Happy Thanksgiving :)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to the Lord.
Philipians 4:6

My second week at Purdue was probably the worst (in terms of homesickness me thinks) and Lavinia (a super nice aussie girl living opp. from me) told me that whenever i'm feeling super upset to get a sheet of paper and start writing my blessings, from big things like the opportunity to go overseas to study, for having such great nice parents, having a roof over my head, and clothes to wear, for not being inmidst fighting, war and disparity to the small things like there apples on my table, chocolate in my drawer, cookies in the cupboard, hot chocolate mix somewhere on the floor, lotsa chips also in my food storage drawer, maggi mee in a box, dried mango in the same box... and i digress. =p but truthfully, i think this is one of the best advices i've been given.

Thanksgiving is the secret of contentment :) it changes our perspectives and focus from us to the Lord. Every gift us from above, so thank the Lord! :D

Oooooooooookies on the other hand, this is the second last day of my thanksgiving break (awww) haha but so far, thanksgiving break has been great great great :) Stephen invited us over to his place for Thanksgiving, so we spent Tues-fri at his place, and had lotsa lotsa fun and good food :) His mom is a super duper cook! (I feel spoilt and don't feel like touching school food ever again hmph!) Played lotsa PS2, found out that i enjoy running around wacking up bad guys in some re-enaction of the San Guo Yan Yi (Romance of the three kingdoms... actually why do they call it romance... it's not really romance, more like massacre. strange hmmmm... Maybe romance=massacre :p hehe) more than dancing para para where i resemble an off-balanced penguin flapping and swinging about >.<>Stephen and his really super cool family for being so great and hosting us for thanksgiving! Makes me wanna move to his neighbourhood, that place is so nice a serene, and has this really cool lake thingy just incase any of the house catch fire, they can go there and draw buckets of water hehe.

To Steph, Xy, Chris 1 &2: thankews for the fun fun fun week, and the crazy wake-up-and-drive at 6am shopping on Fri :p

To Dav who sent me a long long email demanding i post up a pic which showed him the ppl i kept talking about. Miss you too dude, hurry come and visit me! Alas, tis a bit blurry, so clear yr mail and get msn!

Starting the day in no man's land again

it's cold, a man complains
cold, wet a dreary
light a fire, why don't you, light a fire

how do you expect me to start a fire
if you keep stepping on my sparks
just keep your demands to yourself next time.
please
i'm sick of trying
all i do is try
time for moving on.

Voice of the martyrs

14th November is a day of commemeration and prayer for the martyrs and the currently persecuted churches. To the people who have suffered or are suffering for Christ, this prayer is dedicated to you.

Lord,
please grant the missionaries, church leaders, church members, teachers with encouragement, strength, hope and love (towards each other and their persecuters). We pray especially for the people in North Africa, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Mexico, China, Servia, Korea, Idia, Bangledash, Tibet, Iraq, Iran, Haiti, Japan. Please lead and protect the church and their family. Give them strenth to withstand their persecution and suffering, and to help them and the ppl around them to break free of their bondages, to give them more ways to minister to the people.

To the prisoners in China, Aiqing Zhu, Baishun Bao, Changlan Pu, Daozing Shen, Feng Ping Xiang, Gong Shengliang, Hu Ying, Li Ying, Mengyu Tang, Mingying He, Qong Ling Yi, Shigui Tan, Shuang Yu Xiang, Shuxian Ding, Xitao Zhao, Xu Fuming, Ying Ping Li, Yumei Lu, Zhang Yi-nan, Zhong Chen and to other who still remain unknowned, please give them the strength to be able to resist the communist government who is trying to crush religion. That people may be able to break language barriers as they petition for the above's release. That you'll be able to grant them the peace and joy that Paul felt even when he was chained, starved and beaten in jail. Please help them to acknowlege our prayer, and be encouraged.

