My youngest uncle passed away the day before, and attended his funeral service yesterday. I'd never like funerals. They send shivers down my spine, yet to date i have attended 4, which the goriest of all was that of my student. Even till this day, the image still burns vivid in my mind. Like all, she loved the thrill of speed. One day, her bro and sister-in-law, a friend and her raced along the Kuala Baram road after a BBQ party. Speed thrills but also kills. They had a self-accident and all were killed. Her sis-in-law was expecting then. We (lecturers and coarse-mates) attended their funeral and paid our last respect. We had to walk right up to the coffins and i sort of glanced in. Their faces were distorted due to the impact of the crash and had to be stitched.
Uncle's funeral service was attended by a few close friends, church members and family members. When Dad called to informed us of Uncle's passing, my initial thought was to skip the service in the home and just attended the Mass in St Joseph Catheral. Remembered and reminded that funeral services are in fact for the living, not the dead. Our presence there would comfort and console. Our absence will tell differently of us, thus i made the decision to go all the way...Yupe even to the cemetery.
Why all the hussle-bussle on the dead? Why all the attention when they are already dead? Feeling guilty of not treating them well when they were alive? Hypocrites! As if the family members do not know.... Like i say "funerals are for the living, not the dead"
Elizabeth asked me why aren't the family weeping? Told her that it was a relief that her grand-uncle passed away, cos he has been suffering from stroke since three years ago. Leh Bing asked me why I wasn't even sad? Told him that my uncle is with the Lord and that i will meet him again in Heaven.
Jesus said " I am the Resurrected and the Life "
Had been feeling 'weak' and worn-out lately. Down with sore-throat, badly blocked nose, throbbing head-aches and red-eyes. And everyone was telling me to take enough rest. Thus i am indeed taking a break from my routine chores, relaxing and just sit back. Blessings in disguise though, because with me incapacitated, my children is gradually taking charge of the chores.... haha...i will definitely sit back with my feet up...Need to take enough rest, bah.
Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it . Autograph yours with excellence.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Friday, November 24, 2006
no energy left.....
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
LOST (2)
Yupe, i lost my way home after sending a curtin student back to senadin after my 9.30pm class. Glad i wasn't frantic nor panicky then...just followed some cars around but then realised that i was getting nowhere. the surrounding kept changing...
I remembered how the Lord answered my prayer this morning and how fast He answered so, i ask Him for direction out of Senadin. By then i was driving around without any sense of direction.. However after prayer, the prompting to turn not to left was very strong and i just turned right into another strange and unfamiliar lane and just kept driving, kept on trusting. It was when i saw E-mart that i knew i have found my way home.
'The Lord is my shepherd...He leads me..'
LOST (1)
Anxiety, fear, worries, butterflies in the stomach, bile in the mouth...
That was exactly what i was feeling early this morning.
6.30am Woke up to find my two precious girls gone. Out of the house. No where to be found. I got frantic, call their dad and was told that they went for a morning jog.
7.30am Still no news of their whereabouts. Called them a couple of times on their handphone but i couldnt even get a ring tone.
And you may be wondering why i was in such a state. You see, all around the place where we stay, land developers are converting the land surrounding us into residential areas and construction activities are at its height there. The construction workers are staying in temporary shed that they build on the land .... "construction" workers are rather notorious for their behaviour and i just feared the worst.
8.00am At this time, i was getting ready for work....but they are still "missing". All sorts of imagination went thru my head.... all sorts of headlines flashed in my mind's eyes....Oh!! I WAS frantic!!!
8.15 am it was only than that i cried to the Lord for help. a few moments later, I saw out of the corner of my eye, a flash of colour, then movement in the empty construction ground. I saw.... Elizabeth all sweaty and wet, panting her way across the wet muddy ground back, followed by Ezra. How my heart leapt for joy at the mere sight of them. They are back! Safe and unharmed! How faithful is the Lord my God!
'i lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help? My help cometh from the Lord; maker of heaven and earth.'
As to why i cant get them on the hp.... Elizabeth dropped it ... into the waves... Yupe...they went jogging at the seaside, at the wee hours in the morning.... I could only thank the Lord for His protection over them.
That was exactly what i was feeling early this morning.
6.30am Woke up to find my two precious girls gone. Out of the house. No where to be found. I got frantic, call their dad and was told that they went for a morning jog.
7.30am Still no news of their whereabouts. Called them a couple of times on their handphone but i couldnt even get a ring tone.
And you may be wondering why i was in such a state. You see, all around the place where we stay, land developers are converting the land surrounding us into residential areas and construction activities are at its height there. The construction workers are staying in temporary shed that they build on the land .... "construction" workers are rather notorious for their behaviour and i just feared the worst.
8.00am At this time, i was getting ready for work....but they are still "missing". All sorts of imagination went thru my head.... all sorts of headlines flashed in my mind's eyes....Oh!! I WAS frantic!!!
8.15 am it was only than that i cried to the Lord for help. a few moments later, I saw out of the corner of my eye, a flash of colour, then movement in the empty construction ground. I saw.... Elizabeth all sweaty and wet, panting her way across the wet muddy ground back, followed by Ezra. How my heart leapt for joy at the mere sight of them. They are back! Safe and unharmed! How faithful is the Lord my God!
