Aurora

I shall dedicate this post to one of my friends. Not like in this previously mentioned case, but merely for the sake of some entertainment.

So in line with the title (which incidentally, has the same meaning as her name), here are some pictures! How fun!

From Telunas '06. 'Tis a nice place.

This one is from Telunas '07. Note the similarities.

Ok, so maybe this is more morning that dawn, but hey, I like the picture.

I'm sure I used this somewhere before... Oh that's right! Here!

Guess where?

This one really is like a starting phrase from one of those Greek literature pieces. If you've read the Iliad or the Odyssey, you'll know what I'm talking about.

And yes this doesn't seem to have any relation to the above pictures, but it does. Trust me. haha.

On an aside note, however, these pictures do show the wonder of God's creation (yes even the hamburg steak. I'm sure brother would attest to that). Like I told my JMT on the first day of the T, if you bother to look, you can see God's wonders everywhere.

Cheerio

空港

In the previous post, while looking for a link to put up, I inadvertently started to read some of the older entries I had put in. Now of course, as you all know, I get easily distracted, so although that post was a serious one, before I really got into it, I was just reading all my articles about what it was like in Tokyo. So that sort of sets the tone for what went on today.

See, I had to go to Terminal 3 for an assignment for work today. Since the meeting was at 12, I decided maybe to just go a little earlier and maybe do a spot of QT there, since I hadn't exactly been having a very good QT recently, though the past couple of days was a lot better. In fact, I even brought along my grad present from Mr. K (JC GP tutor), which was a book by a certain Philip Yancey on the subject of prayer. The book is quite good. I mean, not that I read very much Christian literature, but really, the book is good.

But the stuff I got from the book, or the QT I did, or the assignment I covered, or even the coffee I drank (which was way too sweet and which necessitated my running to pee an hour later) is not the issue here. What I wanted to talk about was what I was thinking while at the airport. Which I had thought before, but had not really told anyone. Except maybe A. And S from Japan.

Now I'm not sure how many of you have gone to Changi Terminal 3. It's quite new, quite nice, quite empty. There are a total of 7 floors (I think): from B3 (which is all parking I think), to 4 (which is really only a small floor with the viewing gallery).

Now I'm also not sure how many of you have gone to Narita Airport's Terminal 2. And for the number of you who have gone there, I'm not sure how many have actually explored the place. But I have. This all happened because when the JMT 08 first touched down way back on the 9th of June, I went to meet them there. And because I can sometimes be such a stickler for being on time, I made sure I got there early.

It was actually a bit too early when I got there, since my paranoia apparently also managed to affect my judgment. Plus the plane landed a bit later than normal. Or something. So I actually had a massive amount of time just hanging around there.

Now being such a caring leader (and knowing that R is a bottomless pit, and that they would all prob be a little hungry), I figured maybe the two packets of bread I bought was not enough, and so I started walking around the airport looking for snacks to purchase. It was not a very good idea, mainly cos there was not very much of the sort of snack I was looking for. I think I bought a few muffins, but that was it.

But anyway, I managed to explore most of the airport while waiting for the team to arrive.

And this is what I sort of remembered when I was walking about in Terminal 3 this morning. Because Terminal 3 has very much the same sort of layout that Narita 2 has. Especially the Departure hall and the small shopping arcade on the 3rd and 4th floors.

If you haven't been to Narita 2, just go to Terminal 3. And imagine a smaller, slightly older, less futuristic-looking version of it, without the viewing gallery, and you've got Narita 2.

Yup. The whole long post, just to tell you I think T3 and Narita look somewhat similar.

本当だ。いじょうです。

Cheerio

いち ゼロ ろく

Today I read a Psalm (in line with the one-Psalm-a-day policy I've been trying to follow), and it really seems to be a parallel to my life. As in the title (for those of you that don't read Japanese), the Psalm in question is 106, and it was like a crash course in history for the nation of Israel during the Exodus, which is really quite a common theme.

