:)

i am thankful that my tax refund came in today.
took a while and i called a few times and that took a while too.
thankful.

it's depressing

It's depressing. Why is it like that.
What do You think. I wish I knew. Think that would help.
I don't want to belong to a ....
Then again, it may not be that bad yet.
Sigh. Not sure.

overseas

Lawrence is in Switzerland
Joel is in USA
Wanping is in Sichuan
Lianshin is in Yunnan
Kunliang is in Japan

sigh..

curry!

i sniffing at yummy curry aroma now at home! wow.. wonder how many more times i will to smell this delicious mouthwatering aroma.. mmmm

mum jus said they may go to Hokkaido w my sis and bro-in-law during my last week in singapore and return jus in time to see me off!!!!!!

see!!!!! jus kidding.. my parents have been truly fantastic and supportive the past months. i'm so impressed and touched as well. Thank You, Lord, for them.

still sniffing curry.. mmmm

gng SGH tomo

i been reading through Jeremiah. Its interesting. Its also interesting that its interesting. heehee

what i did today

I did many things today, thank God. :) thanks to my patient and kind mother who ferry me fr place to place so the things got done quickly too..

1) went to China embassy, confirm i need a medical report from SGH
2) bought Redang bus tickets at golden mile :)
3) called SGH arrange for appt
4) signed contract w caterer for church
5) called SDC, decide to try to finish my points b4 i leave
6) signed up for dental lecture/s
7) went to work at night
8) tried to confirm equipment for sg dental team
phew

check

must write a list of done things to make me feel more encouraged :)

done
1) photoshoot
2) booked church
3) filed ROM
4) booked accommodation for Isaac's family
5) paid deposit for honeymoon
6) collected printed cards
7) booked AD PG and VG
8) picked out music
9) written up church and dinner emcee script (80%)
10) written Isaac's family itinerary (80%)
11) caterer (80%)
12) AD schedule (80%)
13) wrist corsage
14) discussed flowers
15)

not yet done
- send out invites
- write prayer letter
- buy bus ticket to Redang
- get medical report for visa (sigh)
- buy ticket to Kunming

here are my prewedding shots!

http://isaacandszeshan.multiply.com/

...

Wanping is in Redang...

i like this pic

Thank God for Wanping who went to see pic layout with me :)

sunny skies!

i want to thank God for many things!

thank God for good weather yesterday, it was raining hard almost nonstop since we touched down on tuesday morning. Photoshoot was yest so really thankful for sunny skies on fri and sat. cos sunny skies on fri was encouraging and made me less worried. And He also reassured me it would be alright. Thank God for the really nice make-up artist lady and the really nice photographer who bought us lunch! :)

thank God for my trip to Idaho! for the fantastic house i got to stay in which was on a mountain and had some forest ard it and deer! all within driving distance to the town area :)


thank God that it snowed significantly for 1 night though it was supposed to stop snowing liao (they had a lot of snow this winter). this meant i got to build a snowman! and see snow falling! also cos there was so much snow this season it covered everything everywhere and was jus fascinating to me. :) i love to walk in it and feel the crunch under my boots. Made my first snow angel! and snowball fights (which Isaac won cos he makes them 3 times as fast :p)(and throws them twice as hard :p) It was fun seeing his family and friends too.

We went to Oregon and saw the coast! Also loved the shopping at the super marked down prices, bought reebok shoes for US$20!!


thank God for Lawrence for hosting Isaac during this trip. :)

thank God for the photographer and videographer i met recently cos i like their work and it is at a good price. was so hard to find one like that..

black eyed peas

WITL.. lalala

shall try to complain less this year.. LL out of hospital :).. went to GHA today. hard to decide... aiyo.... try to book FCBC...

WITL.. lalala

stone cold heart.. sigh. wearied by the wind and the rain. does it mean i go to the place where it is not weary and try to find warmth in it again? scratch head indeed. wats the problem... wats the problem indeed... the Master knows..

lalala..

.

i feel very sad that my fren is in pain. it doesnt help him. but i cant help it. i worry, i try not to worry. and then i worry again. until i also dunno why i worry. but i know i still am. worried. and i pray. need some time. to go to the next phase. need some time alone with Him.

.

i need some distraction? or i need some time for things to settle down.. ? or.. sigh. many new things happened, or are gng to happen this year. some are happy things, some not so. but i know Who will get me through one thing at a time, one day at a time, one matter at a time. i pray my eyes are fixed on Him.
heartpain. :'(

milo

ive been drinking milo a lot recently, dev a sudden taste for it. maybe its comfort food. i dunno..

my brother has gone for his op today. a few hours post op, he still has a lot of pain. Lord please help him. May You bring good things out of this. May Your kingdom come, Your will be done. Please keep him in Your peace.

i went to a shop today w my mum! it was pleasant and even fun. Thank You. :) we will visit 1 more shop and then hopefully can decide..

met Joel for dinner today :) it rained hard. thankfully we had umbrellas. :)

im also thankful that Wanping is my friend. we went to do hair yesterday! it took half the expected time. and we were safe. :) Thank You.

pray that Isaac will be well in Kunming. Please bless him to learn his chinese in Your power. Amen.

Auntie B and Uncle S went back to USA. much touched by their love and support. Aunt B, 5th unc, aunt and Derrick and Shiyue attended service together with me! We had a good time.

:

heartpain.. :'(

thank God for a good holiday

Isaac in Kunming..
Wanping in Thailand..
Kunliang in .. Cambodia?
...

hehe

i'm having interesting thoughts..

been thinking, over the past months, i've
-appeared in a project calender(miss october 2007!)(printed by the Kunming team i was w la)
-shared at my professor's church
-been published (a small contribution to a book project on mission work)

i am so blessed. this is interesting to me.
and i am so blessed. even before i hopefully go overseas next year, a group and some friends have expressed to me their desire to support me financially when i do.
my heart is encouraged by their expressions of love.

and i am so blessed. someone bought me lunch today! hairy crab meal.

Thank You Lord. Please help me to trust in You and learn how to work with You, under Your direction. Thank You for Your grace that keeps me.

What He delights in.

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

(Mic 6:8)

“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,

but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,

that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,

for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.

(Jer 9:23-24)


Mercy. Justice. Humbleness of heart.

