Twinkle twinkle little star

I wondered what big thing you would tell me Lord. My first extended time with you for 2008 was such a wow experience. This time, however, I found myself sleeping most of the time. Funny I had to go all the way to the Philippines to get sleep.

After our three day work project, we went to the Santa Fe Beach Resort on Bantayan (a small island off Cebu). Au and Ruth seemed so connected with you. I, on the other hand, didn’t seem to hear you as clearly. I didn’t feel like I was connecting. I didn’t realise how tired I was.

We enjoyed the calm, clear waters
I could see my feet through the waters
I dug my toes into the soft, white powdery sand
I watched the glorious sunrise
I picked up a tiny crab – one of the many hundreds that were crawling on the shore in the early moring
I felt the rain
I saw a rainbow across the horizon
I waded in the waters as the waves swayed back and forth
The fisherman on their boats gliding in to shore with their night catch at early dawn
Children without a care in the world
playing in the water while their parents
cleared their nets and checked out their catch for the night
The children crowded around me as they looked at the pictures I took of them
Boats lined up along the white beach
I talked to some fishermen
One was mending his nets
He has to do that everyday he said
He said proudly that his three children are studying in the city
Christmas is the best time when everyone comes home
He misses his children

At night, we laid our blankets on the beach
And watched the stars for hours
We counted some falling stars
We watched as the clouds changed colours and shapes
Look! A wild man with messy hair
His hair is streaked with splashes of sunrise red
And there, a dynasaur or creature of sorts
We tried to find the Big DIpper, and Orion
And pretended like we knew the names of the constellations…
There’s star Aurelia, and star Ruth and star Angel

I read the Scriptures – over and over again
You spoke to me about the simplest things

Do everything without complaining or arguing,
so that you may become blameless and pure,
children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation,
in which you shine like stars in the universe…

You didn’t ask anything big of me
I can shine simply by not complaining or arguing
I can shine by being thankful

I saw the crimson sky this morning from my window
And I remembered…

What if I give all?

Lord, I give everything to follow you… no reserves, no retreats, and no regrets.

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. – Paul

Cebu here I come (again)

This will be my fourth visit to Cebu. We leave in about a week and will be there for about 10 days.

Aurelia my housemate/colleague and I will be in Cebu to do a video interview with the Cebu Navigators. The Navigator alumni are rising to the challenge and making an impact where God has put them. We’d like to capture the story. I know we can’t replicate what the Filipinos are doing but there must be some lessons of faith that we can learn from.

I’ll also be spending time with Au’s family. After that, we’ve put into our schedule some time out at Mountain View, Santa Fe Beach and Kawasan Falls. Our German friend who’s teaching in Bangkok will be joining us.

Moving house the past month has been challenging, and the ministry work load hasn’t lessened — I’m really looking forward to the break and some extended time with the Lord to get my bearings again.