While I'm Waiting

by John Waller

I’m waiting

I’m waiting on You, Lord

And I am hopeful

I’m waiting on You, Lord

Though it is painful

But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident

Taking every step in obedience

While I’m waiting

I will serve You

While I’m waiting

I will worship

While I’m waiting

I will not faint

I’ll be running the race

Even while I wait

I’m waiting

I’m waiting on You, Lord

And I am peaceful

I’m waiting on You, Lord

Though it’s not easy

But faithfully, I will wait

Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I’m waiting

I will worship while I’m waiting

I will serve You while I’m waiting

I will worship while I’m waiting

I will serve You while I’m waiting

I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord

This song is played in the movie 'Fireproof' and if you haven't watched this movie and would like to, please let me know because I got this dvd - one of the most fabulous dvd I've ever had.

I've been led by this motto lately -
'If you suffer from doing the wrong thing, and you suffer from doing the right thing ;
Isn't it better to suffer from doing the right thing despite the pain?
Because the right fruit and spirit surely follow you if you choose to do the right thing, for God is faithful and He knows how hard it is for you to do the right thing. The important thing is, when you suffer, do you CHOOSE the right path?

Just like a smoker wanting to quit smoking.
If you choose cold turkey, ie totally refrain from lighting up a cigarette by your willpower, do you have any idea how hard it is for the smoker?

When the withdrawal symptoms come - is it not more easy to light up the cigarette to soak yourself in the tobacco? But you know that this is not right - for it leads to the failure of your quitting program and you have to cope with the emotions of 'why can't I resist at that defining moment and let loose my guard.' And you'll feel sorry for those people who are supporting you through this quitting journey.

But if you choose to persevere. and endure... one day, two days, three days... finally, you're over it. Yes, it's awful... but in the end, you get the right result from choosing the right path at the defining moment.

Both ways are painful and torturous to a smoker choosing to bid farewell to cigarettes... but depending on the option you take, the consequences and the emotional experience are different.

Is it not better to suffer from doing the right thing?

When you know you've done the right thing, resisted the temptation, made the right decision despite the pain... though you may not see the good things now, but I believe God honours and loves and is touched by you for having the heart to do the very thing you did, because He knows how hard it is for you.

There's always hope in Lord.

Again... I am writing this to remind myself not to be deceived by the seemingly bad emotions gripping me right now.

If you're experiencing some difficult times too, I would like to invite you to join me to wait upon our Lord. Let's not wait for the immediate removal of problems, but for the joy, peace and hope that He'll restore in us one day, when the time is ripe.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)
28 Do you not know?Have you not heard?The LORD is the everlasting God,the Creator of the ends of the earth.He will not grow tired or weary,and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the wearyand increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORDwill renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles;they will run and not grow weary,they will walk and not be faint.

Psalm 27:14 (NIV)
Wait for the LORD;be strong and take heartand wait for the LORD.

Murdoch

I'm currently writing this blog post in the library of Murdoch University. Good morning to a brand new day! Winter is here and the temperature outside is 18-20 degree, but as a human thermometer, I believe the temperature is lower than that reflected.

I guess my skin is succumbing to the winter wind that the fingers start to crack and dry up, and bleed ocassionally. If you've not known, I'm in Perth now, staying in my old good friend's big house. And yes, it's Agnes :) The reason that I'm in Murdoch University now is also because of her. She will be having lesson from 9.30-12.30 pm, and we'll go Swan valley thereafter. Decided not to go Penguin island with mj for the cost and I think I'm a little overloaded with wildlife for the past 15 days already.

Murdoch University is a small insitution that provides a variety of courses ranging from Sciences to Engineering to E-commerce etc etc. Heard that UWA is a nicer campus, comparable to Melbourne University, but it's quite a distance away so yea, maybe next time.

How do you feel today?

Hm.. today I feel a bit like myself. Not that I don't feel like that for the past few days in OZ, just that today is my 2nd last day in this big country, and I have a lot recollections and reflections going through my mind. Have been waking up at 7am for the past 2 days and I guess the tiredness got the better of me when it comes to evening, brain isn't working well. However, sometimes it's better for the brain not to work too don't you think so? People always say your are... cos you think too much?

Don't really have much things to say. I'm just grateful that I see Agnes here in Perth and she's still the familiar girl I've known in the past, the difference is she's married now. Haha... Sometimes it feels very nice to indulge in the blissful atmosphere radiated from the family. I'm very happy for you girl :)

It's 9.30am now, she should be having a 20 drug quiz - which she didn't really study - as usual --> she always does that but overall, she can still perform good enough. That's what makes her so special and entertaining I guess hee.