'i lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help? My help cometh from the Lord; maker of heaven and earth.'
As to why i cant get them on the hp.... Elizabeth dropped it ... into the waves... Yupe...they went jogging at the seaside, at the wee hours in the morning.... I could only thank the Lord for His protection over them.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Farewell.....
Today is a sad day... because i need to part with my ole HD who has been serving me faithfully throughout these years. O..HD. HD ..You always give me what i needed most: laughters, attentions, entertainment and fun, ideas, knowledge... whatever i seek, you were able to provide. After all these years, i've discovered that i will be rather lost without you.... Life will never be the same again without you... Never!! With you gone, i've lost many many precious memories, everything that i have entrusted you... that i've shared with you.... gone, gone forever.... The clock (top)will always be "In remembrance of you"
Farewell, my dear HD. Rest in peace. You have served me well.
Farewell, my dear HD. Rest in peace. You have served me well.
Monday, November 13, 2006
I was blessed!!! again and again...
I am really thankful and i believed that my whole last week was so blessed by the others around me. God really provided the channels of blessings for me.
8th November, 2006 Wednesday: Ladies' groups year end gathering.
AY, EY and i was invited (CIT support). Whenever and wherever these ladies gather, be sure that there will always be bountiful blessings! (not to mention food! hehe) The part where i am thoroughly bless is their wonderful wonderful sharings.
Joyce: (on the Discipleship Course) Almost all the participants are graduates!!! I graduated in the kitchen. I struggled in my course but God sent his angels to help me through this course. Keep it up Sister!! I know that your testimony has touched many lives, including mine.
Alicia: (On the Ladies' Group) It is a joy to see that the ladies' group has grown in maturity and also in numbers. I pray that more and more ladies will join the ladies' groups and be blessed.
Siew Yew: (On the Discipleship Course) My life has been transformed! My relationship with my husband has improved, strengthened.
*blushed, blushed* can't remember all of their sharings... will try to get a copy of their sharings and post them here for all to read and be blessed.
8th November, 2006 Wednesday: Ladies' groups year end gathering.
AY, EY and i was invited (CIT support). Whenever and wherever these ladies gather, be sure that there will always be bountiful blessings! (not to mention food! hehe) The part where i am thoroughly bless is their wonderful wonderful sharings.
Joyce: (on the Discipleship Course) Almost all the participants are graduates!!! I graduated in the kitchen. I struggled in my course but God sent his angels to help me through this course. Keep it up Sister!! I know that your testimony has touched many lives, including mine.
Alicia: (On the Ladies' Group) It is a joy to see that the ladies' group has grown in maturity and also in numbers. I pray that more and more ladies will join the ladies' groups and be blessed.
Siew Yew: (On the Discipleship Course) My life has been transformed! My relationship with my husband has improved, strengthened.
*blushed, blushed* can't remember all of their sharings... will try to get a copy of their sharings and post them here for all to read and be blessed.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
i love fish...here fishy, fishy
i love fishes... as a hobby and also for food.Hahaha! I love sitting in front of my kitchen aquarium and watch as the fish swim ever so carefree... forgetting for a moment my own problems. Now i have my very own virtual aquarium. If you are interest click on this link --> virtual aquarium
Monday, November 06, 2006
My girl....alone in the cold room
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Sunday Feast
Monday, October 30, 2006
Treats or tricks!!! Halloween's here!
Halloween
Kid's Treat or Pagan Trick?
Many Christians celebrate holidays, such as Halloween, without thinking about their origins or true meaning. It is impossible to separate Halloween from the Druids because they originated the "holiday."
For several hundred years before Christ, the Celts inhabited what is now France, Germany, England, Scotland and Ireland. Celtic priests were called Druids. These people were eventually conquered by the Romans.
Information about the Celts and Druids comes from Caesar and the Roman historians, Greek writings from about 200 B.C., and very early records found in Ireland. Greek and Roman writings about the Druids dwell heavily on their frequent and barbaric human sacrifices. The ancient Irish texts say little about human sacrifices, but detail the Druids' use of magic to raise storms, lay curses on places, kill by the use of spells, and create magical obstacles.
Human Sacrifices
Davies, however, a 16th century writer who traced his family lineage directly back to Druid priests who fought against Caesar, clearly describes the human sacrifices of his ancestors and the secret sacrifices still performed regularly by the Druids of his time.
By 47 A.D., Rome finally defeated the Druids in Britain and outlawed human sacrifices. The few remaining Druids went underground.
Today a growing group of people claiming to be of direct Druid descent, still practice their religion, including human sacrifice. Those in England still perform ceremonies at Stonehenge.
November 1st was the Celtic new year
October 31st was celebrated by the Druids with many human sacrifices and a festival honoring their sun god and Samhain, the lord of the dead. They believed that the sinful souls of those who died during the year were in a place of torment, and would be released only if Samhain was pleased with their sacrifices.
