Gobbledygook

Sometimes, writers would blend completely different styles into one essay so you don't know if you're reading The Times, Goldilocks or Harlequin Romance. You can think of it as a poorly arranged marriage between moods and styles, like fanfiction writers forcibly bringing Twilight and The Lord of the Rings together.  It just doesn't work.

You just know when words have been pretzle-rized (put together, twisted in various combinations so you don't know where the thoughts end and begin) to make them sound as if they meant something when in reality, they mean absolutely nothing.  The marketing content world calls these vague ideas gobbledygook - overused, meaningless words which hide honest communication..  Read this sample business writing:

"We’re dedicated to providing results oriented, cost efficient solutions for customer outreach by employing existing and proprietary technologies that maximize exposure and obtain a leadership position in your market through the use of xxxx, our interactive digital outreach system."

Can you even guess what service the company is providing?   I've seen this happen in my own writing, especially when I'm forced to ramble on about things I don't even care about, or when I'm just plain uninspired.  This was also one of my nightmares as a teacher, forced as I was to sometimes read and comment on 125 essays in a few days, half of them padded with vague generalizations and obvious exaggerations that lose me in a Twilight Zone of empty words -- amazing, marvelous, excellent, and the favorite word to describe a book or film: okay. What does okay even mean in the first place?

Gobbledygook Grader

Sincerity in writing and speech takes conciseness and precision, a clarity of ideas.  Sincerity in writing also takes a lot of you factor.  What do you really think?  What do you care about?  What's your opinion?  Write it down.  Pretentiousness is glaringly obvious to readers and is a big turn-off.

Free hugs anyone?

    I woke up this morning wanting to rename my myellowfeet blog to freeicecream.  In the tradition of the Free Hugs Campaign, I was supposed to give out figurative free ice cream (through my blogposts) as my random act of kindness to the online world. Not everyone would be comfortable hugging strangers, but wouldn't you want free ice cream? unfortunately, the name was already taken.

I even had the yummy header picture ready

      So I decided to rename myellowfeet to Divine amnesia instead, as inspired by a comment left by Ching on this entry regarding my forgetfulness.  I think it's fitting that the woman who inspires me in my walk with God will be partly credited for this blog's conception. 

     Divine amnesia has a specific goal: to share the awesomeness of God in my life, regardless of whether I'm happy, sad or angry.  It's not meant to replace my prayer time or my bible, nor are my fanciful whims carved in stone.  Someday I'd like to read it, and see how God has changed me.     
      My Yellow Feet was named after the Isaiah 52:7 which says,  "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news". The mountain is a biblical metaphor close to my heart. I added yellow because it's the color of Sunday and one of my favorite colors too.
      However, I just didn't have that affinity with the name myellowfeet, in the same way as my past blogs like Windy Days, thoughtsarefree, or FuguJapan.     
      Since I wasn't able to give out free ice cream today, maybe free hugs will do? :)

  

Loving the unlovable + The Light in Me by Brandon Heath

One my constant struggles is loving unlovable people.  Not that I'm a loveable person. I guess all of us meet that person that just rubs us in a wrong way. The past days, I was tested on this.  I just felt an overwhelming anger and irritation for two people.

 At last night's worship service, I was reminded about how much God loves me, despite my being unlovable.  What credit is it to me if I love those who are easy to love?  Loving others is not something that I should wait to do until God gives me great faith...it is actually one of the greatest commands that I should follow instantly, like forgiving others.  But it's so hard to do right?

This song by Brandon Heath reminded me where I can get the strength to love those who are hard to love.  I also like the upbeat melody. Really nice to listen to when you need a pick-me-up.