Have a good day folks :)

Hahndorf

There's a very nice town on Adelaide Hills and this place is called Hahndorf. It's a German town because these Europeans were amongst the first people who settled in Adelaide due to Christian prosecution in their home country. In fact, driving up hills is one of the popular activities of the locals here because of the fresher and cooler air on Adelaide Hills, as well as the unique German atmosphere surrounding them.

Hahndorf is a must go if you decide to drive to Adelaide Hills. It retained the rich heritage of German settlement, perfect sceneries, renown food and pastries, as well as Lutheran churches that very much reflect the German culture.



Oh, forget to tell you, Hahndorf is the name of the captain of the first ship landing on this area in 1880s.. 'Lest we forget...' You'll see this quite often in Adelaide, as well as many monument hills/ areas in Australia.


The garden in Hahndorf.

Coincidentally, it's South Australia History week so I get a chance to visit the art gallery in the heritage museum. It exhibits the historic paintings from the the 1800s and suddenly I find myself immersing it such a refined and classy activity... it's really quite enjoyable to go through the paintings :) Not many paintings were displayed, maybe all in all, there were 50 plus paintings but they were just so treasurable for the rich history behind them, as well as the time they were painted.





As I've mentioned earlier, Lutheran Churches are common in Hahndorf and if you wonder how people in the past held their services, it's worth taking a look at the following pictures:





The bench, the pulpit message, the piano for hymns.


The daily routine - A church centered living.



Let's take a closer look at the piano yea :)


You can't come to Hahndorf and not eat their famour Apple Strudel :) Food in OZ is expensive but I personally feel that it's worth trying because they really make good pastries, cakes, and wonderful cuisines. The lonely planet says I must eat the Apple Strudel here and I did... yeaps, fabulous!


The German Cake Shop


The Apple Strudels!




Yummy :)


The Lutheran church where I saw this:


I took a lot of photos and if possible, I want to make a scrapbook and put every snapshots in it. Wonder if it is possible, like that I'll have 5 albums and I have shortlisted 500 photos -_- will burn a hole in my wallet I guess. Need to filter!!!

Anyway, I have some nice photos to share again!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Last, but not least, I need to say a big thank you to this fella:

Adelaide - 19/5/2009

Today is my 2nd day in Adelaide. It is a charming city with many Al Fresco restaurants, cottage-like houses, and not forgetting, the slower pace of life. Personally, I’m very fond of Adelaide for its serenity and the rich heritage as can be seen from the buildings. The people here thrive on a high-standard of living, sandy beaches, lush parklands, fantastic cafes and restaurants, and laid-back atmosphere that makes it seem more like a large country town than a city.

The most common religion here is Christianity and I’ve already seen many churches throughout my stay here. Many churches retained the fine stone characteristic from the early day of settlement, while many Lutheran Churches on Adelaide Hills still kept the architectural styles that reflect the German culture of the first settlers.

All in all, I’m fascinated by the buildings, the heritage, and God.

During my visit to Adelaide Hill today, I was very excited when I saw the Lutheran church. It was as if I saw glimpse of light in the tunnel, for I am walking on a long tunnel and ‘keep walking’ is my only goal at this point of time. Perhaps it’s because I was praying hardly the whole day for just one thing He would like me to remember regardless of the prevailing conditions AND then I saw this --
‘Clouds of testings can bring showers of blessing’
Right outside the historical church.

And I quiet myself for a few seconds before the cross, and I told myself – Yea, I know this all along, and I know it’s true for I have had so many stories with God that always point to this very fact that God has never wasted a single second of my life, even at times of difficulties.

Suddenly, the cloud of testing right now does not seem that bad.... for I know the blessing that is waiting for me at the end of the tunnel is definitely 7x better than how I used to be.
No more fear, for God’s love drives out all fear...


*********************************************************************************
Some snapshots of Adelaide:




Al Fresco Lasagne


Central Market







Adelaide hill




Doesn't this seem like a fairy tale?

Gold Coast

Hey all! Tonight is my last night in Gold Coast and I'll be in Adelaide tomorrow! Gold coast is very sunny in the day and very cold at night! It feels as if you get the taste of both the extremes in the same place. With the limited time here, the places I went weren't many but I enjoyed myself because God says I should enjoy myself no matter what! haha. Let me recall... oh yes, this is where I stay in Gold coast - the Coolangatta YHA! Quite a cool place, I watched American football with some uncles here at the common room (sorry, touch rugby gene seems to get into me somehow sometime ago!) and it was quite fun! And going online in aussie is quite expensive! 4 bucks for 1 hr - so I spent quite a lot on internet too, but I guess it's necessary because I need it of course :)


Guess you might have already known what Gold Coast is popular for - the theme parks and the beaches! Yeaps, so first, the theme parks -- VERY EXPENSIVE! I spent 100+ just to get the tickets to the Seaworld and the Movieworld. Could have gone to dreamworld as well but I was thinking... hm.. maybe I can try alternatives like immersing myself elsewhere. So I went to Seaworld first. Got there by bus. It's very convenient to travel to any of the theme parks in Gold coast, because bus runs along the Gold coast Highway and the beach is on one side, and the inner lands will be the theme parks and stuff. In fact, I enjoyed the bus journey much because it gave me a chance to look into the place, the shops, the people etc etc... You might have already known me, I like to see culture. So knowing where the people go, what kinda shops are there along the streets etc, the roads, the buildings, the looks of the transportation -- all intrigue me! So yeap, I think I'm quite a good tourist I guess?