Monks Fascinated By Druids
Irish records tell of the fascination the Catholic monks had with the powerful Druids, and Druids soon became important members of their monasteries. Pope Gregory the Great decided to incorporate the Druids' holiday into the church. He made the proclamation, "They are no longer to sacrifice beasts to the devil, but they may kill them for food to the praise of God, and give thanks to the giver of all gifts for His bounty." Pope Gregory III moved the church festival of October 31st to November 1st and called it All Hallows or All Saints' Day. Pope Gregory IV decreed that the day was to be a universal church observance. The term Halloween comes from All Hallows Eve.
The founding fathers of America refused to permit the holiday to be observed because they knew it was a pagan holiday. Halloween was not widely celebrated in the U.S. until about 1900. In the 1840's there was a terrible potato famine in Ireland which sent thousands of Catholic Irish to America. They brought Halloween with them.
The modern custom of going from door to door asking for food and candy goes back to the time of the Druids. They believed that sinful, lost souls were released upon the earth by Samhain for one night on October 31st while they awaited their judgment. They were thought to throng about the houses of the living and were greeted with banquet-laden tables. People greatly feared these spirits and thought that the spirits would harm and even kill them if the sacrifices they gave did not appease Samhain. They carved demonic faces into pumpkins or large turnips, placing a candle in them to keep the evil spirits away from their homes.
The tradition of bobbing for apples and giving out nuts came from a Roman addition to the Druidic New Year�s eve. The Romans worshiped Pomona who was the goddess of the harvest. They combined their harvest festival to Pomona with Halloween.
Very little archeological evidence of the Druids has been found, but there is excellent agreement between the Roman and Irish documents. Both clearly state that the knowledge of the Druids was never committed to writing but passed from generation to generation by oral teaching. This was to protect their secrets. In his writings, Davies indicates that he came under much persecution by his family for putting in writing his information about Druids. The same is true today. Nothing is put into writing. The Druids continue on secretly with much the same traditions.
The widespread problem of harmful substances such as razor blades, drugs, poisons, needles, etc. being placed in the Halloween treats here in America is no accident. Testimonies of several ex-Satanists show that these children killed and injured by the "treats" are sacrifices to Satan (or Samhain). Satanists throughout the world continue to perform human sacrifices on Halloween.
Is this something you want YOUR child to participate in?
More readings, click here Halloween
Sunday, October 29, 2006
SO SINGLISH...
Friday, October 27, 2006
The HOLY APPHABET
I found the following inspirational piece on the internet and I would like to share it with you today:
THE HOLY ALPHABET
A - Although things are not perfect
B - Because of trial or pain
C - Continue in thanksgiving
D - Do not begin to blame
E - Even when the times are hard
F - Fierce winds are bound to blow
G - God is forever able
H - Hold on to what you know
I - Imagine life without His love
J - Joy would cease to be
K - Keep thanking Him for all the things
L - Love imparts to thee
M - Move out of "Camp Complaining"
N - No weapon that is known
O - On earth can yield the power
P - Praise can do alone
Q - Quit looking at the future
R - Redeem the time at hand
S - Start every day with worship
T - To "thank" is a command
U - Until we see Him coming
V - Victorious in the sky
W - We'll run the race with gratitude
X - Xalting God most high
Y - Yes, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but
Z - Zion waits in glory where none are ever sad!
THE HOLY ALPHABET
A - Although things are not perfect
B - Because of trial or pain
C - Continue in thanksgiving
D - Do not begin to blame
E - Even when the times are hard
F - Fierce winds are bound to blow
G - God is forever able
H - Hold on to what you know
I - Imagine life without His love
J - Joy would cease to be
K - Keep thanking Him for all the things
L - Love imparts to thee
M - Move out of "Camp Complaining"
N - No weapon that is known
O - On earth can yield the power
P - Praise can do alone
Q - Quit looking at the future
R - Redeem the time at hand
S - Start every day with worship
T - To "thank" is a command
U - Until we see Him coming
V - Victorious in the sky
W - We'll run the race with gratitude
X - Xalting God most high
Y - Yes, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but
Z - Zion waits in glory where none are ever sad!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
the 2 days of Raya breaks
This is how we spent the Hari Raya breaks...basketballing in GMC. shoot a few loops (haha mostly air balls) and most of the time...chasing after the ball.... haha, followed by a day with the Tan family.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Who could resists them??? I sure couldn't
AN INFURIATING MORNING!! (in BK class)
BOY!....O BOY!! How annoying can it gets....sometimes i just don't know how to 'handle' this bunch of 16 yr-old monkeys . They are just so totally annoying. Friends and youth alike have mentioned their behaviour but i just kinda shrugged it off saying that they are just youngersters, full of energy...but i guess i was wrong ( i hope).
Now i am overcome with sadness...sad to see that these christian youth who are committed in church and school (ISCF), (not to mentioned some of them are on the prefectorial board) can behave in these manner; sad to see the way they response and react in class... such sad testimonies... Hopefully they will learn to channel their energy in the positively; to encourage other, to serve others, to love other, to do things that are glorifying to God.
On my part, teach me Father to learn to love them more and also to have more patience with them.
Then again, after "speaking" my thoughts and venting my "raw anger" to my best chatter on line, i kinda cooled down. Thanks Knarf for "listening".