12 oct

you pray for what you care for about and you will care about the people/things you pray for.

yes

i'm not always right, Lord. I admit. there's prob a lot i'm not seeing or understanding enough.

but there is a place to be honest, in my position, whereever it is, so let me jus call a spade a spade.

sometimes, i feel v frustrated. i do not understand why a big deal has to be made of everything. to the extent that love becomes complicated, instead of facilitated. sometimes, there is jus nothing significant that i learnt. sometimes life needs to be lived, instead of organised into a learning issue. sometimes, the experience speaks louder for itself than anything else. sometimes.

and like someone said, sometimes i am looking for someone who can inspire me w their life. not the amount of theological arguments they can spout out. an act of kindness i witness, speaks louder than a sermon.

sometimes. i am tired of words. and i wish it could be more real. and im disappointed that it isnt. and im not q sure what to do abt it.

kindness is a language the blind can see and the deaf can hear.

english tuition

ive been teaching my friend english once a weeknite.
its been surprisingly satisfactory.. she learns fast and is a quick study. i'm glad. i pray she will improve her english and it will be useful to her. In Jesus' name, amen. :)

Quirky things abt me

yes, i have decided to start a list! haha. u can add to it if u think u know some, subject to my scanning of cos. :p

1. i like the smell of tiger balm oil
2. i make noises when im not doing anything.
3. i like to sing 'deck the halls' to myself sometimes.
4. i used to experiment drinking soup with macaroni and kangkong stems
when i was a kid.
5. i make a lip smacking sound when i think of food. (Isaac)
6. i will almost faint at the sight of my own blood from cuts/wounds. (ping)
7. i have high metabolic rate. must eat every 4 hours. (ping)
8. i like to rear animals (tho they don't last long.. :))) (ping)
9. i get hungry at 11 am and 4 pm everyday.

so exciting!

i got airtickets! :)

thanksgiving

dear Wanping,
just want to say, I thank God for you.
You are one of the more important and best parts of my life. The Lord has blessed me richly with a friend like you. :)

musing

looking at the pic..

who would have thought the cute child would grow up to be such a cute man, in so many ways.

I know the One who knew. I wonder if I would ever see like how He sees. I wonder if I could see every child, every person like that.

mmm..

i want to go next year..

http://www.malaysia-islands.com/html/redang/beach/pasir-panjang-besar.shtml

At service yest...

God is too good to be unkind,
God is too wise to be confused,
When I cannot trace His Hand,
I can always trust His Heart.

Irony

thank u my fren

thank u for blading with me when i was in a bad mood yest.. thks for listening to me vent..

do de dup de dup de dup

do de dup de dup de dup de dup..

i pray for patience dear Lord.. the patience that You have. i pray for understanding too. the way You understand them. it's true, i do not understand them the way You do. i pray i will. as much as possible. that i would understand and love the way You do.

the way that He loves, is so thrilling because
His love reaches even me..

spud

There's a cute man out there,
He has a birdie on his shoulder..
a grey cockatiel who pecks at his stubble..
giving him little kisses
While he gently caresses her feathers.

He has a pom in his arms
carried like a baby
tho she isn't young
She looks very happy and contented
she is very cute
it seems if you place her on the stairs,
she gets stuck!

the cute man is sleeping now
soon he will wake
i hope he has a blessed day.

all glory to God.

snowman

Isaac is going USA tomo.. back in 3 weeks.. The Lord bless you and keep you.

words

He says

I don't need all these.

guitars, offerings, activities, plans

I don't need all these..

Come sit at My feet for a while.

a servant's heart is a quality of greatness

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:25-28

heehee

couldnt resist putting this up.. heehee

hello :)

thots today

the most impt decisions are made between age 15-25..

gifts and fruits..

gifts u hone, fruits u bear..

reminder: write reports 2 weekly and weekly

praise the Lord! thank You Holy Spirit.

the Holy Spirit loves me. :)

G12 conference

3 Sons are a heritage from the Lord,
children a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
(Ps 127:3-5)

our God is an awesome God!

anointing, covering, the power of the Holy Spirit

our God is an awesome God!!!!

something i think about these days

I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed.
(Ps 37:25-26)

butterfly

thursday. silkair. 913.

:)

rain

i miss it.

jus a pic. my heart flies there. more than the pics of holidays. a simple pic of she.

i do not forget it was less than comfortable. i do not forget it was not always warm, or clean, or working.

and still my heart flies there.

i could ask You why..

but i know You know i find it hard sometimes..

perhaps the test is this, if i could live here, as much Yours, as i was there..

interesting

"It is so exciting to see people grow. when there is understanding, acceptance and patience, there will be growth. Because people, like plants, can only grow in conducive and fertile conditions.."

above written by Cherie on her blog (italics mine) hehe..

i liked it cos i know that is how i grew in Him. i had the blessing to meet a wonderful sister-in-Christ who gave me that.. Xiaonan.. i will always be thankful for her..

i made an interesting discovery recently..

there are people who are emotionally disabled.

there's physical disability and there's emotional disability.

i saw that she really did not understand.. woah.. that part was jus.. missing.

was it stolen fr her? or was she just created like that..

interesting. :p

God is very creative.. He really made all kinds of people and personalities.. but they all have their own beauty in their composition.. after all they were made by Him.

wonderfully made.

XH

there hv been many blessings since i got bk..

i still miss China sometimes tho..

Not everything works here..

reality bites. we're always trying. when do we actually get there. or perhaps we lost sight of some things while chasing something else. where is the substance within the form. i dont understand. Help me see what is important. Teach me to see what You see. That i would gain a heart that is wise.. and learn Your ways.

where is the substance within the form. is it waiting for birth? what is the form without the substance. i grow weary of the form.

It is You alone, more than the other things. perhaps i had forgot it. yes, i think that is it. i pray i will remember.

my butterfly

my butterfly is in Zhongdian.. meanwhile..

pics fr my recent trip to Italy and Swiss w my mum.. :)

haha.. leaning tower(Italy).. the buildings are really lovely..

we had lunch at this Swiss eatery.. it would seem Napolean's milk was q exp for today's standards...

Venice was v pretty and romantic.. :)

Ok.

 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

(Col 3:12-17)

Thank You Lord.

Banna

ex-leprosy patients..
yummy food! BBQ pork, fish, bamboo shoots etc..
PTL! its out! :)
lovely village ladies n me

finances

was jus doing my record of expenses on my 11 mth trip in China.. tho in the beginning i had been prepared to cover my expenses from my savings, i sensed God telling me He would provide and challenging me.. something like "you watch and see how I will do this.."

and yea, tho i didnt raise funds, frens, aunties and some acquaintances i only met once or didnt even meet contacted me and expressed a desire to support me financially. Some wrote cheques and some transferred straight to my account..

well in the end, all my expenses, (living expenses, setting up costs, flights, insurance etc), were covered. just slightly over a 5-digit figure. and i still have a few thousand left over, which i'll set aside for future trips. For those who'd like to plan a trip, daily expenses came up to about $6000-7000 for the 11 months.

