2024 Reflections & Countdown to 2025

 

I fell and injured my right knee in January, just 2 days before we were supposed to lead worship and conduct training at a conference in Antalya, Turkey. I fell again on Christmas eve during our family retreat in JB, Malaysia and sprained my right ankle badly. So my 2024 was framed by 2 injuries.

On top of that, I had a surgery in September to remove a lump on my scalp. The wound took longer than expected to heal and even got infected 2 months later. So altogether, I've spent 44 days in the year convalescing due to surgery, infection and injuries. That is not even counting the days when I've crashed from long covid fatigue.

If I add in the 14 days with hospital visits, it would mean that almost 1 in every 6 days was spent on medical/health issues.

However, God has been reminding me constantly to look on the bright side. The collage above, for example, is made up of highlight photos from 2024 superimposed on a picture I drew during one of the many days convalescing. It was inspired by Philippians 4:8, "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Also, an early Christmas present I had received prepared me in advance for the pain that was coming.

The verse on the mug is from John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” And the acronym GIG stands for 'God Is Good'!

Looking back, I'm actually very thankful for God's protection. In Antalya, I was at the top of a flight of stairs but I didn't tumble down them when I fell or it would have been much worse - and I wouldn't have been able to do all that I was meant to do at the conference. In JB, I actually twisted my left ankle first and landed on my butt but only my right ankle was injured - so I can still hobble on one good (left) leg instead of being completely incapacitated.

Even though I've been suffering from long covid fatigue and brain fog for over 2 years, I have learnt to manage my energy levels so I don't crash so often. I just need to make sure I schedule in breaks and keep my schedule thin so I get sufficient rest in between.

In fact, I'm coping so well with long covid that I didn't crash at all during and after coming back from the multiple trips throughout this year. Plus the long covid specialist said I don't need to see him anymore. Praise the Lord!!

Anyway, during the many days of resting in bed, I have managed to create more art. That led to me being able to exhibit my artworks (mizuhiki jewellery) for the first time at Pameran Poskad (3-8 Dec) and even set up my own booth, also for the first time, at the Christmas Creatives Market in a cafe (20-22 Dec).

That's not all, I also took part in 9 conferences and 9 workshops/talks/retreats where I was either facilitating/speaking/teaching or receiving training, led 2 mission trips, and attended 6 exhibitions/performances (of which I had organised 1 and exhibited at another) and 1 graduation ceremony (my eldest son's).

All this is not to boast, of course. Instead, it's to illustrate how looking on the bright side has helped me to keep going and doing what God has called me to despite all the "trouble" that I face. And just to prove His point, I received these 2 cards in the mail yesterday.

Arise, God's children,

And if you are feeling faint,

Put in Him your faith!

A fellow praying mom had printed out a haiku I wrote (inspired by a Wordle puzzle) soon after surgery to encourage other praying parents, and when she mailed it to me she had inserted a postcard with 2 Corinthians 12:9, "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

Looking ahead to the new year, which is in just over an hour, I'm certainly hoping that I won't sustain any injuries or undergo more surgeries. But regardless of whatever challenges I may encounter, I'm certain that His grace will be sufficient and His strength will sustain me!

Art Reflections at a Conference

At a conference last month, I brought along some art materials and had the space to create during some of the devotion sessions.

Day 1

On the first day, I was struck by a point made by the morning speaker about the breath of God and decided to draw it during the afternoon prayer time. But I felt led to add streaks of red, representing suffering. And I realised that when He breathed into us, His breath carried the suffering that He knew was ahead both for His Son and all humanity. Hence, the fellowship of suffering (Philippians 3:10).

Then I was prompted to crush the paper and open it up again. Similarly, we may be crushed on all sides but we will not be destroyed because He is in and with us (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).

Out of the miry clay,

He lifted us up

And breathed into us-

His breath of life,

Filled with His Spirit,

Tinged with His blood

Of co-suffering foreknown.

One in Him, we are

Crushed but not destroyed

For His breath 

In us lives on.

After I was done, I felt led to pick up an envelope with random Bible verses and prayer pointers provided by the facilitators. God-incidentally, the passage I got was 1 Peter 4:1-2, which reinforced the message from the picture and poem:

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

Day 2

 

On the second morning, the thought just came to me to make a crown of thorns, so I cut out some magazine covers and started rolling and squeezing them. In the process, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the realisation that I was making a crown of thorns for Jesus. Should I continue? Why would I want to place the suffering on Him? But I felt compelled to keep going.