God reminded me too that things cant be better if anger is in control....then again i was asking myself... why let anger take presidence over other things this morning. Saturday is always my best day of the week... Yeah! wont let it spoil my day. Afterall they are just youngsters, full of energy......
Now i am overcome with sadness...sad to see that these christian youth who are committed in church and school (ISCF), (not to mentioned some of them are on the prefectorial board) can behave in these manner; sad to see the way they response and react in class... such sad testimonies... Hopefully they will learn to channel their energy in the positively; to encourage other, to serve others, to love other, to do things that are glorifying to God.
On my part, teach me Father to learn to love them more and also to have more patience with them.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
NO APOLOGIES @ SMKCH 16-17 OCT 06
I love crowds....the mix, the chatter, the vibes.....
This round I had a most wonderful time this month with the Form 3 students here. They were fun and attentive..... though initially a bit shy and reserved at the beginning. Alicia and myself were conducting this workshop with the Group 2 in the makmal sains.
DAY 1
7.45am I rushed to the lab only to find (to my disappointment) that the PA was not even set up. PA Prefects were engaged in exams and could only extend their help at 9am earliest. Not to mention that the day was hot, hot, hot and the very fact that i had lost my voice.
8.20am Started with the Worskshop without a mic to "amplify" my husky voice.... boy, it definitely took a lot of effort to get the attention of the students. The rest of the workshop went as planned.
Day 2
Started the 2nd session without any hick-ups... However when it comes to the Q&A session, boy...did we get all sorts of 'cute' questions. Appended below are two examples:
1. 男人不坏, 女人不爱, is it true?
2. After marriage, when is the most suitable time to make love?
Hahaha!
Auntie Alicia and Gaston Agan
Leh Bing and I
I enjoyed these two days with the SMKCH kids too. It is always a joy to see them taking a step forward and making the Pledge of Abstinence.
Monday, October 16, 2006
COMBINED MINISTRIES NITE 13/10
Friday, October 13, 2006
NO APOLOGIES @ SMK ST CO
The interactive students of St. Co during the 2 days of the No apologies Workshop.
Look at the smiles on their faces.... yes! They definitely enjoyed their NO APOLOGIES workshop. Anyway, i enjoyed my time with them. They were most interactive and responsive. Thus making the sessions fun and exciting. There was never a dull moment with them. We joked, laughed and even dramatised "responding to negative peer pressure" slot. I am looking forward to more of these wonderful session with the St Co students.
They definitely make teaching and learning interesting and fun. Keep it up, St Columbans!
Sunday, September 17, 2006
It has been a long time since i last blog. Today i have a wonderful time with my P5 students. they organised a picnic as a project to learn group behaviour and interpersonal skills. The organising team consisted of Daniel, Siew Thing, Gary, Chee Poh, and Shirley.
The whole thing started rather awkwardly as everyone was there out of obligation...a sense of duty...because it was a class outing..... and because i made it compulsory....Haha...fire starting was an incident by itself....so so many instructions and yet no hands to help... something to learn about leadership, eh...leadership is by action and not by position.
My, my...the ice was so so so so thick and cold among the students.....Even when playing the games , they were kind of doing it out of duty..... no screams, no cheers, no shouts of encouragement, no cheers...... brrr...real cold.
The ice was finally broken when we all played the 'Simon says' game...Boy, tat really got all of us to work with each other to use all parts of our body to churn out the combination given......So was the whole event successful? Well, we will see how the feedbacks are and how the evaluation team assess the whole thing.
Personally, i really enjoyed the whole outing.... playing with the water sponge ball, the frisbee, haha the flour and ice water.....
but most of all i gain another new friend...William. Yes!
Would like to go for another outing........ see who will be willing to take up the next challenge.Being able to enjoy anything is entirely up to an individual.
You can choose to live and enjoy every moments of your live or just shy away from all and live a miserable life.
