..............................Persis is married!..............................

Sunday, April 30, 2006

31st Birthday

Birthday orchids from Aa, who is in Tunisia at the moment

As I pen this, the clockhand passes the first 1 hr 14 mins of my 31st year. The first few minutes of said 31st year was spent reading aloud John 4:1-26 (am doing the reading in church tomorrow). Then replied to a coupla emails, showered, and now have hopped into bed to blog.
I had a nice long day to myself today - the first in a while and much appreciated. My ex-ex-boyfriend called this afternoon to wish me happy birthday in advance. Mummy just messaged. Childishly counting my birthday prezzies: a Chinese wooden comb from Ash, a 'girlfriends' compilation from mongchacha all the way from Beijing (am very very touched - my favs are Hwee's song and Siboney), a suede purse from best friend SZ which she carried all the way from Taiwan to Rome (how could you doubt I would love it?! Olive coloured leather is very "bourgeois", didn't you know?), pearl earrings from mummy & daddy (although they are still stuck in a UPS depot somewhere ulu), and a card from Aunty CP (ex-boyfriend's mum).
Girly lunch to celebrate tomorrow. Then church - fortuitously, I get to share God's word on my birthday. And I know someone out there is thinking of me.
Right now, I just feel very very blessed.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Back from Rome

Arrived past midnight. Waiting for bus home at Liverpool Street station at 12am in the morning with luggage was not fun, but was also munching Macs quarterpounder and fries. Crashed immediately. Went to work today. 79 emails in inbox! Dinner with prayer partner, Ash - she made jiaozi, mm... In bed now and going to crash again. Will blog about Rome soon. Birthday gifts starting to arrive from all over the world.