God is so awesome! and His blessings often has a multiplication effect. i was blessed not just by the financial providence, but also by the sense of partnership and relationship by those who supported me in this way, so that it wasn't me doing my own thing, but a whole community of people behind me too, whom i represented, to show His care for those i would meet. Thank you friends, for being part of this.

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
(Mal 3:10-11).

10 for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird in the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
(Ps 50:9-12).

i'm also very thankful for those who kept me in prayer. Prayer is so important, in China, we prayed often. to us, who are away from our homes (some fr really far away), it is such a vital way through which He ministers to us and keeps our hearts focused and thankful.

so i encourage you, lift up your eyes, He is so big.. it is a wonderous thing to experience His reality and find that faith can be so real. Real enough to touch.

pics

some pics fr my KM team's previous visits to the leprosy villages!

a resident in the village
XM and a resident trying out toothbrushing

Banna!

i'm gng to Banna!!! so exciting!!! hv been lookin for an excuse to go back for e longest time!! my flight leaves on the 5th Sept n i will be back on the 19th.. will spend a few days in KM too.. :)

programme is to visit leprosy villages and pull teeth.. Sam will onli get bk on 6th so i hv to whirwind fly to office and pack everything and we'll be good to go on the 6th!!!!!!!!

foot note: if ever any of u get to visit a leprosy village, no fear, they have been cured for decades. 2 weeks of medication after diagnosis will render u non-contagious. New patients these days are merely cured in their homes after discovery. perhaps the term 'leprosy village' is a misnomer.. its more like 'physical rehab village' for ex-leprosy patients.

The leprosy village residents only remain there cos in the olden days, they would be rejected by the community if they returned to their home village, and even now, the level of awareness is low in many villages and there is still a stigma attached to these cured patients, which would socially even affect their children and grandchildren. also in the leprosy village, they receive care for their permanent nerve damage that often result in disablities.

example, if the nerves of their eyes had been damaged due to delay in treatment and diagnosis previously, they need to be taught to blink after a lorry passes by, or else they could get eye infection and blindness as they cant feel that some dust has gotten into their eye.

the ironic thing to me is that leprosy, which like tuberculosis, is such a treatable disease in these days, its like nothing, jus take medicine. but the stigma of this disease is so great it is comparable to AIDS. Surely we all need more education.. for the residents need more care and compassion than our ignorant fear.. ignorance is not bliss, it can do a lot of harm.

like the most Wonderful One says.. 'knowledge of the truth will set you free..'

my poem

Do you smell carrot?

i have a snowman.

he sits on my beach..

we wave to each other

maybe one day, if the magic is strong enough..

we will swim in the sea together.

snowgifts dat make me smile :)

back!

*XH, my fav KM fren*

*ice kachang tog*


they say a pic paints a thousand word.. so let me post more pics :)

been running ard since i got back, but so blessed to have a fren come back w me for 2 weeks! we ran ard sg, went to penang, went to underwater world.. it was such a thrill to have her with me and to see sg thru her eyes.. :) great fun.

on the other hand i ate dinner for the first time tonight at home since i got back.. it reflects to me wat busy bees we hv been.. :) oh and i watched 3 movies this week! things in sg are strange yet familiar.. something i learnt fr KM.. it is good to take things slower.. and appreciate more..

Flight

Hi! For all who are asking, I will be back on the 26th July. Transiting from Bangkok, these are my flight details.

Terminal 1
TG 401 Departing Bangkok 1915
Arriving Singapore 2235

Its kinda late and sometimes the flight can get delayed in Bangkok. Thanks for your kind thoughts but its really alright not to come to the airport, will meet up with u in the days to come! Take care! See you soon!

It matters

Sometimes I talk to You and I say.. so what if I feel this way.. so what if I feel that way.. it doesn matter.. it doesn make a difference in the long run.. in the path I choose to take.. it doesn matter if I felt this or that.. makes no difference in the choice I know I will make, that I want to make, that I am willing to make..

And You say.. It matters. Though it may not change the outcome, or the ending to the story. How I feel does matter to You. It is not hidden from Your sight, You validate it. And You understand, and You accept.

And in my own imperfect way, I want to say.. I love You..Thank You.

Home

Will be back in Sg end of July.. maybe on the 26th (last day of my visa).. should not be returning soon, except for short trips, for maybe 2 yrs? 1 yr? And maybe even then not necessarily back here.. I dont know.. do i want it to be back here.. again, im not sure..

Sometimes people ask me how I feel about going back, and I am a bit at a loss for words.

Well, will be glad to see my family and frens.. and SG is a beautiful, reliable city.. better air.. sunny temp.. fast food everywhere.. relatively clean toilets always..

But I will definitely miss China.. I love my frens here, the work we do, the life here.. working tog as a team, hanging out, the endless possibilities.. You never know what He may bring up and lead next.. and its great to sit back and enjoy the ride, cos you know Who is driving..

A consolation He brings. He is the same God in China as He is in Singapore.

Please look after those I love here.. I know You will..

Thought2

here are some things our Father has said to me at certain times since i came to China.. * do not ever think that I am not with you..
* I promise to look after those you love..
* I am near..

yep.. and each time i was touched when He said that to me.. i had a recent thought.. just like animals and children need a stable environment, i too crave one.. and sometimes with people gng in and out continously.. i find it hard.. but maybe though i think i do desire such an env, it may be the one thing that i may have to give up.. looking at the past months, gng to villages, travelling more than i ever have, once or even twice a month.. never quite staying long enough at one place.. maybe this is His way of drawing me to depend only on Him, and not to depend on the comfort of familiarity.. well.. He knows what i need..

Lijiang Orphange :)

Little kiddies

















more little kiddies





















Workin
















Love
















Tourist in Lijiang


















Yi Tribe
















Mosuo tribe



















Little kiddies washing dishes


















My fav gal


















Dentist...whaha

Im back!

Back fr Nujiang training!

Back fr Dali training!

5 weeks of back to back training in total.. phew.. hope to stay at KM home for a while.. just a little while..

Many thanksgiving.. esp for the Dali training.. 3 more SG dentists joined us midway and we had 30 students with 6 teachers. It was a comfortable ratio. And 4 of the students were from previous batches here for revision, so they could help us out too. We chatted with them what they hoped to learn and revise (injection tech., roots, 3rd molars). I am so glad all 4 of them met their objectives.