You can choose to live and enjoy every moments of your live or just shy away from all and live a miserable life.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Hello, readersThe following story has touched me deeply. FLY by Shannon Woodward, August 2006 (CWO)“Let’s go to the Fair today,” Grandma said.I hadn’t thought I’d ever hear those words again. Though only 61, Grandma had been stopped cold by arthritis. ‘Old Arthur,’ as she called it, had cruelly plucked from her all her delights--trips to the mall, trips to Seattle, trips to the Fair. Arthritis had stolen her legs and hands, wrung the energy from her bones, and confined her to a chair near a window, from where she could watch life but no longer participate in it.“If you want to go out to the Fair today, then that’s exactly what we’ll do,” Grandpa said. I watched him watching her, and saw determination in his eyes. “How many scones do you think you can eat, Mickey?”“At least two. And an ear of corn from the VFW booth,” she said. He grinned in response.We didn’t waste a minute. I helped Grandma brush her hair, Grandpa got her shoes and purse, and off we went.Monroe--home to the Evergreen State Fair--was just a bit over spitting distance from my grandparents’ Snohomish farm. We were there in under twenty minutes, even counting Fair traffic. Grandma endured the slide from the car to her chair without a word. Nor did she utter a syllable’s worth of complaint as we traveled the gravel-covered parking lot.As we walked toward the admissions gate, I saw her staring toward the right end of the fairgrounds, where the whizzing carnival rides were in full neon frenzy. “Shanny, what’s that long, skinny ride over there?”I followed her gesture and saw the ride in question. “That’s the Zipper, Gram.”She watched for a split second and said, “I think I’d like to ride the Zipper today.”I made a sound not unlike a snort. “No, Grandma, you don’t want to go on the Zipper.”I looked at Grandpa and he looked back. My expression said, “What is she thinking?” but his sent an entirely different message. What I saw in his eyes was, “Isn’t she something?”The Queen sat a bit straighter in her chair and lifted her chin. “We’ll see,” she said.True to her word, she ate a butter-slathered ear of corn and two scones. She also nibbled an elephant ear and shared a purple cow milkshake with Grandpa. We watched a man demonstrate the new-and-improved way to slice vegetables, watched a woman clean a spill with a must-have chamois, and watched loggers climb poles, chop wood and roll logs in a make-shift pond. We got our rings cleaned. We listened to the stock car races and even found a low-enough hole in the fence so Grandma could have a peek at the cars flying around the track.Maybe it was that race that got her going again. “You know, I think I’m ready for that ride now,” she said.I decided not to fight her. But the Zipper was out. “Grandma, if you feel well enough for a ride, let’s find one that won’t rattle you. The Zipper is just too much.” I scanned the jumble of machinery and saw one that looked innocuous enough. “Look over there,” I said.Grandma looked. “You mean that big circle of swings?”“Doesn’t that look fun?”She kept looking. “Not really.”“Sure it is. See--they’ll strap you in and then it lifts and spins around. I’ll bet we’ll be able to see everything from up there.”She looked unconvinced. “Well, I’ll go on that, but then I want to go on the Zipper.”I felt a little embarrassed as we wheeled Grandma up to one of the swings. I could see people nudging each other and whispering, as if we were torturing the woman--forcing her to ride carnival rides against her will. I pretended not to notice.I fastened Grandma’s safety belt and locked the metal bar. “I’ll be in the swing ahead of you.”The ride started. We lifted and began to spin. Against the force, I twisted in my chair and looked back at Grandma. She sat straight against her seat with her hands folded neatly in her lap and a polite smile arranged on her face. It threw me a bit to see her legs dangling back and forth.The peaceful, gentle ride didn’t last long. We got her back in her chair and wheeled past the onlookers. “That wasn’t so bad, was it, Grandma?” I asked.“No,” she said, “but now I’d really like to go on that Zipper.”If she went on the Zipper--which wasn’t going to happen--it would mean I’d have to go with her. I took in another earful of Zipper-screaming and another eyeful of tumbling cages and decided I’d have to find a less frightening alternative.My eyes landed on the Matterhorn. “How about that ride?”Grandma sighed. “All right, Shannon. But then we’re going on the Zipper.”We wheeled her up, helped her into the alpine-decorated cars, and started off. This time, she perked up. As we rolled up and over the curved track, she started yelling. “Faster! Faster!”We did go faster. We whipped along that track like a couple of medal-bound bobsledders, with Grandma yee-hawing right in my ear. After several minutes, we finally began to slow down. Grandma squealed her disappointment. “Don’t stop!” But the ride operator on the side of the track just laughed. As we rode past, he yelled back, “I’m putting it in reverse--just for you!” And off we went again, with Grandma yelling out her delight.I felt dizzy as we climbed out of our car. That ought to do it, I thought. But Grandma had a different thought. “Clifford, tell Shannon I want to go on the Zipper.”I begged Grandpa with my eyes to just say no. The Zipper was evil. It would swallow us whole. At the very least, it would make me lose my scones. But I should have known he could never say no to her.“Shanny, take your Grandma on the Zipper.”I walked to that ride with all the joy one would feel walking to a guillotine. I felt ill as we climbed aboard one of the barely-secured cages and I heard the click of the lock. Grandma, however, looked like a sixteen-year old who had just gotten her driver’s license. “Let’s see how fast we can make this thing spin.”I didn’t have time to argue. The ride--and my screaming--began. Up we went, and then around, and around, and around. “Lean into it,” Grandma ordered. “Help me spin us faster.”Could she not hear my screaming?I screamed myself hoarse. Grandma giggled through the entire ride. And when we finally, mercifully, slowed and stopped at the very tiptop of the ride--upside down--Grandma kept laughing. I kept screaming. Until eventually, she gave me a nudge in the side. “Shannon, you’re embarrassing me.”I stopped screaming and turned to look at her. Grandma’s hair, like my own, hung straight down from her head. Her eyes were teary from laughter; with a gnarled finger, she wiped one escaped tear from her cheek. I could just see the ground below through squares of the cage near her head. Near our feet, I saw the sky. And the whole thing was suddenly so absurd, I had to laugh. We hung there together like two teenage friends, stuck in a moment I’ve returned to a hundred times in my mind.Grandma’s arthritis came back in the months that followed. It came with a vengeance, angry to have lost her for that short period. That late August trip to the Fair was our last, but it was the trip that meant the most to me. Among the many things I learned from my grandmother, the lesson she gave me in that between-earth-and-sky moment was one I value most. Age--it turns out--is a relative thing, and unless you convince yourself otherwise, you’re never too old to fly.
