"Our deepest fear

is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

You playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone .And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

-Marianne Williamson

Reminded of these words by CP. Shine forth.

There's Northbridge

in Perth. It's both a party nightspot and a chinatown of sorts. You'll find loads of Chinese and other asian eateries and grocery stores carrying a huge variety of chinese produce under one roof.

Yummy duck!

Further off, you'll get to the Perth Library and art museum and a small area called The Markets.

Art galleries

Library

The Markets

Had a wonderful

dinner and fellowship at P and D's home, together with J and ES (and the little one in the tummy) who are on holiday, and even with P who is here on pilot training.


Amazing how we are all brought together at this time, at this place.



Max!

In Him, all things hold together.

Interesting how God seems to drop us reminders now and then.

It was exactly 1 year ago, in Palmy, NZ, that I first saw the DVD Indescribable - Astronomical Grace. It was a gift from M before we departed.

I enjoyed Chris Tomlin's CD much but kinda forgot about the accompanying DVD till about 2 months later, when I took it out and saw it for the first time, end March last year.

Was awed by it. Searched for an online version and shared with my OCF pals. Shared on my blog with family and pals back home. Then interestingly, few weeks later, New Life Church (which I was attending back then in NZ) shared the same DVD to the congregation. Then it got around OCF and they showed it during one caregroup. Many were amazed. And somehow, when I left NZ, I left my DVD behind too with my caregroup leader. I hope it has amazed many since then.

And now, exactly 1 year later, in Perth - Zion Praise Harvest showed that exact DVD to the congregation couple weeks back. And just now, in caregroup, our leader shared the DVD to the group. The DVD seems to follow me around! God must be really speaking to us. About His astronomical Grace.

Here I am now reminded again of the other video. As we look far out....there He is. As we look deep within....there He is also.

He holds us together. Everything will be alright.

http://ronsworld.wordpress.com/2007/06/20/in-him-all-things-hold-together/

We all have

a purpose in our life. Right where we are now.

We each have a destiny. And the wonders of fulfilling our destiny is seldom, if ever, just for ourselves. It is far greater than that. It reaches far out.

For if my dream is only for me and me alone, that dream is too small. Our destiny takes us far beyond ourselves.

The splendidly

colourful Rainbow Lorikeet came avisiting at my window this morning. He stayed for just abit. I'm sure he'll come again soon.



From my window - scientific name: Trichoglossus haematodus

"The Rainbow Lorikeet is a brightly coloured bird. Head a dark blackish-brown with violet-blue feather shafts, giving a purplish blue streaked appearance. Breast reddish-yellow to orange, with some feathers having dark blue tips giving a barred effect. Lower abdomen a deep violet-blue. Side of the abdomen orange-barred with dark blue. Under the tail and flank area green with yellow marking. The nape band a bright yellowish-green. Back and wings bright green. Under the wing reddish-orange with yellow on underside of flight feathers. Bill red, eye bright orange-red and legs, feet a dark greyish-green."

I'm simply amazed at this bright array of colours.

(This pix is from Nagle Road Aviaries)

Had a long and

wonderful break from Good Friday till Easter Sunday, ending off with a BBQ by the river this evening. Weather was a bit rainy before we set off but cleared eventually, with short periods of light drizzle on and off which didn't affect the BBQ at all.



The area of Brentwood along the Esplanade.

Beef and lamb sizzle.

Fresh, cool air. Green open space. Furry pals made their appearance now and then on their walks and swims.

We could hear this little one before she arrived. A few sharp barks and then we saw a furry figure paddling out into the river, aiming right for a twig almost her body length. She thoroughly enjoyed the game, fetching the twig from the water and carrying it along till she's ready for another swim-fetch!

We're on another study week break this week. Anatomy practical test next Wed followed by Physiology test the following week. Time to hit the books again!

Body boarding at Scarborough!

When there is nothing

you can do. And you heart feels like it's being torn in two.
By beauty or by pain.
Just hush. Step back. By yourself. And stand amazed.

I bring You my heart
I bring You my praise
I bring You my broken dreams
I’ve lost along the way

I lift up my voice
I lift up my hands
I lift up the moments in my life
That I don’t understand

And I lay it at the cross
Where I’m surrounded by Your grace
And I marvel at the wonder of Your love

I stand amazed
I stand in awe
I stand forgiven in the midst of it all
Before You I bow
Before You I fall
Blessed Redeemer, Sweet Savior of all
I stand amazed

I offer You thanks
I offer my life
I offer a sacrifice of praise
When I’m scattered by the night
For You are my shelter
You are my King
You are the risen Son of God
The Lord of everything

Now I’m standing at the cross
Where I’m surrounded by Your grace
And I marvel at the wonder of Your love

There is life in His body
There is grace in His blood
There is peace for the sinner
Given by God’s love.

[Glassbyrd, Open Wide This Window, 2003]

"I will...I will....

I will hold on just that bit longer....



... for the yum-yums!

Met Mou Mou for the first time last evening. Chubby little fellow. He sorta blends into his home carpet here! :)

I just won tickets to

2009 Toyota AFL for this Sunday! Australian Football League.

Been wanting to catch some footy and now we've got tix! Will be cheering for the Fremantle Dockers. :)

I believe all of us

have felt tired at some periods of my life. Tired from even a passionate cause we have been fighting for. Not just for animal welfare. But for anything that you sink your heart into. Your stand for the elderly. For the orphans. For salvation.

