Quotes of (Last Night)

Came back to Clayton with two of the FUNNIEST boys ever. Gotta give them credit though, they were so kind to help me carry my hobo bag with all my groceries, because the stupid strap broke and you had to hold it like those brown paper bags. These were my top three favourite quotes of the night:

Daren: The last time you took my picture, it came out so ugly!
Qui: That's because you are ugly.


(Daren buying two ice-creams at McDonalds)
Me: Is that both for you??
Daren: No, one for me and one for Qui. 
Me: OHHH.
Daren: I could eat ten though, I just can't hold ten ice-cream cones.


Qui: So nice that you guys have a TV to watch at home. 
Me: I don't even watch the TV we have at home.
Qui: You don't need to watch TV, cause your house is already like a TV show. 

to be thankful for Pt. 2

Because more good things have been making me smile and I wanted to share them with you..

When my friends wake up early to pray together and fight my battles with me,
When I am doubly assured that if I ever get together with anyone less than I deserve, that there would be 'about a hundred people kicking my butt',
When a girlfriend hugging me wants a longer hug because I smell nice,
When I get to see old ladies smile with joy from receiving a flower stalk each,
When the orchestra I expected to fall asleep in turned out so GOOD,
When my housemate forgives me for accidentally taking her lunch to school and kindly asks me to enjoy it,
When I make it through a long and tiring day, and know that tomorrow will be a new day..

I just know that God's always with me. :) And that's good enough a reason to rejoice.



Here's a song they sung today, one that reminded me to measure my life in love, and taught me a lesson in counting my time. <3

With as much love as always,
Dice

that bubbling joy

Joy has been a word commonly on my mind over the past few months. I like the way it sounds, and feels, and to some extent, I feel that my challenge is to remain joyful in every circumstance. Not like.. crazy happy, but that bubbling joy that presents differently in different times.


But really..
When someone you've never met before says "You make me smile" (and not in a creepy way)
When you get tagged in a video of some of your favourite uncles in the world singing
When the nice old man at the flower-shop gives you a huge rose as a present
When people like the blueberry muffins you made
When you have four crazy girls excited over Skype talk to you
When the friends you deeply cherish are winning in their personal battles
When unexpected people start rising up passionately to the call of God
When you receive textbooks from Malaysia sent by the AWESOMEST parents
When the PPeACE wall is getting too full to be contained
When you get to see a random stranger smile from getting to have the leftover food at urbs


When I've got more to type out here but sleepy eyes already..


Like.. how can I possibly keep from being joyful? How can I possibly keep from singing Your praise O God? :) You are so beautiful Lord, and I know that every bit of beauty I see here on earth is simply a small reflection of Your glorious beauty. :) 


Open your eyes real big and see how breathtaking life can be! :D


Be blessed dear reader! <3

So easily they stole my heart away

Took them less than 10 minutes to make me miss them and miss home so much now. 

one step closer

:)

in the presence of love

Because when you encounter the love of God, you'll never be the same again.

"Let my life be Your love song
Everyday sing to You
May my heart always please You
As a sweet offering
I am satisfied in You
Come be glorified in me
All of my life You’ve been faithful
My Savior my King and my Friend
All of my life I will lay down
To love You with all that I am"
- Lovesong, Desperation Band

in the presence of grace

As I walked home from uni today, I planned out the rest of my day. Go home, wash dishes, cook dinner, get stuff, come back to library to study. Then I remembered my assignment that needed completion, so.. go home, finish SPC, wash dishes etc. When I left home this morning, the sink was FULL of dishes, about half of which were mine. I felt so bad leaving them there like that, but didn't have time to wash them yesterday. So as I made my way back, I calculated how long it would take for me to finish washing them, dreading the task.

I came home and walked past the kitchen to my room, only to find that they were all washed. All cleaned, sparkly, and drying on the racks. I was so touched and amazed to see it all done, something that should have been my responsibility written off as settled. Moved, I learnt a lesson in grace.

Similarly, Jesus came to earth two thousand years ago to pay the price for my sins, my wrongdoings, my imperfections. It was something that should have been pinned on me, I should never have been able to be in such a close, intimate relationship with God now. I should have belonged to hell. But He came, and gave up what was most precious, His life to snatch us out of hell, that we may spend eternity with Him. God, who died on the cross for us, how crazy is that? Sometimes I get so used to the concept that I don't think twice about it anymore, but every now and then, it hits me again, God in all His holiness and perfection came down and paid a price He never needed to pay, the greatest price of all, to save us. To break the power of sin over us once and for all.

Upon seeing clean plates, I quickly inquired who was behind it, and hastened to meekly yet graciously say my thank you.

Upon knowing my sins are forgiven, and knowing the God who did it for me, what else can I possibly do but meekly say thank you as well? I can't possibly pay Him back, and I need this gift.

And to be in this relationship with Him, to have His mercies new every morning, to be a Christian simply because I'm thankful and I love Him, to have NOTHING asked of me to prove my worth to Him but to just love Him and love people, no good works to gain His affection or kind acts to earn my way into heaven, NOTHING of the sort, just accepting His innocent blood spilled as my ticket to heaven and understanding that He could never love me more than He already fully does.. that is the beauty of grace.

God's just holding His hand out to you saying, take it, take this salvation and live in the freedom I paid the price for.

Sometimes we may even feel like we don't deserve it. But what's done is done, and there is NOTHING we can ever give in return that could amount to the sacrifice He gave, and so we aim to simply give our lives for His, and live a life just loving Him every day.

How wonderful it is to be in the presence of His grace. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound indeed.

Blessed,
Candice