Off-Centre. (edited)

"Find centre first or else everything after will be wrong. First step very important."

I was at the potter's house, and those were the words my teacher emphasized over and over. Because it was so hard to place the clay at dead centre of the wheel, he often had to do it for me.

The past week has been one of turmoil. Listless, cranky, and irritable for days without knowing why, the distance between God and myself felt immeasurable in spite of my desperation. Scared, frustrated and lonely, it felt like I was walking in the wilderness, on a fruitless search for water.

Having God point to you the fissures in your life can be most overwhelming, dismantling almost. As the curtain was unveiled before my eyes, I found myself astonished, shocked at how, in so many unconsious ways, I had placed myself, my pleasures, my false securities, instead of Him at the centre of my own wheel. He is the Potter, and we the clay. Yet, for the first time, I saw how I had put myself in the centre of own world and usurped His place.

It's never easy to admit you're in centre of your world. We all want to be known as someone who puts others or God before ourselves, as the centre of our worlds. Nobody likes to be known as one who thinks the world revolves around them.

Yet, as my eyes were opened, I saw how the clay of my life had been marred because it was in the wrong centre, off-centre. In so many ways, I appeared what I am not inside. And instead of being in the centre of God's will by letting God be the centre of my life, I had placed myself in the centre of eveything.

The clay was Off-centre. Hence, marred.

How the knowledge of that scared me. It petrified me. Every thing which I had found enjoyment in- writing, running, cycling, medicine, missions, life... became ugly to me as I saw how I had pushed God to the sidelines, in insidious, subtle ways. I had worshipped what I ought to have used, and used, for my own gains, what I ought to have worshipped. Torn, grieved and bitter, yet relieved also at the epiphany, I became desperate to find my True centre again.

"Find centre first or else everything after will be wrong. First step very important."

Why do I write, paint, play. Why do I run, cycle, swim. Why do I dance, sing, make? Why do I treasure the opinions of some and desire their approval so earnestly? Why do I want to do medical missions? Why am I so deeply torn- between the fear of joining a race and falling into the pit of pride again, and yet the desperate desire to face it head-on to overcome my fear and gain total liberty? What has been my approach to all these things?

The answers scared me- for they reflected, to different extents, a selfish, prideful preoccupation with myself. But perhaps, what petrified me the most- was realising how even thinking I had a call to medical missions had its centre, to a large extent, around myself, too. And it immobilised me to entertain the thought that maybe I had heard wrong, that maybe that's not God's will... and that perhaps, I had put that ideal instead of God in the centre of my own wheel.

It was His will against my wheel. And somewhere in that tension, a false idol was erected, and God was displaced.

As silly as it sounds, it shook the foundation of my faith. The past week has been painful- painful now still. When I had entertained the thought that perhaps missions (this ideal which I had shaped my whole new life on) may not be part of God's plan for me, and I may have to yield to whatever the Potter's hand commands, I crumbled as I saw how that too, instead of God, had been put in the centre of my life.

Does it scare us to know that what we place in the centre of our wheels may be temporal, uncertain, changing? Does it comfort you to know that God is the only constant? And does it completely boggle you to know that God is bigger than our dreams, our desires?

And just when I had wanted to give up, a friend reminded me of the refining fire God puts us through to purify our thoughts and intents, so we may be moulded into greater vessels of honour for greater purposes. I thought I had been moulded into shape and ready for the furnace, but now I found a knife put to my side to sharpen my ends and smoothen my rough edges.

Tis a painful position to be in, to have a knife to your side. Utterly discomforting.

And it takes a heart of faith to know that it will not be for nothing. For it's better to be in the centre, in pain and refined, than off-centre, pain-free and marred. Through pain, and having our motives, intents and thoughts purified, sharpened and refined, we become more useful vessels. Sometimes, maybe it's not about whether we end up pursuing those interests after all- but how our attitudes towards them, ourselves and God change.

So even though I'm not in a comfortable place, even though the knife hurts, I'm going to stay on this wheel.

The crafting is not over.

Search me O God, and know my heart,

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24

Kelly Brook In A Bikini At Barbados

Visiting Eddie at Work

Erin & I popped by Eddie's work to visit him on the set of MTV's Parental Control before we set out on our downtown LA shopping adventure. We only stayed a moment so we did not get to see the daters and parents in full action.

Eddie and Tom

Jeremiah, Eddie & Colin

Eddie's Walkie

Setting up for the daters arrival at the door.

Make It: Happy Spring!

Make It: Happy Spring!

Jazz up papier-mâché letters with a little extreme glitter, scrapbook paper and some silk flower petals. The extreme glitter is a brand new product for Plaid. The glitter is self contained and does not flake or fly away. The texture is a very soft and glittery look, like a sugar glitter. The product is shipping to stores and will be available online at plaid in just a few weeks.


