Turning Twelve

Banana Crumble Cheese Cake topped with cherries and blueberries.



Making a birthday wish.....



Alie working hard for her meal.



Hungry boys with the hippo smile....according to Philip.



A birthday salute for the birthday girl.

Children See, Children Do

During Jordan's baptism class we were shown a short video clip and the simple message is “ Children see, children do”. It really sinks the message of parenthood even deeper into our hearts. For instance, if parents smoke, the likelihood of their offspring doing so is very high, if we curse and swear, they too will follow, and if we are inconsiderate, rude and unkind, guess who are closing watching us? The minister was reminding us parents that if we don't walk the talk our kids will know . I remember many years ago, a friend commented to me how a mutual friend was always verbally abusive to her maid and what had shocked my friend was that this mutual friend's daughter who was not more that 5 yrs old was equally abusive to the maid too. Guess who she was imitating??

I love my littlest nephew, Asher. He is clearly modelling the adults around him. He reprimands his sister Faith in true adult fashion. Even the intonation of his voice and his body gesture is perfect .

Let us all be reminded that in the family of God we as His children have Jesus the perfect One to whom we are to model our lives after. He has set us an example to follow. When we follow after Him we will be better models for our children.

My Baptism

I was baptised last Sunday in Church. I accepted Christ on 15 November 2008. I know about Jesus because my mummy and daddy talk to me about Him. I read my Bible every night. I have a special little book from Aunty Shirley that teaches me about God.



Baptism means that I tell people that I'm a child of God. When I went into the baptismal, the water was very cold. I'm a new Jordan now.

Emmanuel

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

In times of joy and peace, when life is good
I thank You for You're there
In times of trials and pain, when life is tough
You're the God who sees me through
For You promised to be with me
Emmanuel
As I cast all my cares upon You
You deliver me from them all
Emmanuel

There are carols in the air wherever we go during this Christmas season. Peace and joy are always the themes of many Christmas carols. As I ponder upon the many dinners and programs, my thoughts are with some of you reading this blog, whom I know, and also those whom I have never met who are going through worrying or tough times in your health, career , marriage, family or finance. Let me encourage you that God is a God who never fails. That is how impressive His track record is. One of the greatest comfort anyone can receive this Christmas is Emmanuel, meaning God with us. Yes, God is with you through thick and thin. This is a song written just for you. Remember to cast all your cares upon God, because He cares for you. If only we realized that the creator of heaven and earth cares about us, we will be more than able to face our tomorrows with greater confidence and courage. I remember when I went through very tough times, one of the greatest comfort I received from God was knowing that He knew about my pain. Yes, knowing that He KNOWS is enough, very good enough, because our Heavenly Father is able to get you out of any trouble because He knows. When facing big bullies, little children always say this: Wait till I tell my father.... Yes, your Father in Heaven already knows and He is working behind the scenes to help you. May the peace of God surround you and I declare His everlasting goodness over your life. He will bless you and keep you this Christmas for He is faithful.

This Christmas

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Lord, This Christmas
I come before You
Bow at Your feet, I worship You
The King of kings
Came as a humble child
I know You came for me.
Christmas lights, Christmas stars
There are all here
Remind us of the Season that changed our lives
Light a light, and start a fire
I’m burning again
A revival is ignited to mark my Saviour’s birth.

The lighting of the Olympic Torch during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics was probably the most dramatic in the history of the Games. Also fresh in our minds was the spectacular lighting of the Olympic flame during the Beijing Olympics recently. These are defining moments of the beginnings of great events.

I have been very busy lately, but deep inside I desire something more than the Christmas lights that I see everywhere. God spoke to me this morning about reaching out to Him and for Him to ignite the flame in me so that I can be passing on His flame to others.

About 100 years ago, a man named Evan Roberts started seeking the Lord fervently and God rewarded him with a nation-wide Welsh revival in 1904. Evan Roberts said: I have touched the flame of God. The result of this revival was people’s lives were changed, great miracles from God became a norm.

Friends, if you ask God for a flame to burn in your heart, He will give you a revival that will change your life, and you will never be the same again. This is the victorious life that God intended you to have. Also, the flame of revival is contagious. It will surely bring changes to people around you, and joy will fill your entire household and surroundings.

Just as the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree marks the beginning of the holiday season in New York City, I pray that this Christmas, you will join me in seeking God for His flame. Lets ask God to ignite the light of revival in us as a mark of a truly meaningful Christmas, and you will have a very happy and bright new year.

