Catching up
dear friends,
the past week and a half have really been busy. Busy with meetups, celebrating birthdays, work... am feeling rather tired physically, since i've been sleeping abt 3am daily, but my heart is full of Him and I am glad.
Have occassioned to be smsed/msned by both Wesley and Jonas, and have been greatly uplifted from discouragement through their affirmation. I haven't shared much or mentioned names, but it simply encourages me to know there are still people there who value knowing the thoughts on His heart, and working from rest in Him. So that's one thing to give thanks for. =)
The second is the two birthdays that have just passed. Firstly, for the 7th of feb, I really want to thank God for a wonderful outing with my colleagues, for an evening of good food and good fellowship. I love these friends much, and I've been praying 6 mths now for His grace to be with them, and for an opportunity to share what He's done in my life with them. I got to do it yesterday--they were rather keen to hear it-- and so i shared how He taught me to hear Him (rain story), and how Jarett and I got together. We wanted to talk on, but it was getting late. I'm especially concerned for one of them, who is facing some difficult situations in her life now, and I know there's lots in her heart tt God wants to heal, and needs He wants to meet. I pray He'll meet her in a way that's as undeniably real to her as possible, and that she'd be open to the idea that He's that interested in her life. I'll keep praying. Jesus loves her so much.
Second, for today, Jarett's birthday. I'd spent all week making a boardgame for him. It was lots of work. Here's some short notes:
- 20th jan: been thinking abt Jarett always saying i never do anything for his birthday. Last year i came at 7am to suprise him with a cake. This year thought I'd make him a boardgame, so I''ll personalise one of the boardgames we play often. I've finished planning out e boardgame n doing up the cards etc.
- 25th Jan: I'm looking at the work i've done so far now, and now I think he may actually be bored. There's just so much more I want to give him if i can. So I'm scrapping the game. gng to think of something else.
- 31st jan: have finally settled on a new game, and am done planning n modifying it. Stayed up all night doing graphics (looking for nice pictures that i can use for the game components). Think i've downloaded abt 200 pictures today, and seen abt 1000. its 1.30am now.
- 1st feb thurs: lunch hour rushed to NUS printer to recee print quality, dimensions i must format to, discuss price, specifications etc. very worried abt what to use as game pieces. Making a list of places to hunt. magic shops? found some boardgame manufacturers online selling boardgame parts, but they are terribly expensive. I'll make my own, but must be high standard.
- 2nd feb fri: went to big bookshop at lunch hour today to see what i can get. I found some erasers that are configurable enough to make relatively nice game pieces--just finished making them. It's now 1 am. I must start and finish all the graphics by tonight, design, do artwork, get everything ready, cos I won't have time tomorrow at BB. The printer needs it latest by monday so he can print in time... ahh!! so much to do. hope can finish. Was a little down when i reached home at 11pm, cos tho i went to help daryl prepare BS, all i managed was to feel somewhat irrelevant, and to be honest, jealous--I badly needed to know Jarett would give me undivided attention at least once a month, the way he gave it to his boys, cos he can rarely even sit still with me if TV's not involved. I feel selfish for feeling neglected, it sounds so entirely self-pitying, but the truth is, I really simply want to know his heart and mind. Anyway, doing this has given me a pick-me-up. Feeling enthusiastic and throughly dedicated--doing this gives me joy, cos i am thinking abt Jarett feeling blessed and having fun.
- 3rd feb sat: spent today doing graphics. couldn't finish last night. have to go for junmei's wedding dinner later. Still a bit down to think Jarett wld rather spend time helping a boy prepare BS, but not even talk to me with that kind of interest or initiative. Nut felt better working on his present.
- 4th sun night: went to visit Jarett n encourage him cos he was rather stressed out. While he was out at hall duty today, i went to big bookshop again, to hunt a box for the game, n some extra supplies. Still lacking one black counter/ chess pawn and 2 dice. worried since i hve no idea if i'll find them ever, or where to find loose pieces like that. 4am. gng to sleep now. just finished graphics files, so that they'll be ready for printing and be in time for collection n cutting etc, for his birthday. was nice to see jarett today--he tried encouraging me abt BB. I do appreciate it.
- 5th mon night: been a long day. went to submit graphics files today for printing at lunch. then rushed there after work again to pick up part of the printing tt's done so tt i can finish cutting the foam board n stickers to make the modular baseboard. 2.40am now. just finished. Been wondering for the past few days what to use for a "satan" piece. didn't really like the satan cartoons i found online, so decided to just use a clip.
- 6th tues night; went to printer twice today. lunchtime cards were not printed. after work, they had printed it wrongly. I'll hve to go back again tmr. made the "satan" piece today. now need to get dice. hope they finish printing n cutting cards by tmr. still need to get dice... dunno where to find! talked to jonas n quite a few others, who suggested town might have.
- 7th wed night: collected cards today. have had a good birthday. went for dinner with colleagues, and got to share Christ!! Praise God! am praying for this colleague n really hope she'll come to know Christ. by the time dinner ended, it was quite late. so by the time we got to lucky plaza where there's supposed to be magic shops selling dice, they were all closed. then i was really praying for there to be a shop with dice, cos i really wanted to give Jarett a complete set. walked back to far east plaza and all shops were closed, except for one. So i thought i might as well just ask, and guess what, they had dice!!! Praise God! I'm really glad i got to finish his present. Hope he'll enjoy it. makes me feel fuzzy to think of him =)
It's 1am now, and Jarett's birthday has just passed. we tried out the boardgame. Jarett said he had fun, but wouldn't mind monopoly either.
well above and beyond all these events, spiritual life wise, I really thank God for ministering thru Kian Boon's messages and our two dear worship leaders who pray thru their worship prep. I love just resting deeply in Him, loving Him together with all of them, sharing Christ with those around us, etc and learning more abt what it means to delight in Him again as I rest. I'll probably consolidate all i've learnt into the next post.
so yep, that's how I've been =)
