Mental Fragments

The song you’ve heard that you can relate to,

He knows what you’re going through.

The uplifting text message that you just received,

He can make up your day when you’re feeling down.

The mentor who gave you a very good advice,

He knows just what to say when something bothers you.

The professor who was patient with you when you didn’t understand the lesson,

He can be patient with you no matter what you do.

When your boss or mentor pats your back,

He’s acknowledging you for a job well done.

The holiday that you have off from work,

He’s telling you that it’s OK to stop and take some rest.

The person that thanked you for the help you extended,

He appreciates what you’re doing for Him.

The time when you survived an accident,

He showed that he can protect you.

The loyal friend who stood by you even if you failed him / her,

His love is unconditional.

Your parents who sacrificed / willing to sacrifice their lives so that you can have a better one,

He already did that when He died on the cross so that you can be free.

God is in the details.

We may not notice it but He’s in the goodness that we encounter.

And He’s just there, patiently waiting…

Waiting for us to accept His love and start a relationship with Him.

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John 15:13 (New King James Version)

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down ones life for his friends."

Jesus died on the cross to save us and in the process, He also showed how much he loves us. Dying on the cross was His greatest expression of love for us.

Saw these quotes posted on an establishment I visited yesterday. I wasn’t able to memorize them but thanks for the help of ThinkExist.com, I looked them up.

"Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character."

[William Arthur Ward]

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

[Martin Luther King, Jr.]

I’ve been listening to this song for a long time and I really like it. The music which is primarily driven by piano and drums is full of emotions. But it was just recently that the lyrics of this song got me. It was probably my mood last week that I felt like the song is talking to me.

I first interpreted that the song is about a relationship between 2 friends / lovers / couple who each went on their own ways. Then, one person in the relationship would like to give it another chance by talking to the other party. For me, the song captures the feeling of awkwardness (see Verse I) and difficulty (see Verses II and III) of trying to resolve a problem when the 2 parties haven’t communicated in a long time. The party who initiated the talk also acknowledges that he / she somehow has a part why the relationship ended (see Chorus).

I checked the web for the writer’s influence for the song and found out that it is about trying to reach out to a troubled teen. According to Wikipedia:

"The verses of the song describe an attempt by an adult to confront a troubled teen. In the chorus, the singer laments that he himself was unable to save a friend because he did not know how."

For me, this is simply a great song.

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How To Save A Life by The Fray

Verse I

Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it’s just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
And you begin to wonder why you came

Chorus

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Verse II

Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you’ve told him all along
And pray to God he hears you

Verse III

As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you’ve followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he’ll say he’s just not the same
And you’ll begin to wonder why you came

Here you can check out the music video

The 5 facts about yourself, you share 5 things that your readers don’t know about you. Then at the end you tag 5 other bloggers to keep the fun going.

[Tagged by Paolo]

THE RULES:

1. Each blogger post these rules first.
2. Each blogger must start with 5 random facts/habits about themselves.
3. Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their 5 things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 5 people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

THE 5 FACTS:
1. I’m a die hard fan of the band Vertical Horizon. I have all their albums and many of their live and unreleased recordings. I love them because they write great music and lyrics and I can relate to most of their lyrics. They are my primary music influence and inspired me to pursue drumming. I dream is to watch them live and talk to them. If I have enough money, I would go and fly to US just to see them! Can’t wait for their next album!

2. When I was in Grade 5, I started listening to The Beatles. While listening, I would play drums along their songs. I used a few Tupperwares and improvised drumsticks with cloth tips so that the Tupperwares would not be damaged. I didn’t realize back then that it was the musical instrument that I want to play. Now I’m living my childhood want!

3. I usually don’t make promises because when I make one, it’s 99.9% percent that I will do it. It’s not that I don’t want to make commitments. For me, promising something is the same as signing a written contract. I don’t want people to expect something from me and then failing them for not making it.

4. My mood varies from super hyper to super quiet. I’m hyper when I’m excited or playing sports. I’m quiet when I need to think and analyze things. Sometimes people aren’t used to seeing my extremes. Hehe

5. I’m a nocturnal person. I’m not used to sleeping early at night. I don’t want to go home from work and just eat, take a bath and sleep. I have to do something like watch TV, read books, write blogs. Sleeping at 12 am is already early for me.

Tagging: Vince, Yanee, Gary, Sheila P., Dayeen