We also trained the 2 local medical doctors to teach dentistry for the first 3 days. They did extremely well! 3 groups of 10 students each with me and the other dentists just loosely supervising.. PTL! Once again, we experienced the provision of our Father.

Had lots of fun with the team. Some of my favourite friends came, and I got to know other lovable characters. Many tried new things and roles for the first time and all did well. Am especially glad for that. Praise to the Father who helps us grow, in our spirit and in our hearts. Lots of moments, some of us found tears in our eyes after we pr. together.

What touched me especially was to see growth in some of the previous students. not just in their dental skills, but also in their personal life. From softspoken to confident, from brokenness to healing, from uncertainty to courage and perserverance.

Awesomeness!!

Heh

Read Guojuns blog.. he say, he has been staring at the blank for a while..

Which is what im doing now so I am quite amused.. haha

Tired lah.. emotionally, physically.. but its cos been running around and being able to love my students and friends! So its a good kind of tired, and thankful to God, just need to take it easy for a few days..

Admin things to do..

And given something to translate to chinese today..

¡®Increased attention to oral hygiene can help minimize the effects of these metabolic changes. [55, 57, 97] It seems that toxins or other products generated by oral bacteria in the mother may reach the general circulation, cross the placenta, and harm the fetus. In addition, the response of the maternal immune system to the infection elicits the continued release of natural chemical defense mechanisms that can interfere with fetal growth and delivery..¡¯

and this is only a sample..

ahh!!

Brain cell overdrive..!

But I know He will save/help me..

Hee..

I put a greeting on my handphone the other day.. it reads.. Saved and Loved..

What else does one really need..

Training

Theory lessons done, students taking exams tomo!

Den we go mountains tomo nite..

12 students, mostly village doctors. 8 out of 12 are in the Lord, as they come fr a place where 70 % are professing believers. Mostly fr Lisu tribe, and some Nu tribe.

They are a lovely bunch. We went to the zoo last sat, and then to the airport cos they wanted to see aeroplanes. They were fascinated, esp the guys, one of which said he could look at planes all day long and not be tired.

1 has puppy dog eyes, ano has small bear eyes, and the oldest one looks like my father! Haha.

One of the students is a gal fr the leprosy village project, fr the Tibetan tribe. She¡¯s really sweet.

Yeah.. will be off to mountains till 24th March..

Dali training 26th Mar to 2 Apr. The interesting news 2 days ago is there will be 37 students with 2 dentists(one is me) and a dental student. Normally 37 students we need at least 6 dentists so we are understaffed!! *understatement* Pls pray hard for us and for more helpers.

Still.. Blessed be His name in every circumstance. Because He is more than circumstances and ultimately, He is sovereign.. and will always be. Praise the Lord! Amen.

The schedule goes like dis

Ahh! Nujiang training starting on Wednesday.. 10 days here, den 13 days in Nujiang! Mountains, rivers, hope for good toilets and hotels.. den back for 2 days and off to Dali for 5 days for ano training.. its exciting and a bit stress at the same time.! emotional attachment and all aso.. here we go again.. pray for strength of heart and mind. Physical too.

please bless the students, Lord.

WP¡¯s service starting this sat!! like Weiwei would say, CoolNesS!! PTL!!!!

Thought 1

Walkin back to office after lunch.. sun shining.. caught me smiling to myself..

Had a thought..

it doesnt get much better than this..

An American lady living here once told me.. there is something so satisfying about being where God wants you to be.. she said it with such a light in her eyes.. I always remembered that moment..

She was right. I have felt it ever since the plane landed.

There is no one like You.

At service yesterday..

Years ago, 4 prophecies were released concerning the end days.

One of them..

They will praise a God they no longer pray too.

It struck me, as I had just been reflecting that I have not been praying that much. But singing and reading comes easily. Discerned a need to be aware of the warfare, the battle that is ongoing in the heavenly realms. The battle for souls. It cannot be seen with our physical eyes but if your spirit can see, you know it¡¯s there.

The battle is real. It goes on 24 hours a day.

There is a thief. He seeks to steal, kill, and destroy.

There is a God. He wants us to have life.

When we pray, in His authority and power, His kingdom is established on earth.

Swim in the ocean, not in the bathtub.

A timely warning. A reminder to be on guard..

Who does He love.

read this in purpose-driven life yest.. day 37? 38? (yes! am nearing e end..)

God has never made a person He didnt love.

a simple sentence that struck me.

watched Narnia recently..

this struck me.. when Peter faced the battle.. he cried, For Narnia, For Aslan!

and i thought to myself.. For Jesus.

Congrats WP!

Hooray! PTL! Pingping passed drivin!! 8 pts! I¡¯m so proud of u! (I got 18 pts last time)

I look forward to u driving us out for supper in ur van when I get back!

Thanks KL!

*pretty camellia flowers at Jin Dian*


Thanks for bringing me medicine!

Thanks for bringing me food and money from my parents!

Thanks for looking out for me when I was sick. And for your attempts at lame jokes.

Thanks for bringing mushrooms back for WP!

Thanks for visiting. Get well soon!

CNY in China

Had 3 weeks hols..! 1st week went back with my friend to her village in Dali. Stayed for 3 days. The people are friendly and I love the scenery, golden yellow flowers and green crops. Not so keen about the toilet and the roosters that crow at all hours of the night.. yeah. Felt challenged by the facilities, for the first time since coming here. It¡¯s real. Felt my urban roots for the first time. Food for thought.

I drew my first pail of well water too! heh. Actually my first pail was only one tenth full. My second was better, about one third full. Heh.

It was a small village, with walls of mud and straw. It seems the average yearly income for a farmer is about RMB1000+ (~S$250). About 100 houses in the village. Everyone seemed to know each other. My friend exchanged greeting with everyone who walked past.

New year was a simple affair. Unceasing sounds of firecrackers and fireworks. People playing mahjong, visiting each others houses. We had eggs w sugar water in the morning, then tang yuan. Then we watched TV, went to walk around town. It was more crowded there than Orchard Road on a Sunday.

It was very cold in the early morning and late nights, but sunny in the day. We walked among the fields and I fell into one of the plots of green beans plants. Haha. No injuries, just got my jeans muddy on one knee.

I fell sick on the bus ride home. Think it was the biting cold wind in the early morning as my friend sent me to the bus station on motorbike. Fever, cough, tiredness. Within one night it seemed like my cough had spread to all my lungs. One kind of powerful germ.

It is a miserable thing to be sick in a foreign land. But the good thing is my friend came the next day and brought me medicine! Thank God.