"Gray hair is a crown of splendor;it is attained by a righteous life."~ Proverbs 16:31, NIV ~
"Gray hair is a crown of splendor;it is attained by a righteous life."~ Proverbs 16:31, NIV ~
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Something to laugh at....but seriously speaking, children perceive things differently.....Joke 1 A couple had two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who were excessively mischievous. They were always getting into trouble and their parents knew that if any mischief occurred in their town, their sons were probably involved.The boys' mother heard that a clergyman in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The clergyman agreed, but asked to see them individually.So the mother sent her 8-year-old first, in the morning, with the older boy to see the clergyman in the afternoon.The clergyman, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, "Where is God?"The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there with his mouth hanging open, wide-eyed.So the clergyman repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God?" Again the boy made no attempt to answer.So the clergyman raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed, "WHERE IS GOD!?"The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him.When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, "What happened?"The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time, dude... God is missing--and they think WE did it!"Joke 2A ten year-old Jewish boy was failing math. His parents tried everything from tutors to hypnosis; but to no avail.Finally, at the insistence of a family friend, they decided to enroll their son in a private Catholic school.After the first day, the boy's parents were surprised when he walked in after school with a stern, focused and very determined expression on his face. He went straight past them, right to his room and quietly closed the door.For nearly two hours he toiled away in his room with math books strewn about his desk and the surrounding floor. He emerged long enough to eat, and after quickly cleaning his plate, went straight back to his room, closed the door and worked feverishly at his studies until bedtime.This pattern of behavior continued until it was time for the first quarter's report card. The boy walked in with it unopened, laid it on the dinner table, and went straight to his room. Cautiously, his mother opened it and, to her amazement, she saw a large red 'A' under the subject of Math. Overjoyed, she and her husband rushed into their son's room, thrilled at his remarkable progress."Was it the nuns that did it?" the father asked. The boy shook his head and said, "No.""Was it the one-to-one tutoring? The peer-mentoring?" "No.""The textbooks? The teachers? The curriculum?" "No", said the son."On that first day, when I walked in the front door and saw that guy nailed to the Plus Sign, I KNEW they meant business!"
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Dear sisters (brothers)......
Many of us are praying for the salvation of our loved ones and friends and oftentimes wondering how long more before they will come to believe. Here is a story which has blessed me much and I would like to share it with you. May it encourage us to keep praying and witnessing and trying even though the doors may appear shut.
"Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" Jeremiah 23:29
Have you ever visited the quarry where the stone cutters are at work cleaving the rocks into their proper shape to be fitted into the buidling? Observe how the workman placed his heavy chisel on the rock, and then bring down the heavy hammer again and again upon it. The rock did not cleave at the first blow. One blow, two blows, three, a dozen and no (seeming) result. And then some more blows, twenty, thirty, forty, and then, at the forty-fifth blow, the rock yields and falls apart as though it had never been united. It was the forty-fifth blow that did it. Or was it? Ah no, it took forty-four other blows which caused the particles within to shift for the final cleavage. There could be no forty-fifth blow without the first blow and all the rest. There was no visible result till the last blow fell, but each blow caused some change. Had the workman become discouraged at the forty-fourth blow, the job would have failed, as if not a single blow had fallen.
Have you been praying for and dealing with a loved one, trying to win him to Christ? Have you given him Scripture after Scripture and prayed and prayed? Are you now tempted to give up, saying, "What's the use?" Remember, every blow does something, for His Word "shall not return void." Don't give up! Your prayers for that son or daughter, that unsaved parents or siblings, that unsaved wife or husband, that unsaved friends, will be answered if you just patiently apply the hammer of the Word. The next blow - it may be the forty-fifth -- and the rock may split! Patience brother, patience sister -- keep witnessing!
Be assured that God's Word is certain and powerful and cannot fail, even though you cannot always see its secret workings.
**************
Hebrews 4:12,13 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."
Galatians 6:9 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
Many of us are praying for the salvation of our loved ones and friends and oftentimes wondering how long more before they will come to believe. Here is a story which has blessed me much and I would like to share it with you. May it encourage us to keep praying and witnessing and trying even though the doors may appear shut.
"Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" Jeremiah 23:29
Have you ever visited the quarry where the stone cutters are at work cleaving the rocks into their proper shape to be fitted into the buidling? Observe how the workman placed his heavy chisel on the rock, and then bring down the heavy hammer again and again upon it. The rock did not cleave at the first blow. One blow, two blows, three, a dozen and no (seeming) result. And then some more blows, twenty, thirty, forty, and then, at the forty-fifth blow, the rock yields and falls apart as though it had never been united. It was the forty-fifth blow that did it. Or was it? Ah no, it took forty-four other blows which caused the particles within to shift for the final cleavage. There could be no forty-fifth blow without the first blow and all the rest. There was no visible result till the last blow fell, but each blow caused some change. Had the workman become discouraged at the forty-fourth blow, the job would have failed, as if not a single blow had fallen.
