Ahhh.... 说不出的平安和喜乐~~~
It's been an amaaaaaaaaaazingly HECTIC week because it's Week 10; you woulda thought things slow down towards the end of term but they actually pick up in week 10 because of all the end-of-term catching up and socials to do. But. Oh my goodness! How has this term FLOWN by so quickly?!?! In a twinkle of an eye it's March and before long I'll be back home in Singapore... and back in York again. Ahhhhhhhhh. Part of me is so reluctant to go back to Singapore because of the totally different lifestyle and routine back home. And for some reason I'm actually healthier here. Well... like what my younger brother said to me this afternoon, "You know what's mama's greatest wish for you when you come back? That you'll be alert and you won't switch off. And keep crashing into things..."
Hee. Yes for some reason I just switch onto 'autopilot' when I go back home. 妈妈在嘛，有人照顾，所以就变了懒猪。。。 ah. Yes. Live for the Lord!!
But oh my goodness!!!!!!! 1 and 2/3 of my degree is gone GONE GONE!!! 啼笑皆非. Oh wells I'm content anyway, God's my HOME not Singapore nor York, everywhere He leads me there'll be green pasture.... :)
Sorry for such a melodramatic post; this comes out of 8 hours of watching Anne of Green Gables till 6 am in the morning, as well as an emotionally-charged (not emotional, as in.. charged and hyper too) phonecall home. Talked with my mom and my bro for about 2 hours and... ah! Love them love them love them so much. It felt great just to share about personal matters with my mom, and to hear some of her thoughts and struggles regarding relationships and what-nots (it was like talking to a sister really); felt so encouraging to see my younger brother grow in the Lord and in so many gifts and talents as well. Such a charmer! 好像看着儿子长大一样。。。好欣慰~
Oh, oh yes. Digressed terribly. Er, it's been such a hectic week, so hectic that early mornings Mon and Tues I woke up with cold sweat 'cuz I knew I had to run around a lot, and didn't know if I had the stamina and strength to keep up with all that. But thank God He brought me through - got quite manic on Weds especially with all the responsibility involved in organising stuff, but it just worked out towards the end of the week and I was really enjoying myself as I ran around. Yesterday was the best day of the week I think, had such a great time. Well, for starters I was granted 11 hours of sleep all the way till 1pm because I was absolutely knackered the night before, then I biked (Pepper has SUCH a cool bike) into town to meet Steve the leader of YCC in the Spurriergate centre. Had such a great time talking to a fatherly figure as he is, and recollected the amaaaazing things God has done in my life just within a year. Transformed me inside out from the 1st term I was here! After that I had to withdraw like 600 quid worth of money to change into traveller's cheques and euros for Monday (going to Germany), then shop around for a bag 'cuz mine was getting irritatingly hole-y (pity, I had that bag since JC 1. fond of it), after which I went to Heslington Lane and looked up my ex-housemates in their house... ahhhh! I miss them so much! Had a nice chat with Andy about all kinds of things; he's quite a conversationalist that guy, and I miss talking to him so - remember when we were in the same seminar group in the first term we talked lots to each other! Ahh, the old times. Glad to see both of us being shaped and matured as time goes by. Anyways, left Andy's and went to Fellini's for a singsoc social, yummy-licious pizza which I gobbled up quick enough; had amusing conversations about a phantom lemon and concave structures. After that we left for Dusk and grabbed some cocktails (or a pint, for some), had a great chat with Inderjit about EDUCATION (ahahaha) in Singapore and challenges/changes involved. Had to leave soon after that; biked again to Tasha and Lauren's place at BADGER hill (aww!!) and we had such such such a great time together, just joking about random things and laughing about Anne of Green Gables. Such a show for hopeless romantics. cheesy at times but surprisingly deep and real. No, I don't think guys will like the film very much... We watched and laughed, snuggled and snacked till 6am then we dozed off and woke up to a delicious spread of breakfast (courtesy of Tash) at 11. Ahhh. Such blessed-ness. :)
So I came back about 3 hours ago, talked to my family, got a postcard from Tim (ooooh I'd LOVE to visit Australia sometime next year or something...!! Can look up Ray and Shanna in Melbourne too, and Cui in Sydney), sorted out some random stuff and I should be going to the gym later. In some sense I feel liberation although there's still the essay to write to hand in next term, because at least there's no seminar hanging over my head and no CRepping to do for the next 5 weeks - it's a time of rest, time of seeking (God) about specific things next term, time of enjoyment in Germany and with friends, movies, yada...
Ecclesiastes 3
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.
And the song goes... He makes all things beautiful in its time...
