar notes and coins before we pay for what we are buying
• Banking administrative delays do not surprise us anymore
• We can mentally visualise locations mentioned over radio traffic updates
• We automatically swipe our own cards in the eftpos (NETS in S'pore terms) machine instead of handing it to the cashier
• May Hsin says 'Good on you, mate!' to praise Charis for doing something well

However, whenever we think of bah chor mee, we know that this is still a long way from home. =P