Friday, April 21, 2006

My thoughts on Christian dating

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 4:23)
Different people approach dating in different ways. Some are cautious to the point that they never date (a la Josh Harris) - that is just naff, IMHO. Others are extremely goal-oriented - they go into relationships quickly (or execute various 'testing the water' techniques), but they also make up their minds quickly. I think there is something admirable about being focused and decisive, but this method also leaves a trail of broken hearts and stumbles others, which is unedifying, and I think it somehow indicates an eye that is not so much on Christ as it is on a relationship/person. I, on the other hand, have always chosen the worse approach - skip the thinking process and just go for it. My only saving grace is that I've been terribly lucky in my choices in men. But luck doesn't run forever, which is why I think it's important now to engage in the thinking process. So here goes...
First and foremost, I think the heart is a highly volatile and fragile thing, and should be treated so. We only need to give out a little of it, just a teeny weeny little bit, and that is enough to start a running fuse that will grow and grow, and it inevitably reaches crisis point if left unchecked (think about where the innocent 'let's just be friends first' usually leads!). That is just how the heart is. Knowing this therefore, the strategy is clear. What we need to do is simply to prevent things from ever getting to that dangerous stage.
It seems to me that the only way then is to be careful about giving our hearts out, even just a little. That is why God tells us to guard our hearts above all things. Putting up fences around our hearts is not necessarily a bad thing. We do it because we are mindful of God. We want to be able to serve Him well with healthy and pure hearts, and to serve others well too for the sake of His kingdom (just as our hearts are precious, we need to remember that so the hearts of others are too).
Practically speaking, this means a few things:
1. Be honest with yourself. If you are attracted to someone, you should acknowledge it to yourself (otherwise you will just end up doing silly things and quite possibly screw up your head). The natural thing then is to want to spend more time with them, to get to know them better. Again, be honest. Don't be trapped by fearful or defensive nomenclature.* This is called dating. Dating is seeing someone regularly with an eye to a possible committed relationship (that would be to "get involved", as the Americans like to distinguish it).
*Nomenclature, however, is important when you are trying to explain your relationship to someone else, bearing in mind that we should be edifying to others at all times. In America, I am told that it is acceptable to say that you are "dating" at this stage. However, the word connotes something quite different in Britain and more conservative cultures, something more serious. It might be helpful therefore to say something like "we're good friends".
2. But, because you are not in a committed relationship, it is important to guard your hearts above all else. One of the most useful things someone once told me was to remember
a) that this person is going to be your brother/sister for eternity, and
b) that you are going to be accountable to his/her Father, who is no small figure to contemplate.
I think these are good guiding principles. Caution is the operative word here.
3. And this means to treat the other person precisely like a brother/sister. A few useful guidelines, not exhaustive:
a) Avoid talking about relationship matters when you meet; there are many other ways to share deeply (e.g. where you are with God, what your relationship with your family is like, what you like or dislike, whether Fortnum&Mason's or Maison du Chocolat produces the best chocolates - hey, that's a life-sustaining question, ok?),
b) Avoid spending time alone, particularly in each other's home/room; meet in public places and involve your friends (who can keep you accountable at this stage, and are a vital part of a committed relationship anyway if things should develop, so why not involve them now?),
c) Avoid any physical contact, no matter how seemingly insignificant or inconsequential (it is never insignificant or inconsequential when you have "relationship" screaming at the back of your mind).
Basically, the difference between friendship and dating is simply the interim end goal, which is a possible committed relationship. If you decide ultimately not to enter into a committed relationship, you will still have a good basis for friendship going. You simply need to change your expectations of where that is leading. This is not to say that, should things turn out this way, it isn't going to affect the heart at all. You might even need some time apart to "let things cool down". But what it is is that you would have acted in a way that is most protective of your heart and of the other person's heart. In other words, in an accountable way.
4. Pray. Pray that God will give you the strength to stand firm. Remember, just as God knows your desires and fears, so does satan. Temptations lie like roaring lions around you, waiting to devour you. Be alert, be cautious. Pray that God will keep you focused on Him at all times - afterall, we love because He first loved us. (1 John 4) - and from that all things will flow. Pray this for each other, and maybe together (but not alone in each other's home/room). On your own, pray also for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, and for God to give you wisdom to know His will for the both of you. Pray for assurance and a peace that transcends all understanding. And when He gives it to you, whichever way the decision should go, act on it with integrity - let your yes be a yes and your no be a no.
5. As common courtesy, you should date only one person at a time, even if it is "just dating" (or "just talking" or "but we're just good friends" or whatever else you have been calling it). If you should wish to pick up a conversation with someone else at any point, then again, let your yes be a yes and your no be a no - tell the other person. It is totally not cool to "shop".
6. However, remember that the whole point of Christianity is that we have all fallen short of the glory of God, but that His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses. We will stumble and we will fall, and we will definitely make many mistakes along the way (just try not to make the same mistake twice!) So,
a) Don't flagellate yourself - believe instead in the compelling purpose of God. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son." (Romans 8)
b) Come to God daily for forgiveness and new life. Remember what Paul says: "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3)
7. Finally, remember this: The prize is not finding the one that you are going to spend the rest of your life with; it is to know the One who knew you even before you were in your mother's womb.
Anyways, these are just my inchoate thoughts on Christian dating - writing it down was probably more useful for me to sort things out in my mind than anything else, so it has served its purpose even if never read. But of course, you are reading it, and some of you guys know that this has been a big topic with me in the last six months or so, so any feedback would be welcomed. I will pen my thoughts on Christian committed relationship soon...

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Finding Peniel

Darcey Bussell in Giselle
Went to the ballet last night at the Royal Opera House and really really really enjoyed it. Darcey Bussell was dancing in Giselle. Here's a little blurb:
"The peasant girl Giselle is driven to kill herself when she discovers that her youthful lover 'Loys' is in reality Count Albrecht, and not free to marry her. She rises from the dead to prey on the man who has betrayed her. But as Albrecht, repenting, visits her moonlit grave, Giselle protects him from the deathly touch of her phantom sisters until the dawn sees him safe once more."
I used to think that Giselle forgives Albrecht too quickly and too easily in the second act. But last night, I remembered that Jesus forgives just as quickly and easily, because of grace. What struck me more last night was Albrecht's prolonged agony after that, and his struggle with the ghostly phantoms. It is harder for us to forgive ourselves, isn't it? We struggle with our own morality, and with facing the world in our shame. We struggle with accepting that a righteous and perfect God would ever forgive us. Such is love.
Love. I don't know what it is any more; I don't trust myself. I am so confused at the moment. So you know what? I have decided that I am going to turn to the only One I trust - if He is on my side, who can be against me? Bring it on, I say!
I give You all my dreams, all my hopes, my whole life. Only do not leave me or forsake me. Bless me.
"I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Luke 18)

