O'nine

I'm looking forward to the year o'nine
And thinking that it will be just fine.
In fact, more fine than most, I'll have to say,
'Coz a new year is, really, just a longer new day;
When yesterday's gone, happy or forlorn,
Look to the sun as the new day is born.

A year of new beginnings, of joy and of cheer,
A year untainted with hate, anger, or fear.
A year of opportunities and wide opened skies,
New things to discover and to open our eyes.
Why start off the year with baggage and woes?
Lets look straight ahead, and leave behind those!

Surely the future is bigger and bright
Gone are the days of misery and blight!
Called, we are, to a divine hope
To walk this world and to up climb this slope
Our goal before us is our heavenly home
And though we tread here, we are not earth's own.

So fix our eyes on what is unseen
And all that is seen will fall in between.

*If you're reading this on Facebook or on another site, please comment on the blog at www.thomasleong.net*

"Dear God, I prayed, all unafraid
(as we're inclined to do)
I do not need a handsome man
but let him be like you;
I do not need one big and strong
not yet so very tall,
nor need he be some genius
or wealthy, Lord, at all;
but let his head be high, dear God,
and let his eye be clear,
his shoulders straight,
whate'er his state,
whate'er his earthly sphere;
and let his face have character,
a ruggedness of soul,
and let his whole life show,
dear God,
a singleness of goal;
then when he comes
(as will he come)
with quiet eyes aglow,
I'll understand that he's the man
I prayed for long ago."

~ Ruth McCue Bell, written in 1939
before she met Billy Graham

Lord, I wanna be that man to my wife for you. Make me like you, Jesus!

*If you're reading this on Facebook or on another site, please comment on the blog at www.thomasleong.net*

Haiku of Despair and Hope

Lost in a mist
So cold, so bleak
Scorned dreams

Straight is the path
Goes up and goes down
Dark; Bright ahead

Sunrise clears the fog
When sunrise comes, if it comes
With patience it comes

email thread at work

>>> Wayne Russell 11/21/2007 3:36 PM >>>
Mom is in the kitchen,
And when I take a look,
Im glad Im not a turkey
Thats she's about to cook!
By Karl Fuchs

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Wayne


>>> Worrell Service 11/21/2007 3:55 PM >>>
I was in the kitchen,
And when I take a look
One fat turkey for me to cook!
By Worrell Service

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

>>> Thomas Leong 11/21/2007 4:10 PM >>>

I stepped into the kitchen

Such a sight to see

A turkey crisp and golden

Roasted just for me

I took a bite of heaven

And ran to tell my boss

He's wondering what happened

Why was I at such a loss

I told him 'bout the turkey

And all the good stuff there

He got in such a hurry

Without his panda bear

A shout of exclamation

He gave when he went down

A voice of desperation

Coz turkey was all gone

-thomas

The Hammer Holds

A shapeless piece of steel, that's all I claim to be

This hammer pounds to give me form, this flame, it melts my dreams

I glow with fire and fury, as I'm twisted like a vine

My final shape, my final form I'm sure I'm bound to find

So dream a little, dream for me in hopes that I'll remain

And cry a little, cry for me so I can bear the flames

And hurt a little, hurt for me my future is untold

But my dreams are not the issue here, for they, the hammer holds

And the water, it cools me gray, and the hurt's subdued somehow

I have my shape, this sharpened point, what is my purpose now?

And the question still remains, what am I to be?

Perhaps some perfect piece of art displayed for all to see

So dream a little, dream for me in hopes that I'll remain

And cry a little, cry for me so I can bear the flames

And hurt a little, hurt for me my future is untold

But my dreams are not the issue here, for they, the hammer holds

The hammer pounds again, but flames I do not feel

This force that drives me, helplessly, through flesh, and wood reveals

A burn that burns much deeper, it's more than I can stand

The reason for my life was to take the life of a guiltless man

So dream a little, dream for me in hopes that I'll remain

And cry a little, cry for me so I can bear the pain

And hurt a little, hurt for me, my future is so bold

But my dreams are not the issue here, for they, the hammer holds

This task before me may seem unclear

But it, my Maker holds

~by Bebo Norman

Thanks again, Bebo, for putting things in perspective for me.

