How does one mark the end of one year and prepare for the next? 2007 has been a year of monuments. A monument is a building, pillar or altar set up to preserve the memory of a person or event. In Genesis 8: 20-21, Noah built an altar to GOD. He selected clean animals and birds from every species and offered them as burnt-offerings on the altar. GOD smelled the sweet fragrance and thought to himself, "I'll never again curse the ground because of people. I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age, but I'll never again kill off everything living as I've just done. The Message.
Prior to this, GOD had sent flood over the face of the Earth to purge the evilness of the human race. GOD saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil - evil, evil, evil from morning to night. GOD was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. GOD said, "I'll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds - the works. I'm sorry I made them." But Noah was different. GOD liked what he saw in Noah. Genesis 6: 5-8 The Message.
150 days later, GOD remembered Noah. But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountain of Arafat. Genesis 8:1-4 NIV.
"Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. " And God said: "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you for perpetual generations:
"I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Genesis 9: 11-13 NKJV.
As 2007 comes to a close, one thing remains unchanged - faith, faithfulness and grace. Faith - belief and trust in God. Faithfulness - the will and devotion in showing loyalty; being true to facts or to an original; fidelity. Grace - undeserved acceptance and love received from another, especially the characteristic attitude of God in pursuing reconciliation with mankind.
It's all about a faithful God and folks that remained. For a mule of a person as I am, it can only be by the grace of God that I have what and whom I have in my life. I am no pedigree. More of a stray than anything else. Yet this stray has found favour with a few good men and feisty ladies. That is enough. Made my first trip to Europe with my cousins in January. Survived a storm with 180 km gale without being blown away, only to create our own outside a subway - trashing out years of grievances and misunderstanding.
"February 4, 2007, Sabbath. Singapore.
Been back for a week and finally able to find the time and space to write. It's good to be home. Throughout the two weeks that I had been overseas, I witnessed the intervening hand of God (through storms), experienced His faithfulness (in taking care of travel arrangements and accommodations) and found solace in His presence (when I felt alone but not abandoned).
On the third day of the trip, My cousin and I were visiting the town of Nymphenburg, northeast of central Munich in the morning when we received warning that a storm was expected to hit town some time in the afternoon. While taking pictures of the Nymphenburg palace, we were almost carried into the lake by the strong wind. It was not too long before we decided that we had better return to the hotel. Storm clouds gathered very quickly and seemed to block out the sun sooner that we could turn our heads.
We got back to the hotel between 2 pm to 3 pm. As we had been out the whole morning, we decided to stay in to rest while we wait out the brewing storm. Little did we know that the full force of the storm was unleashed upon Western Europe shortly after that. News reported that wind as strong as 180 km per hour was sweeping people off the streets of another foreign city, even related injuries were reported. Flights were cancelled and train services running out of Germany were suspended. The country was on storm alert. We had originally planned to take the overnight train from Munich to Vienna the following night. And for the first time in my life, I was not too proud to ask members of both my biological and spiritual family to pray for me and my travel companions."
June 18, 2007. Changeover in leadership at the desk.
Da Guo, as much as we fight, antagonise and drive each other up the wall; little do I take your presence at the desk for granted. You must be aware by now, lapses at times when you communicate with me. In situations which I have not come across before. Displaying emotions that are raw and real. Things that probably you will understand and accept better when others can barely stomach. Being around you has drawn me out of my silence. It has also uncovered the hidden side of me while challenging the untested parts. Along with Jacquie and Nanc, you have been the Magi who have an influence over the shaping of my person and my career at the desk.
May 2008 be the Year of Jubilee. A season of joyful celebration. In the Hebrew Scriptures, Jubilee is a year of rest to be observed by the Israelites every 50th year, during which slaves were to be set free, alienated property restored to the former owners, and the lands left untilled. What gives life meaning is being thankful for what and whom we have in our lives. Past losses and glory are what they are, past. Give thanks. Appreciate the present. Learn to count our blessings in the midst of loss, transition and hope. While I was caught in the rain last Sunday evening during my run, I turned around after the rain has stopped only to find myself positioned in the centre of a full arch rainbow! Just as I was wondering how to close the chapters in 2007, He seemed to be telling me, "I have brought it to completion."
Blessed New Year!
Shalom,
Sv ",+
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