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake


Blogging while waiting for my Pret double shot macchiato to kick in - my second coffee for the day. Pret double shot macchiatos pretty much work for me every time. Woke up at 6am this morning to help Y lug her luggage to the bus-stop and go to work (why not?). Going to the ballet tonight, and looked ridiculous in my nice green dress and flat ballet pumps (luggage lugging shoes - high heels would have just killed me running for the bus with said luggage in tow). My work server is down for servicing this morning, so everything is going very slooooow... Y and I had a nice looooong catch up girl chat last night - stories of dog, husband, rural life in Minnesota actually filled quite a few hours. Well, ok, there was also tea, triple chocolate cheesecake made by my very own fair hands, and CSI. Have lots to settle before Rome this weekend - hurrah! Holiday!

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Y is in town

Y is sitting next to me in my office emailing on her new Sony Vaio. She's passing through London for one night, on her way back to the U.S. of A. We had xiaolongbaos and salt pepper scallops at The Chinese Experience, and rasberry bellinis at The International Bar. In the office to pick up our stuff on the way to my home, however got waylaid by the internet. We should go soon. Blog later.

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Break in Peniel (edited)

Bethel
(Escaping Esau and alone, Jacob puts His faith in God's promises) He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac... I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." (Genesis 28)
Manahaim
(Going to meet Esau and fearing, Jacob prays on the ground of God's grace) Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,' I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.' " (Genesis 32a)
Peniel
(But God wants more) So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man... So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared." (Genesis 32b)
Bethel, Manahaim. These are places I have been, places of surrender and healing, places where God carried my tears. And I have cried rivers. But we should not be surprised that, even when we have put our whole faith and trust in God, He wants more; God wants more of/for us.
I don't know where Peniel is, or what it looks like. But I know I want to go there.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Sunny Saturday

So. The sun came out of hiding Saturday morning, lending some relief from the April winds, and generally making me feel happy. American boy had suggested marketing (again) at Borough, and so I found myself for the fourth week in a row squeezed inside Maria's quaint cafe in the middle of the market, nursing a wake-up coffee and watching my companion tucking into an artery-clogging English breakfast. I tell you, Maria and her teeny space and teeny chairs were not made for big American blokes, yet there was something very cosy about it. I love watching the steam rise up from a cuppa - there's something comforting and heartwarming about that picture, and you feel like you're suspended in a microcosm of warmth when everywhere around you it's freezing cold.

We talked. And talked. And talked. And then it was time to pick up a bottle of Cabernet from Bedales, a chunk of Comte from the Comte people, a bag of dried cherries from the dried fruits stall and some nuggets of pork tenderloin from The Ginger Pig for tomorrow's lunch. Talk talk. There was lunch and my favourite linguine lagoustine. More talk talk. There was Hamley's and a grand Scrabble set, Lego and two adult-sized kids in a crowd of other adult-sized kids. Talk talk talk. Finally there was John Lewis and a nice simple decanter. Talk - we had been at it for about six hours, while scouring the whole of central London! Then suddenly, it was time to say goodbye. Just as abruptly as we had started, we ended abruptly too. Hasty kisses on the cheek, and we parted ways.

The sun was still shining, bringing a song in my heart and a skip in my feet. It had been a fun and happy day, just the sort of Saturday Saturdays are supposed to be. I sauntered down Bond Street. There was a disinterested diversion into Zara, a more earnest browse in Reiss, haughty staff at Nitya (typical Parisian service - don't know why I bothered), lovely bright whiteness in Anne Fontaine, and some definite wins in Jigsaw. I picked out a teal cropped sweater, chatted with the salesgirl and headed into the fitting room to try on my sweater. As the door closed behind me, I turned, plonked down my bag, took off my coat, and slipped the sweater off its hanger. And I burst out crying.

I missed A so much.

Friday, April 07, 2006

New life


My precious phalaenopsis' new spike! I cut off the other spike completely after it finished blooming the last time but left this one just above the last node in the hope that it would encourage a new spike. And now it's flowering!

What a perfect Easter gift.

"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection."
~ Romans 6:4