Iris folding

I folded this iris following instructions from a craft magazine I borrowed from the library. At first, I thought that I wouldn't really do it... but I did! :) Usually, I just fantasize and say that I would do it when something inspires me and then, I don't or I procrastinate and soon, it becomes forgotten. Looking at the finished iris is definitely rewarding. :) So what exactly is this iris thing?
Quoting the magazine, "Iris Folding originated in Holland. It's a technique in which you fold strips of three or four coordinating papers depending on your design and then arrange them in a pattern to resemble the iris of an eye or camera."

The 3D look is pretty cool, the person who invented this craft is so innovative! I had lots of fun despite it being a little meticulous. :D

Music

"Without enthusiasm nothing real comes of art."

Robert Schumann
Rules for Young Musicians

"Always play as if a master heard you."

Robert Schumann
Rules for Young Musicians

Mark 13

The end times are near. Today's message was detailed, direct and powerfully delivered. It was very interesting to hear statistics of the world's food shortage, wars, natural disasters (tsunamis, floods... etc.) but chilling because of the large numbers. There are 4 seals: Deception (Rev 12:9, 2 Thess 2:9-12), Wars (Mark 13:7), Famine (Mark 13:8, Rev 6:6) and Death- disasters, cyclones, tsunamis etcs (Luke 21:25). Deception is what I'm afraid of... a 'watering down' of the faith. God, please help me to stay rooted in You and to present You as you are to others and not any other way.

I learnt a new word too... called, eschatology

, which is a study of the end times. Our youth Sunday school may embark on a series of Revelation studies with the speaker if consensus has been made. So far, response has been quite good. :) I hope there will be a class for it.

" Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is."
Mark 13:33

Vancouver Winter Olympic Games

Was watching the coverage of the winter olympic games on television and really enjoyed the exhilaration of being a television spectator. :D It's so cool to watch the winter games because we don't have these kind of sports here... no snow, no ice, summer all year round. :) The athletes are great and their stamina and determination makes me admire them. I love competitive sports.

Tuesday

... just a random note: just now I was cracking eggs to scramble and 3 of them had double yolks! No wonder they were big eggs, my mum was saying maybe its ivf or something. :) She bought it from the market nearby.

Ok, getting back to my main post. Today I had piano exam in the morning slightly earlier than 10.59am, the stated time. Thank God for a nice examiner who's an elderly Scottish and was very friendly and gave quite a number of hints. On commenting on the texture of the piece he played for me for the last part of aural, I said the texture was homophonic. There was a pause and he played a part of it again, more audibly emphasising the imitative texture of the piece, to which I immediately realised my error and responded that the texture was polyphonic. Giving a smile of relief (it seems) he heartily voiced a "Thank you!" confirming that his hint had got through and I had responded correctly. Oh my, I was quite ashamed that I couldn't pick out the texture especially if it was a Baroque piece. Sad to say, my pieces did not go without slips, including scales. Double sigh. Aural was unexpectedly quite ok, I thought I wouldn't be able to identify the modulations and chords at all but God enabled me. ( I had been worried about it and prayed about it... He answered! :) ) Thank God too for the prayers by my family and friends for my brother and I who both took the same grade exam consecutively today.
...I sincerely hope though, that the kind examiner would have better players than me to listen to... :D... he was really patient.

With piano exam done (unless I have to retake), I can focus more on violin exam coming up and music theory (I've forgotten quite a lot of grade 6 stuff already). Taking music exams and learning music is costly and I don't want to waste the opportunity given to me... so even though I've felt like giving up so many times and stared at my violin bow with agitation, with God's help, I'll press on. It does become easier though when I've crossed the challenge of mastering something but I've realised that in order not to lose the skill, I must not stop practicing and of course, practicing should not be a dead regime as well.

Prayer

God has a purpose in everything He does. Everything. Many times, I pray like how Francois Fenelon puts it in his book, Christian Perfection, "Too many people pray like little boys who knock at doors, then run away." We're doing this book in Sunday school now called, "Partners in Prayer," by John C. Maxwell. It's an exciting book for me and I'm looking forward to learning how to pray the right way and to pray without ceasing. Right now, I'm praying for a prodigal brother. Please bring him back LORD.

Immersed

I've recently been reading a book entitled, "The Last Sin Eater." The title itself already suggests the occupation of the sin eater. My dad bought the book, haha my house is a little like a mini library, so when a new book comes, I read it. :) The book is an unputdownable. For the first time, I read a book in about half a day. I like the story plot as the characters are metaphorical of Christian context. This fictional story by Francine Rivers allows readers like me to really step into the shoes of a person who is still living in fear and held in the bondage of sin and the longing to be free and at peace. Later as I read on, this little girl called Cadi Forbes and another boy are saved by hearing from the "man of God," a missionary to their clan in the highlands which were quite hostile to strangers. They experience joy and freedom in truth and even the sin eater was enlightened and freed from all his years of being a scapegoat that hindered the village from knowing that only the One could take their sins away, not mere man. As a 2nd generation Christian, I didn't really experience a dramatic joy when I received Christ but I feel free in Christ and am still learning to walk in Him. This story enabled me to get an inkling of how a first generation Christian feels at the intense freedom in Christ they feel when they believed in the truth and saw the light. I'm glad that I read this story. I think God is reminding me about His grace and mercy and that I too have a duty.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
John 14:6