Materials:
FolkArt - Metallic Rose
FolkArt Acrylic Colors - Fresh Foliage

Mod Podge Gloss

FolkArt Extreme Glitter - Glitter Hologram
FolkArt Extreme Glitter - Peridot
FolkArt Extreme Glitter Gold
Papier-mâché - letters that spell SPRING
Scrapbook paper - pink and green prints
Foam paintbrushes
Ribbon - various colors
Silk flower petals pink - large and small
Silk flower petals yellow
Crocheted flower trim
Rhinestones
Hot Glue

Steps:
1. Paint each letter with 2 coats of either fresh foliage or rose paint. Paint the fresh foliage letters with 2 coats of extreme glitter peridot and the rose letters with extreme glitter hologram. Allow for dry time in between coats.

2. Trace the letters onto the back of the scrapbook paper. Cutout the letters. Apply Mod Podge to the back of the paper letters. Center on the painted letters, top coat with Mod Podge. Use your fingers to press out any air bubbles. Smooth your brush strokes.

3. Hot glue ribbon around the letters. Hot glue the letters on top of each other in a layered design.

4. Paint the large pink petals with extreme glitter gold. Allow to dry. Using hot glue, layer the petals, flower trim and rhinestones around the letters. Glue rhinestones to the letters in a random pattern.

Desi Celebs at Vikram Chatwal’s bash

Two bees and a pea....

Fight night..... Our company does not just sling glue guns.

Desi Page 3 Babes Flaunting Sexy Legs

Hot Reema Sen In Tight White Tshirt

Alabaster Jars.

When I expressed interest to learn pottery during my time in Nepal, I received mixed responses- raised eyebrows, laughter and bewilderment. Of all things, why pottery?

" 'Arise, and go down to the potter's house,

and there I will cause you to hear my words.'

-Jeremiah 18:2

So I went, in seeming foolishness and stupidity, at the break of dawn each frosty morning, with a shawl wrapped around my frazzled hair to a potter's house at the outskirts of the city. An interminably long walk, an unpredictable ride on a rickety public bus and a frantic yelp to be let down when I caught sight of the place.

For four days I spent time at the potter's house, learning the ancient art handed down by family tradition in a freezing basement. My teacher was the son of the master potter, and all day we would fashion clay, paint and drink tea. He would talk, and I would listen intently to what he had to say about the art of pottery, and epiphanies would hit me as the clay became moulded in the spinning wheel.

"To be a good potter," he said, "you must know nature of clay. Nature of clay is very important- how much water you need to add, when it will break... all this Good Potter will know."

He put his hands into a huge lump of clay at a corner of the run-down factory and beckoned me to do the same. "You must slap clay like this," he said, "Slap hard, so no air bubbles inside. Or else, pot will break. You must know clay's nature." I smiled, for I thought- If God is our master potter as described in the bible, then how true was what he said, for God, the good potter, knows our natures, inside and out. And as promised, He never gives us more than what we can bear. (1 Cor 10:13)

"To make nice pot, before you start, your clay must be in centre of wheel. Must be centre, exactly, or else no good. Pot no good if not in centre," he said. And then with great dexterity and brute strength, he slapped the mound of clay on the rapidly spinning wheel, moulding it into a hill.

It wasn't easy to adjust the clay to be dead centre of the wheel. When it was even slightly out of place, the clay would spin out of control, and its shape turned out ugly, deformed. It was the first and most pertinent step. Nonetheless, how many of us are able to trust God with what He has in store for us? How many of us reply against our maker, and, looking in envy at others, rail against the way He has made us- in discontentment and anger?

"Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?

Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

Hath not the potter power over the clay,

of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?"

-Romans 9:20-21

Likewise, unless we allow ourselves to be in the dead centre of God's will, to trust Him to fashion us into whatever He has in mind for us, how else can we be made beautiful in due time?

Because clay is so soft and malleable, the art of pottery isn't the least bit easy. Many times, I had to throw away the deformed clay as the clay spun out of control at the last moment. Discouragement set in, but not before I was reminded of the importance of yielding to God instead of resisting and to recognise the power and love He has over and for us. For He destroys only because He wishes to refine us to be perfect and useful.

"And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter:

so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

'Can I not do with you as this potter?' said God. 'Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand..."

Jeremiah 18:4-6

Later, my teacher brought me to his shop upstairs, where the finished ceramic products stood proud, awaiting to be delivered to various countries. From the same lump of clay came different jars, cups, plates, mugs, candleholders and pots. Each one was hand-made, unique, and incomparable. Yet, how often do we wish we were made another kind of vessel, one that was more useful than what we are now? Perhaps we forget, that though there are various vessels of different uses in a house, it is our humility which makes us worthy to be of great use by our master, as we yield ourselves to Him for the very function we were purposed for.

"But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?

Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'

Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?"

-Romans 9:20-21

Sometimes, even I too find it hard to believe, that we are all so different, incomparable, made for different purposes.

"They're beautiful," I said. "What did you do to make them so beautiful?"

" Ah. After moulding, you leave clay to harden in air for few weeks. Then put in biscuit-furnace to fire for 8 hours at 800 degrees Celsius. Take out to cool, paint colour, then put in colour-furnace for many hours again. Final step us put pot into glaze-furnace. Very very hot, but necessary step, you know."