If you have not made a decision in accepting Jesus as your personal Saviour, why not make this Christmas a special one by doing so, and joy will come to you today.

Merry Christmas !

Working Holiday

Normally school holidays are pretty quiet and I only pop into the office averaging twice a week and even then its only a couple of hours max. But this year I am popping into the office almost daily and for longer hours too.

It's half way through the holidays now and my stress level is still on the high side. Every other day something would just crop up and there are days I wait with bated breathe for the outcome of decisions. Needless to say, many SOSes have been sent heavenward for great favour and grace.

Just last week, I had to do a power point presentation for the Ministry of Education and guess what... my school does not even have anything remotely resembling a power point to begin with, so we had to start from scratch. My victim...is none other than Philip. I know nuts about computer and he had never done a power point before so he had to get cracking. It's one of those times in the history of our lives when “I don't know how” is just not acceptable. He managed to complete it in time and I was simply amazed!!! It was beautifully done and I almost wanted to put in a slide to thank him!!!


So many unexpected things happened at work this holiday. I really need quantum of solace and also yearning for a break. In the midst of all these challenges, I am learning to have peace and to trust God for every decision made. It's training myself to take every thought captive and not let it run like a runaway train. Tho I may not like some of the circumstances , yet I can't deny that it is in these situations that God is moulding and teaching me His precepts for abundant living. Knowing His word is one thing but to put into practice is another thing. It's really all by His grace.

Christmas is Here Again

Last nite we went to “tHe Spring” to do our Christmas shopping and boy am I impressed. This is the first time we in Kuching actually have a nice place to shop at Christmas. The mall is beautifully decorated and it lends a Christmassy feeling to the air. Also it makes you want to spend money. That's the dangerous bit.


It was really nice just wandering around the mall and seeing people of all races mingling and smiling. And of course Kuching being such a small city compared to London....( we are actually peanut size compared to other bigger cities), hence we end up meeting many familiar faces.

At home, the decorations are up as well. The tree needed to be repaired. The poor thing's leg broke but as usual Philip being very handy managed to fix it so its standing tall & proud. The stockings will soon be bulging with goodies. The kids are looking longingly at the presents under the tree and wondering when they can open it. This is the true test of self control for the kids.

Our calendar is starting to fill up with more and more Christmas parties and dinners. There are a few pot bless dinners to go and I have yet to scour the recipe books which are collecting dust on the shelf. There are a few dress up dinners to go so it will be ransacking the wardrobe for the right attire.

Philip and Heather are caught up with various church activities....practices and more practices until the real thing.

Christmas can be so FULL of activities, food and merry making that we can end up forgetting the REAL REASON for the SEASON. I have to slow down and remind myself that the very familiar story of the babe in the manger is a powerful event in history which has a profound and everlasting effect in my life. He continues to change lives and give hope to everyone who reaches out to Him. Our family's life has been totally transformed by this babe in the manger. He is worthy of our worship.

“Studious” Mom

I can still remember vividly when we sent Heather off to Primary 1 at my alma mater in Jan 2003. It only seems like it wasn't too long ago and here we are at the threshold of secondary school.





Last day in Primary School



6 years of primary education and together we slog through BM . Mind you.... BM is tough for me especially since I only studied it as 1 subject in school. I had virtually forgotten many of the words let alone simpulan bahasa. The dictionary was our constant pal. Thank God when Heather started Pri 1 she had Science and Maths in English. God knows beforehand that this poor mom would not be able to cope teaching her everything in BM.

We spent many hours studying together in the afternoons. It was like a journey back in time for me as I tried to recall all that I had learned all those long years ago. Now with Heather starting Form 1 in Jan, I still have 5 more years of primary education with Jordan. Second time around, my BM has certainly improved....if I might say so!!!!




Jordan hitting the books.




Having this opportunity to teach both my kids is certainly an eye opening experience for me. It shows how IMPATIENT I can be. It reveals to me my kids character and their learning styles. On top of that it was also a revelation for my kids... that mom doesn't know everything.

So now school's out and the hols are in full swing. I get my well deserved break from all those studies and exams. YIPPEEE!!!

