The Long Way Up

Nerves ball up, entangled into knots Grateful, blessed for what it is I've got How on earth did all these things line up Kind of scared I might not be enough You, so gracious, careful with my heart Think so oft of how you could impart Aide in word and deed and all that's good Back me up in every way you could I'm excited: what the future holds Still expecting ways it could unfold Places, paces, movements in the world Falling deeper as it all unfurls You, so soft and gentle to the touch Here with you, I feel it's all too much So much more of you yet to explore There's eight more to pass and not before That December day is far behind Stowed away inside my heart and mind One fine day cascades into a life Twelve months later: soon be man and wife

Words would never be enough Promises and sentiments etched in stone Can in time may still be eroded No empty oath, no platitude But gratitude through heart and hand And eros one day exploded For all benevolent intent you've shown A grateful soul appreciates The self to give is ever paramount For kindred heart, imparted flair Connect us in no usual method A word fit-spoken one can't do without For every thing that falls to place by you Bedazzles one who would applaud How does one's fortune sparkle bright For you, a beacon in hushless space Emblazoned in mysterious twist Now form the lovely moonlit night

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." -- Ephesians 6:10-11 - - - - - Although this passage finds the reader towards the tail end of the epistle to the Ephesians, I feel like this is nevertheless the perfect way to sum up what the apostle Paul has carefully laid out in the preceding chapters: the need for relational vigilance, spiritual militancy, and perpetual determination to persevere amid the raging invisible conflict. I went through Ephesians this month via three sets of devotionals as part of my study on different books of the Bible with my fiancée. And though I have read this Pauline epistle before, this examination gave me an insight that I have not had a privilege of receiving. Many people would probably know of the 'full armor of God' passage in chapter six. Preachers have no doubt spoken about or taught on our weapons of spiritual ...

The seeping, the draining of every shade Turned lifeless and dull as these memories fade Opaqueness invading what once was so clear Come, tell me again what I'm longing to hear Remind me what red is and what it foretells "It indicates danger and anger as well. Red runs through our veins; it's the color that bleeds. It colors our hearts and our passionate deeds." And what about blue? What does that color mean? "It's loyalty, honesty, calmness; serene. It colors the sky, the sea, and one's trust. And sometimes it paints sadness, too: it's a must." I'm feeling elated with all that you say So, tell me some more; I think we've got all day I'm curious of yellow and what it might spell Enlighten me further; you're doing so well "The yellows are cheerful and bring such delight; They introduce happiness, joy, and insights. These hues spell out sunshine, and laughter, and mirth But also...

One man debate An argument defined Hashing out the issue With me, myself and I One desires loneness The other, company Conflict now arising The third one, symmetry One man debate An argument prolonged Escalating problems In speech, in prose, in song One highlighting drama The other, tragedy Channeling the Greeks now The third sees comedy One man debate An argument to cease Locked within his own self And his soliloquies One solution: counsel Another: time and space The other: flip a new page And run at his own pace

The Bible is rife with life lessons, meaningful maxims, powerful principles, and revitalizing revelations that enlighten the human mind when understood and transform the human being when applied. For the month of October, my fiancée and I agreed to go through a series of devotionals on the book of Galatians as part of our joint spiritual growth disciplines. We are not by any means attempting to go 'scholarly' on our study of Scripture (as valuable as it is); we simply desire to know God and His word more, especially in the context of us looking forward to living out our walk with Jesus together as husband and wife. As of this writing, we are on the second devotional series on Paul's letter to the church of Galatia. I think we will be able to go through a third one before the month ends.  At the outset of this joint study on the book of Galatians, the thought of learning more spiritual things that can be applied in practical ways piqued my interest: it would a...

The arts is such a vast and varied collection of creative activity and expression emanating from depths of the human mind. It is life captured and translated into different forms with the goal of charming and enthralling some, or provoking and inspiring others. My first introduction to the arts was by way of crayons and coloring books. As a kid, I was enamoured by the fact that I could assign whatever shade I want to the shapes and forms drawn on pale white, sometimes drab gray, pages. A little later after that, audible art found its way into my ears and became a staple art form in my life for years to come. Music soothed me, excited me, motivated me, consoled me, and accompanied me through the many seasons I have been through. Much later still, I got into photography and discovered I had a knack for it. Taking pictures afforded me opportunities to capture what I considered interesting and attractive in life, and immortalize them in polaroids, photo paper, and pixels. ...

You go nowhere but move fast Spinning mildly you won't last Though attractive, quite a bore Round and round and nothing more You don't back down, not a chance Overcoming circumstance Quite aggressive and intense Often making not much sense You concur with all that's said Always nodding with your head One for all, for unity But then think of where you'll be You are languid now and then Eager for the where and when You're the bedrock for this thirst And at other times the worst You're the limit they can't pass You're a boundary that lasts Separating time from tide Marking where all should abide You are signal to a change Dropping old things isn't strange Little cooler but still warm Letting go has been your norm You're commanding to the eye All, it seems, intensifies Insulating, tough, and cool You're a fighter, not a fool You are random, you're aligned Each a trait...

