Follow That....

Who wouldn't be excited about getting the recording underway? All of us were...Agapella was of one mind, one heart and one purpose. The target's one song per recording - that would be ideal. So after AGAPELLA's first recording at Loft Studio, it seemed mangeable. Not the easiest at first because singing for the purpose of producing a CD album is in stark contrast to singing and jigging at a gig. Being one of three (sometimes four) basses, you hear far fewer voices and only one part when you sing your part in the recording. So all the awkward silence is made most deafening and every single sound you make gets recorded and stands out most prominently. You can imagine how definite and to the exact note and precision timing we all had to be.

At our second recording last Sunday, all started well, but after about 7 hours, I was exhausted. Exhausted from all that waiting till when your part is asked to record and just tired from a full day out. I never expected to work my tear ducts (hadn't had a need for them) till my solo bit. It had all of THREE words. How tough could it be? But I just couldn't sing them without going into vibrato (was told to cut it out), running out of breath or keeping an inconsistent volume throughout. Those three words were to be the last few words to the song 'Follow That Star' and try as I could, none of the numerous takes made the cut that night. My ego went splat, my voice was hoarse, my spirit was broken, my confidence shattered. I felt so very low, the pits! The rest of Agapella were tired. Who wasn't as we all waited our turn. I wasn't intending to waste everyone's time doing re-take after re-take, but I did. But by the end of the night, those three words remain unsung and unmixed. It was true I was still on the tail end of a bout of cold and the phelgm didn't help.

But looking back, Zech 4:6 reminded me that it's not by might (not the volume I can produce), nor by power (now my breath control) but by His Spirit. Did I commit everything to Him? Did I tell God, "Use it for your glory Lord! Use all of me!" Did I rely on my strength instead of His?

It helped that Agapella didn't leave me alone to wallow in my misery. How comforting it was when I received text message after text message of encouragement, expressions of camaraderie, empathy and indetification. One member even said a prayer for me over the phone. How precious to have such companionship. I'd never seen this very personal and special side of each one in Agapella before - so real, so genuine, so loving. There never had been a lower point for me in Agapella than that. Truly, we're way more than a group that sings, we're a body of believers that spurs each another on from the deepest darkest valley through to the most maginificent peak.

To read more about how God made the recording possible for Agapella, please visit www.agapella.blogspot.com

One, Two, Three, Four...

You can't imagine how much has happened between now and the last entry. I now own a precious piece of accessory, get around on all fours, paid my third visit to the most islated city in the world and most importantly, acquired a fiancee. It's amazing how much can happen in a single month! But if I can borrow a slogan from a certain insurer - Life is Great!

God's been great! We all live daily under His grace and to be able to live, breathe and experience Him is the basis of thanksgiving. So why should I feel discouraged? Why should the shadows fall? It's hard to feel anxious when you've tried and proven God's faithfulness. Have you?

Next month, I change 'shells' and move into a new unit farther up north of the island. There are just so many changes currently happening in my life and with every new development, it's exciting but will require some fitting in. But God fits us perfectly into this puzzle called 'LIFE' and has it all make sense if we live our lives according to His plans.

Song in mind as I type away is Count Your Blessings....Name them one by one. Count your blessings. See what God has done. Count your blessings. Name them one by one. Count you MANY blessings see what God has done! I think it'll be quicker counting them seven by seven 'cos they're just so many and it'll save me time!

A Great Great-Grandma

She was "Cheong Ah Hoe" and she married a certain "Leong Kit", hence my carrying on the surname. It's liberating and such an eye-opening experience to come to know of your lineage apart from the many chapters that document and trace the ancestry of important kings and the King in the Bible. And this new realisation of my great grandma's name, and that she was a Godly Christina woman was such comfort to my heart.

I had casually proposed how useful a family tree would be at the hospital last Sunday. I was at the death bed of my grand uncle Philip (my dad's late father's young brother) and while we waited for the next-of-kin to arrive (my grand aunt), I struck up a conversation with a stranger who had also rushed down to the ward upon being notified grand uncle Philip had drawn his last breath and had gone to be with the Lord. He had been well on the road to making a promising recovery right after a spinal surgery the day before. On Sunday, relatives had even visited him and all indications proved he was doing well post-surgery. Things took a turn for the worst, negating family expectations and the doctor's about mid afternoon when he succumbed to a massive heartache. Efforts by the medical staff to revive him and keep a check on his blood pressure failed. He had gone to a far better land than ours.

We remain and so the family tree took root after I struck up a conversation with my cousin-in-law Dave, whom I'd met for the first time. He married my cousin Doreen (whom I also met for the first time by the death bed). Two days later, the two surviving grand aunts together with their children and grand children and those of their late siblings' two surviving generations came together after grand uncle Philip's cremation to contribute names and relations that would finally make up a family tree. From 14 'known' cousins, I was greeted with the astounding fact that my cousins numbered 40!

More important was the fact that the faith of my great grandmother, Cheong Ah Hoe, had endured the generations. I am told she prayed daily for an hour for her family. Looking back, my God has honoured her faith, preserving the generations between her and mine. Dave researched and recorded that some members of the family had drifted away from the faith in the interim but have since returned to Christ.

Dave, in his email to all his 'known' and newly-encountered relatives recorded God's faithfulness. He quoted God's promises as given in Exodus 20:6, "But showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love Me and keep My commandments".

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised for a great grandmother who's faith was steadfast and whom I only just came to know.