Of Wine, Cheese & Fruits

An evening of wine , cheese and fruits with good friends. That's an invitation too good to pass. So there we were and as usual our host and hostess outdo themselves. The long table was beautifully laden with 2 bottles of wine (white & red, no idea of the name!!!!),a bottle of Baileys, wine glasses, strawberries, grapes, apples, cheese (feta, gouda, camembert, smoked cheddar ) and crackers ,ham, salmon etc etc. It was gorgeous!!! The setting is somewhat like what you get when you open one of those very “angmo” magazines.
Then came along these group of not so ang mo friends. Adam kicked off the evening with “Who farted?” (yes.... indeed what a shocker to begin with. But you must understand. We have been friends sooo long that a question like that means the perpetrator has to own up without being offended). Bill was quick to add...that he was looking around for a corner to hide ...to avoid the smell. That shocking statement was met with indignant looks from especially the ladies. The ladies are more well informed. It's the cheese ,silly. Yes, the perpetrator is the camembert cheese. From thence it lost its name. The rest of the evening, it was known as farty cheese or “chaochao” cheese. But it taste GREAT with the biscuits!!!!

The white wine was easy to open but the red wine was the problematic one as the cork was brittle to begin with. So the usual wine opener failed....and many other apparatus were engaged and finally the solution was to poke it with a chopstick and filter the wine later as none had the desire to eat cork for the evening. The filtered wine was then served from a metal mixing bowl!!!! The ultimate in class!!!!

As the evening progresses, conversation flowed freely from loosened tongues but you hear none of the refine language used to describe wine. No one said about it being dry, or the bouquet was excellent or it had a fruity finish. The best we could do was “yes this is good or ya this one is drinkable.”

Other hilarious comments were “There are certain wine which after you drink it, you feel its like someone stabbing you in the throat with a knife” or the difference between good and bad wine is this: when you drink the latter, it sends your body into convulsions and in the midst of this spasmodic attack you know that in future this is the one to avoid.”. All these comments came with very graphic visual demonstrations which have been clearly imprinted in our very sober minds.


Wine connoisseurs will certainly be horrified at our total lack of class but we had absolute fun and no one was drunk. All names have been changed to protect the identity of our friends so that they will still get invites to high class wine tasting sessions. In other words no one will think they have no class !!! Ha ha.

We Worship You

We Worship You - Upload a Document to Scribd

We worship You
We worship You
In the splendor of Your holiness
We seek Your face
In Your embrace
We can feel your goodness

For You are holy
There’s none like You
Oh...You are the great I AM
Jehovah Yahweh

Hallelujah
O taste and see
The Lord is good
Hallelujah
We worship You today

The Bible says: “ Sing to the Lord a new song… “ and I have taken that literally to mean that there will always be a new song in my heart to praise God in every season of my life. We need to stay close to God every day in order to experience God’s goodness and listen to His voice each day. Our expression of praise to Him is actually a response to His love for us. All of us are very quick in responding to a fine performance of music or sports by our applause or our instant laughter in response to jokes. Our response is usually quite instinctive. I am still learning how to be more instinctive in responding to God’s greatness through my worship. If worship is a deliberate effort to sing a few songs, then we miss the point. Of course there are times we have to make an effort to worship especially those times when life is tough. However, in ordinary times we also need to have a lifestyle of worship. Let’s take time today to think of His love for us, count our blessings and be amazed once again by His greatness and respond to Him in praise.

Beauty in Routine

As I sat mulling over how the days had crept by so fast.... and how routine life is .....until I have nothing to post in my blog... suddenly God reminded me that there is beauty in routine too.

Lately , I have been really busy at work and going thru the motions of life to the point that I have taken the routine of life for granted. Actually routine is good . We all need routine to keep sane but extreme routine with no excitement and nothing to look forward to can kill life. One can end up merely existing from day to day and forget to live life or even worse ; don't know how to live life.

As I pondered about my routine, I find that I enjoy the usual rounds of spending time with my family in different settings. For instance, I enjoy the morning ride to work. I have the privilege of being driven to and from work by my very own personalised chauffeur. I have a hubby who loves driving so the morning chats are good and the afternoon rides are entertaining as well when the kids take turns to tell us about what transpired at school.

Honestly... routine is not that bad as some make it out to be. Our family routinely make many trips to the supermarkets buying stuff without a care in the world. But of late these trips have been rudely shaken with the melamine scare. The melamine issue has invaded our family routine. Now we have to be careful when we shop. Philip and I are very doubtful of any products with the “Made in China” label. We steer clear of them. When we first married , Philip was keen to visit China, but in recent years his interest has faded. Now he tells me he rather go to other nations . That's very fine with me.