It was a long process, time-consuming and very tedious. One afternoon as we sat in the warm sun to paint, I picked up a saucer which had been put into the kiln. As soon as I touched it, it broke. "Uh oh, why?" I asked.

"Fire not hot enough," said my teacher. "Halfway electricity got cut off, and oven no fire. Not hot enough, so it break."

When I returned to the orphanage to see the children that evening, I shared with them what I had learnt. It was a profound lesson for me- sometimes we just can't understand why God would put us through trials, why a being so good would toss us into the fire at such high heat. What we don't know is that the higher the heat, the stronger we become. Every trial we go through has a purpose, shaping our character in the deepest of ways.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

-James 1:2

I know it's been a long time since I last wrote. I took time off from writing to go into my Father's house to listen to Him. For too long I've been taking His clay into my own hands, trying to make something of my own image, my own idols for myself. This trip to Nepal to the potter's house revealed to me so much of my own idolatry and the ways in which I had unconsciously displaced God from my life. Even Kitesong and this space had become idols of their own, clay which I had taken into my own hands. I nearly shut this space down. Every thing which I had thought was pleasing to God I realised was really but an altar unto myself. Every day I learn something of myself which needs to be released to God. Every day I find myself smashing false altars. Today, especially, was rough. Sometimes, you feel like utterly useless clay.

But God has been gracious and quick to forgive. And as I release to Him more and more of my life, refusing to question why He has made me such and such and instead, learning to be content, grateful and secure, I find myself becoming clay, closer and closer to the dead centre of the master potter's wheel, closer and closer to fulfilling the purpose of my life.

Nobody likes to be clay. Nobody likes to be slapped about, thrown in the centre of a crazily spinning wheel and thrown into the furnace. Everybody wants to be the potter. But we forget, only good potters understand perfectly the nature of clay- just like how only our Creator knows us completely. The moulding process, for us, is fraught with uncertainty; the firing process, filled with pain and suffering. Nonetheless, how beautiful it is when we see ourselves as but earthen vessels, filled with the treasure of the excellency of God, willing to be broken to be poured out as pure nard at His feet. (Matthew 26:7-13)

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,

that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."

- 2 Corinthians 4:7

So that's where I've been, to the Potter's house.

" 'Arise, and go down to the potter's house,
and there I will cause you to hear my words.' "
-Jeremiah 18:2

Indou Kaho

Name : Indou Kaho
Profession: Actress and model
Born: 1991-June-30 in Tokyo,Japan
Height: 163cm
Star sign: Cancer
Blood type: A (is said to act like O type)
Family: Parents & a younger twin brother
Hobbies: Classical ballet, reading, collecting various items, talking with friends, shopping
Favorite manga: Death Note, Love Con, NANA, One Piece, Renai Catalogue, Slam Dunk
Favorite artists: aiko, BUMP OF CHICKEN, SOUL'd OUT, YUKI, old Western music (she uses her iPod regularly)
Favorite phrases: "Different strokes for different folks" (Juunintoiro), "Thank you" (Arigatou)
Talent Agency: Stardust



Kaho debuted when she was a fifth-grader at an elementary school in Tokyo. She was scouted in Harajuku by Stardust Promotions and made her debut almost instantly.
She was made a model for the magazine Pichi Lemon; subsequently, she began to have photoshoots in Pure Pure and soon became one of the photomook's most popular idols.
In July 2003 Kaho became part of the one-time unit Snappeas with five other U-15 idols. Although they lasted only a month and a half, the group performed several times on television
to promote their exposure. In April 2004 Kaho was made the spokesgirl for Mitsui Real Estate Sales. She is considered the 11th generation Rehouse girl. The following year she became the
spokesgirl promoting fire prevention for the Marine & Fire Insurance Association of Japan. Although she has been involved with several dramas, July 2005 marked her first big role.
She played Kanda Yu, the main character's asthmatic sister, in the drama Jyoou no Kyoushitsu.

Preeti Jhangiani Looks Hot In Revealing Outfit

Embellishing Tricks for Plain Prom Dresses

Embellishing Tricks for Plain Prom Dresses

Materials:
nylon lace trim with a repeated, linked design
6"-8"-wide flat nylon lace
fabric dye
sequins
flat-bottomed Swarovski crystals
thread to match the garment
hand-sewing needle
jewel glue
toothpick

1. Dye the lace according to the directions on the dye package. Allow the lace to dry.

2. Pin the wide lace around the waist of the dress, beginning by folding and pinning it at one side of the zipper. Continue pinning until you reach the other side of the zipper. Cut the lace with enough to turn under. Turn under the end and pin to the other side of the zipper.


3. Hand-stitch the top and bottom edges of the lace to the waist of the dress.


4. To add scattered lace details to dresses or purses, cut links of the lace design.


5. Embellish the lace or other portions of the garment with one crystal at a time. Dot the bottom of the crystal with jewel glue, using a toothpick. Apply to the lace link and allow to dry. Stitch the lace pieces onto the dress or use fabric glue to attach to a purse.