Daughters

I wanna dedicate this John Mayer song to my Mom, Dad, and dear sister, Grace.

I love you all. Missing you guys much...

I know a girl
She puts the color inside of my world
But she's just like a maze
Where all of the walls all continually change
And I've done all I can
To stand on her steps with my heart in my hands
Now I'm starting to see
Maybe it's got nothing to do with me

Fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Oh, you see that skin?
It's the same she's been standing in
Since the day she saw him walking away
Now she's left
Cleaning up the mess he made

So fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Boys, you can break
You'll find out how much they can take
Boys will be strong
And boys soldier on
But boys would be gone without the warmth from
A womans good, good heart

On behalf of every man
Looking out for every girl
You are the god and the weight of her world

So fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too [x3]

~ "Daughters" by John Mayer

The Rule

Have you ever been in restrooms,
Public or your own?
I don't know why,
let out a sigh!
the Rule's not set in stone!

I appreciate those who follow it,
who stick to it like glue;
who insist on it,
Hack! Hack! and spit!
May the sky always be blue!

"What," say you, "is this is fast rule
that must be across the lands?"
Why, haven't you heard,
king, peasant, nerd?
The need to wash your hands?!

After business in little rooms,
After using shiny stalls,
Please understand
and wash those hands
when done with nature's calls!

Bacteria and germs thrive galore,
so do other creepy things.
They rest unseen
until you clean
those little fingerlings.

For while you insist that you are a clean,
Others may not know.
Please sir, be kind
and quiet their minds
from worry and from woe.

Some dont even care 'bout it,
some may have no clue!
They walk in there
and "pay their fare"
then out to shake hands with you!

Your hands are important, useful things;
you shake and eat with them.
So wash them often
even after coughin',
smother them not with phlegm!

A Rule, I say, one strong and firm
to pass throughout the lands.
That all must carry
this necessary
need to wash your hands!

Yet till the day of reckoning comes
When Rule is fast and true,
pull up your pants
and wash your hands
Oh please I beg of you!

Wedding Sonnet

Here's a copy of our wedding program. Click on the pic for a bigger version.



If you're trying to read the sonnet i wrote, well, here it is.

A Wedding Sonnet

by Thomas Leong

Of me, to thee will I freely give

My heart and life for thy love I live;

To hold thy hand with fingers entwined,

And say thou art mine and I am thine.

To what mystery doth this Love owe

That two would bequeath their hearts like so;

That life itself is now sacrificed,

And the very self is now demised?

My love, thou needs not answereth me

For I know ‘tis Christ, our mystery.

So come, step with me upon this aisle,

This journey we birth will take a while.

For thy love and mine, and Christ’s, is three

And our Love, sweet Love, shall stronger be.

Feel free to use it for your wedding, if you want to. Just leave me a comment and quote me.

"A Long Way Home"

Here's the song "A Long Way Home" by Bebo Norman

It's a long way home, and the fists have flown
In the silence, there's nowhere left to run
It's the battle of our pending love
In the shadow of another smoking gun

When we dreamed this dream for the first it seemed
We could live this love for a lifetime...you and me

I will not give up this fight
I will not lay down and die
I will not carry this heart of stone
I may not be your place to run
I may not be your kingdom come
I may stumble through this great unknown
But I will be all that is true
I will not give up on you
I was made to be with you alone

Cause you and me, we're gonna see...the long way home

It's a long way home, and crying is done
But the sorrow is still wet upon your face
Our colliding hearts sometimes break apart
But now the pieces are gathered up in grace

When we dream this dream for the last time we'll see
That we lived this love for a lifetime...just you and me

Cause you and I, we're gonna fly...the long way home

The words in this song...just so riveting, so apt at this point in my life. My heart is comforted. Thank you Bebo, thank you so much.

A Valentine Sonnet

Happy Valentine's, everyone!
Take some time to have some fun
But most of all, on this amorous day
Don’t forget to generously say
The three words that mean so much
More than chocolates or roses or diamonds or such
On a day cluttered with commercial incline
They battle for hearts and purses, yours and mine
Stripping our cash, and push comes to shove
Heck, they do it all in the name of love!