Our routine has also been shaken with the HFMD alert. Now our kids go out less. Its really a shame coz we like to go out as a family.

So be grateful for routines when nothing seems to be happening. It can be a good thing!!!!

Infact if we are totally honest with ourselves, we can add colours to our routines by putting into our routines the things we like to do. So as we maintain, add and minus events in our lives, we are routinely enhancing our lives .

So make the most of your routine. Go find the beauty in your own routine and be blessed.

Praise The Lord

Praise the Lord - Upload a Document to Scribd

Praise the Lord for His glory and strength.
Praise the Lord and bring an offering to Him
Worship the Lord for His beauty and holiness
Come let us sing to the King of kings.

Let the heavens be filled with joy.
Let the earth be glad.
Let us shout aloud “The Lord Reigns !”
The Lord reigns in all the earth.

Give Him all praise for His goodness to us.
Great are His faithfulness and mercy to all.
He is our strength and strong tower in times of trouble.
He is an awesome and mighty God.

Worship is an act to honour God. It’s like when you attend someone’s birthday party, you know to whom all the honour should go to on that day. Not only that, we will always do something extra nice to make our loved ones happy on their birthday, and most of us are very good at that. Well, the word worship should not be just a religious term, not just about liturgy in churches, but rather, think of it as a way to make God happy, to honour Him, to acknowledge Him as our Lord every single day of our lives. God is the King of kings; great and awesome beyond our comprehension , yet, He delights in seeing His children come to Him and enjoys being with them The more we draw near to God, the more we will enjoy worshipping Him. Choose to be a worshipper today. It will totally transform your life.

Almost Brangelina

The instructions were simple enough. These are the keys to the house, the switches are here & there & everywhere, and the alarm system is really not that intimidating. You arm it, then you just have to bypass the areas which you do not wish to arm and these initials stand for all the different zones in the house. Ok,... get it? And don't forget the kids' art and swimming lessons, feed the fish, pay the kids' fees, make sure the wine chiller is at 16 degrees etc, etc Ciao!!! See you in 9 days.

Now begins our life... in a big designer house with high tech alarm system, 5 kids to look after ( 2 are our own ), 2 maids etc etc. This is almost like Brangelina.

The first 2 days were days I call adapting to new habitat. Philip & I kept getting the switches mixed up. I have to keep telling myself. When the switches' blue lights are on... it actually means off. This is day 3 and I am still grappling with the switches!!! How can a house have soo many switches?!?


The 1st nite before bed time was “ Get that dog outta here before I grill it” nite. A neighbour's dog had somehow strayed into the compound & Philip and I had to chase the creature out of the gate and there we were with brooms and mops running round the compound trying to scare the creature out of its wit and fur!!! Alex's relatives must think that we are really nutty. Only the 1st nite and there we were flying round the garden like witches on a broom. Jac had warned that once the alarm is on... any creature roaming around will be picked up by the sensor & this would trigger the alarm. I don't mind dogs but I was adamant that no 4 legged creature was going to ruin my sleep!! I am sure Brangelina don't do this bit... they have their bodyguards to do the running for them but we have not reached their status as yet...so for now we'll have to do the chasing ourselves.

We have our own version of papparazzi as well. Very often Alex's relatives (young & old alike ) would drop in and this includes the relatives' maids bringing their young charges as well as they all live nearby. So there goes my privacy. I have to make sure I look presentable at all times. At home I normally wear my crummy clothes and my hair would be quite scarecrowish but I can't afford to do that for 9 days. I have to dress properly and make sure my hair is not sticking out here and there!!!

To look after 5 kids is really draining on the body and mind. Philip & I are out of steam by late evening and the 5 are still bright eyed and bounding with energy. Even during the Raya break, they are all up by 6.30am. So I have no choice but to drag myself out of bed and brace myself for another marathon day of kids. They are lovely kids but my energy level is definitely not on par as theirs. I need to chew on ginseng to keep up with them!!!

This “Almost Brangelina” lifestyle will certainly stick well in our memory.

Another Milestone

Birthdays are a big thing in our family. Philip just reached another milestone. We were busy preparing and enjoying his birthday. We all had fun.