Have you been praying for and dealing with a loved one, trying to win him to Christ? Have you given him Scripture after Scripture and prayed and prayed? Are you now tempted to give up, saying, "What's the use?" Remember, every blow does something, for His Word "shall not return void." Don't give up! Your prayers for that son or daughter, that unsaved parents or siblings, that unsaved wife or husband, that unsaved friends, will be answered if you just patiently apply the hammer of the Word. The next blow - it may be the forty-fifth -- and the rock may split! Patience brother, patience sister -- keep witnessing!
Be assured that God's Word is certain and powerful and cannot fail, even though you cannot always see its secret workings.
**************
Hebrews 4:12,13 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."
Galatians 6:9 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Hahaha....reading thru the joke, certainly makes me recall my "motherhood" days...... Lemme share it with you.....Have a wonderful day.Preparation for parenthood is not just a matter of reading books and decorating the nursery.
Here are 12 simple tests for expectant parents to take to prepare themselves for the real-life experience of being a mother or father.
1. Women: to prepare for maternity, put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front. Leave it there for 9 months.After 9 months, take out 10% of the beans. Men: to prepare for paternity, go to the local drugstore, tip the contents of your wallet on the counter, and tell the pharmacist to help himself.Then go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office. Go home. Pick up the paper. Read it for the last time.
2. Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels, and how they have allowed their children to run riot. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behavior. Enjoy it-- it'll be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.3
. To discover how the nights will feel, walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately8-12 lbs. At 10pm put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, till 1am. Put the alarm on for 3am. As you can't get back to sleep get up at 2am and make a drink. Go to bed at 2:45am. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off.Sing songs in the dark until 4am. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up. Make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.
4. Can you stand the mess children make? To find out, smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains. Hide a fish finger behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.Stick your fingers in the flower beds then rub them on the clean walls. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?
5. Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems: first buy an octopus and a string bag. Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that none of the arms hang out. Time allowed for this: all morning.
6. Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and a pot of paint turn it into an alligator. Now take a toilet tube. Using only scotch tape and a piece of foil, turn it into a Christmas cracker. Last, take a milk container, a ping pong ball, and an empty packet of Coco Pops and make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower. Congratulations. You have just qualified for a place on the play group committee.
7. Forget the Miata and buy a Taurus. And don't think you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that. Buy a chocolate ice cream bar and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a quarter. Stick it in the cassette player. Take a family-size packet of chocolate cookies. Mash them down the back seats. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car. There. Perfect.
8. Get ready to go out. Wait outside the toilet for half an hour. Go out the front door. Come in again. Go out. Come back in. Go out again. Walk down the front path. Walk back up it.Walk down it again. Walk very slowly down the road for 5 minutes. Stop to inspect minutely every cigarette end, piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way.Retrace your steps. Scream that you've had as much as you can stand, until the neighbors come out and stare at you. Give up and go back into the house. You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.
9. Always repeat everything you say at least five times.
10. Go to your local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a pre-school child -- a fully grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goats eat or destroy. Until you can easily accomplish this do not even contemplate having children.
11. Hollow out a melon. Make a small hole in the side. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side. Now get a bowl of soggy Weetabix and attempt to spoon it into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane. Continue until half the Weetabix is gone. Tip the rest into your lap, making sure that a lot of it falls on the floor. You are now ready to feed a 12-month-old baby.
12. Learn the names of every character from Postman Pat, Fireman Sam and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. When you find yourself singing "Postman Pat" at work, you finally qualify as a parent.
Here are 12 simple tests for expectant parents to take to prepare themselves for the real-life experience of being a mother or father.
1. Women: to prepare for maternity, put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front. Leave it there for 9 months.After 9 months, take out 10% of the beans. Men: to prepare for paternity, go to the local drugstore, tip the contents of your wallet on the counter, and tell the pharmacist to help himself.Then go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office. Go home. Pick up the paper. Read it for the last time.
2. Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels, and how they have allowed their children to run riot. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behavior. Enjoy it-- it'll be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.3
. To discover how the nights will feel, walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately8-12 lbs. At 10pm put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, till 1am. Put the alarm on for 3am. As you can't get back to sleep get up at 2am and make a drink. Go to bed at 2:45am. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off.Sing songs in the dark until 4am. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up. Make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.
4. Can you stand the mess children make? To find out, smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains. Hide a fish finger behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.Stick your fingers in the flower beds then rub them on the clean walls. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?
5. Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems: first buy an octopus and a string bag. Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that none of the arms hang out. Time allowed for this: all morning.
6. Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and a pot of paint turn it into an alligator. Now take a toilet tube. Using only scotch tape and a piece of foil, turn it into a Christmas cracker. Last, take a milk container, a ping pong ball, and an empty packet of Coco Pops and make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower. Congratulations. You have just qualified for a place on the play group committee.
7. Forget the Miata and buy a Taurus. And don't think you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that. Buy a chocolate ice cream bar and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a quarter. Stick it in the cassette player. Take a family-size packet of chocolate cookies. Mash them down the back seats. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car. There. Perfect.
8. Get ready to go out. Wait outside the toilet for half an hour. Go out the front door. Come in again. Go out. Come back in. Go out again. Walk down the front path. Walk back up it.Walk down it again. Walk very slowly down the road for 5 minutes. Stop to inspect minutely every cigarette end, piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way.Retrace your steps. Scream that you've had as much as you can stand, until the neighbors come out and stare at you. Give up and go back into the house. You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.