It doesn't help that there are voices of doubts around. Of discouragement. That a belief as such is worthless, and in the area of animal welfare, if it is only for the animals.

I have thought through this debate many times over. And got discouraged and then realigned in determination, and then discouraged again. And then buck myself up in my belief again. It has not been a steady plane yet. And it may never be, as with all things in life - the flow of tides.

For those who have been standing in the field of animal welfare long enough, there is no need for any convincing that the things done on the streets for the needy strays - are seldom ONLY for the animals. And it is a pretty naive thought to throw out without getting your own hands and feet into the action.

On the surface, it looks like the main priority is the animal on hand. To save and treat the injured and diseased. And if it is a case of abuse, then to attain justice for the abused animal.

To the lay person, all focus seems to be on the animal. And humanity or a human being's interest is overshadowed. But come walk along long enough, and you will see that behind many rescue work, there are many human faces and lives involved.

Be it the exhausted heart of a stray feeder who has sunk too deep to retract her steps now and the only way she knows is forward. And the people in her life whom we get to also meet. Or the good-hearted worker on the farm who is doing his bit to preserve a life. And his hardship and struggles and family we get to know about. Or the God-sent foster family who came forward in the nick of time. And their circle of friends who enter our life. And fellow common-hearted volunteers you meet. And their lives crossing into ours. Lives connected and involved in deeper ways than a mere meeting of 'animal people for the animals'.

As for the contention that the focus is always placed on the animal first (the question being, what about the human being?) - a very simple scenario explains it all. Cos even in a purely human to human interaction, always the focus is on 1 party first. The one who has the key need at that time.

In the case of a rapist and a victim - the focus, attention will surely first be on the victim and all means will be rendered to help/save the victim first. And justice attained. That is not to say that the rapist, the other human being is of no value. But at the crux of the situation, it is the victim who needs help first. Attend to the needful. It is simple and clear. Should the case be one where an animal has attacked a child without reason, then the focus must be on the hurt child.

Thus very simply, in the area of animal welfare, by placing an initial first-focus on a needy animal does not mean that we downplay humanity. Why don't we withdraw the label of 'human' or 'animal'? Will it be clearer now where you first place your focus? Or will you accept that the focus is placed on the one who needs it more first?

The same for those for take their stand for child labour. Child prostitution. Women's rights. Apartheid. Racism.

You don't ask - then what about that pimp, what about his life? No. You reach out FIRST to the party who has been hurt. To the one who is in greater urgency of help. For immediate rectification and cessation of suffering.

Find a need and meet it. In different areas of life.

Akin to the ongoing distress of life-skinning of animals in China - the key focus is to FIRST cease such inhumane practices, to stop unnecessary bloody suffering for the sake of a fur coat. It is not a proclamation that China people are to be condemned. But in such obvious suffering, the most urgent call is to STOP the suffering first. And after that, in tandem, we work to resolve the bigger issue - which includes providing alternative work for these people who have chosen to take on such cruel jobs, largely due to monetary gains, possibly in a market of few jobs.

I just felt that I should share my viewpoints for those who wonder about the value and purpose of animal welfare. My very simple reasoning - if there is a LIFE involved, and the balance of the value of life is skewed simply by your physical sight - then just close your eyes. You can hear a heartbeat. And you can feel a breath. You don't have to see to know there is LIFE. In fact, if we are honest with ourselves, there are some people we love but choose to forgo, because we have used our eyes to see them and we just can't get past the barrier of sight.

It is easy to value someone who is like yourself. It is much more difficult when the other is so different from you.

To value a life form that is so visibly different to us - that to me, is a powerful declaration of the preciousness of LIFE. An understanding and acceptance that transcends all forms.

If we are able to impart this value to our children - to look at an animal and understand that it has a right of life - will it not be easier for them to look at their fellow brothers and sisters who exist in similar form, and understand that they have value in life?

I may be discouraged again further down the path when someone casts doubt on my choice of action. Or I may also be energised and lifted by words of faith and encouragement.

I may never have the right answer for whether animal welfare is 'worth it' or not. I may doubt myself at times that I have spent precious hours on a stray cat and isn't it all silly?

But I would rather end up being ridiculed than to sit with crossed-arms and doing nothing at all. I would rather, even in my mistaken steps - help stop the suffering of 1 life, help make 1 life better, help remove 1 life from chains, from sickness, from abuse.

For every word of doubt to hit me, I lift myself up with the vision of 1 face of gladness. Of 1 smile from Bagel. 1 joyful whine from Ben. 1 huge hug from Puppy-Boy. 1 dash into the pool by Star.

1 life. Made better. Because you were there.

Be encouraged, friends. I will continue to be.


Bagel - rescued from a life in chains, now enjoying his gift of freedom.

"The reason you are here

is because of where you are going." (Heard this from C in the midst of conversations with friends)

Found myself wondering on this again recently. Not consciously. But from experience, I know I have been wondering.

Cos I have been silently withdrawn. Contemplative. Inertia. Seconds. Minutes. Hours. Days. Weeks. Months. Years. A lifetime.

And now, I am here. And you are there.

We are all where we are now because of where we are going.