going home

Friday, July 31, 2009

cold comfort

"I'd rather be an ophan than to stay with this family!", she exclaimed helplessly.

Suffering from the deprivation of love from her family,she had never
exhibited it in public except for being garrulous.
She was often a victim for blame and a good medium to dissipate frustrations.
Norminally having a home, yet akin to an ophan.
Living in desolation,the emotional and physical trauma she was
experiencing could only be inscribed in her secret diary;
the only therapy in her life now that is keeping her sane.

*Non-fiction*2009

written on
7:38 PM

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

"It Is Well with My Soul" is a very influential hymn penned
by hymnist Horatio Spafford and composed by Philip Bliss.

This hymn was written after several traumatic events in Spafford’s life.
The first was the death of his only son in 1871, shortly followed by
the great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer).
Then in 1873, he had planned to travel to Europe with his family
on the S.S. Ville du Havre, but sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire.
While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sailing ship,
the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford's daughters died.
His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous
telegram, "Saved alone." Shortly afterwards, as Spafford
traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write
these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.

It Is Well With My Soul

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Horatio Spafford

written on
5:51 PM

Monday, July 06, 2009

In Holy Matrimony

*Adapted from Jon and Rachel's Wedding Exhortation*

Marriage was never man's idea. It was God's unfathomable wisdom which bestows this gift upon man. The instituition of marriage was for His own glory,to nurture life and to afford humanity a higher order of relationship that would be substantially representative of our relationship with Him.

To put in vernacular mathematical terms,the take-aways from the exhortation;

In holy matrimony, the equivoques of a marriage,

1+1 = 1

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24)

To be emotional,mentally,physically,financially independent of parents. Husband/wife becomes the immediate family in all circumstance.

Also,

1+ 1 > 2

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Genesis 2:15

Two heads are better than one, when two are united in one flesh, lives are nurtured and complements.

However,

1+1= 3

Marriage is more than a private agreement between a man and a woman. A blessed marriage has to be one that acknowledges God's sovereignty and intervention. Just like how a triangle is graphed, the nearer we move towards the vertice, the closer are the two line segments. Therefore, the closer we draw towards God, the closer the marital relation would be.

To Rachael and Jonathan : Blessed marriage (:

written on
6:39 PM