no.176 131023 Thank you for Spirit of Truth

Candy apples!

"But the Counselor,

the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,

will teach you all things

and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

John 14:26

The second part of John 14 is on Holy Spirit. When I was reading the chapter this morning, I realized that I have the least knowledge of the Spirit among the Trinity. I was once again reminded that the Holy Spirit was sent "to be with me forever." As John 14:26 states, the Holy Spirit is to teach us and remind us of everything God has taught and is teaching us. I want to study more about it and will post another entry sometime in the future. So please stay tuned!

The song of the day is by Stacey Kent. She's one of my favourite artists because of her lovely unique voice. It's so easy to recognize her voice whenever I hear her song on the radio. I was tuning to jazz fm on the way home and there she was singing! The lyrics caught my attention - yes, you'll note my obsession with autumn in New York. Plus, since it contains the word "October" in it, I thought it would make a good selection to your fall playlist!

This Happy Madness - Stacey Kent

What should I call this happy madness that I feel inside of me?
Some kind of wild October gladness that I never thought I'd see.

What has become of all my sadness, all my endless lonely sighs?
Where are my sorrows now?

 

What happened to the frown and is that self contented clown
Standing there grinning in the mirror really me?

I'd like to run through Central Park, carve your initials in the bark
Of every tree I pass for everyone to see.

 

I feel that I've gone back to childhood and I'm skipping through the wildwood,
So excited that I don't know what to do.

What do I care if I'm a juvenile I smile my secret little smile
Because I know the change in me is you.

 

What should I call this happy madness all this unexpected joy
That turned the world into a baby's bouncing toy.

The gods are laughing far above, one of them gave a little shove
And I fell gaily, gladly, madly into love.

no.144 130921 Thank you for the spare time

Dear...

As I have shared earlier this month, I decided to write love letters for my loved ones this fall. So far, I wrote two. I put the first one in the mail - I still haven't heard from him yet, so I suppose he didn't receive it yet. The second one I wrote, I gave it to my friend in person when I saw her a couple of days ago. I want to write my third one today. I have some spare time at the moment, so why not eh?

How do I choose for whom to write it to? It all depends. It's not like I prepared a list of people to write to, because then I'm going to feel pressured to complete the list. It would be nice if I can send a love letter to as many people as possible, but I prefer writing one whenever that person comes to my mind.

It's been raining all morning, and it's still going. I'm a super moody person, and I enjoy being sentimental on a day like this. If you're at home and wondering what to do on a gloomy and rainy afternoon, may I suggest a wonderful way to spend your spare time? Pick your favourite smoky jazz song, make yourself a cup of warm drink of your choice and grab a pen and paper. Think of one special person that pops into your mind right now... and write a love letter for that person.

Having a hard time finding a song? Let me share one from my playlist. Originally, I wanted to share a cover by a Canadian musician Jeff Healey, but I couldn't find a good video on youtube (I'm still linking it anyway in case you're interested). Instead, I have Ella and Louis' version of Autumn in New York. Whenever I listen to this song, I romanticize my autumn in the Big Apple. I've never been to Manhattan in the fall so I love to dream about what it will feel like to spend a beautiful autumn day there. I can imagine myself strolling down or riding the bike in the Central Park, loving the fresh fall breeze! I will sit on one of the benches facing the Lake and record in my journal how much I'm enjoying my day. The view will be wonderful with trees dressed in the fall colours. Afterwards, I can quickly grab a bite at Luke's Lobster and of course, I must treat myself with a couple of sweet little macarons on Madison Ave. Then, I will stop by my favourite bookstore on my way to the Met, and spend the rest of my day at the museum until it closes... What a romantic plan I have! If only I could be in New York this fall. Perhaps next year, God will send me to New York?