 The Light in Me

My life before You
I was a flame burning down
I was burning out

But You knew me better
For You there was never a doubt
God, since You gave me life
Something was different, I knew it the instant
You put the light in me

The spark, the shot to the heart,
You are the hope that leads me out of the dark
You let Your love shine down
So that the world could see
You put the light in me

The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me

You are the Maker, you tell the sun when to rise
I'm just a house on a hill
But You make me brighter than all the stars in the sky
Keep me from growing dim

'Cause in Your perfection, I'm just a reflection
So pull me closer to You
I catch like a fire and I'll hold You higher
'Cause You put the light in me

The spark, the shot to the heart,
You are the hope that leads me out of the dark
You let Your love shine down
So that the world could see
You put the light in me

The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me

I'll raise it high, I'll let it show
From the rooftops down to the streets below
In day and night, You will be known
And all will see
You put the light in me
'Cause You put the light in me

The spark, the shot to the heart,
You are the hope that leads me out of the dark
You let Your love shine down
So that the world could see
You put the light in me

The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me
The light, You put the light in me

Solo flight: Where have all the men gone?

 Do you feel like you've been flying solo for a long time now?


I'm sure that most women have wondered where all the men have gone.  Sure, there are lots of boys out there, but their planning capacity only reaches to what they'll have for their next meal. Or they're just so scared of commitment, they just remain Peter Pans for life. So we women sadly conclude, the REAL men are all in a relationship, married or dead.

In one of my small groups, this has been a recurring topic.  We lament what we see as the lack of men, Godly men that is.  I used to think that the problem was limited to our growing campus church.  Since it's based in the province, students (men included) would usually go back to their hometowns after graduating.  The men are somewhere else, we think. But then we still don't find them wherever we are.  Are they really a soon-to-be-extinct breed?

Apparently, our "problem" is not an isolated case.  After reading Pastor Jaeson Ma's blog entry entitled The Five Pillars of Manhood and seeing the numerous agreeing comments, its obvious that our small group is not the only one ruminating on the lack of real men.  Pastor Jaeson, in his long entry, narrates how women in his church have asked the same questions then proceeds to give off a description of qualities that a real man possesses.

I have had my share of bad experiences when it comes to relationships.  Unlike some of my Christian friends, I didn't wait for a Godly man to come into my life.  My standards have always been different:

• he should be artistic
• he should be passionate
• he should have convictions
• he should make me laugh

Later on, I added: He should love his family.

There's nothing wrong with my list right?  They're all good qualities.  So why do I always end up frustrated in the end?  Yes, these are all good qualities, but I forgot the most important one, which is HE SHOULD LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL. And when I say all, that includes ME.


When a man has Godly standards,

• he will commit when he is absolutely ready to commit, and you won't have to wonder "Will you still love me tomorrow?" He loves God and knows that he's committed to take care of and love his partner
• his YES will mean YES and his NO will mean NO
• he doesn't blame you for his mistakes
• he doesn't "taste the different flavors of women" just to satisfy his curiosity or his bloated ego. He doesn't need to, because he is secure in his identity in Christ
•  he is not an emotional basketcase, because he knows he has a strong God beside him. 
• he doesn't waste his money on getting drunk, smoking, or doing drugs, because his body is a temple of God.
•  every word that comes from his mouth is a wellspring of life, because the commands of God are in his heart. 
• he dares to be different from the "boys" who make crass jokes or succumb to other peer pressure to be accepted.  He knows the only one worth pleasing is God
• he is hardworking because he does his work for God, and not for men.
• he is confident, because he does what he is called out by God to do.
• he will pursue you and marry you, because he knows that to do less than that is undervaluing your worth.
• he takes "'til death do us part" seriously.

Before you make a face and tell me that's impossible, hear me out.  I've met some Godly men. You want to know the secret?  Yes, all these things are next to impossible to do.  But it is God's grace that allows them to do all these things, not their own imperfect strength.  If you still don't think this is possible, I'll hook you up with my beautiful friend Ching who is in love with God and a Godly man.


I am not looking at Christian relationships through rose-colored glasses though. Just because two Christians marry doesn't mean that they'll live happily ever after,or that a man will never fail.  After all, a Godly man is still just a man, not a God.  IF God is in the center, I have faith that a relationship will work out REGARDLESS of circumstances.  It's easy to be happy when circumstances are just cruisin', but when everything seems to be falling apart, that's when the real test comes in. If a woman has compassion and is strong herself, she knows that there will be times when her man will stumble, and  she will have the capacity to forgive and help him get back to his feet again.