The good Samaritan (Luke 10:25)

Woke up this morn and remembered what I learnt yesterday . Want to capture it before it leaves..

The good Samaritan (Luke 10:25)

Essentially what he did was help someone (a Jew) who looked down on him, and he gave and loved not expecting anything in return and not because anyone was looking.

Who had been the Jew¡¯s neighbour?

¡°The one who had mercy on him.¡±

And the speaker said.. the question is not who is my neighbour, or who is worthy to be my neighbour.. as though we should pick and choose who we should love. But rather, who are you a neighbour to? For God desires that we love every human being, as He does (regardless of race, Jew, Samaritan). Not expecting anything in return, and not just the cute and likeable ones or those who are good to us.

We love them not because of who they are, but because of who we are, children of God, saved and loved. Because of who our Father is.

¡°Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind¡¯¡­ ¡®Love your neighbor as yourself.¡¯

These few months, we have been reading Exodus, and Leviticus. And amidst all the OT dos and donts, something I read before comes repeatedly to me.

¡°The laws were meant to promote and protect life.¡± The laws given to the Israelites would bring blessing to them.

Psalm 19 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

So I pondered.. why does He care whether we love one another.. even saying in another part of the Bible, equating loving our neighbour to loving Him. You are awesome, Lord!

How would loving our neighbour promote and protect life..? God is love. That means love is such a integral and characteristic part of Him. We are created in His image. And we are lovingly created. I suspect, that when we love our neighbour, we fulfill one of the very basic purposes for which we were created. We were created to love one another. That is our destiny. So when we actually do it, there is something very right about it that brings blessing to our lives.

Love is an overused word in todays world. Many equate it to an emotion, a feeling. But the way God loves, is not a mere emotion. Feelings/emotions can change. God¡¯s love doesnt.

Heres how the love of the Samaritan was manifested. (Luke 10: 25)

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coin and gave them to the innkeeper. ¡®Look after him,¡¯ he said, ¡®and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.¡¯

Heres how God loves us.

Romans 5: 8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Not emotionless, but not just a mere emotion.

Love one another, with more than just emotions.

CNY

Guess wat, I have 3 weeks hols.. 21st Jan to 13th Feb. only for my project,. Cos they all live 2-8 hours by car away from the city. Haha, me live 4 hrs away by plane.. China officially only has about 10 days hols.

Anyways, was asking the Lord to plan my hols.. rite now the rough plan looks like this.. 4 days in the first week in dali with a friend, gng back w her to her home for New year! 2nd week in Kunming w a visiting fren.. gng to explore and eat in more parts of KM.. haha.. they say there are plum blossoms here and camellias there.. then, after the 7th still no plans yet till 13th.. hmm maybe ano tour?! Hmm, have clinic on the 9th tho.. (started helping in a clinic one afternoon a week).. hmm, we¡¯ll see.

*pic: at the bulk sale market*

Earth.. Heaven.

My conversation with Him.. Alvin left when he was only 27, Lord.. why so young.. so many things he has not done.. or gone through.. ¡°life¡± as we call it.. he had just graduated not so long ago.. there is a feeling of.. regret?

And God reminded me, Jesus was crucified when he was young too, at 33. and He resurrected and went back to heaven soon after that..

sometimes, we can make so much of our time on earth, we see our next 50 years as so important, what we want to do, what we want to play, to enjoy, before we die.. we may even say, Lord, I don¡¯t have time for You, I want to go enjoy myself for the next 50 years.. to experience ¡°life¡±.. but I dont think God sees it like this.. and how foolish we may see ourselves when we look back one day..

If earth was really so enjoyable and so fun, Jesus would not have been crucified at age 33, he could have stayed and played for a few more decades before going to the cross at age 60 or 80.. the difference between heaven and earth is beyond our imaginations.. Jesus did not stay longer than He needed to.. not for a holiday.

the real enjoyment begins after you leave earth.. the real fun is in heaven.. and it lasts for an eternity.. but only if you know the Lord.. the One who created the heavens and the earth..

may we understand Your truth Lord, please give us wise hearts..

Suddenly

My brother-in Christ has left us. Suddenly. 2 month ago I heard he went for a sudden heart operation.. it was alright now.. or so I thought.. Yesterday, a friend told me Alvin has passed away.. in his sleep.. a month after the op..

27, fit, strong, good-natured, kind, courageous.. filled with God¡¯s love for others.. he is a really good spirit who brought cheer to all who knew him..

Fellow brother in Dentistry, later who joined my church.. He went to China with Eugene and me on our first training trip.. we called him Ah-boy..

I first remember him during orientation.. all the juniors were to perform an item.. He played the guitar and sang a Chinese song about God.. handsome young fellow.. later found out he was my junior from VJC as well, and a good friend of Dorine..

I¡¯m not going to tell a long story about how good a brother and how good a spirit he was, jus that he was.

I would never have guessed the last time I saw him would have been the last.. until we meet again in heaven. (that by God¡¯s grace I will be in heaven at the end of this life..)

Its really a downer to be away in moments like these. Though I know he is in a better place and all.. I guess the empty sadness is that you are missed, Alvin. I dare not imagine how your family is taking this, and there are so many who love you, in your church family and your friends. May the comfort of God and His grace and love fill the place you leave behind. Last night, I thought, how tragic that you left us when you are still so young, when there was still so much for you to do/experience, career, marriage, children , and many who would have been blessed by you.. then I thot.. is that really so good? Heaven is way better than all these, at the side of the Father.. so all that is left, Alvin.. are those who miss you..

We miss you. I miss you. Hope to see you again next time.

Plum blossoms

About this time of the year, plum blossoms start blooming on trees in parks, in open areas near shopping centres.. they are the prettiest things ever! Delicate, lovely, pink, against a brilliant blue sky.. They look good enough to eat..

ps. you can see a bee on a flower if you look carefully..

popcorn

*farmers eat popcorn for breakfast pic*

photo is how a villager in Nujiang would typically make popcorn.. using dried corn, take a few kernels.. toss it back n forth in the ashes near the fire while u boil water for.. tea (?) if done well, the corn will expand into a fluffy white mass, twice its size, with a 'pop' sound..

we were told the farmers will wake up in the morn, pop a few for breakfast n go to work. how different it is from our popcorn experience back home.. slightly surreal feeling.. both eating popcorn.. but so different in circumstance..

movie!

i watched my first movie e other day.. 'the promise'. free tickets! haha. went w 2 others.. pretty movie, nicely shot.. no comments on slightly corny storyline tho.. keke.. still enjoyable..

wat can i say.. cinema experience: similar to going cineleisure.

