I just came back from the Philippines after spending five incredible days there. Thanks to Noah's Ark, the distributor for Christopher West's TOB books and DVDs in Asia, I was able to attend Chris West's Freedom to Love Conference on June 25th.
In person, CW was larger than life - a charismatic and passionate champion of JPII's divine-inspired wisdom. It was totally awesome! I was blown away.
On top of this opportunity to see CW live, I got to spend a day with my cousin E and the ICPE community in Tagaytay. Despite the tropical storm Falcon, my time there was like a slice of E's tiramisu birthday cake (J you are a patissier extraordinaire):
An evocative complexity of bittersweet, creamy richness with the aromatic, stimulating zing of black coffee and the unctuous chilled buzz of alcohol. What an absolute treat!
I don't get to see E much and I always treasure the moments I get with her. Love you mega much, coz and thanks for showing me such a good time.
As if all this wasn't enough, I got to eat all the yummy Filipino cuisine I love: dinuguan, sisig, pancit palabok, crispy pata, lechon, sinigang, balut, halo2, ensaymadas... and hang with my girls C and D to do what every true blue Singaporean loves to do, SHOP.
This trip has got to be the best pre-birthday present ever for it was spiritually edifying, emotionally uplifting and intellectually stimulating, not forgetting physically satisfying (although my arteries would not concur).
I am grateful on so many levels and raring to go on the next leg of my journey for I feel the winds of change coming, which is scary exhilarating.
One of my key takeaways from the conference is the timely reminder of the difference between perfectionism and perfection for my perfectionistic tendencies can be a real drawback.
Perfectionism, according to CW, is the erroneous belief that God will not love me until I am perfect and I need to earn God's love. Consequently, no one will love me if I am not perfect.
Seeing as I am never going to be perfect in this lifetime, I might as well give up and slink off in despair. This line of thinking is really killing and it causes me to idle in inaction indefinitely.
The other danger to perfectionism is when I seek to be good, I sometimes get hung up on the rules and forget that it's the spirit of the law that matters and that a gift of love should always be given with a willing, loving heart. I become a grim and self-righteous Christian - most unattractive.
"To be perfect as our Father is perfect" means that I should not put my standards of love onto God but rather I should adopt His perfect ways.
Jesus loves me right here and now. I don't have to do anything to earn His love. Instead I just have to be is open to His love in my sinful state and in so doing, I will feel compelled to love Him; then, and only then, can I become a perfect gift of love.
For Jesus chose to enter into my sin to encounter me and He is with me every step of the way. He will never abandon me, my perfect bridegroom. I should be dancing in the streets from the joy and privilege of being His beloved bride.
And if I am able to celebrate His love for me, then I will be free to love. Perfectly.
Even if I am called to choices in the future that I deem difficult, I know that I am not alone and He will be my source of joy and comfort on the journey.
Nothing could be more perfect than that.
On top of this opportunity to see CW live, I got to spend a day with my cousin E and the ICPE community in Tagaytay. Despite the tropical storm Falcon, my time there was like a slice of E's tiramisu birthday cake (J you are a patissier extraordinaire):
An evocative complexity of bittersweet, creamy richness with the aromatic, stimulating zing of black coffee and the unctuous chilled buzz of alcohol. What an absolute treat!
I don't get to see E much and I always treasure the moments I get with her. Love you mega much, coz and thanks for showing me such a good time.
As if all this wasn't enough, I got to eat all the yummy Filipino cuisine I love: dinuguan, sisig, pancit palabok, crispy pata, lechon, sinigang, balut, halo2, ensaymadas... and hang with my girls C and D to do what every true blue Singaporean loves to do, SHOP.
This trip has got to be the best pre-birthday present ever for it was spiritually edifying, emotionally uplifting and intellectually stimulating, not forgetting physically satisfying (although my arteries would not concur).
I am grateful on so many levels and raring to go on the next leg of my journey for I feel the winds of change coming, which is scary exhilarating.
One of my key takeaways from the conference is the timely reminder of the difference between perfectionism and perfection for my perfectionistic tendencies can be a real drawback.
Perfectionism, according to CW, is the erroneous belief that God will not love me until I am perfect and I need to earn God's love. Consequently, no one will love me if I am not perfect.
Seeing as I am never going to be perfect in this lifetime, I might as well give up and slink off in despair. This line of thinking is really killing and it causes me to idle in inaction indefinitely.
The other danger to perfectionism is when I seek to be good, I sometimes get hung up on the rules and forget that it's the spirit of the law that matters and that a gift of love should always be given with a willing, loving heart. I become a grim and self-righteous Christian - most unattractive.
"To be perfect as our Father is perfect" means that I should not put my standards of love onto God but rather I should adopt His perfect ways.
Jesus loves me right here and now. I don't have to do anything to earn His love. Instead I just have to be is open to His love in my sinful state and in so doing, I will feel compelled to love Him; then, and only then, can I become a perfect gift of love.
For Jesus chose to enter into my sin to encounter me and He is with me every step of the way. He will never abandon me, my perfect bridegroom. I should be dancing in the streets from the joy and privilege of being His beloved bride.
And if I am able to celebrate His love for me, then I will be free to love. Perfectly.
Even if I am called to choices in the future that I deem difficult, I know that I am not alone and He will be my source of joy and comfort on the journey.
Nothing could be more perfect than that.
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