Christian or not, deep down inside, I think that many women want Godly men.  They just don't know that it is God who brings out the best in a man.  So why do some women often fall for the wrong person or don't meet the right person? Is it really because there are no Godly men out there? I want to believe that God is doing His work and ministering to a lot of men. They probably need a lot of work on their end (haha) BUT, I also think that we women need to pray about a lot of stuff on our end too:

• Let's set our standards higher.  "Kilig" or having that warm tingly feeling all over is NOT a strong enough foundation for a relationship.  We're worth more than a few text messages.
• Don't compromise Godly standards to accommodate temporary desires
• Accept when it's just NOT time for a relationship.  Believe me, it's better to wait than to be a sorry self-pitying lump when your heart gets broken.  
• Trust that God knows best.
• Let's not get too focused on looking for Mr. Right, when we ourselves aren't Ms. Right

Before we can meet a Godly man, we ourselves should be Godly women. Honestly, I am in that stage in my life now where I am just so happy that I am not married.  Not because I have a bitter view about marriage.  But because, I've realized just recently, how immature and how impatient and how lazy and how...well you get the point.  The biggest thing is that I have neglected my relationship with God for so long. I am just so joyful that for now, it is only God and me.  One day, if God is willing, maybe it will be Me+God+Mr. Right. I couldn't have realized this on my own. There are times when I get too emotional to the point of not thinking clearly.  I have my Christian friends and God to thank for the strength I have now.

I don't want to put my future in a theoretical man.  Yes, I can wait for a Godly man, but in the meantime, I don't stress about it.  My happiness doesn't depend on getting married or having a boyfriend.  Right now, I'd like to think that I'm celebrating my singleness and womanhood. It's nice to finally have the time to distribute my love to my family, friends, and pets.  Most importantly, I can focus on God.  To those who have known me for a long time, I may not be a credible speaker for this topic...and I truly don't intend to supplant whatever your pastor says. I am speaking about what God has helped me realize in my own life. I have been successively atheist, agnostic and just a free-for-all relativist for so long.  I used to sneer at Christianity and found Christians appalling, to say the least.  But let me tell you, God chased after me.  Each moment that I really and truly surrender my life to Jesus Christ, I just feel an exceeding joy.  Life is not perfect, by worldly standards, but I am secure because my happiness is not dependent on other people or on money and on things that don't last.   And because I so love my women friends and family, I just have to share this; and I also have to emphasize this, so that you can remind me the moment I falter:  Before seeking Mr. Right, seek God first. 

When you do get married to a Godly man, please inform me. I will rejoice with you, and we will celebrate.  For now though, there are so many other things we can be happy about.  With God, you won't be a mediocre missing half of a whole; you'll be most surely and awesomely complete. 

RECOMMENDED!

Listen Download Victory Podcast on Godly Relationships by Pastor Dennis Sy 



Enjoying my seasons in life... pic spam below!!! :)

29 ways to stay creative

The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. ...~Exodus 31:1-6 ESV

My favorite is #29... which one's yours? :)

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music monday on a thursday: Beautiful Things by Gungor

“If leading worship is just about bringing a group of people into a room so we can get goosebumps and sing songs together, there’s not much value in that. But if leading worship is a means to an end, that we leave this place as a different kind of people, as part of a new humanity that God wants to create – the people that are caring for the widows and orphans, that aren’t bound by the systems of this world but becoming free, becoming fully engaged in our world – then that matters.” ~ Gungor



My new favorite song.  Let the lyrics speak for itself.

Beautiful Things

All this pain

i wonder if i’ll ever find my way

i’ll wonder if my life could really change at all

all this earth

could all that  is lost ever be found

could a garden come up from this ground at all

you make beautiful things

you make beautiful things

out of the dust

you make beautiful things

you make beautiful things

out of us

all around

hope is springing up from this old ground

out of chaos life is being found in you

you make beautiful things

you make beautiful things

out of the dust

you make beautiful things

you make beautiful things

out of us

While searching for the lyrics, I stumbled upon this Wordpress blog: Visual Devotions. The artist creates web art inspired by song lyrics. Check this out; I love it.