Slang

some ways on how to understand n be understood.. keke.. (can’t type Chinese.. try to figure it out..)

Bus à gong1 che1

Tie hair à zha1 tou2 fa3

Chat à chui1 niu2

To boil water à shao1 shui3

Hot water à re2 shui3

I have an idea/opinion/suggestion/opposition à wo3 you3 yi2 ge4 xiang3 fa3

How interesting/funny/cute/strange/weird à hen2 you3 yi4 si4

Yummy.. haha

Fried bamboo worms.. actually dey have no taste.. maybe add salt wld be nicer.. fried bee larvae were tastier.. like chicken flavour twisties.. fried seems to be e best way to eat these.. stewed or boiled has a buggy taste.. :p

Why a city on a hill can't be hidden

Flying fish

Sigh.. another booboo today.. clipped my specs on my shirt this morning after washing up.. and somehow.. my only pair of specs managed to fall into the deep abyss of the ‘toilet bowl’(the hole in the ground sort).. yikes! (key: booboo music).. there goes the afternoon... in search of a spectacle shop I’d trust..

Thanks God though.. found one near my home in the end.. my new friend there even invited me to go find her at the shop for lunch during Chinese New Year if I’m free.. hee.

Made 2 pairs! Slightly cheaper than SG. They read a pair of my SG specs(broken frame) and their prescription was the same as the SG’s one, when I compared... That was reassuring.. J

Rented Meteor Garden 1 and spent the whole of Monday watching it! Dat’s q scary mann.. slept at 5 on Sunday morn.! wats worse.. I’ve actually watched it in SG before! Whahah… but it was fun lah.. keke..

The day I was almost a seagull

Went for afternoon service on Sunday, ended about 3 plus. Was hungry cos I hadn’t eaten lunch. Decided to go walk about Green Lake on this lovely sunny afternoon.

Are you hungry? My friend asked..
yup, but it’s no problem, I’ll just eat one of the roadside food, I said.

“Oh, look! There’s some bread there”. (small anpan looking bread joined together)
“How much is this?.. $1?.. Okie, please give me one”

my friend pulls me aside hurriedly.. *whisper* “This bread is for feeding seagulls..”

whaha.. booboo.. I feel like someone who jus drank the lemon dish for washing hands.. whahah.. BTW, I didn’t buy the bread in the end okie..

Side note: there are supposed to be seagulls at Green Lake this time of e year, but due to many people on that Sunday, they were all frightened away.

Words of wisdom : A bird and a fish may fall in love.. but where would they build their nest..?

Pictures!

My Bike and I

















My Living Room

















4-year-old washing dishes

















Learning to brush

2006

woohoo! Next year is 2006!! (I think.. yea, pretty sure) decided to take a break from translating report to write this. Been translating a trip report into English for my team all morning.. :p

guess what! I’m 27 next year! Yeah!! Hmm.. wait a minute.. or is it 28.. hmm.. 1978.. makes it… 28!! Yeah!!! Sigh. Mental sums not very good nowadays mann..

gosh 28.. is dat supposed to be old or something.. and I haven even really stepped into the outside working world.. been serving bond for last few yrs.. fixed hours, hardly OT. Only did a few weeks in private.. dat was q good too.. haha cos I only worked 2.5 days a week (of cos okie lah)..

De other day, Wanping and I were jus contemplating we’re too old for Christmas countdowns.. done our fair share of countdowns.. next day too tired.. but I guess we’ll never get too tired of suppers.. especially if there’s a car.. unless next day need to work.. well. Next supper will have to be in 2006! Think I wont drive immediately after going back tho.. too scary.. after influence fr China roads.. (even as a cyclist/pedestrian)..

Things I miss:
Supper at night..
Bedok/ eunos(?) fish
Prata at Bukit Timah
Muen’s milo
Queenstown wo-tie
Cha shao baos
Black beauty kou rou bao! Whahah.. maybe jus the black beauty..haha ;p
Late night movies in an SG cinema
Walking around Suntec. (so lame rite)
Blading at east coast on Sat morns
Sitting in ECP Macs on a weekend morn
Rock climbing
Chicken wings in hawker centres.. though I never ate them..
My mummy’s steamed flower crab

Things I love:
Housework
Cooking
Time
Reading
Visiting
Taking a step at a time
Watching out for Him
Taking things slow
Enjoying the process.. when u hv time, even housework can be fun.. :)
Learning to be patient
Learning to have faith
Learning to build

Christmas

I went to a Christmas celebration yesterday and realized something for the first time. Jesus could have been born to any rich man or even a king. He chose to be born in a manger, not even in an inn. Surely it would not be difficult for God to wave His hand and create an empty inn room. He is the ultimate Creator. Jesus had no hospital, no doctors or nurses to wait on Him. He was born in a place where Joseph and Mary had no friends or relatives they could stay with.

Why?
I can only guess.

In a manger, with animals beside Him, how He was born would not be very different from the villagers I see, who give birth in their homes with/without the help of a mid-wife. Our L’d is one who chooses to identify Himself with the poorest people.

‘..so that they would know I understand..’ a whisper said.

Thank You Lord.















Picture of little village boy (Hani tribe)

Tropical fish don’t do well in Antarctica

Yes.. this is what I learnt in my past week’s travel. Esp when we arrived one foggy nite in a town and I stoned and didnt want to get out of the van..

Tropical fish don’t do well in Antarctica..

Brr..

JZM flowers

Just got back fr Honghe.. on the hillsides along all the village roads there were these bright yellow daisy looking flowers growing in abundance.. legend has it that they are known as Jiang Ze Min flowers..

once upon a time before he was well known, these flowers were not commonly seen.. but after he became very important in China, these flowers appearing in abundance all over the countryside. Hence they became known as Jiang Ze Min flowers. Hmm. Now dat Cherie is posting for me, the advantage is she knows how to put pics on blogs!!! whahah! Let’s try it out.. thanks dear.!

The Return of the Cute Pink Elephant..

I’m back! Courtesy of mademoiselle Cherie who has volunteered to help me post.. cos fr where I am.. I can read but cant post.. and in her words.. it would make it seem like I was more ‘alive’.. whahaha..!

