Charismatic

This will be short because I'm trying to sleep earlier. My sleeping habits have been really out of whack.  早睡早起精神好。。。I've been doing neither.... Early bird gets the worm. I don't like worms...so....snoooze on....:) I want to thank the people in life-group today for hosting the presence of God. More about that later....

Taipei is full of people pursuing dreams. They copy the Americans in many aspects, and this is one of them. Dream chasers. It's very fashionable. Far more so than in Australia and Malaysia, where people are a little more pragmatic in their ideals. I'm not saying that Taiwanese are not pragmatic. Man, they are Chinese. Chinese are kings and queens of pragmatism. The epitome of practicality. But you hear a lot of 'chase your dreams' around here. Never hear that much of that in OZland or Malaysia. Life is not quite as idealistic. Stuck in Taipei is a song by Yen-J. I'm making him my model for being a new artiste at the moment. He's a good example of how to be extremely hardworking but not compromising his music at the same time. Goodnight world!

The chorus goes: I'm menstruating, I'm menstruating, they always get me down baby, yeah..... HAHAHAHAHAH....trust the quirky artist to do that. Check out her video...her name is Waa...

So far I've shown everyone some pics of Taiwan with church, friends and my landlord's family. Here are some musical doings in Taiwan (yes, I AM here to do music) This is 酷爱.  They are a rock duo and I saw them at a live-house in New Life Church (who holds gigs at their basement/live-house. They are pretty good, pitch perfect [the singer] and full of stage presence.  Singer's pretty good - looking too. Bit of a Johnny Depp kinda look.  娃娃 （魏如萱） A LOVELY singer...but her songs are really complex and deep. And non mainstream.  I'd pay to go for her live shows because she has great vocal technique and expressveness.  But maybe I wouldn't get a CD.  Singing at a wedding. My first gig of sorts here.  I had fun. It wasn't in Chinese so I wasn't pressured much.  A creative industry party I attended tonight. Rapper with four dancers.  It was G-rated: no sex, a very little booze, no drugs, no smoking.  Just lots of flashy lights, party m...

                             Cute lil boy - landlord's grandson.          Gals of cell-group. Hotties... My landlord, the Indo worker who's so fluent in Chinese she puts many to shame, Echo and Adolf [housemates], and the kid. Thank God for such generous land-owners. At the scene of a music video being shot at Brown Sugar. Rubecca has really been one of the best friends here. She's been my foodie companion, my confidant in many issues and just a big sister in many ways. Thank God for such people.

In June 2009, I was preparing to go to Taiwan for a 'spy-trip' as Mel Widjaja calls it. Basically I just wanted to see if Taiwan had the divine connections I was looking for. Before I went, I bumped into Lance on Sunday at church and asked him to quickly pray for me. The word he gave me basically was about needing discernment. I would really need it as I met different people there. When I went to Taiwan, I met lots of nice people, especially the christians. And I didn't see the immediate need for the word, though I was cautious. Now, I see it more and more. Discernment is sorely needed, not only to discern between good and evil, but also between the good and the best. So many decisions, so many crossroads.  Oh Lord. You promised you would give wisdom to those who asked for it. Please help me. I don't know much at all...the more I find out, the less I know what to do. Help. James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without fi...

that i would be good even if i did nothing that i would be good even if i got the thumbs down that i would be good if i got and stayed sick that i would be good even if i gained ten pounds that i would be fine even if i went bankrupt that i would be good if i lost my hair and my youth that i would be great if i was no longer queen that i would be grand if i was not all knowing that i would be loved even when i numb myself that i would be good even when i'm overwhelmed that i would be loved even when i was fuming that i would be good even if i was clingy that i would be good even if i lost sanity that i would be good whether with or without you

John 6:44 says, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him and I will raise him up on the last day." Literally, the verse says, "no one is able." (John Samson) True. No one can fly to the moon unless he is provided a space shuttle. It is impossible. The space shuttle represents the enabling grace of God.  BUT, does God force us into the space shuttle after He provides it, even offers the trip to the moon. I believe with utmost conviction. NO. He does not force anyone. AND, I believe with all my heart, soul, mind and spirit that the scriptures show plainly that the space shuttle available for  everyone. EVERYONE.  Not everyone will take it. But it was made available for everyone. EVERYONE in the world. 

