Sporting and completely hilarious

POKER FACE | Lady Gaga (Acapella)

An experience worth remembering

A month ago, Joshua (Sam's brother) asked if I could help out with his church wedding decoration because the person who was suppose to do it, well, couldn't do it. So as terrifying and desperate as the request sounded, I was actually jumping for joy within because I've never had the experience of being part of a wedding's plan and processes! Plus, it was always a childhood dream of mine to be a wedding planner someday ;)

So, the entire month of planning and sourcing for materials was really stressful, especially with the given budget of RM400 only. But it all worked out well. The effort paid off and it was alot of fun!

Here are pictures of my first stint as a church wedding decorator :)

If you are pleased with the outcome, I'm open for hire in the future!

the aisle (of garlands, fake roses, organza ribbons, and real flower petals)

an upclose shot of the aisle (again)

i just love how the garlands droop at the end of the aisle

pretty :)

right after the ceremony (and probably during as well) kids were dismantling the tiny flower bouquets on the aisle and making it their own!

the stage

2 standees made of red roses and white pom poms, creeping ivy leaves and rose petals

The theme of the church wedding was actually WINE & CHAMPAGNE.

Do you think the deco met the theme? Did it give you the vibe of a vineyard wedding?

I really wanted to do a wooden stick arch, cos I thought that would do the trick but we really had no time and the bride and groom wanted something really minimalistic. Anyhows, i'm glad they liked the final outcome.

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Being part of this wedding plan was really a blessing and a testimonial worth sharing.

Because the budget was so tight, we decided that buying real flowers were way cheaper than fake flowers, especially for the stage deco and the flower standees. Getting the professionals, ie. florist to do it would cost even more. So Sam and I, being all confident that we can do it on our own, we went by faith and did the flower arrangements by ourselves the day before the wedding. After several hours of trying around, i realized we couldn't do it. Our arrangements were so unprofessionally looking and odd. The real thing came out so different from how we envisioned it to be.

So being the worry freak I am, I was really stressed out and emo and panicky. Joshua and Tina deserved something nice, and their entire family and relatives knew I was going to be the decorator. I had to live up to the expectations! I was just so down and emo, and at the verge of giving up. I was also partially annoyed with the wedding coordinator cos it was her suggestion in the first place to go DIY and experiment together. Yet, instead of coming at 4pm, she only came at 8pm!

(When i'm stressed up, I get easily annoyed and pissed off, so yeah, maybe she's not entirely at fault, but it was a big deal to me because the mood i was in aggravated the feelings even more)

Anyhow, she came at 8pm, saw the damage done, and tried to fix it. She suggest we go for a break and take our dinner and so we did. Throughout dinner, I was just thinking and talking to God, pleading for a miracle that when we get back after dinner, He would bless me with green fingers and I would be able to turn things around for good. It took courage to admit to Him that I know I'm really not as good as I think I could be. Truth be told, the situation humbled me.

When i came back after dinner, and saw how she salvaged the damage we had done, I felt really guilty for thinking badly of her in the first place. She's always so smiley, even when the situation was stressful, and she's never NOT smiling. I felt so ashamed of myself cos I'm like the total opposite.

HOWEVER, her being equally inexperienced as we are, the arrangement that she did, though nice, was way too tiny to be placed at the stage. And that's when God intervened, literally.

No, He didn't bless me with green fingers for the next 4 hours, but He sent us a florist, in the most unexpected way! It was Good Friday and just after service, this lady saw us working on the flowers and when we told her our problem, she said she could help us fix it, and make the arrangement look a little bigger! After talking to her a little, getting to know her better, she told us she actually owned a florist a long time ago! Praise GOD!!!!

She helped us out so much that she stayed from 9 pm till 12 pm (with her husband and kids) and got both the standees and the bridesmaid bouquets done! And it looked professionally done, because she was a professional! Praise God, again! Because of her help, I could concentrate on doing up the hall and the other decorations, and Sam could finish up his bestman speech. That night, when we finished up everything, I could rest in peace.

God is just so awesome.

I was proud, and He humbled me, for my own good. But He didn't just stop there. He provided a way out for me as well. What amazing love, and abounding grace. All praise be to God, seriously.

It really was an encouragement for me. And that's why I'm sharing this testimony to all.

Our God is real, and always dependable upon. Remember that, always.

