Theological Limerick!

I was most tickled by this limerick that was shared by Oliver Crisp during today's Evening Public Lecture for Spring School... Best if read aloud. Enjoy! :p
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There once was a man who said, "God
Must think it exceedingly odd
If He finds that this tree
Continues to be
When there's no one about in the Quad."

REPLY:

Dear Sir:
Your astonishment's odd:
I am always about in the Quad.
And that's why the tree
Will continue to be,
Since observed by
Yours faithfully,
God.

House-Hopping

Wow... it's already been a month since the end of the school semester?! Gosh, wonder where all that time went...

Guess immediately after my finals I was busy with the mammoth task of moving out of my St. Andrew's residence. Getting my stuff into boxes and out of the place was not as much a headache as it was having to clean up the quad. Part of the contract was to leave the place the same way it was when we first arrived... not that any of us really remembered what that was like a grand 8 months ago!! Anyhow as it turns out, the clean-up was massive - including vacuuming out the bathroom vent-things, de-greasing the stove vent-things, and cleaning the obscure places behind the fridge and stove... SJ and I were scrubbing away till we were pretty certain our fairy godmothers were gonna turn up any moment.

Well, I've since moved on from that and have been putting up at my godparents' in Richmond (which is some distance away), with the occasional 'house-sitting' for friends away on vacation who kindly hand over the keys to their place to me. It has been a swell arrangement, but it's also unexpectedly tiring doing all this house-hopping... Not too much fun being a wandering nomad and am looking forward to settling down with some permanency as I house-hunt.

I have come to the realization that moving ranks up there as one of my top not-favourite things to do... maybe because it's something I haven't done really much of back in Singapore. I can't imagine what it is like for people who have to keep moving constantly, or even as I have discovered, for some of the homeless here who have to live with the prospect of nowhere to call home each day... some consider 'couch-surfing' - rotating spending the night on someone else's sofa, but even that is hard to keep up as well as there is no respite in the feeling of dislocation.

One thing that struck me being out here is the tension to be held in making a house (or room for that matter) a home... I remember the first couple of months that I was living in my quad, I tried to keep everything to a bare minimum knowing that this abode will be temporary. I didn't want to get too comfortable and I didn't think it odd. Yet this notion was challenged by a dear fellow SEAsian who gently reminded me that unlike myself, most people out here who grew up, studied, and have worked in various places, do not necessarily have one place that they can readily pinpoint as 'home'. Each place they are at, at a particular time, IS their home. Identity and a physical home is more intrinsically tied up together than I had previously thought. By not allowing myself to build some semblance of a home where I am at, I am perhaps robbing myself of truly living in the moment...

And so bit by bit, I got myself some scented candles... hung up my farewells cards... put together a little make-shift dresser with pretty cloth draped over some boxes. Things did look more lived-in and cosy as I dared to beautify my space, and perhaps part of that was acknowledging and overcoming the fear of having to eventually junk stuff too in the end when I had to move on. Hmm... I guess that's it - the fear of getting, stemming from the fear of having to let go.

So that's my resolution for the future spaces I will inhabit... to really live fully where I am, and at this point things get suspect as I quote from Winter Sonata, "The best house you build is the one you build in your heart". ;)

Forget Me Not

Been pretty miffed at myself lately for being so absent-minded!! In the past term, I have misplaced my cellphone and recently my camera... thankfully, they have been returned both times. Can't always count on that.

Right now I am still missing my hoodie and a file of notes I wanted to re-look over the school break that is now... And I have been noticing how my memory is also failing me about events or things I have said in my conversations with others. GAAAH. :s

I hope this is not a case of depleting brain cells that is the side-effect of Regent studies... :p

Breaking the Silence

If it doesn't strike you at first glance it ought to by the second look, that this is a completely incongruous picture.

Cherry blossoms and snow do not go together at all. When cherry blossoms come out for spring, it signals that snow and winter have packed up their bags and left for the year. This week of sun, snow, hail, flurry, slush, rain, sleet (sometimes all in one day) has literally given me a headache, and the visual of confused nature is a disturbing one...