Perhaps I'm of a rare breed. I buy music because I like the music. Not really because I like the artist's face. If an artist has shown a consistent standard over the years, I'll buy their albums without first listening to samples. If not, I wait till there are a few samples/singles out, and I'll decide. Does no one do this now in Asia? [well, I must first wonder if anyone actually buys music nowadays in Asia because of free downloads] Who have I purchased despite not knowing their faces that well? Sara Bareilles. I'm even having problems spelling her name, but I love her stuff. Don't care about her image. It's quite normal and ordinary anyway.  Emma Dean. I adore Emma's live performances. Therefore, I got her CD. She's an amazing performer.  Maroon 5. I bop my head to their songs. What do they look like? I don't know. I bought their CDs though. I will continue if they keep it up. Jamiroquai. Ah....a legend. I bought his Greatest Hits ...

Did I mention that I hate doing new things? I hate doing things  I almost hyperventilate when I do something I've never done before. I don't know why. As a kid, I used to put up my hand for everything. I wonder what changed. Rach says I need sozo (inner healing session). Perhaps. I remember different things that were so scary the first time. Playing synthesizer for church. I was like, "How does one do this? Why do Andrew and Teresa play so effortlessly?" Really hesitant to play anything in front of anybody. Playing piano in church [the main role in the band]. My youth leader literally had to drag me up there because I was so freaked out. Funnily, after I do it ONCE, it's like I'm not scared almost ever again. It becomes second nature the second time....almost. And then I wonder why I was so SO freaked out. Meeting people of a new culture. I'm hesitant, tongue-tied, nervous and serious. First year at the Con, I felt I was so stupid. Everyone seemed t...

Kairos  ( καιρός ) is an  ancient Greek  word meaning the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment). The ancient Greeks had two words for time,  chronos  and kairos. While the former refers to  chronological  or sequential  time , the latter signifies a time in between, a moment of undetermined period of time in which something special happens Timing - 'kairos'  is crucial Being in Taiwan now is 'kairos'. I see this in so many levels. I still have NO idea how things will work out practically in the end. So many unexpected things can happen. But I know that there is a calling to be here NOW, in 2010. And it has to do with music, media, singing, songwriting, witnessing and being a propagator of the Kingdom's causes. And God's going to raise me up. That much I know from God. Other things have to be worked out slowly.  While I was at the youth service today, I was in awe at God's timing. I had been talking to various people around ...

I'm surprised at myself that it has taken this long for me to visit the youth service of the Bread of Life Church in Taipei （台北灵粮堂）. Somehow it just never happened the last month I was here. It's on  Saturday evening, and that's an awkward time for me sometimes. My landlord wants to take us out on Saturdays. I've visited 2 other church services in the past month.So yea, I visited for the first time today because there was a life-group related event after. I haven't posted proper pics in a while. It's all been boring text for the ADD generation. So, here goes. There were thousands there. Bread of Life is one of the largest churches in Taiwan. I've visited 3 of the larger churches in Taiwan. New Life Church, The Home of Christ church, and Bread of Life church. This is a shot of the people on stage minus the musicians. Praise and worship was lively and active. The congregation was heaps responsive too. The message was about authority, a culture of honour, an...

Go to a new place without work or study opportunities sorted out. Work for free on music...Doing it now at the moment Be relatively relaxed about the fact that I've been jobless for 3 months. Read chinese novels or regularly read the Chinese bible. Listen to K- pop. Hmmmm.....

25 *sorry. Long reflective post ahead*. Once a person reaches this pivotal age, there is no turning back from being in your 'late twenties'. I am trying very hard not to let that scare me. What are my thoughts at this point of time? Well, I must say I never thought I'd be where I am right now. Taiwan? Certainly not in the plans of a young Charis Chua, or even one 3 years ago. But what I'm doing and have been doing, I guess I've wanted to do since I was 16. I've wanted to sing, record, arrange and write songs. Also, I've wanted to tell/write stories [since I was 8]. Blogging, songwriting, even testifying and evax all falls into that category.  1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (New International Version) 9 However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" 10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God You know...