To Shaiboub Arsal in Egypt, Thong Chan in Laos, Parvez Masih and Rhanja Masih in Pakistan, please grant them strength has they are being held captive in countries that do not allow the practice of free religion, and which has very strong Islamic roots. We pray that their voices may be heard amongst the people and the Government. Please protect them from harm and grant them peace through their suffering. Please protect their families from harm, and give them the courage to minister to the people in prison with them. Give them hope Lord :)

To the prisoners in Vietnam, Dinh Be, Ho Hoang Duy, Hau Chong Vu, Lo Van Hao, Ma Seo Phu, Ma Van Bay, Sinh Mi Po, Sung Phai Dia, Sung Sai Sai, Sung Seo Pao, Thao Nhia Lu, Thao Sua Pao, Trang Ka Hinh, Vang Seo Senh, Y Dham Knul, Y hai Knul, Y Het Nie Kdam, Y Kim Enuol, Y Kro Nie, Y lia Nie, Y oal Nie, Y Tim Bya, Lord, please help these people who have been arrested for preaching the gospel, and spreading yr word. Please help the actions and behaviours of these men and women sway the Government and the people, and that they might come to know you. Lord, you know their suffering and pain, please grant them understanding in their plight, and encouragement, hope and strength. Grant them spiritual peace and joy, and protect them and their families. Please help our letters and petitions to speak to the goverment officials so that our brothers and sisters may be freed. Thank you Lord :)

Please help the prisoners to be able to forgive their persecutors and the people that have caused them so much pain and suffering. Please help the leaders in these violent countries to reach a just peace and end the vivil wars and strifs. Please hlep the churches to go in the direction that You are heading, and that we do not stray. Please help the safe delivery of bibles in places where bibles are illegal such as China and Vietnam, and protect the people as they share the gospel. Please provide opportunities for minitries to provide bibles for restricted nations. Most of all please grant them safety Lord, and love. :D

Thank you Lord,
Amen.

For those who wanna write letters and know more about the missionary circles and their prayer requests, please check out www.persecution.com . Thankews :) It wonderful to know that there are such self-sacrificing people out there with such a great big love for God :D

Set Adrift On Memory Bliss

careless whisper from a careless man
a neutron dance for a neutron fan
marionette strongs are dangerous things

subterranean by design. they're probably alone, solitaire. I broke my wishbone and wished for a sign. He told me whispers in my heart was fine. Reality has replaced you with the biggest void i've ever had.

my conciousness carelessly imagines how happy you are right now. I guess that's how it goes. Forever's gone.

I remember everything, every smile, even all the reasons why i pushed you out of my mind.

Tell me everything is wonderful now.

Do you remember when you were way back then

Who are you gonna be?
When you're on your knees, who do you believe?
Fear is a lonely man
You've been given innocence

You should know by now
That your darkest hour
Is when your broken heart goes down
It's a bitter end
When the sweet begins
Grace is sufficiency
-Innocence again by Switchfoot

I think i've fogotten the original purpose of me leaving, and how great an opportunity it is to be able to come to Purdue. I guess i just got caught up in everything and the whole mad rush for entertainment, that the wonder of being given this opportunity to study abroad just got lost some where.

Purdue has it's beautiful points. The lack of city life manages to cancel out the crazily hectic life i so wanted a break from. God blessed me with great friends, treasure them. I've learnt how to do my own laundry :) cooked, done much more independant stuff. Found out what weak self-control i have and how much i really needed God. Found out that if you try to do anything with just mere self-will along is impossible. But Grace is sufficiency :) and the sweet begins.

We've been given innocence. Love it :D

Playing for keeps

It's getting harder day by day, to maintain any shred of sanity (if i ever possesed any in the first place). During the weekends, we hang out at Walmart. If you don't see the problem in this, try doing it consequtively for 3 months. Everyday has kinda blended into each other. Meals are held in the same place, so are classes. Every weekend is repetitive. You even eat the same thing. Nights are held standing or sitting somewhere... stoning. It's getting so listless. the winter blues might be setting a bit too early, but even my pale attempt to brighten up my room isn't really working. needa get out of lafayette. seriously. bleurg.