Yep so I shall post all the inane things that I cant put on the updates cos it would make it v v long otherwise.. (its areadi v long) and I can practice my bad sms grammer here otherwise when I get back to SG I will be msging in complete sentences and faultless spelling.. *Yikes*

All right! Here we go.. :)

I love you..

in the afternoon.. tired feets.. went suntec comex.. wah its real big, felt a bit lost.. was looking for cf card n reader.. walked bk to funan challenger to compare price.. bought reader n adaptor there den walk back to suntec again to buy cf card (cheaper there after all..)..

on my way back to suntec (for the second time..!)..

thinkin/talkin to meself.." .. tired.. :p.. mumble mumble.. Father, tired leh.. mumble.. :p.."

"I love you.." .. a deep, kind of resonating, yet full of strength kind of voice said.. i knew that voice.. it was my Father's voice..

and though i had heard Him say this many times before in the past.. this time there was an extra kind of strength in His tone.. an extra reassuring joy and pleasure in our private fellowship kind of thing that arrested my attention.. like when a friend says something and your eyes meet and you both know each other understands more than what was merely spoken kind of thing..

and so.. in my own imperfect way, i said to Him..

" i love You back.."

and there was that moment again..

and the day suddenly brightened for me. :)

if u are reading this.. may the Spirit of God speak to you in your heart.. to know that God loves you dearly too.

at home

ran 3 errands jus now.. went to buy tamp to buy stuff. for a while looked like a lost cause.. went 2nd location and it was closed for lunch.. sigh.. was like thinking.. help, Dad! ..found wat i was looking for too in the 2nd location, so 1st 2 errands completed! and then went to collect ticket so finished all 3 erands in the end.. hee. thank You Father. it wasn lost journeys in the end..

sleepy now.. been sleeping at abt 2-3 am past few weeks! not a good habit to cultivate. but den nowadays the idea of sleeping before 12 seems unfamiliar to me.. uh oh.. mayb too playful areadi.. hee. a bit hyper lah.. :)

concerned for some of my friends. but just pray and trust in God.. He is God, the Lord our God. exercise faith. :) He is able to make all grace abound to us. Praises to our Father! :)

ps. sylvester where r u, add me on my new skype.. skype name is szeshan

especially to WanPing!

heh.. was musing..

i dont think i've ever told you that i'm proud of you. well, i am. for the choices u made, for the testimony you give for our Lord. for the person you have grown up to be. (perhaps its true, we are shaped partly by the choices we make.)

perhaps your family doesn really understand, and i know they mus give you q a bit of heartache w comments i'm sure they'll make now and then. but i know you are in good hands.. the hands of our Father..

and i know the job you have chosen for this time(fulltime at church) has areadi touched many lives and will continue to be used greatly by our Lord (in many ways you will not even know) esp for many at a stage of their youth, which will influence the choices they make for the rest of their lives (its an impt business ur in, yknow). so i pray u will continue to be of good courage in our Lord, and He will sustain and cause increase to the steadfast, yet compassionate, shepherd's heart you already have..

hows dis for a pass-it-on card..!

heh.. KS say maybe in China i cannot access blogspot, so i 'immortalise' this here.. keke

i'm so glad our Father let us be frens.. ive been q encouraged by you, yknow.. at many impt moments.. :)

who wat how why

................................................................................! oh mann...

jus one of these moments.

oh settled my insurance things today.! praise God. :)

blessed time at dental prayer meet today.. prayer and fellowship..! now feeling a bit hyper. heh.

fav song!!(now)

ooh!!! my fav song... (rite now)!!!!! here it is

http://www.createdtoworship.org/

go to music segment and click e song "show me Your face"

:)

Psalm 42:7
"Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls.."

i love dis verse..

“ When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. ” Psalm 94: 18-19

came upon this verse in the website.. i like it too.. yeah.. praise the Lord! :)

gathering

had gathering yest.. farewell gatherings, 6 dentists at tea, and 20 plus church family at tanglin club..

yah, q touched by each person who was there and their friendship and fellowship, and prayers, gifts, encouragement, support..

i think the family of God is amazing, v blessed..

something i didnt realise abt gng away.. the feeling of loss.. tho i know i dont really lose my family and frens and there's email and all dat but yah, there's still a certain sense of loss in having to participate in a different way due physical limitations. will miss seeing them for service, dinners, and all the exciting things, victories, ups and downs in their lives..

yah, okie lah, jus recognising what i feel.. trust God to provide a family of God there too.. there's a verse that says anyone who leaves behind family(fathers, mothers etc), God will give back many fathers mothers etc.. yah, trust God that the family here is definately well taken care of too. :) actually am aso v thankful that before i leave, most things seem to be taken care of.. pple connected and in good hands.. Praise God!

haha, weighed my luggage again today, cos discussing w Ed et al yest find so strange my empty luggage cannot be 17kg.. and realised i had looked at e wrong scale, its 17 lbs, which is only abt 7 kg..!! and called travel agent who will apply ano 10 kg for me so my total baggage weight is now up to 30 kg..! phew.. thank God.. sometimes things are jus there and u cant see it!! maybe that's a bit like how the disciples walked and talked with Jesus, without recognising Him, for very long, then suddenly realised it was Him.

now gng thru some insurance stuff.. hmm..

baby hedgehogs!! (post corrected.. heh)

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5852/698/1600/porcupine-baby.jpg

saw dis at van's blog.. baby hedge!!!! dey r so cute lor!!!

IBS

packing my room and came across dis note i thot id capture so i will have 1 less loose piece of paper lying ard..

todae's health byte..

for all my frens w symptoms of IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome) (ie V.)

IBS
symptoms include frequent diarrheoa, indigestion kinda of feeling, which V often had..

suggestions.
- eat more soluble fibre eg banana, potato
- decrease eating fats
- decrease on coffee
- decrease on dairy products
- eat slowly w small freq portions(does not mean snacking! heh)
- decrease on chewing gum (causes u to swallow air)
- try not to gulp food down (causes u to swallow air again)

danger food (triggers)
- red meat
- dark meat (eg poultry)
- alcohol
- soft drinks

website : www.aboutibs.org

yeah hope its useful mann.. well thot V had a lot of the habits they advised on.. hmm mayb dats why he oft had er.. digestion prob.. =p.. hope u feeling better these days..!

5 loaves and 2 fish

first want to thanks God for my medical checkup, yah retest was sort of ok, no more protein but has sugar instead! doc said it was ok n passed me. hee. :)

thank God for the brother doc who waived my charges..

