"Encircle us, O God"

intimacy, originally uploaded by mincaye.

The 'caim' (Celtic prayer for stilling the heart) quoted in Bangsar Lutheran Church's Lent/Easter prayer booklet was an immense source of peace during the past week of exams.

Encircle me, O God,
Keep faith within,
Keep pride without.

Encircle me, O God,
Keep hope within,
Keep despair out.

Encircle me, O God,
Keep love within,
Keep fear without.


Did well for Maths (probably my worst subject), and tied with Yin Ching at third highest in the class. Li Ling was top, Soo Ee second. Twelve passed and fifteen failed.

It's good that the mid-term break has now begun; the week ahead shall be one of rest and re-alignment of my priorities. I must set my focus for the next few months, in studies, editorial board, walk with God, etc.

Will also be spending the holidays working on three essays for; IMPAC-Dublin Litarary Award for Young Malaysians, Malaysian Science Association essay competition and New Straits Times--LimKokWing essay competition.

Am hoping against writer's block, heh...


Had an interesting discussion with Steven Sim and Soo Tian over MSN just now. It started with Steven noticing my MSN nickname, 'we end where we began'; it reminded him of something he was thinking about.

The subject was, "Can something beginningless have an end?" In the end, we arrived at the conclusion that humans are too stupid (the same conclusion Yang Jerng and Steven arrived at on some related topic).

Our minds cannot comprehend infinity; we are a convergent race, not a divergent one;

Rays of light converge at the retina, and so we see.
Sound waves converge at the eardrum, and so we hear.
God converged with us at the cross,
and so we are saved.

We are limited by time and space; but also, we derive our meaning and significance from this limiting context, as Eliot wrote:

...To be conscious is not to be in time
But only in time can the moment in the rose-garden,
The moment in the arbour where the rain beat,
The moment in the draughty church at smokefall
Be remembered...


Journeying down to Putrajaya with Soo Tian, Tien, Yen and Mich tomorrow to meet up with Sam before he leaves for India on Sunday to do medicine at Manipal. Then parting with Sam and Tian, and heading to Mid Valley for dinner, where Ming, Shern Ren and Yen Mii will join us.

I look forward to it.


(Thanks Valerie for taking the photo).