Beauty in the broken...

*LISTENING TO:*
Song: Unashamed
Artist: Starfield
Album: Beauty in the Broken
Quote: "...And I know I'm weak, I know I'm unworthy, to call upon Your name. But because of grace, because of Your mercy, I stand here unashamed..."
* * *

The remedy to keep my mind off of things bothering me and uplift my spirits? Be with friends and family. Guess I could call it a good week.

Saturday, went for Dim Sum with parentals in the afternoon and then went to Doug & Pauline's new house in the evening for a pot-luck. Their house is in a newly-developped area but was really nice. Heheh, I can picture living in a place like that someday... don't need anything huge, but just nice and homey. Heheh. Twas just a good time to hang out with fellowship people... mostly talking and playing Uno. Heheh.

Sunday, went to afternoon church service at CCCO. Pastor Cal made a reference in his sermon to The Shawshank Redemption and it got me thinking about a little thing like hope. I remember the Morgan Freeman character warning "Hope can be a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane." and I've written that myself... but then I recall the Tim Robbins character saying in the closing scene, free and off in tropical paradise, "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.". I guess that's why the movie remains, to this day, my favourite all-time movie... it's a positive movie about the message that holding onto a little thing like hope, even in the direst circumstances, can free you in the end... like the poster over my bed says "Fear will hold you prisoner, hope will set you free."

Had lunch afterwards with some fellowship members at Mei Xim (mmm... curry beef brisket rice dish... so good). Bumped into Jen Ho there too, heheh. Had the Shanxi meeting where, thank goodness, we were more informed as to what we'd be doing over in China and given more logistics on how to do our job there. I think up until that point, a lot of us were very skeptical... but that meeting I think cleared up a lot of questions. We're all now getting excited about going there and working with the kids... we're also eager to start designing the curriculum and teaching materials. I'm excited! I also get to see China for the first time! Only a little over a month away though... kinda scary but a good scary. Heheh. Popped over to Chapters after the meeting with Bonnie & Steph... only to find out I really really REALLY suck at Mandarin. :P Evening was spent with the boys (Vanny & Andrew) and a little Counterstrike action. Oh man, I must be slippin'... I got rocked. Heheh.

Monday, got some studying done in the afternoon, had a big BBQ with family in the evening, then went over to Merlin's place to watch the exciting OT Dallas vs. San Antonio NBA game.

Wednesday, had worship team practise... after a Sunday off to recollect myself, back on the Celebration worship team again this week. Damn, Serena's getting good at guitar... pretty soon they won't need me at all, haha... she's getting a new guitar a the end of the week too, so that should be exciting for her. Scratchy & Denty's twin perhaps?... oh my.

Tomorrow, gonna try to get some studying done in the morning... stupid second test coming up next Thursday. I didn't do so well on the first so I HAVE to rock the second. Afternoon, hoping to take Steph out for fruit crepes at DuMarche in the Rideau Centre, along with Bonnie & Karen, to celebrate her finishing her thesis (woohoo, Steph!). After that, it's our first SPF night (Singspiration, Prayer & Fellowship...I think) at H2O Fellowship, so definitely looking forward to that. Been a while since I was part of a group that did spontaneous worship & prayer... should be exciting. :) Got my guitar back too! Heheh, oh how I missed you, Scratchy & Denty (ok, she definitely needs a new name now :P).