9. Always repeat everything you say at least five times.
10. Go to your local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a pre-school child -- a fully grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goats eat or destroy. Until you can easily accomplish this do not even contemplate having children.
11. Hollow out a melon. Make a small hole in the side. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side. Now get a bowl of soggy Weetabix and attempt to spoon it into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane. Continue until half the Weetabix is gone. Tip the rest into your lap, making sure that a lot of it falls on the floor. You are now ready to feed a 12-month-old baby.
12. Learn the names of every character from Postman Pat, Fireman Sam and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. When you find yourself singing "Postman Pat" at work, you finally qualify as a parent.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Saturday was a tough day. Everybody's mood was really down in the valley of darkness. In a family, when one is affected, the rest is also affected. In the case of Ez, its her studies. How she has lamented that her chem and physics is going down the drains.... and yet she said that i was like not concerned. I advise her to seek the Lord for directions on how to improve other than just going to tuition centres. or else ask the Lord to provide for the tuition teachers? Since this is a fasting month, why not fast and seek the Lord...it could be that He has a purpose for all these? I remembered the phrase by SelwynHugh "do not exhort an unencouraged person" Boy o boy... no wonder it did not boost her up. Sigh
Later that morning we had b'fast with Siew Lee and family and the Lord just provided! She is looking for a few students so that her son's physics tuition can proceed, and I was looking for the same too for Chemistry tuition. Haha...the Lord is indeed wonderful! So the studies problem...no longer a problem liao.
Later that morning we had b'fast with Siew Lee and family and the Lord just provided! She is looking for a few students so that her son's physics tuition can proceed, and I was looking for the same too for Chemistry tuition. Haha...the Lord is indeed wonderful! So the studies problem...no longer a problem liao.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Jenny's 50th Birthday DinnerCelebrated Jenny's birthday last nite with the ladies from Pujut and Hilltop. We had dinner at the Dynasty Restaurant, hehe...the servings were huge! Yes, the food was ok...except for their 'special tomato sause" in almost every dish. Have you eaten coffee lamb b4? ;p I truly enjoyed the fellowship with the sisters and yes, tis been a long time since i joined a ladies group.It is indeed wonderful to see the sisters grow in faith and the bonding amongst them are stronger too. PTL for ladies group.May the Lord continue to use these groups to reach out and touch lives. After all, our assignment here is to touch lives and direct (pre-christians) focus back to the Father.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Yes, it is indeed true...for even until this day, i am still learning new things....new experiences...new relationships...And i know that thru all these, i will continue to grow towards maturity in the Lord.As i looked back towards the weekend, i was rather ashamed by the way 2 incidents during i-youth fellowship on saturday. first i myself was not aware that it was bible studies nite, thus i was not prepared for it. Shame! Shame! Shame! If i was not prepared, what about the youth leaders themselves? Forgive me Lord for this oversight. Secondly, some of the gals and guys were rather liberal with each other with regards to their body language and behaviour. It is something that i cannot just keep mumps about it. They have gone through the "No Apologies" workshop and they knew abt all these, yet... haih... i dont see the fruit in them..... It is just NOT PROPER for them to behave as such. Whatever will their own parents say???? I pray that these will stopped and that the younger youth will not be influenced.Sunday Worship was fun and vibrant, except that Leo lost his voice and Dan, Abel and Ez were a bit shy to proclaimed "Be Bold. Be strong" loudly. Hehe... Tis the first time Ez really open her mouth to sing....Darien brought another friend, Kenneth to church and according to Kenneth it was his first day. I was sorry that i was not able to be with them even after the service. However, i am glad that Ez and Betsy were there with them.God always put ppl across my path everyday and today i am sorta reminded that it is not coincidence or chance that i see them. They are there for a purpose.Sunday afternoon, we rehearsed for the youth-sunday skit "Ignite". The skit went rather well and i believed that we are quite pleased with it. The actors and actresses were familiar with their script and parts, so the whole skit was rather smoothly. I can see that as the youth spends time together, fellowship amongst them improves, esp the tears and ice-cream episode. heheThank you Lord for this wonderful sunday to start off this week.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Tis another one of those quiet days....And it is today that i have decided to properly consolidate all blogs according to their category. I came to know and learn blogging from my friends who are bloggers themselves. They were so ever patient with me and told me all i need to know to create a successful blog.To date i have done the following blogs; all dedicated to the Ministry of the Lord.
The Children Ministry
The i-Youth Ministry
Actually i started with the i-Youth blog.... and was addicted to blogskins, etc etc...... and i am really glad that i can now share my excitement in serving the ministries that Lord has given me thru the two blogs. Thus the corner banner "As for me and my blog, we will serve the Lord"
Praise the Lord for His unending mercy and grace to all of us.
The Children Ministry
The i-Youth Ministry
Actually i started with the i-Youth blog.... and was addicted to blogskins, etc etc...... and i am really glad that i can now share my excitement in serving the ministries that Lord has given me thru the two blogs. Thus the corner banner "As for me and my blog, we will serve the Lord"
Praise the Lord for His unending mercy and grace to all of us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)