The magazine covers were rather stiff and they needed to be in order to form (and hold) the ring shape. However, rolling and squeezing them eventually led to pain in my thumbs. At this point, the speaker was talking about how Jesus wants us to share in His experiences. And that's when I knew I was actually making the crown of thorns for myself, as I share in His suffering (Philippians 3:10).

I looked for washi tape to bind the rolled paper together and found one that had doves on it. Then I thought I needed red (His blood) and gold (His glory) for the crown. There was a roll of red wrapping paper with the words, "This is your present" on it and I felt it was an appropriate phrase to describe how Jesus' suffering on the cross was a gift for us (Romans 6:23). But later on I also thought that it aptly expresses how in the present time we too bear the cross (including the crown of thorns) daily (Luke 9:23).

I used gold washi tape to stick the red paper onto the ring but it wasn't sticky enough. So I had to use more of the tape with doves. Under the red and gold, some of the doves from the inner layer peeped through - that seemed to represent how we can have inner peace even in the midst of pain and suffering (John 14:27). But the doves on the outermost layer also pointed to how He will restore peace when He returns one day (Isaiah 2:4).

The crown is made entirely of paper (magazine covers, washi tape, wrapping paper). And paper comes from wood. [I used some white glue to stick the thorns and I found out later that it's sometimes called wood glue even though it's not made of wood.] So basically the crown of thorns is made from trees, just like the one that Jesus wore.

Day 3 - Didn't create anything as I was helping to facilitate some creative reflection activities.

Day 4

Was inspired by the flowers in the resort one morning and decided to draw this during the devotion time. 

The water lily emerges from the murky waters yet it looks bright and pristine. Its leaves even help to purify the water around it.

So no matter how difficult the external circumstances may be, let us rise above all that, and bloom and grow into the person God designed us to be. Even in the midst of pain and suffering, we can be His peacemakers to bring peace to people and situations around us (Matthew 5:9).

Day 5 - Didn't create anything as I was helping to facilitate some creative reflection activities.

Day 6 - Didn't create anything as I was helping to watch a little boy while listening to the message.

Day 7

During the morning devotion time, I saw in my mind the crown of thorns being transformed into a crown of glory when the speaker was saying that one day we will receive our crowns from Him (1 Peter 5:4).

The transformation is only possible by His blood. And incidentally, the red twisty crayon was broken just like His body was broken for us (1 Corinthians 11:24). But because the broken pieces were no longer contained in the twisty case, I could use the long sides to colour in the red stream. Similarly, we also can be used by Him to reveal His glory through our brokenness. This is further illustrated in the crown of glory which is made with washi tape that has golden streaks creating a kintsugi effect - we are broken but redeemed for His glory (2 Corinthians 4:7)!

Someone commented that the crown looks like a burning bush. My desire is that all I do will be of eternal value so that on the day when we go through the fire, all of my "achievements" will endure and be refined as gold (1 Corinthians 3:10-15) so I will hear Him say, "Good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:23)!"

Day 8

Created this during the final morning devotion time. Two pieces of paper joined together with washi tape, symbolising how we are joined with Christ (1 Corinthians 6:17). 

In the stormy seas there is the red of His blood - we share in His suffering so He also shares in ours as we go through the storms of life (Hebrews 4:15). But from there a rainbow emerges, a reminder that we have hope because He has promised that when we abide in Him, He will abide in us (John 15:4).

Reflections

I don't think all the speakers at the conference were focusing on suffering but somehow God was directing me to think about this topic. Yet, it wasn't in a gloomy or depressing way. He showed through all these co-created art that out of His suffering and ours will come peace, hope, glory and beauty.

The Lion and the Lamb

We organised a creative retreat yesterday on Silent Saturday for a group of creatives. Our facilitators, Estelle and Francesca led us in a series of reflective and prophetic activities through the entire afternoon.

One of them was blindfold painting. I had a vision of placing my entire hand on the paper plate where I had poured out five colours I liked, then sweeping my hand across the canvas. And I heard Him say, "Dance with me."

So I stood up and did just that! 

It was so much fun swaying along to the music playing in the background, not thinking about what the result would be. Such a stark contrast to my first experience in blindfold painting a few years ago, where I had been so worried about how the painting would turn out and didn't enjoy the process at all.

When I sensed that it was enough, I stopped and sat down. Then I heard Him say, "Look at your hand." So against Estelle's instructions (haha!) I took off my blindfold and looked at my hand.

