lifesong
Everyone needs compassion
Love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The hope of nations
Saviour, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
So take me as you find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender
Shine your light in
Let the whole world see
We're singing, for the glory
Of the risen King
Jesus, Shine your light in
Let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory
Of the risen king
Monday, February 27, 2006
-5:43 pm
Lord, I need You more than ever before.
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Sunday, February 12, 2006
-7:07 pm
The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs---
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! Bright wings.
-Gerard Manley Hopkins
I came across this poem while doing my prac crit (practical criticism) for lit. It is really crafted so beautifully that I felt that I must share it. At first I didn't quite understand what it was saying, but this explanation has enlightened me, and I quote from here:
"Hopkins is lamenting how humans have taken the wondrous natural resources that God has given to us and treated them poorly. But Hopkins ends his poem with hope because God has not given up on us. Although Hopkins is talking about nature and how we should not take it for granted, he is also talking about a greater gift, the gift of God's love, that we also take for granted. Hopkins chose to not take God for granted. He gave up the comforts of his family and money, he gave his all to God with no expectations for any return on his investment in this life.
His poetry was an important part of his life; however, he did not seek to have it published because his writings were a dialogue between himself and God, he needed no other participants. Although his eyes were focused on Heaven and God, although his rewards were future oriented, the fascinating result, how your bio-psycho-social-spiritual body works, is that you find great joy when you live a life that is deeply spiritual."
The language used in this poem is beautiful- the imagery, the visuals conjured by the right choice of words; it is a precise and difficult craft, almost like working magic through the mind's eye. "Shook foil" refers to gold leaves reflecting the light and "oil/ crushed" refers to olive oil. Amazing isn't it? What apt metaphors! The use of a caesurae in the last line gives it a good climax- a breathy exclamation of God's wonders. God gave us the tool of language to express ourselves and Hopkins has definitely perfected the art of using that construct, being able to put complex emotions, scenes and thoughts in words which bring across the exact meanings intended, and evoke so much more from the reader. Oh, what I'd give to be able to write like that! Beautiful, just ah! Pure beauty. (:
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Wednesday, February 01, 2006
-8:54 pm
Hey, you- yes, YOU- do come for this V-day special, an original production by IGNYTE. (: There'll be free chocolate fondue, so for those who have never had the guilty pleasure of that indulgence, this is especially for you! Do drop me a tag or sms if you're interested. You can make this a special V-day date with your loved one. ;)
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