More Than Gracious

Just a few days before the dedication of our new church building, I was tidying the house with a smile on my lips and glad thankfulness in my heart. As I carried the boxes around, the phrase "You are more than gracious to me" came effortlessly from my lips. Indeed, God is more than wonderful, more than amazing, and more than gracious to us. With gratitude and awe overflowing from my soul, I completed the song that very day.


Every time I look upon
All the blessings from above,
I can't help but wonder why You love me so.
All the sustenance and grace,
Every kind and smiling face,
Tell the care and tenderness that I must know.

Chorus:
For You are more than gracious to me
Every day and through the years,
Carrying through my joyous hours
As well as silent tears;
For You are more than gracious to me
More than I can ever tell;
Jesus Christ, Emmanuel,
My Savior, Lord, and King.

Every time I think about
All the mercies of Your love,
I will see the low unworthiness in me.
How You died on Calvary
So I'll live eternally
Is forever sacred in my memory.

Zion, Call Forth Every Soul

This is a piece that grew in its writing. Although a few sentences may yet need to be refined, I enjoy this little work for the fun that it gave me in writing it. I'm glad I managed to pass on the letter Q, but I had no choice but to compromise with letter X.

Almighty Sovereign, He is King
Beyond the farthest lands;
Come follow Him, all tribes and tongue,
Do heed His each command;
Eternal God, He reigns on high,
Forever glorious,
God over every universe,
High King o’er each of us;
Immortal Master of the earth,
Just, pure, omnipotent,
Kind, merciful, and full of grace,
Lamb, sacrificed for men;
More fair than roses in the field,
Ne’er shadowed by the sun,
Omniscient, searching mind and heart,
Perfector, God’s own Son;
Queen Sheba’s jewels fade ‘fore Him,
Rich magi bow their knee,
Such is the wonder of our King,
True, mighty majesty;
Unfathomable, never seen,
Voiced by creation’s best,
With gratefulness and joyous song,
eXalt Him from within.
Yet mighty God though He may be, He lends the weary rest.
Zion, call forth every soul, and praise Him with thy best!

Curtain of Dreams

This is a liberal adaptation of one of my favorite Chinese poems by the popular novelist Chung Yao. The story that originally contained the poem was about a Taiwanese young girl who was disliked by society because of her dreamy, unrealistic character. Her dreams finally did come true when a dashing millionaire married her and brought her to a life of fantastic romance in Europe.

My curtain of dreams
That glistens and gleams
So few people understand
The secrets you hold
Are so manifold
They stretch towards ev'ry land

The long years fly by
As I with a sigh
Keep wond'ring why there is none
Who would but redeem
Just one of my dreams
Yet now I'm still all alone

O where is the one
Who fin'ly would come
To be with me evermore
For he would esteem
My curtain of dreams
As much as I had before

Dedication

I wrote this short poem when I was around 12 years old. Although it has been several years since, the prayer found in this poem still rings true for me every day of my Christian walk.

All that I am and hope to be,
I consecrate, my Lord, to Thee;
While I may well unworthy be,
Use me, my Lord, to glory Thee.

My life, my soul, and all of me,
I give to Thee eternally;
No matter what the 'morrow be,
My ev'rything will be for Thee.

The Candy Woods

This is a fun little piece that I composed for my creative writing course back in Grade 9. It's nothing deep or meaningful, but it is cute and manages to capture my dreamy little spirit

Long, long ago I had a dream
About the candy woods;
The trees and flow’rs were wonderful,
The fruits were very good.

The pines were made of gingerbread,
Their cones of cinnamon;
The gumdrop flow’rs had diff’rent shades
Of blue, and red, and brown.

The oaks were made of chocolate,
Their leaves had icing rims;
The fruits were coated marshmallows
With dainty sugar trims.

The air there smelled of peppermint,
The sun shone glitt'ry beams;
Unfortunately, I woke up,
And it was all a dream.

Sweet Sixteen

This is an article I wrote in early 2005. Though I know this posting seems rather belated right now, I still would like to share it. After all, the lesson of this article is something I am still learning every day.

I passed my sixteenth birthday on August 3, 2004. Before the actual day came, many people asked how old I was turning. When I answered, they all reacted, “Oh, sweet sixteen!” I laughed along with everybody else. Deep inside, however, I was feeling down. I sadly thought how I probably wouldn’t have a year of “sweet sixteen.” Like other girls, I had my share of crushes, but I couldn’t imagine anyone liking me.

I spent my birthday at home that year without any cakes or gifts. In the evening, I wrote in my journal:

“Lord, You are the Lover of my soul. I pray that this year be a year of special sweetness between You and me. Please fill me with Your beauty. Lord, please keep me from focusing on how many and what kind of material gifts I receive. Instead, please help me offer my life to You as a small gift in return for sixteen years of grace. Lord, I thank You for today. The day was not spent in pomp or gaiety. It was not built around me. It was a very simple birthday without the slightest celebration. Yet Lord, if You enable me to keep my commitments of purity, love, and devotion, this can be one of the sweetest birthdays of my life.”

November 21, 2004 was one of the happiest days of my life. After undergoing ten weeks of baptismal class, I was officially baptized as a member of UECMalabon. As I stood before people to pledge my devotion to Christ, I felt His love in my heart. I knew then that God has answered my prayer. With Jesus as the Lover of my soul, I would definitely have my “sweet sixteen.”

Turn My Eyes, Lord, Back to Jesus

I do not know how this post got "unpublished." Since it has, however, I am now republishing it. Perhaps as I face loads of studies, family duties, and ministerial responsibilities, God just wants to remind me once more than I am to focus on Him alone.

In the life that I assume from day to day,
In the midst of all my work, and chores, and play,
Through the countless cries and cares to overcome,
There is little time to silent down and pray.

All the duties that I find surrounding me,
School and work and friends and church and family,
Often take away the focus of my heart
Far from whom I know it really ought to be.

Chorus:
Turn my eyes, Lord, back to Jesus,
Veer my courses back to Him.
Turn my eyes, Lord, back to Jesus,
Make my life an offering.
Turn my eyes, Lord, back to Jesus,
Cleanse me from my ev’ry sin.
Turn my eyes, Lord, back to Jesus,
Make me new again within.