Haha. Okay, back to seaworld. It took 1.5hrs to reach there by bus, because of the distance and the speed the drivers go too. Took 2 transfers in between so it's quite tiring too, but it's okay! I have one comment after going all the theme parks - and that is the entertainment values of these theme parks are high and they are very interactive, engaging the audiences all the time. Oh one more, theme parks have a lot of kids and families, it feels as if you're a kid too cos you're doing all sorts of things with them... reminiscence of childhood? Haha, i don't have them in my childhood though, so I felt like a kid all over again!









I'm touching a starfish hee :)


Have you ever seen a penguin swimming? :)


Did you see the pirate ship at the back? :)
'
Yea, I've been to SEAWORLD!

I think I like Movie World best! It's really quite cool I would say. The Warners Bros etc... it has all the famous and popular characters like the Batman, Superman, Scooby Doos, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Shrek!, the Looney Tunes and many many more! I think I quite like the Marilyn show, it’s quite real! Let’s see!:)

The Shrek 4D show was fantastic too! If you ask me where you must go in Gold coast I’ll strongly recommend MovieWorld! What’s best is the Warner Bros. parade at 3.30pm daily and you have a chance to see all the Movie World characters going on parade and even shake hands with you! Oh yes, there’s Catwoman too! I just think that the visit to the Movieworld was really worthwhile and enjoyable J You can even see Marilyn – the Hollywood legend, sing a few of her classic hits!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Besides, I did visit theWildlife sanctuary in Gold Coast too! Can’t leave OZ without seeing enough of koalas, kangaroos, and Tasmania Devils! In fact, OZ is too big a country and you’ll be fascinated by the variety of wildlife you can see here!

Of worth mentioning is the Hinterland! Yeap, Hinterland is at the northern part of Gold Coast, about 30 mins drive away from Coolongatta. To be more specific, I actually went up Mount Tamborine of Hinterland and the sceneries along the way were very rewarding and beautiful. Abundant wineyard too... I think Oz is one of the great places where you can find many many many wineyard am I right?

Top of Mount Tamborine

There’s this very special place on Tamborine Mountain and it is called the Glow-Worm Caves. Yeaps, glow-worms! Believe me, this is the only place on earth where you can see 30,000 glow-worms in the day! I was so astounded when I entered the cave and it was also first time in my life that I get to see thousands of glow-worms and they are like stars, very very nice and it makes the drive up the mountain very satisfactory!

The Glow-worm cave

‘I wish I was a glow-worm, a glow-worm’s never glum – cos how can you be grumpy when the sun shines out your bum!’

- From the Glow-worm cave

Thoughts

Entering my 2^nd week in Australia... somehow, tonight is not as cold as the past few nights and I guess that’s why I am more awake and energized after a whole day of adventures again. :)

Honestly, the past 7 days have been challenging for me and I know that if not for the prayers and intercession, they could be worse. Nonetheless, I know that this path is right, for I’ll not be where I am if it’s not. All I need is just faith.

Today I felt better. I feel that today is a different day, a step closer to the endpoint where I really should be. Wonder if you’ve ever questioned yourself on what basis you can believe on something that cannot be seen, barely can hear of? I question myself many times, how can I know for sure that what I believe in is right, and true, and that I can hold onto strongly and make them the skeleton of my conduct and daily living.

Wonder if the God you call is even GOD to start with?

Come and think of it, I did that many times.

And today I still chose to believe. Sometimes maybe the thing that you have to do first, before knowing all these things are true, is to believe. That’s the pathway of faith isn’t it? Because you believe what’s written in the bible is true and truly God’s words, you take the courage and embrace them, act on them. Because you want to test try if these are true, you take your chance, but often, you got the reassurance, time after time.

Men think too much. Me too. Sometimes simplicity is the best. Hear them, believe in them, and hope in them.

I know God never fails. He used 2 years just to prove that to me just to get my reassurance. I really hate myself for forgetting it and am affected by the forever-changing circumstances of my life. Today as I wrote this down here, it’s to remind myself not to be deceived again.

I need to be more courageous!

²¹ My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,
do not let them out of your sight;

²² they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.

²³ Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble;

²⁴ when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵ Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

²⁶ for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being snared.