Year of St. Paul, Valentine's Day Eve, and Doraemon Valentine's Greetings

To commemorate The Year of St. Paul, Singaporean Catholics sign the Pledge to read at least one book of St. Paul during this St. Paul year. This Pledge Book will be presented to the Vatican at the end of the Pauline Year. Another great thing to celebrate the Pauline Jubilee year came from a Singaporean nun who sings and produces the album "His Grace is Sufficient". Sister Wendy Ooi, fsp, who is now serving in Kenya, in an interview with Catholic News, said that the CD is made by The Daughters of St. Paul to create greater awareness of life and writings of St. Paul.


Sample of songs can be found in here.

Back to the book of St. Paul, it's include: Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, Thessalonians, Timothy and Titus. I myself love the Corinthians the most :)

The reason why I love Corinthians is not because the meaningful passage about Love in its contents, but more to its easy understanding and application to our daily life. The first book of Corinthians (there are two books) covers about Church Divisions and Denominations, Marriage and Sexual Morality, Christians Rights and Responsibilities, Worship, Spiritual Gifts, and The Resurrection of Christ and of Believers. While the second book covers more to St. Paul's experiences during his time as an Apostle.

I may not the right person to explain about these two wonderful books, but as tonight is the eve of Valentine's Day, I'd like to quote the famous words taken from 1 Corinthians 13.

