Can these be my desires too?

Two things have I required of Thee; deny me them not before I die:

Remove far from me vanity and lies:

Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

Lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

Proverbs 30:7-9

'Till the Storm Passes By

...from Monday Oct 25

Waiting for Trash-Day-Tuesday

Don't worry.. I eventually helped her raking the leaves.

After this shot. =P

He said, "Make sure just one car in the background, k!?" lol

Then the storm came Tuesday...

No need to check if it was really raining...

Just today, October 30

Oh my hot sauce.. you're not supposed to be there.

October

Upper Peninsula, Michigan '08

October is almost over. How time flies.. And it rained again this morning. Another gloomy Sabbath day. I love it. hehhe. There are times I wish to enjoy going to church with bright sunshine. But more often than not, I enjoy my rainy days.

Waking up this morning in the shadow of still-very-overcast sky, I could hear the leaves shifting by the wind. Wondering if it actually rained this morning, I looked out, and sure enough, the car that I just washed on Thursday is soaking wet in the driveway, with falling leaves sticking here and there. :)

Rainy Sabbath days bring me to a more contemplative mood. Also makes me talk less when I'm at church. I just smile at people. :) As I sneak back in to the sanctuary when everyone is eating, I noticed that the piano keys also sound better on rainy days... as I play my favorite hymns. It's true! ^^

Change of season is inevitable eh? cannot stop the moon from rising. Well, Fall has officially nipped the air, and is here to stay. I noticed with all these rainy days, seasons have the ability to sneak in on us. I remember last spring, as it rained a lot... the next thing you know, sunny days came and the days just got longer. A week or two of alternating rain, then suddenly sunset was at 8 o'clock. And the opposite is happening today.

"For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

...........

But my Alpha and Omega never changes...

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Hebrews 13:8

"Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the rememberance of His holiness. For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

Psalms 30:4,5

Con te Partiro (Time to Say Goodbye)

Chorus:
I'll go with you
To countries I never
Saw and shared with you
Now, yes, I shall relive them
I'll go with you
On ships across seas
Which, I know,
No, no, exist no longer
With you I shall relive them

How Long...

Reading from Psalms these days... (will I ever get through it? :)

"How long will Thou forget me, O LORD? For ever? How long will Thou hide Thy face from me?

How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

But I have trusted in Thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.

I will sing unto the LORD, because He hath dealt bountifully with me."

Psalms 13

Corgis :)

(old pictures from summer 2008. San Diego)

Plan to leave Darien, IL today and head to michigan school for the weekend. It's a gud two hour drive.. hmm I wonder whether I should put a new sermon or two on my mp3 player. Singing along my favorite songs get old after about 20 min. :)

Pastor and his wife have been so good to me here. Everytime I hand Auntie Lynn the month's rent at the beginning of each month, she always shows happiness and gratitude. She once told me that me coming to the house was really an answer to her prayer. Oh, how they were also an answer to my prayer.

I remember having a conversation with my older sister about 3 weeks before clinical started. Back when I still had no accommodations set up. I shared with her,

"Oh, my prayer is simple. I just pray to God for a nice family that'd have a room for me. And if it's not too much to ask, one that also have a piano in the living room."

I'm sure Yuli somewhat rolled her eyes a little bit there. Oh, Andrey.. I just pray you find something somewhere before clinicals start so you won't have to stay at a nearby motel (I told her of a motel nursing and medical students would stay in, near the hospital). That was proly her prayer too.

But God is faithful. He still listens to my cries. His grace is truly fresh every morning.. and I mean this in every possible way.. the same grace that would embrace this wretched, prone to falling individual, so he could still have hope to face tomorrow.

"But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for Himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto Him.

Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah."

Psalms 4:3,4

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:

now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three;

but the greatest of these is love."

I Corinthians 13:12,13

Mi Mancherai

Mi mancherai, se te ne vai

Mi mancherà, la tua serenità

Le tue parole, come canzoni al vento

E l'amore che ora porti via

I will miss you, when you go

I will miss your serenity

Your words, like songs in the wind

And Love, that you take away.

.......