Some thoughts

The verses that inspired the Petra song, 'Falling Up':

The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.
When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.

--Psalm 37:23-24 (NASB)


At first, I was only looking for the verse that has the phrase, 'through a glass darkly', but the King James Version of 1 Corinthians 13 is worth reading in its entirety. It uses the word 'charity' instead of 'love' as in other translations, and this helps shed some light on charity, the greatest of loves:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

--1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (KJV)


From today's Poetry Speaks selection, a quote by Naomi Shihab Nye:

Poems allow us to savour a single image, a single phrase. Just think how many people have savoured a haiku poem over hundreds of years. It slows you down to read a poem. You read it more slowly than you would speak to someone in a store. And we need the slow experience with words.


This morning, as I looked through the lyrics of 'Memory', two verses seemed leap out of the page at me:

Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn't give in
When the dawn comes tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin

Touch me, it's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun
If you touch me you'll understand what happiness is
Look, a new day has begun

So much yearning for a new life, a new beginning. It's not that I don't appreciate where I am, what I am; believe me, the memories are wonderful. But I mustn't give in... there must be something more.


Every time I drink 100 Plus at recess, I seem to fall asleep sometime later in the day. Last week it happened twice, both during Maths class; today it happened during Chemistry, though I wasn't in class when I fell asleep this time. Have I been drugged?

Monthly test this week. It'll probably be my worst performance yet, as I've been extremely out of touch with lessons lately. But I'm not afraid to fail; I think I need a break from being at the top. I need some time off, but not to worry... I shall bounce back for the trials, and by God's grace, for the STPM proper.

I'm very proud of the girl with the new spectacles, who seems all fired up to study lately. Good for you, and all the best!