Oh Valentine's, the day lovers love most
For love they would squander, of love they would boast
Say the words, and mean it too
"I love you, baby, it's true, I LOVE YOU."

Asher Noel

See,
I'm standing on the beach,
An arm to heaven reach
And eyes fixed on high,
To voice my silent cry.

See,
The winds ablow on me,
And waves of gentle sea.
With this life I live--
Inhale Your mercy, breath.

See,
With might I keep aloft
A feeble hand so coffed
With war and with pain
To know Your grace again.

See,
I see Your providence
And hear in this silence:
A sign of Your voice
Amidst all the noise.

See,
I see now what You seek;
I hear now when You speak
And know the comfort
Of the peace in Your Word.

See,
Oh happy I will be!
A babe with destiny
Born, O borned to die
That man no longer cry.

See,
Raised my hand I'll keep
Till tear and mournful weep
Is washed; and sweet song
Will I sing all night long.

Earache (cont'd)

I went to the doctor
Finally, said yes
To seek out a cure
For this illness

Relieved to know
It wasn't bad cheese
Or dirty canals
Of water or grease

Just common infection
The usual facade
A seasonal reaction
To bacterial jihad

Antibiotic drops
An earful each day
These microbial cops
Shoo terrorists away

Thank you for praying
Your prayers were heard
He saw my suffering
And promptly answered

His ultimate Cure
Was upon that cross
His Son, so pure
To redeem what was lost

So earache, be warned
I'll see you no more
In seven days, begone
For I've got my Cure!

Earache...

I'm having an earache
Right side of my head
During my fall break
I feel like I'm plagued

Please pray with me
For His mercy
That I will be free
From this malady

more from the journal...

I wish you wouldn't ask
I wish you wouldn't say
To put me to the task
To question all my ways
Some things can be discussed
Some things are worth explained
Some things just shouldn't last
Or better left unsaid
Why bring up useless "if"s?
Why bother playing safe?
Why question heart motives
of future still unveiled?
Believe the best in others
Believe not in their faults
Forgive the sins of others
Forget their frequent falls
Be merciful always
Be gracious in your words
Just as the Father is
So let your love be heard
Speak only words of good
Things that grow and build
No reason to be rude
Or with your words you kill
Be gen'rous with your praise
Be sincere from the heart
Let it be that each day
Love you give and impart

from the journal...

To love is not easy, to hate is not hard.
The first should be done freely, the second with regard.
When situations arise where it constitutes the first,
then offer it freely to satisfy the thirst.
Yet more often than not, the second appears,
often from anger, sometimes with tears.
It appears and it grows, and if it is not stopped,
when it's too late, of the first you've been robbed.

The first also grows (it takes quite a while);
but along will come Trouble, Temptation and Trial.
Relentless, they seek to plant seeds of scorn
to snuff out the light where the first had once shone.
Yet strange as it seems, when adversity lands,
the first will be stronger if together we stand.
So come the trio, in great or in small
The first, being superior, will overcome them all.

Be careful, then, the words that we speak
for carelessness lurks, it's taking a peek.
When we're not watching or careful, it strikes,
and before you know it, it's a big fight.
It has been said: "the perfect man speaks few,"
but the foolish man speaks with gargantuan slews.
So guard the tongue for it is the tree of life;
without conscious thought, words can be needlessly rife.

Therefore seek, then, to love and not hate;
the first reveals courage, an admirable trait.
Weather the storm, shine through the clouds;
Forget the second - it's just an easy way out.
It may seem easier, this camouflaged sin,
but destroy you it will, from the inside, within.
Be gracious, be kind, be merciful, befriend,
Let love, not hate, prevail to the end.