But perhaps this perplexity is a reflection of my state of mind right now... I am guilty as charged for being MIA in my blog updates since the Calvin conference in January cos I haven't really regained my footing since then. This has been a trying/busy (and all other usual adjectives) semester cos I think I have spread myself too thin on a number of counts. Last semester was a pretty comfortable pace as I took 3 courses and gave myself some space to adjust to the newness of things here... BUT I think I overestimated myself this semester by taking 2 additional reading courses on top of my usual 3 courses, as well as started part-time work at the audio department. This has given me pretty limited breathing space each week as my school days run long and the rest of the days are taken up trying to fulfill my work hours or catch up with studies. This was exacerbated by the fact that the conference at the beginning left me a week behind in my classes... It has been hard feeling continuously tired and/or drained in the past months. :/

I don't really want to complain becos I know full well that this has been a result of several perhaps not-too-wise decisions on my part. Just gotta bite the bullet and deal with it, and not try to be superwoman again next semester. :p Right now it is 2 weeks till the finals and all I want is just faithfulness to get to the end of it without giving up mentally or turning into a sullen lemon. Pray pls?

• New Testament Foundations (final - 14 April)
  
• Christian Thought and Culture II (final - 17 April)
  
• Soul of Ministry (assignment - 18 April)
  
• Cross Cultural Mission & Islam (reading class)
  
• Spiritual Discernment (reading class)
  

Lord help me take your yoke upon myself, and learn from you... that I might find rest for my soul. For your yoke is easy, and your burden is light.

Happy Camper

Got dropped off at my accommodation for the conference by Becky this afternoon and found out that it is right next to a Krispy Kreme!! THE perfect spot for my reading catch-up in between workshops I must say! :D

So right after checking in and dumping my stuff in my room, I trudged out in the treacherous knee-high snow to get across the street for my maiden Krispy Kreme experience and ordered a small cappuccino. After a couple of minutes...

KK person: I'm sorry, but our coffee machine is down and we can't get steamed milk. Would you like a refund or we could get you a large upgrade on your coffee with regular milk...

Me: Hmm... that's ok, I'll just get the upgrade.

KK person: Would you like a doughnut for the wait?

Me: Oh, that's better! I think I'll get the doughnut instead of the upgrade then...

KK person: Nah, you can get both, no problem!

Me: *delightedly gets the chocolate glazed custard filled doughnut*

I'm a happy camper. :)

Mixed Feelings

So I leave for Chicago en route to Grand Rapids, Michigan for Calvin College's Worship Symposium in the coming week...

Am feeling both excited to visit and explore yet another part of the US, yet a hint unsettled at having to be away during the 2nd week of school when everything seems to be kicking in... Right now it feels a lil hard to be away when most are looking forward to the new semester - knowing a bit more what to expect and of course all set with new resolutions. :p To be travelling, yet having half a mind on the lectures I'll be missing, my readings I have to keep up with, and the registration nitty gritty that I have to settle over email... *shrug*

So far, I've had 2 people tell me that it's "brave" of me to be doing this right now - a nice, ambivalent way to put it, haha. Perhaps this will all change when I actually get to the Midwest. :)

Here goes nuthin'...

Welcoming a New Year

a new year stands on my doorstep
ready to enter my life's journey.

something in me welcomes this visitor:
the hope of bountiful blessings
the joy of a new beginning
the freshness of unclaimed surprises

something in me rebuffs this visitior:
the swiftness of the coming
the boldness of the entrance
the challenge of a year's good-bye

something in me fears this visitor:
the unnamed events of future days
the wisdom needed to walk love well
the demands of giving away and growing

a new year stands on my doorstep.
with fragile caution I move
to open the door for its entrance.
my heart leaps with surprise,
joy jumps in my eyes,
for there beside this brand-new year
stands my God with outstretched hand!
He smiles and gently asks of me:
can we walk this year together?

and I, so overwhelmed with goodness,
can barely whisper my reply:

welcome in!

Joyce Rupp

What a lovely way to welcome the new year...
2008, bring it on!! :)