First, I saw the golden heart shape. Then I realised there's a hole in it and immediately thought of Jesus' glory and His love for us displayed through His nail-pierced hands. What a beautiful reminder to continue reflecting on all that He had done for us on Good Friday the day before this.

When I looked at the painting on the canvas in landscape orientation, which was how I had painted it, I didn't see much in it. So I turned it around to portrait view.

I was struck by how the darker colours at the bottom rose up to the bright orange at the top, much like flames but also reminding me of beauty from ashes. 

Later, one of the participants at my table suggested that I should look at it from afar. That's when I saw the lion!

If you can't see where it is, the following comparison may help. During a recent trip to Jeju, Korea, I had been struck by one of the many lion paintings at the hotel where we stayed (Leo Hotel, and of course Leo means Lion in Greek!)

The lion in my painting is facing the same direction as the Jeju lion but has a more benevolent expression.

As I reflected on all this today, Resurrection Sunday, I'm amazed at how He led me to express the Easter message in this 2-in-1 painting. 

Firstly, the painted nail-pierced hand points to the lamb led to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7) and who was slain (Revelation 5:6). 

Then on the third day, He rose from the grave and now He is the lion of Judah who sits upon the throne in heaven (Revelation 5:5,7), as symbolised by the lion on the canvas.

And both the hand and the canvas were painted on at the same time, through one single process. That's just like how the Lion and the Lamb are one, and both are found in the same One, Jesus.

Furthermore, the process of letting go and allowing the Holy Spirit to direct the entire painting process is a lesson in learning to trust in God even in the midst of circumstances that are beyond our control. 

I'm not a skilled painter and there's no way I could have painted a lion from scratch on my own. But when I allowed Him to paint through me, this was the incredible outcome!

Jesus, the triumphant King, has already overcome the world. That's why we can have peace even though there will be trouble (John 16:33). And when we invite the Holy Spirit to take control, the same power that resurrected Christ is in at work in us (Ephesians 3:20) to overcome all things!

“Blessing and honor and glory and power

Be to Him who sits on the throne,

And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

Revelation 5:13

See my previous entry with reflections for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

P.S. it's been 3 days and this morning I happened to glance at the painting from the breakfast table. The sunlight revealed the shiny crown on the lion's head! Can you see it too? Indeed, He is our Risen King!!

Mizuhiki Butterfly and Thai Line Art

I've been learning to make Japanese mizuhiki knots recently and I thought the butterfly would be easy to draw using Thai line art style, plus it has symmetry too!

The traditional mizuhiki butterfly (pic taken off Pinterest) actually has a squarish shape in the centre (a bit like a hashtag or swastika?) But I found that on the back, it's in fact a cross shape in the centre so I decided to feature mine 'back to front' instead (pic below of my own mizuhiki knot.)

The butterfly symbolises rebirth (or reincarnation) in Buddhism, the predominant religion in both Japan and Thailand. But with the Cross in the centre and with three strings representing the Trinity, it now points to our new birth in Christ as explained in John 3:5-7,

~ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” ~

Just like how I flipped the butterfly around to see the cross, all we have to do is repent (which literally means turn around) and face the Cross where redemption and new life can be found!

Other mizuhiki creations explained:

1. Mizuhiki Wedding Flowers - Love Bears All

2. More Mizuhiki - You Are Precious!

About Time

These are my notes for a devotion time with some artists.

Opening song: In His Time 

Biblical Concepts of Time:

1. Time is in His hands

"Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:16

"My times are in your hands." Psalm 31:15a

→ God is in control!

Time is NOT our master, God is! So don’t get stressed out by the ticking clock or looming deadlines. Look to God for help in managing time.

2. Time is fluid

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14

"A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night." Psalm 90:4

→ God is beyond time!

God’s work also transcends time so don’t be limited by time but be flexible and when prompted or as necessary, take time to dream and smell the flowers, connect with people, or simply to rest.

3. All times are appointed by Him

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens… He has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecclesiastes 3:1,11a

"He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands." Acts 17:26

→ God's timing is perfect!

Trust in His plans and purposes for all that happens - no time/season is ever wasted. 

Sometimes we may have to wait upon the Lord for His perfect time.

4. We are made for eternity 

"He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11b

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

→ God is eternal!

Some things we hold as important may actually be inconsequential, so spend time focusing on the things that are of greater eternal value from God’s perspective.