However, because this history was nicely summarized in today's Psalm, it started to seem very similar to what I am going through. Not sure how to explain it, but I'll try. See, if you read the books of Exodus to Joshua, that takes quite a long time. And you'll read so much about the Israelites, about what they were doing, about how they lived... in fact, you will get inundated by the details, so it becomes very much a story about them, with you as an observer.

On the other hand, when it is so neatly summarized into 48 verses, it becomes a lot easier to notice that what the Israelites were doing/going through seems suspiciously familiar. And I'm not talking about going through trials and tribulations (though they did).

Essentially, what the Psalm is talking about is the cycle of sin and faithlessness that the descendants of Jacob had with regard to God. The beginning was praise to God, but then the Psalmist starts talking about how the Israelites always forget the goodness that God has shown to them.

As I have mentioned, this is very much like what I'm going through on a regular basis. As a Christian, I should be completely free from sin, and living a life that is pleasing to God. Yet, for too many times, I have chosen to neglect God, or to turn away from His advice, to choose to go my own ways, and do what I want, even though it is obviously abhorrent to Him.

Each time, I try to promise to not do it again. But too often, I start sliding back down into the depths that God has pulled me out from. Too often, I forget what He has done for me, how He rescued me, how He has blessed me, and I turn back to the sludge of sin. Too often, I have made a mockery of my faith. As my Lord tries to release me from my chains, I try to put them back on again.

And honestly, I am like crap. I have a God who willingly died to set me free, and offered me salvation. I have a God who is supremely powerful, yet exceedingly patient with my failings. He is the Creator of the Universe, but He also has enough time to listen to me whenever I call on His name.

Even though I only call on His name when I need His help, He quickly comes to save me. If someone only turned to me when they needed me for help, I would be pretty pissed. But Jesus just picks me up, washes me clean, and sets me on my feet again.

And this is what verse 44-46 is all about. He hears my cry to Him, and He answers.

This is what gives me hope. Reminding that He is still there, and will always be there for me.

I long for the day when I can repay His everlasting kindness by living in a way that pleases Him. It will never match the value of the gift He has given to me, but I wish just to show Him that His confidence in me is not misplaced. It sounds theologically incorrect, I know, to repay God, but it is not about me 'buying' my salvation.

Right now, I really want to just make my Father happy.

悲しい代用教員

This post is for one of my friends who is a little burned out as a relief teacher.

She said she was feeling tired cos of a bad day (I'm guessing it was more than just one day) at school, and the kids were bothersome, and they always went to her to solve all their problems, and she had a long day, and had to give tuition after school, and to top it off, she was sick. Which can be rather disconcerting, I think. Plus there's lots of other things going on in her life which I shall not elaborate on, since that's her story, not mine to tell. And I wouldn't know much anyway.

So I decided to be nice and dedicate a small part of my post to her. Because she regularly stops by at my blog to take a look. Even though she really irritates the crap out of me at times. それで、彼女は「ピーマン」と同じだ。Haha... Still remember when A told me what it meant. Totally hilarious.

So here's a picture for you, to help you remember when you had fun with kids:

子供が大好き．．．でしょう？

Work has been ok, even though the F1 weekend was kinda crazy. Everyday start work later, but can end at like 12 plus, mainly cos we were just waiting for the stories to go through. And I wasn't even writing the stories. The 拘禁組 was helping one of the senior reporters to collect quotes from random fans around the circuit area.

Oh and on Friday, I realized that too much loud sounds can actually make you feel sick. I mean, at first, I was mildly irritated by the sound of the F1 cars zooming past, but after about 10 minutes, I actually felt a bit nauseous.

Still, overall, it was pretty exciting. And we were working from the Swissotel, since they nicely offered the media the use of the an executive meeting room to be like a mini-media-center. And on top of that, they provided food and drinks. Talk about hospitality.

Basketball season is drawing closer, less than a month more... woots!

Cheerio