Philip, “The best part of my birthday was the food. I had garlic rice, mee-sua, steam broccoli with red and yellow peppers, tofu meatballs, stir fry chinese cabbage and brussels sprouts and assorted mushrooms in butter and cream. All lovingly prepared.


The White Mocha Cheese Cake made by Nee satisfy my caffeine craving.



The Napolean Cake was a surprise gift from church friends and that was delicious too. I am a very satisfied man.”


Heather, “I really enjoy cooking for daddy. Mum n I took 3 hrs to get the food ready.”









Jordan, “The best part of daddy's birthday was to stay at Crowne Plaza Riverside and swim swim swim.”

Doreen, “To see Philip & the kids happy..... really makes my day.”


Thank you for all the gifts and wishes.

Laughing Out Loud

We have many funny incidences with Jordan and he really makes us laugh out loud without having to try too hard!!!

Scenario 1
Recently, we went out for supper and this is how the conversation went.
Jordan: Daddy, don't park in that parking space over there.
Daddy: Why not?
Jordan: It's the parking lot for the handicapped person.
Daddy: Are you sure ? How do you know?
Jordan: Yes ! I am sure. You see ... got the picture of the man in the wheelbarrow.

My jaws literally dropped!!!! I have been working in the field of disabilities for 20yrs and here is my son calling a wheelchair a wheelbarrow!!! God help us!!!

Scenario 2
I was driving Jordan to his swimming lesson and there was a jam.
Jordan: Mommy, why are there so many cars on this road today?
Mummy: It's the Salvation Army Boys' and Children's Home having a sale.
Jordan: (With a shock look, he said) You mean they sell the children in the homekah?
Mummy: (speechless!!!)

Scenario 3
Jordan was instructed by daddy to practise piano.

Daddy: Jordan, don't keep playing the wrong note. Correct your mistake! What note should it be?
Jordan: It's F lackchurnal.
Daddy: A WHAT??? ( Quite horrified )
Jordan: (Replied very confidently n loudly). F LACKCHURNAL

By then... all of us were hysterical with laughter. A new musical term for F natural?!?

All these happened in a matter of 1 week. He really tickles our funny bones. Our kids certainly make our lives much brighter. God bless them always!!!

Lord, You Are Worthy

Lord, You Are Worthy - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Lord, You Are Worthy

Lord You are worthy to be praised
Lord let Your glory come and fill this place
Lord let me pour out my heart to say
I love You, I thank You
For this beautiful life I have in You

Blessing and honour
Glory and power
Be unto You, Be unto You

Holy, Holy
Lord God Almighty
You are perfect in power
Love and purity

This song was written in the midst of pouring out my heart to God. When was the last time you pour out your heart to God ?

I found out that it is very ‘therapeutic’ emotionally to pour out my heart to someone when something troubles me, and I am always grateful that Doreen never fails to lend me her ears during those times. A good counselor is someone who is good at listening, and God is the greatest listener of all. Do you know that God is constantly waiting for you to pour out your heart to Him ? Just you and Him, telling Him every concern your have, your dreams and your pain, your victories and successes. I love to hear my children telling me their joy and excitement concerning their exams, schools, friends and God is even more keen to hear from you. Tell Him how much you appreciate Him, just enjoy loving Him. When all is said and done, and after you have finished wiping your last drop of tear, you will come away refreshed, healed and released from all the emotional baggage that you have been carrying . As for me today, after the ‘pouring out’ session with God, I was so refreshed that the only response I had was to worship Him. It is like a foretaste of heavenly worship with the angels, proclaiming: Blessing and Honour, Glory and Power, Belong to You, Belong to You, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty…. This is the ultimate in worship. Nothing in this world can match the extravagant experience of worshipping the Almighty God in His throne room !

Be a worshipper today, my friend. The more you pour out from your heart, the more you will receive from the fountain of God’s living water !

Fake vs Real

Are you the real thing? In our world today there appears to be many fakes and sometimes it does take a fair amount of discernment to be able to “see” what is real or fake. For instance , they are heaps of fake stuff in the market.... fake hand bags are everywhere. I personally find it hard to tell between a fake LV bag and the real thing. Sometimes the only time I know whether a bag is real or not is to see who is carrying it for instance... when Sim Nee carries a Gucci I know its genuine ....not the one bought at Petaling St. However, this shouldn't be the criteria for separating the real and the fake but somehow... for certain things one can pretty much hit the right assessment especially if you know who the person is.