Prayer for Israel

O God, do not keep silent; do not be still, do not be quiet!
Look! Your enemies are in revolt, and those who hate you are rebelling.
They are making secret plans against your people; they are plotting against
those you protect.
"Come," they say, "let us destroy their nation, so that Israel will be
forgotten forever."
They agree on their plan and form an alliance against you:
the people of Edom and the Ishmaelites; the people of Moab and the
Hagrites;
the people of Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, and of Philistia and Tyre.
Assyria has also joined them as a strong ally of the Ammonites and
Moabites, the descendants of Lot.
Do to them what you did to the Midianites, and to Sisera and Jabin at the
Kishon River.
You defeated them at Endor, and their bodies rotted on the ground.
Do to their leaders what you did to Oreb and Zeeb; defeat all their rulers
as you did Zebah and Zalmunna,
who said, "We will take for our own the land that belongs to God."
Scatter them like dust, O God, like straw blown away by the wind.
As fire burns the forest, as flames set the hills on fire,
chase them away with your storm and terrify them with your fierce winds.
Cover their faces with shame, O LORD, and make them acknowledge your power.
May they be defeated and terrified forever; may they die in complete
disgrace.
May they know that you alone are the LORD, supreme ruler over all the
earth.

~ Psalm 83

Click [here] to see the video

Beckon me

Beckon me, my Saviour, beckon me,
save me from this misery.
Hurt and bruised You were for sin,
hurt and bruised I am within;
I can't understand the world I'm in.
Set me free,
Lord, beckon me!

Beckon me, my Saviour, beckon me,
soothe my heart and carry me,
as did You, the cross You clung;
blood and water shed as You hung.
With pain and sorrow my heart is wrung,
I'm in need,
Lord, beckon me!

~ excerpt of poem from today's journal entry.

The world cannot contain,
no the world cannot
though tirelessly it wrought;
this love that is within.
Winter brings the snow,
then gusts of Spring winds blow
but love for you remains.

The silent cries of hope
--yes, the episodic cries--
teardrops in my eyes,
though withheld, still show.
Struggles in the heart
may seem to cut and part,
yet will I steady on this slope.

Eyes may not see far,
least not with eyes of men
whose fortunes depend
on flickering stars.
Yet what of dreams untold?
What, when dreams unfold?
Who can tell when comes the shining hour?

Embrace the moment!
Carpe! Pluck! Seize!
If likely, time must cease,
and noises all be silenced!
Yet weigh of time to come,
whether much, whether some,
and forge on with what's important.

Love that transcends all odds
--Love with wings,
Love that sings,
that victors over trials of sorts--
What my heart cannot contain
In this world will not remain
Let Love reveal the way to Your courts.

Invisible Children

My Tribute to the Invisible Children in Uganda

I wrote the song below as I was thinking and imagining myself as a child soldier who was kidnapped by the LRA and turned into a killing machine. My first reaction after watching this documentary was utter disgust at how children, little, naïve, and beautiful children were abducted and brainwashed to murder, slaughter, kill, and destroy. My heart broke for them. I would have never have thought of it. Never. Abducted, yes, I could picture that. Beaten, yes, I know it happens. But to be exposed as young as five years of age to violence such as murder with knives, machetes and guns, forced to do so, and then to be threatened likewise if they tried to escape; made me sick to my stomach.

They were taught not to cry, not to be weak, or they would be killed. One of the boys who escaped from the LRA said “We don’t cry, but they don’t know what is inside our heart.” Yet it is not difficult to imagine their initial hidden emotions that soon become lost deep within them. Who, then, can rescue them? How, then, will these children ever truly know what is right anymore? Who can ever understand the terror, shock, and horror? Who can sympathize with the pain, grief, and sorrow?

Only Jesus can.

Invisible

They took away my family
They stole me from my life
No one else would find me
No one else would try
I was trained to murder
They taught me it was right
To laugh when someone suffered
They taught me not to cry

When no one else was looking
When everyone was hiding
Could no one hear me shouting
Will someone please do something

They
Desensitized me
Demoralized me
Programmed and they hypnotized me
Made me kill my friend beside me
Addict me to the blood that I see

Please
Liberate me
Alleviate me
Loose me from this evil in me
Help me see what I cannot see
Release me from this war and set me free

song of prayer...

i woke up with Sarah McLachlan singing in my head her rendition of the St Francis' prayer.

The Peace Prayer of Saint Francis

"O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace!

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is discord, harmony.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sorrow, joy.

Oh Divine Master, grant that I may

not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life."

see [here] and [here] for more info on the prayer.