It's cold and dim and no one really sees All that transpires inside this sphere Just a little patience and mercy, please While one deals with these anxious fears Some things flicker here and there But none too bright to rouse satiation These eyes have looked almost everywhere But none yet meets expectation Perpetually embracing an elusive muse Entangled in pursuit of distant dreams Hope fatigued but still in use Pushing forth through turgid streams Swirls of postulations hardly condense Indefinitely paused but intentionally ceased Someday when comes the recompense All tensions will be calmed, all fussing eased Peaks and valleys, highs and lows Nothing is stagnant, as everything moves Forward and onward: that's always the flow Survive then thrive, as all this will prove For now belief and stand reiterate Let seeing eye not be the only guide On truth and good and love meditate Stay on...

Feelings are tricky. Even deceptive. You can't control who you have strong affections for, and you could never be certain if that person you're pining for has the reciprocal equivalent of your heightened emotions. Liking someone -- and eventually developing lasting fondness for and attachment to them -- is like playing a game of Russian roulette: you never know if you're going to get shot in the head or live to see another day. . . preferably in the arms of your object of affection who turned out to feel the same way that you do. Sadly, life doesn't always go the way we want. SHO T TO THE HEART AND YOU'RE TO BLAME I am no stranger to falling victim to 'falling in love'. I was a sucker for it. Having been exposed at an early age to the particular brand of romance that Hollywood so lavishly and abundantly produces, I became the boy who wore rose-colored glasses, who pined for that perfect 'someone' to come into my life one day, and who l...

"The state of great comfort and extravagant living." This is how luxury is defined. And this is how I would have wanted to live the rest of my life if I had it all my way. I mean, come on! Who wouldn't want to live in physical and material comfort and abundance in a world that entices us to get all that we can get out of it. At one point in my life I had desired to live the ultimate luxuriant life : have a high-paying, white collar job; live in an expensive mansion with acres and acres of nature surrounding it; have a pool and my own home theater inside the house; travel the world on a regular basis. This would then signify to me and to others that "I have made it" ! At another point in my life I tried to live a semi-luxurious kind of life by buying fancy clothes at full price, getting stylish shoes, dining at nice restaurants, collecting music and movie CDs and feeling like a connoisseur while doing so. It felt like I was trending with the Joneses wa...

This old gem of a blog post came from ten years ago when a slew of major life changes started taking place. Change is the only constant. The sooner we learn to adjust, the better will we be at adapting, adjusting, and innovating. - - - - - December 9, 2008 I had a conversation with my mother last week about my brother and sister-in-law starting a new life in New Zealand. We talked about them getting involved in the church there and how my sister-in-law has been saying that their fledgling congregation could use someone like me [down pride!]. I told my ma that my brother is the one who is needed in ministry there, that's why he's there. And she replies, "Well, he's still adjusting to life there." This got me to thinking last night while showering. "Isn't our life here on earth about adjustments anyway?" No matter how old or young we are, no matter how comfortable or uncomfortable our life situation may be, no matter how far ...

There is a need to state a few things more For a host of feelings and musings sore I'll say them soberly though not quite covertly I'm glad that we met until you tried to subvert me Ms. Understand, we couldn't see eye to eye My hands extended kindness but you went for a lie Not all affinities are subterfuge for some huge thing Now all's been drowned by a deluge of fawning Ms. Communicate, please think before you speak Your voice is too loud but your argument is weak The goodwill you've painstakingly tried to convey Came off rather sour as with all else you say Ms. Guided, you should have really thought first Look before you leap, or else get into more hurt No one made you a promise or gave you their heart You rolled the dice, missed a ladder, slid back to the start Ms. Interpret, you read me all wrong I had no secret agenda, but your game was strong Insisted there was something in my actions and words...

Six months into an exciting, engaging, and exhilarating romantic relationship with my then-best-friend-now-girlfriend, my initial belief in the utmost significance of communication in fostering honesty, openness, and strong bonds of the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual kind has been gradually but steadily reinforced, applied, and lived out. From talking about the spiritual (faith and the rule of God) to the physical (health and food choices) to the musical (Scarypoolparty and Songland) to the extra special (travel plans and future goals), J and I have had awesome hours talking to each other, exchanging ideas and points of view as we both have a particular knack for meaningful dialogue and clever conversations. One major factor for our robust discussions is our ability to listen attentively while the other is talking . We both do love to talk -- a lot -- but we've come to a realization that in order to have effective communication in a relationship, we have to use our e...

You are enough You do not need the superfluous trappings of fame Or the glare of a spotlight zeroed in on you You do not need thunderous applause to prop you up Because once that's gone, silence is all that's left You are enough You do not need people to hang on to your every word Or have droves at your beck and call; what for? You do not need the backing of the masses Just a few who truly want to walk and run with you You are enough You do not need to always be in control, or at all Or to know every single thing that happens around you You do not need to have your say in every situation Sometimes innocence and ignorance truly lead to bliss You are enough You do not need the fattest bank account in Zurich Or have five villas in Panchgani or Tamtattouchte You do not need to run after Aston Martins Because you are much more inestimable than that You are enough You do not need to have the highest paying job Or the m...