Greek Concepts of Time:

Chronos - sequential time, a specific amount of time such as a day or an hour

Time is a gift, not our enemy. How can we use it to be a blessing?

Kairos - an opportune time, a "moment" or a "season" such as "harvest time"

Do we understand the times and seasons, as well as know our roles in what He is doing so we can partner with Him?

Synchronos - happening at the same time

Are we walking in step with Him, not running ahead nor lagging behind?

Poem and video of swans - synchronised swimming 

Eschaton - the last, the final event, the end of the world, the climax of history 

There is an expiry date for our lives and even for this world, so how should that impact what we do with the time that we have left?

What is God saying to you about time, whether it's about your time on earth (macro) or a specific time in your life - past, present or future (micro)? 

It's all about people - reflections on Matthew 14:13-21

Those who are familiar with this passage would probably remember a sermon or two being preached on it. And the focus was likely to be on the magnitude of the five thousand (and more, including women and children). After all that's what the heading says - Jesus feeds the five thousand. However, it actually starts off with Jesus mourning John the Baptist's death.

So while reflecting on this episode I realised that in ministry we meet different categories of people, just like Jesus did. 

Original collage (see below for image credits)

There are the precious few likeminded ones whom we may not need to say much to yet know exactly what we mean and how we feel. Even though Jesus and John the Baptist had very little time together, I'm sure they were constantly in each other's thoughts and prayers. We draw mutual strength and encouragement just by knowing that we are there for each other.

Then there are those who follow in our footsteps, the ones we teach, coach and mentor. They may not take over our ministries but they are certainly a big part of the legacy we leave behind. In fact, our disciples may do even greater things (John 14:12) because we have patiently sown into their lives.

Of course, there will be the people whom we minister to. We may not necessarily have a close relationship with them, unlike the earlier categories. They may seek us out like the crowd did Jesus, or sometimes God may lead us to find them (eg how Jesus went to Simon's house and healed his mother-in-law cf. Luke 4:38-39). Regardless of how He met them, Jesus always had compassion for them.

Do you have people around you who fall into these categories? Then we would do well to consider how Jesus related and responded differently to each group of people and learn from Him.

Image credits:

1. Jesus and John the Baptist taken from a scene in the series "The Chosen"
2. Jesus and the twelve disciples taken from a scene in the movie "Son of God"
3. crowd photos

• https://i0.wp.com/www.demystifyasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/asian-people.jpeg
• https://jooinn.com/crowd-of-people.html#gal_post_86976_crowd-of-people-6.jpg
• https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/crowd-gm536292325-57563024
• https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/group-of-happy-people-looking-at-camera-gm1029925066-275975340

The opposite of fear is…

Here are the notes from an activity that I facilitated for a group of artists, followed by my own sharing of what I received while doing it.

Question: What do you think is the opposite of fear? (choose one only)

1. Faith

2. Hope

3. Love

4. All of the above

Answer:

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4:18a

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

→ Only when we have experienced His perfect love and unconditional acceptance are we able to 

• Trust in Him fully that everything He has planned for us is for our good

• Believe that He will never leave nor forsake us

• Base our hope on His unfailing promises

• Face all adversity without fear

Often, it's a matter of changing our perspective to see things from God's perspective. The next activity will hopefully help us to do just that.

Activity:

1. Using your digital sketching/drawing app, write down all the fears (including worries & anxieties) you have.

2. Draw the outline of a big heart around all your fears. Colour it in slowly, stroke by stroke, to cover over all your fears while giving your fears to God and asking Him to reveal His love for you.

Play these songs while artists are drawing and colouring the heart:

I Will Fear No More by The Afters 

Stand in Your Love by Josh Baldwin

3. Write on the heart key words to help you remember what He spoke to you just now. You could also draw pictures/symbols to represent what He has shown you.

Play this song while artists are writing/drawing on the heart:

Rest in Your Love by Martin Nystrom 

4. Take turns to share. 

Closing prayer. 

Sharing of what I received:

I heard Him say in this order: Rest, Peace, Joy, Assurance. The last word - Assurance - came as a surprise but it reminded me of my favourite hymn after I had just received Christ, Blessed Assurance (by Fanny Crosby). We have assurance not only for eternal life beyond this life, but He also assures us of His loving presence, protection and provision in this life. God brought me back to my early days as a Christian, to my first love for Him, and the joy that results from a childlike faith in Him.

1 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.

2 Perfect communion, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight.
Angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love. 