Love is patient and kind. It is not jealous or conceited or proud.
Love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable.
Love does not keep a record of wrongs.
Love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth.
Love never gives up.
Love is eternal...


~~~000~~~


I don't have any plans for tomorrow evening, I would probably just go around Orchard or Clarke Quay with my friends. Eventhough the Valentine's Day will only start this midnight at 12AM but I've seen many couples holding flowers bouquet in every single corner of Singapore this afternoon! Gosh... what will they bring for tomorrow then? Another bouquet?

I knowwwww...

I'm sorry I'm jealous -.-

But at least I'm honest about that.

Anyway, I've got this cute V-Day greetings from one of my contacts in Yahoo Messenger, it says: Don't love like Nobita who cries a lot and give up very easily, or like Giant (Takeshi) who is full of anger and emotional, or Suneo who is so proud of himself, or Shizuka who is weak and mellow, but love like Doraemon who is always ready to help, have lots of understanding, and full of surprises and magical things... Happy Valentine's Day.

Haha. I laughed out loud when I got the message in my blackberry phone. Everybody who watch this cartoon series must understand the meaning of this message. This is the cutest Valentine's Day greetings I've got so far and I think the person who came up with the idea is a genius. Really.

Love indeed is full of surprises. Just like Doraemon and his magical pocket.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Welcome Back, Audia...

You saw me crying in the chapel
The tears I shed were tears of joy
I know the meaning of contentment
Now I am happy with the Lord

I am here again... attending Sunday mass in this lovely church. A warm and friendly church that has the most beautiful band and funny priest. The place that I always come for praying after work, the place where I can just sit and talk to God, the place that I can take the holy water home.

Just a plain and simple chapel
Where humble people go to pray
I pray the Lord that I'll grow stronger
As I live from day to day

I've searched and I've searched
But I couldn't find
No way on earth
To gain peace of mind

When I was on the plane this morning, my only intention after arriving in Singapore is to be in the 12pm mass in Sacred Heart Church. So after I cleared immigration, I rushed to the taxi stand and straight away to the place where I'm going to stay for the next 15 days. I put my luggages in the room, settled the things with the owner, and took bus to the church.

I met my two friends (who also a regular in Sacred Heart church) in the Dhoby Ghaut station, and walked there.

Now I'm happy in the chapel
Where people are of one accord
We gather in the chapel
Just to sing and praise the Lord

As usual, this midday mass was packed with people. This is the time of the day when the Eucharist is celebrated with lively choir and band. And everybody can't wait to sing and have a good time in the church together!

Ev'ry sinner looks for something
That will put his heart at ease
There is only one true answer
He must get down on his knees

Meet your neighbor in the chapel
Join with him in tears of joy
You'll know the meaning of contentment
Then you'll be happy with the Lord

I dipped my finger to the holy water, made a cross sign, took the right side row, kneeled and prayed. I cried...

You'll search and you'll search
But you'll never find
No way on earth
To gain peace of mind

And I still can't stop tearing one until the end of the mass...

Take your troubles to the chapel
Get down on your knees and pray
Your burdens will be lighter
And you'll surely find the way

I love coming back to this church, and I'll keep coming back...
As I wiped the tears down in my face, I slightly heard my friend saying: "Welcome Back, Audia".

2009 Resolution

As I got sick for a quite some time, I came up with the New Year Resolution of being healthy. I don't have my usual long-list New Year resolutions, I don't even have anything cross in my mind this time, I only have one thing. And that is being healthy. Living a healthy life.

I realize that living healthy is not that simple, assuming that I can control and manage my food-consuming or probably being a vegetarian but what if I can't control and manage my stress? What if I am a stress-free person but I eat junk food and those with fats every single day? All would be useless.

I read somewhere that if we can control stress (mental, emotion, physically), eliminate toxins (pollution, chemical products, etc), and provide a good nutrition into our body, we can live a healthier, happier and longer life! Who doesn't want to live longer, happier and healthier? None I guess.

So basically there are three things as a key to live a better life: Stress-Free, Eliminate Toxins, and Good Nutrition.

It seems hard to balance those three things together. I can't even balance between my two boyfriends ~.~

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HAHAHAHAHA! (I'm sure some of you are shocked).


Anyway, I will surely try to keep my 2009 resolution alive as the most important thing is to let everything in God's safe hands. So help me God...

Go healthy life!

New Year 2009's Mass

Happy New Year 2009 everybody!!!

I'm now in Bandung! ~Yay! I finally can go to Bandung and had a New Year's mass in Gereja Kemuning (Kemuning Church). I still feel a bit unwell tho'. But I forced myself to go and have a good time here. Bandung is the nearest big city from Jakarta, widely known as Paris van Java, it has become a shopping destination since the emerging of Factory Outlets in every single corner of this lovely city. My grandmother had been living in Bandung before she got stroke and moved to Jakarta. As far as I remember, I grew up between two cities; Jakarta and Bandung. I always liked Bandung even before the mushrooming of FO (Factory Outlets); I love the food, the street snacks, the surrounding, the cool weather at night, the traditional market... I love Bandung to pieces.

I have so many wonderful memories in Kemuning church, starting when I was a little baby... I got baptized in this church and when I was a kid until about 16 years old I had never failed to accompany my oma (Dutch word for grandmother) to church everytime I went to Bandung for a holiday. I always remember we used to sit in the front row and before the mass began my oma had always prepared the money for collection. There was always a temporary snack bazaar outside the church after the mass, and buying some snacks after the church was like somekind of reward for me for being a nice girl in the church.

When I was a little, I pictured Kemuning Church as an old and huge church with high ceiling but when I went there this morning I found out that it was rather small comparing to my parish church in Jakarta or any church that I've had visited so far. But still, the warm feeling was there, the cloud of memories flew over my head, and eventho' my nose can't stop running... I still can recall everything, and it seemed oma was still around.







I lit the candle for my oma after the mass, I prayed for her soul that God would take her to heaven and live together forever with Jesus and all the saints. I also lit some candles for my family and myself.

As I drove along the Kemuning road and went back to the house that I stayed in, I was thinking of my life and realized; everything that I have achieved so far... living abroad, traveling all over the world, and my further study... was all my prayer since I was a little girl where I kneeled down and prayed during the mass with my oma in Kemuning church.

Have a wonderful and abundant New Year, everybody... Be thankful as the Grace of God will always be with us through all the year.

With love,

Audia