2 Corinthians 12:9 -> "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

A beautiful discovery

Picture this.
A rainy evening. The skies are dark; the rain pours heavily; the traffic slow moving.
You look into your rear mirror. What do you see?
The reflection of the car headlights visibly clear on the seemingly glossy highway.
As you move forward, while stealing glimpses of the rear mirror, the yellow reflections seem to move along as well, somewhat dancing; graceful and serene in motion.
At that moment, you forget everything and find yourself with a weird sense of peace and comfort. And a smile on your face.
If only that moment; that sight could be captured. It would have been the year's best picture.
That was my beautiful discovery today. =)

Composition in BM

Inilah percubaan pertamaku untuk berkias dalam bahasa. :)

Inilah kisahku
Kaulah ilhamku
Mainan fikiran yang susah dihiraukan
Luahan perasaan yang kian terpendam

Ku rindu dakapannya
Lirik manisnya yang berbuih di bibir ku
Gelisah hatiku berjumpanya
Namun bagai ubatan bagi luka hatiku

Haruskah ku hirau bisikan hatiku
Yang dambakannya untuk bercinta lagi
Haruskah ku hirau khayalan yang bergenang dalam mindaku
Yang membuatkan hatiku rindunya lagi

Memori kita yang masih di sisi
Segalanya yang ternyata indah

(c) Alicia Choy.

Estrella Rocks!

Wheeeeeeeee!! :)

I finally got my hands on Estrella's album, after searching high and low for it!

Liyana's an amazing lyricist and composer, and her bandmates are just awesomely talented as well.

It's good to see that our local music industry has so much talent, and that it's finally picking up.

Not to mention, these upcoming artists are from the jazz indie genre! My favourite! Oooolaalaaa!

Journey

It's a long long journey
Till I know where i'm supposed to be
It's a long long journey
Till I find my way home to You

Many days I've spent driffing on through empty shores
Wondering what's my purpose; wondering how to make me strong
I know I will falter , I know I will cry
And I know I need to be close to You

Sometimes it feels like no one understands
I don't even know why I do the things I do
When pride builds up in me till I can't see my soul
Will you break down these walls and pull me through

And help me find my way home to You...

Immortal Beloved

I've been watching too many romantic movies and crying in every single one.
Made of Honor, Sex and the City..
Is this some sort of an emotional workout?
Cos i'm not too sure if i can lift the weights of my feelings...

Anyway...

This is dedicated to you, my Beloved.. whoever you may be, wherever you are..

Something so beautifully written by Ludwig van Beethoven - Immortal Beloved, the 3rd Letter. Enjoy.

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"Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, now and then joyfully, then sadly, waiting to learn whether or not fate will hear us - I can live only wholly with you or not at all - Yes, I am resolved to wander so long away from you until I can fly to your arms and say that I am really at home with you, and can send my soul enwrapped in you into the land of spirits - Yes, unhappily it must be so - You will be the more contained since you know my fidelity to you. No one else can ever possess my heart - never - never - Oh God, why must one be parted from one whom one so loves. And yet my life in V is now a wretched life - Your love makes me at once the happiest and the unhappiest of men - At my age I need a steady, quiet life - can that be so in our connection? My angel, I have just been told that the mailcoach goes every day - therefore I must close at once so that you may receive the letter at once. Be calm, only by a calm consideration of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together. Be calm. Love me - today, yesterday.. what tearful longings for you - you - you - my life - my all - farewell. Oh continue to love me - never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.
Ever thine - Ever mine - Ever ours."

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When will you write me a love letter?

Love-inspired

I believe that a great piece of composition is often the product of one's reaction towards the experiences and emotions of life. But the other aspect that truly amazes me is how our extreme feelings towards a particular circumstance of life can give rise to great and impressive masterpieces. An example would be Vincent van Gogh. He suffered from mental disorders, financial difficulty and other crazy challenges. Yet, his paintings are now among the world's finest works of art. How such a broken person can create images that brim with beauty or write songs so good that they linger even decades later just doesn't fail to keep me in wonder and amazement.

Taking another famous personality from the Bible, and someone just like van Gogh, the apostle Paul endured significant lifelong struggles as well, but his career for Christ flourished. At one point, he wrote, "We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it." (2 Corinthians 1:8). He was pretty sure the end was near, but something kept him going.
What was it that kept him going? He spelled it out for us when he wrote, "We....learned to rely only on God. We have placed our confidence in Him, and He will continue to rescue us."

Sometimes, we think our only consolation is found in a change of circumstances, by eloping to a different environment altogether in hopes of putting the issue aside, hidden and swept under the rug, but God wants to console us right in the midst of our difficult circumstances, and to do it through Christ alone. I know i'm guilty of the former, of trying to take the easy way out sometimes, and not the road less taken. And i know, i need to deal with the issue rather than keep a pretense about it.
I mean, look at Paul. Despite the shitty mess he was in, imprisonment and etc, he was free to go on ministering to others because he was not pinned down by despair or fear. He was liberated, in soul and spirit, despite being imprisoned. I, on the other hand, am very much the opposite.

I just pray that despite the bitterness i sometimes feel about life, that God would use them to mould me, that i too, just like Van Gogh, will be able to produce a work of art out of the circumstances...that shall inspire others; and at the end of the day, reap a good harvest despite the constantly weathered soil.