3 Perfect submission, all is at rest.
I in my Savior am happy and bless’d,
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love.

Lord, make my mess into Your message

 

Notes from a recent sharing with a few artists.

1. View the following and share responses:

- Broken Hallelujah by Dawn Schneider

- O Come, All Ye Unfaithful by Sovereign Grace Music

- I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin (with paintings from Arts Release Creative Studios)

2. While thinking about all the problems and challenges you've faced this month/year, draw lines across a piece of blank paper using a pen/fine tip marker - they can be zigzag, wavy, curved, spiral etc, and in any direction.

Next, colour in the spaces created by the lines while allowing God to show you where and how He had showed up in the midst of your troubles. What do you see in your picture?

Egs of the kind of drawing can be found at

- Nandrigal Yeatrukollum (Accept My Thanksgiving) by Jeswin Samuel (with video of Aimee drawing and colouring in)

- Endless Praise by Anne Soh

- By His Stripes by Anne Soh

- Big Picture by Anne Soh

Bible passages (read aloud while artists are colouring in, then share insights after):

Psalm 42 - aspects of this Psalm can be seen in the painting Broken Hallelujah, also it reminds us to draw near to God in our lowest moments and put our hope in Him even when the solution isn't apparent

Jeremiah 18:1-6 - the clay may look messed up but the potter has a plan to mould it into something good / useful / beautiful, and God uses it to tell Jeremiah a message for the nation.

Hosea 1 & 3 - the prophet's life is way messier than any makjang K-drama plot but God uses it to reveal His redemptive message for the nations.

John 8:2-11 - instead of answering the men immediately, Jesus started writing in the sand. Some translations say He was drawing lines, much like what we did in this activity. Ultimately, people were convicted of their sin and the adulterous woman was forgiven.

→ Whether it's through pottery, drama, drawings or any other artform, when they depict how God shows up in the midst of our messy lives, He will use our artworks to bring across His message of forgiveness and redemption.

Therefore…

Habakkuk 3:17-18 - we will rejoice in the Lord even though we may be going through hardship, pain and suffering, and don't see any results.

→ When stories / artworks project hope while being authentic and “firmly aware of the brokenness within which we live and build, suffer, expect, laugh and cry,” (Seerveld, 2000) they will become vessels to change the hearers and “heal our wounded souls.” (Mead, 2017)

References:

1. Calvin Seerveld, Bearing Fresh Olive Leaves: Alternative Steps in Understanding Art (Carlisle: Piquant, 2000), 112.

2. Geoff Mead, Coming Home to Story: Storytelling beyond Happily Ever After (London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2017), 3.

God inspires, we transpire

Notes for a sharing session with some artists:

 

1.     Read Psalm 1

 

2.     Transpiration in plants 

o    Water absorbed from the soil by the roots is pulled upwards through the plant and evaporates through stomata on the surface of the leaves 

o    Nutrients from the soil dissolved in the water help the plant to grow - more transpiration equals more growth 

o    Transpiration also helps to cool the plant down

→ We need to be grounded in the Word (soil), filled with the Holy Spirit (water), and create good works (transpire) in order to grow healthily.

 

3.     Some external factors that affect transpiration

o    Water level in the soil

o    Air temperature

o    Humidity

o    Air movement ie wind

→ Make sure we place ourselves among people who encourage us to be creative, and also get the right training, resources, and conducive environment to boost our creativity.

 

4.     What happens when plants don't transpire

o    Wilt if due to soil being too dry

o    Explode/burst if due to other factors that prevent transpiration

→ Keep soaking in the Holy Spirit and keep creating!

 

5.     Transpiration is part of the water cycle 

o    Water vapour released into the air forms clouds and falls down as rain

o    Water is essential to all life on earth

→ Creative works inspired by God change the atmosphere and will bless others by sending them showers of love, joy, peace, hope… all that is essential for an abundant life! The impact could also be remote like clouds that are blown far away - transcends space and time.

 

6.     Different plants

o    Have different rates of transpiration 

o    But all plants transpire!

→ We have different gifts and talents, different skills and abilities. But everyone is creative as we are made in the image of the Creator! Don't compare with others cos we're all unique. Just be assured that God has equipped each one of us uniquely to produce the good works that He has prepared us to do/create (Eph 2:10).

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the one

    who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

    or sit in the company of mockers,

2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

    and who meditates on his law day and night.

3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

    which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither –

    whatever they do prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!

    They are like chaff

    that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,

    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.