ONLY BY GRACE

BILLY JOEL - JUST THE WAY YOU ARE Don't go changing, to try and please me You never let me down before Don't imagine you're too familiar And I don't see you anymore I wouldn't leave you in times of trouble We never could have come this far I took the good times, I'll take the bad times I'll take you just the way you are Don't go trying some new fashion Don't change the color of your hair You always have my unspoken passion Although I might not seem to care I don't want clever conversation I never want to work that hard I just want someone that I can talk to I want you just the way you are. I need to know that you will always be The same old someone that I knew What will it take till you believe in me The way that I believe in you. I said I love you and that's forever And this I promise from the heart I could not love you any better I love you just the way you are. Currently the top song on my playlist. Listening to it again &

That is the seal that is marked on me. Its the mark that tells the world who I am. This mark carries with a great amount of authority and stress all at the same time. The pressure to not defile, disgrace and defame this seal. Sometimes I don't want to have this seal because it brings weird looks and ridicules and I don't want all that! Yet it is this mark that sets me apart. People know that I am different. Am I ready to be different? Admist the emotional conflicts, I hear the assurance that 'You're Mine' and I'm stilled. Come what may, I'm secured and that is all I need to know and embrace.

A weekend I will forever hold close to my heart. My first dive trip after 7 years. Since my open waters experience, I thought my affinity with diving came to an end. Never would I expect to see myself in a wet suit, rigged up with the dive equipment and making the descent into the deep blue sea again. But I did. Before the trip, I was having tons of second thoughts and seriously considered backing out despite the assurances of my friends, one of whom is a dive master himself! The first experience really freaked me out that I had zilch confidence to give it another shot. Boy..the amount of trepeditions and fears that hit me like big waves was unimaginable. I don't know what came over me to even agree to go for this one in the first place. And it was for an advanced diver course! Its totally beyond me! Having gone and come back, it is all so surreal to me. I had a more positive feeling for this trip as compared to the first one and it turned out to be a really good one. I had my fair

Joani's & Gracie's date! Met early to dinner, chat and chill. Both were 20mins late and we text each other at the same time informing of our whereabouts! Girls after each other's hearts! Both had sporadic cravings that changed every 5 minutes. We also planned to have Max Brenner's waffle for dessert, which was not to be (read on for details). Finally settled for good ole' Kenny Rogers. 2 girls ordered the 'Lucille' promotion meal which consists of 2 one-quarter chicken, 1 ribs, 3 side dishes, 2 corn muffins and 2 free drinks. Usually equipped with a voracious appetite, we found ourselves struggling to finish our meal, but we tried. The grand total balance is just 1 piece of the rib! Impressive ay? Thus, we concluded we'll save Max Brenner for our next outing. Then came the main highlight of our date : STOMP! The show starts at 8pm. But since we thought we had abit of time to spare, we decided to do our favourite thing - window shop/shop. Headed to Di

I walked to the kitchen to have a drink and this thought suddenly came about. I'm not a girl whom one will like at first instance, but whom one will grow to love forever. I figured this is a wonderful answer to questions about my marital/attached status. And possibly a conversation stopper as well! Beauty truly is in the eyes of the beholder. I am the beholder.

a conversation i had with a friend this evening really got me thinking. he said, "grace, you are actually very funny but these days you are kind of holding yourself back. you are thinking alot." he obviously didn't know what ian prayed over me 2 saturdays ago. ian said i am a hilarious girl with a bubbly nature but my depth can be hidden by this jovial facade at times. true. when i pondered over what my friend and ian said, i realised they are similar yet different at the same time. 1 moment, my jovial nature cannot be hidden but sometimes i think people don't know how to take me seriously because of my 'siao-ding-dong-ness' and that undermines the treasure within me. so i chose to 'mellow' a little and when i do that, people senses that i'm holding myself back! i don't think i'm having an identity crisis or unsure of who i am. but its interesting that in a span of 2 weeks, i would receive comments as such that really opens up the floodgate

YOU ARE FAITHFUL- Hillsong Lord of all the earth How You care for me You have made me You will save and carry me always You are faithful You are faithful You are faithful Your joy is my strength Lord you are my God I rely on You I put my hope in things not seen Your promises all true Always you’re with me Your hand will lift me My trust is in your hands I love simple songs with an easy tune and few lyrics to remember. For now, I've been listening to this song for the 10th time continuously since I woke up. A good start to the morning of a brand new day.

ROAD LESS TRAVELED Two roads diverged in a yellow wood And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth Then took the other as just as fair And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear Though as for that, the passing there Had worn them really about the same And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet, knowing how way leads onto way I doubted if I should ever come back I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence Two roads diverged in a wood And I took the one less traveled by And that has made all the difference Robert Frost Not sure why but I just thought of this poem and decided to put this in my entry. Looking through the analysis of this poem and came across this sentence; "choice is inevitable but you never know what your choice will mean until you have liv

while i'm longing for the rain to hit sunny Singapore, people elsewhere is wishing it will go away. philippines, vietnam & laos are basically flooded by the raging typhoons that stormed their way through. and indonesia experienced a massive earthquake all at the same time. like my friend said, the earth is very sick. i welcome the rain that cooled off the heat from the past few days and its refreshing but as i browsed the news and read the disasters that hit the above SEA nations, i didn't know what to think. i now look at the rain differently. anyway finally a free saturday. met up with joani to browse Salvation Army Thrift store and we left with an unbelievable steal; joani with her fur coats (each at $35!!!!!!) and me 2 books for $2. storewide 30%. God knows me well. I wanted to browse through Borders but trying to save up for my trip and He presented me a much cheaper alternative. He is this real! then it was lunch and dinner with grandparents and aunt. i love my time w