God spoke to me and gave me new understanding abt a verse.. actually it was a word to pray for someone, but i learned fr it too. and she later confirmed the word that He had spoke to her abt it earlier. (cool! praise God. (:) He said, in the whole mountain of people, 5000 men(not even counting the women and children), it took a boy to give Jesus his five loaves and two fish. a child. God said not to look at/down on ourselves, but to look at Him, and that He only looks for a willing heart. Men of great talent but who have no God, it is no use.

yah, thot dat was q cool. :)

me gng bintan tomo w Wanping! tues to thurs! she been working v hard! hee. pray for a blessed time. do sense the spiritual battle is ongoing, especially during this time of yr (7th month). lets be vigilant n aware..

Lord i also pray for my mummy for healing of her glaucoma situation (discovered today). please keep her in peace and her eyes on You. i speak Your healing upon her eyes in Jesus Name. amen. thank You, Lord.

camomile

here's what camomile looks like.. courtesy of vandice's blog.. hee.. was jus drinking it yest n wondering wat e flowers look like..

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5852/698/1600/camomile0861.jpg

jus bought my laptop.. acer aspire! :) yaay.. thank God for nice salesman who threw in free mic/headphone, wireless mouse and upgrade memory.. he would have thrown in the power surge protector but his store no more.. thank God for Wanping and Kenneth.Yeo who went w me.. and mummy who drove by to pick up the laptop while WP and i went to sim lim.. :)

dunno.. now need to fix it up.. im not really comp savvy(understatement).. sniff.. Dear Lord, please help me..

oh dis morn i booked e ticket to Kunming for 6th sept.. Thai airways to Kunming..

sometimes flashes of how i wld miss many things esp pple(u know who u r), n angel.. well.. try not to think so much.. .. sometimes wonder if dat equates to suppression.. but i know dats my mind's way of coping.. and at suitable moments.. it will let itself be sad for a while.. its okie..

got my july pay.. calculated in my favour.. hee. am thankful for it and the many nice pple i met..

met L for dinner jus now.. :) went to look at luggage at carrefour.. not bad.. abt $43. will go back to get it next time..

my visa advert..
laptop:$1780
thumbdrive: $65..
to go where He leads.. : priceless! :)

what wil happen when i go there.. i dont know.. but no matter what does or does not happen.. a recurring thought.. it is a privilege to give my time to Jesus.. no mushiness here.. it really is.

its 2 again

ahh!! 2 again..!! been sleeping at 2 or 3 am every nite since last week.. its tiring mann.. i pray i will have good sleeping habits.. (ie 11pm)

sometimes i get tired of sorting out with all these prep to go china.. seems like so many? and some need to do a few times? sob.. sometimes i feel tired.. and also wish i could be at home more..

pray will settle laptop tomo.. and suddenly felt that i needed to keep in prayer while im preparing to go.. so that things will go smoothly and my time will be more efficiently spent, leading to less stress and strain in time.. yah.. its a vicious cyle when u dont keep in prayer.. like my medical checkup.. need to go twice when once could have sufficed.. yes.. i sense my Father is reminding me. the battle is ongoing..

9/8/05

tired of thinking of things to name my blog. perhaps shld jus put e date fr now on..

yest and today were fun. went to marina bay with students, frens.. heh.. it was great.. found it very fun! when the stars appeared and the students, audience got q excited and screamed and waved.. heh.. perhaps i would hv made a good groupie? watever it was, their enthusiam made me chuckle, and i enjoyed being w them.. keke.. blessed too by bro GJ who gave me, Lit and R a ride home.. thanks mann. oh and there were fireworks at midnite too

today went to watch Charlie and the chocolate fact!! i love Roald Dahl books!!! the movie was fun and imaginative(like the book, tho i like the book more!) haha.. some parts were really funny.. we wanted to watch the fireworks.. unfortunately, were a bit slow and not sure where they would come fr.. got distracted by a few fr the padang..

next time know areadi.. mus go to Fullerton front.. aiyah// guess we jus missed the thing by a few minutes.. can be q frus when u can hear the sound of it but are blocked by buildings.. den again.. made me think of how, in life, we can be so near yet so far.. like how sometimes we may think we are near enough to God, but we jus missed it, and we miss Him and His Splendour and Glory.. and wat a vast difference that makes. and the sad thing is we may not even know it.. until in grace, our hearts are enlightened one day.. how can we search for something we dont know we lack.. Dear Lord.. give us grace.. and mercy.. that we may know.. yah... also made me think of the part of the bible where it talks abt the gnashing of teeth for those who are too late and locked out forever.. ..help us Lord.. help those who are lost be found..

God is a God of abundance

was counting jus now.. and i realised that God has already raised 6 mths of living expenses for my china trip through work bonus, shares and donations..! Praise God! yah.. wat is there to say sometimes, except, Praise God. thank You Father.. i know You care.. yah.. and i appreciate my friends who have come up to me and expressed their wish to support financially.. the heartfelt support in the gesture is really q priceless. Another expression of the amazingness of God..

with regards to the trip, i had always felt He challenged me to believe in Him to raise the full sum and more.

"Am I not the God of abundance?"

Malachi 3:10
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

yeah.. my God is really really cool.. :)

at rest

unemployed?

sounds like a bad word rite.. heh.. but i'm kinda enjoying it leh.. hmm perhaps at rest is a better word.. xiu xi shi wei le zou gen chang de lu..

anyways, decided not to work till i go china.. cos got many things to do.. (as written in last post)

hmm.. well, thank God for the HK trip.. all went smoothly, got the visa q fast.. enjoyed hanging out with my cousin, and my JC fren Fanny and Xianhua! good to see Fanny again (she lives in HK) :)

walked like crazy in HK.. mann its a big place, tasty food, yumm.. kinda made me realise Sg is a small place.. a small but lovely place.. was glad to be home too..

slept at 3 am for 2 nites aft i came back(fri midnite).. went blade w Qx and fren on sat morn.. heh.. i like siao onn.. anyways, here i am on a mon nite typing away and prob gng to sleep late again! oh no, mus not make a habit of this..

woke at 11 today! went for lunch w WP and met Jen later b4 cell at nite..

tomo go bank, then hang out w SA and cell! den supper w WP and Muen (yes u can tell him i mentioned him in my blog. keke) :)

wed supposed to meet TCSI in afternoon then.. dinner w E.

thurs.. lunch w Angela! and maybe meeting CL?

fri.. morning at cerebral palsy centre, den evening festival of praise at SIS

cant q believe how the week schedule fills up so fast.. thot would be hard to find things to do in the day/pple to go out w.. heh.. well, Father i hope i will learn cooking before i go.. and prac guitar too..

listening to a chinese song now.. the lyrics go.. the most beautiful blessing in this life.. is to know you Jesus.. yah..

Thank You Lord.. for the blessing to know You..