Tonight, I was reacquainted with my favourite band from my youth. The band that got me talking non-stop, the band that made me start my first fan site, the band that got me hooked on the Internet cos I was constantly searching for stuff about them.

Yes, that band is Hanson.

I was seriously obsessed with these brothers from Tulsa. I’d buy multiple copies of their CD just so I could lend them out to my friends, and still be able to listen to their songs whenever I wanted. All this for the sake of promoting their music. Now, my friends never became huge fans but they certainly weren’t averse either. But that was all my hard work could garner. Unfortunately for me, the band never released a song bigger than MMMBop, and their fame pretty much dwindled after awhile, so spreading the Hanson love got a bit harder. Don’t be mistaken – these guys are definitely not one-hit wonders cos they released a few albums after that which saw decent sales and some hit singles, but none were major chart-toppers. And to be honest, I can’t for the life of me figure out why they aren’t more popular. Seriously, have you heard their songs? They’re lyrically and musically good. Honest! Just have a listen to their acoustic remake of their debut album (click on Middle of Nowhere Acoustic) and tell me you’re not impressed that these guys were able to write such decently timeless lyrics back when they were still in their early teens. Just use the cringe test if you’re unconvinced. At the most, there’ll be a couple of raised eyebrows, but certainly no cringing.

Today, Hanson is an indie band releasing albums under their own label, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m still a fan. The brothers have evolved tremendously since ’97, yet still manage to write good tunes. And believe you me, they’re gonna continue MMMBopping all the way.

For the past few months, I’ve been busying myself with the Junior Sunday School church camp and while it has admittedly stretched me thin on more than one occasion, I’m amazed to realise that I’ve never felt tired/helpless throughout the whole process. Which is far from what I can say about this other camp I’m co-planning now. But more about that later… Anyhow, this camp, we decided to go with the theme of “Trust & Obey” and it was evident right from the get-go.

Too often, things simply fell into place as soon as we prayed and trusted God to deliver. And  you wouldn’t believe how God worked. Each answered prayer came so fast and hit us so hard that we couldn’t help being in awe. So when it was time for us to think of a theme, we knew instantly that it was gonna be “Trust & Obey”. And boy, was God wonderful. Yesterday was our first day of camp and everything ran so incredibly smoothly. God held back the rain for us just so the kids could have fun in the sun; He gave us no injuries despite the day being filled with high energy games and activities; and He even helped me to churn out a simple-but-still-telling presentation just in time for us to share with the rest of the church on the same night.

Today’s weather wasn’t as favourable, yet everything was still perfect in its own imperfect way. The kids were excited enough over an urban “campfire” (just a whole bunch of tealight candles stacked in a pyramid) and they had such a great time all day despite having to play all their games indoors. Seriously? Everything God has provided for us has been nothing short of amazing.

Which leads me to the other camp that I’m co-organising for work. And I really oughtta kick myself here cos with this one (and I only just realised this tonight while watching Veggie Tales with the children), I’m totally leaning on my own strength to see this through. So this whole time, while I’ve been turning to God relentlessly for the church camp, not once did I trust God to help me with the other camp simply because I was too blind to see that this was also part of God’s greater plan. Yes, it took a reasoning tomato, an investigative pea and a tuba-playing cucumber for me to realise what I’d done.

Too often, I forget to see that God is also in the workplace, so I am quick to whine and complain. However, the matter of trust and obey applies to all situations, no matter how big or small, church or work-based. Fact is, God is in everything and always gives us His 100%, so how can I possibly be selective and shortchange Him? Besides, when I trust & obey, I never find myself wanting. So I may be busy, but never stressed; stretched thin, but never depressed. What more could I possibly ask for?

Prague Castle, originally uploaded by redchook.

For the past couple of nights, I’ve been wistfully dreaming of going back to Prague. Never have I been so mesmerised by the beauty of a city, with its quintessentially European charm, and exuberantly rich history. I understand that I only experienced the “tourist” Prague, but you just get the feeling that the city has so much more to offer. It seems like the perfect place to indulge in culture, fashion, tradition and architecture. And here I thought that NYC was the only place to offer all that.

Prague is exactly the kind of city that will display a different appeal throughout the various seasons. When we went in winter, we were blessed enough to witness the gloriously white of snow enveloping parts of the city. It was as though we had walked into a movie set. That’s it. Prague is like a city specially built for a Hollywood blockbuster. The beauty almost seems unreal.

I’d love to go back in the summer, when the weather is still cool enough but less biting, when the sun will stay up to shed its light on the skyline, when the flowers at the Castle Gardens are in full bloom, and when all the castles are open for us to get lost in. Anyone?