But first! An update! I got invited to an OCS BALL!!!! Haha. My dream comes true! Okay. I know it sounds crazy to be happy over this but hey! this kind of chance dun come often! And it's not easy. Considering that many of my batch of guys prob got into their own units already. And Zhen Guang is in OCS! He survived and so invited me to His commissioning ball on 28 march! =) It's still a long way--6 weeks? But I'm excited already! Quite happy and thankful that he invited me! =) It's held at Shangri-La.

And I'm already thinking of what I should do...my hair, my nails, my dress? I was thinking of doing temporary curls or permanent ones. Or was thinking of getting a hairstylist to do up my hair. Checked out the price this morning--$10.80 for temp curls. After one wash, then *poof* it's back to the normal hair. Tat is how temporary it is! Ha. Then, I was thinking of the dress. I would like a new dress but i think i dun wanna spend money again. Neither do i want zg to spend somemore money :S He already spent alot for that dinner! $300 for the both of us! I sure am going to fork out some money to him man!

We met up the night we contacted each other--last friday, 13feb. Then entered V-day with him! Haha. No significance actually. Jus happened to be out till that late. Initially wanted to jus hang arnd somewhere and reach home before midnight. But his book-out was late and so we ended up meeting late at railmall (: At least it's near for me but poor him had to take a cab home. At that time, I wished I could drive man. Then I could have driven him home. Nxt time! So catched up quite a bit. He shifted to a new house, find out who else I know that is still in OCS etc. I plan to write small congrats cards and give them tat night! I have quite a few frens there--Alvin, Edwin (my neighbour whom I've not met yet), Samuel, Jordan, Seng Long etc...hope their partners don't mind me popping by their table! Oh well. Talking about this here makes me excited also! Now, I jus pray that he'll continue to be safe throughout the remaining 6 weeks and persevere through. Same to all my frens in this batch whom I know.

V-day was spent quite differently from last year. I spent it with my piano, keys and scores in the morning, plus prayer too. Then the stove and pasta had a date with me, followed by ben hon, aunty daisy, uncle clarence, bernice, jun may, lydia, kah hwee and not forgetting, my beloved keyboard in church! After which, I entered dreamland and ate dinner in a daze. Finally, I ended off that day with work. Ha. Something different uh? Well, I would say that I suddenly felt that it's okay. I didn't feel anything sad etc. I guess the talk wtih Le Jing the night before helped. Her sharing on her thoughts and John's sms on God's love really opened up my eyes and helped me to focus on what's the real meaning and motivation behind love.

God's greatest demonstration of love to mankind is indeed undeniable and unfathomable. It's his best love gift to me. And the best love I've ever received. That because God loved us so much to send His Son to pay for my sins, redeemed me so that I can reconcile with God is what I am really thankful for and feel deeply loved by. And this reminded me of the lesson I learned through Crusade about what Jesus accomplished on the cross and the new insights that I gained. Especially propitiation. Also, because of His great love, I can have the power, the will and the reason to love others and spread His love to all. Though at times I fail because I'm an imperfect man, but God's love never fails and He will still be glorified at the end of the day.

Uniquely, I've seen 2 people who blogged 1 Cor 13 and highlight what words impress them most. As for me, as I read through their entries and the Bible passage, the words that impresses me is "patient" and "hope". It reminds me that I must be patient now as I wait. And also patient when I'm in it. Hope reminds me to be optimistic and points me back to God in whom I have divine, everlasting and firm hope because of His Character (iHope conference). Amen!

Below are some quotes that I took from my couselling reading materials on pre-marital counselling and marriage counselling that I find quite worth thinking, sharing and writing down here for all to see. Enjoy!

1. In good communication, the message sent verbally is consistent with the message sent non-verbally.

2. Good communication also demands that the message sent is the same as the message that the other person receives.

3. The content of communication is less important than how the messages are conveyed.

4. Fallacy of the reasonable solution: The view that reasonable solutions don't always bring peace even when these solutions are accepted by reasonable people.

5. Tension persists because many problems are more emotional than rational.

6. To esteem our spouses when we see them as God does--as flawed people like ourselves who are nevertheless the objects of God's incomprehensible grace.

7. Leaving, being joined and becoming one can be viewed as the 3 purposes of marriage. Leaving--departure from parents and a public and legal union. Being joined--the couple cannot be pulled apart without one or both being torn; dedicated to loving, drawing tgt and remaining faithful to each other. Becoming one--sex and sharing dreams, hopes, fears, material possessions, thinking, feelings, joys, difficulties, successes and failures; the 2 personalities are not so merged that each person's uniqueness is gone, but rather, they are developed in partnership with those of one's mate to make a complete relationship.