Often clothes carry fake brands. A friend warned us never to buy fake Polo shirts from Thailand. They bleed when you wash them. Imagine the catastrophe when you wash them together with your other clothes in the machine. Teruklah!!!!

Just to narrate a really funny incident. Philip seldom or should I say hardly ever shop for fruits. On one occasion, he decided he would drop by the fruiterer and get some grapes. He saw a bunch hanging in the shop and he told the guy that he would like that particular bunch . The guy ( I presumed was dying from laughter) told him politely that the grapes were fake ones and the real ones are in the crates. Philip's lament was that the fake ones look so real and he was fooled.

So likewise in this world , there are fake and genuine people. Philip and I have met our fair share of fakeys. I am sure you know what I am talking about . Their actions and words often contradict, and their talk are usually what both of us termed as cheap talk. What we mean by this is, they don't mean what they say at all. In circumstances like these, it is hard to form true friendships. Everything is so superficial and politically correct. We are usually very guarded in such settings. Fakeys also work very hard to look genuine and sometimes they really overdo it. It's like the manufacturers of the fake products working hard to make their stuff look real. Having names which sound almost like the real stuff ( Does Pig-epal donuts sound familiar to Steven??) or the logo slightly altered or patterns that look similar. Some of course have the audacity to do an exact copy.

However, we are glad that God has provided us with a bunch of people who genuinely love and care for us. We can let our hair down and be ourselves . We salute you for being REAL and for loving us so much.
This special group of people make us laugh till our sides split, they are so kind to us, they pamper us, they give to us with a cheery heart, ... I am sure you know who you are. True friendship grows well in relationships that are continually watered with God's love.

So back to the question... “Are you real ?” We cannot fool God. God always sees the heart. We can flatter, say all the right stuff but if our heart is in the wrong place.. then we have a lot to answer to God. Even as I type this, the Holy Spirit reminds me...that I must be real and guard my heart against having hidden or selfish agendas. May we be sensitive to His Spirit so that what comes out from us are a true reflection of His love.

Giddee-Up !

Yesterday, my mom told me and my brother, Jordan that she was going to take us horse riding. We were so happy that we jumped about for a whole minute.

That night, we slept early because we had to be up early the next morning.

Jordan woke me up at 6:25 a.m. “Hey, Heather, let's go horse riding. Quick! Get up!” I got up and was still feeling a little bit sleepy.

At 7.50am, we went to pick up Jackie -ee, Nathan and Faith. We drove to the Sarawak Equestrian & Turf Club. When we reached the stables, Miss Chai was there to greet us with a big smile.
First, we went to visit the horses in the stables.
After saddling Jasmine, it was time to go for a ride.

Nathan went first,







followed by Faith,









me

and then Jordan.




After that it was the adults' turn. Jackie ee was reluctant at first but after some persuasion from my mom, she decided to give it a go.










Before going home, we fed the horses. We had fun and we hope to go back again someday.

You Are Awesome

You Are Awesome - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: You Are Awesome

You taught me to be brave
In the face of my uncertainties
You strengthened my faith
so I could face my fears
You are awesome, You are awesome
You are awesome and great

You told me through Your Word
To rejoice in all my circumstances
Giving me hope to face my future
You are awesome, You are awesome
You are awesome and great

So I worship You
I bow before You
My Lord and King
You are deserving
You are worthy of my praise
My Lord and King
You are awesome and great
Hallelujah !

Our God is an awesome God. In the face of uncertainties and fears, we can always look to Him for help. He is indeed a present help in times of trouble. During a season of great trauma and uncertainty in our lives, Doreen and I learned a precious lesson: we need to keep our faith level high to counter fear. Faith and fear are on two different ends on a scale. When faith is down, fear will be taunting and intimidating, but when faith is stirred up, fear will disappear! Yes, it’s true, we can overcome fear no matter how tough life is. The Bible says that perfect love drives out fear.

Let’s come to God, acknowledge Him as our God and Saviour, expecting Him to deliver us from all harm and danger. We can say this confidently because our God is awesome and great !

Hairy Tales

The weather has been sizzling hot lately & apart from stopping short of wearing a “bikini” , we decided to go to the salon and have a major haircut. We here, obviously does not include Philip. He's just our chauffeur for this event.

I was just tired of tying and pinning my hair everyday.... so it was good riddance to all the bands and clips for now.

Jordan loves to go for a haircut. This boy is very conscious of his looks even at this tender age. He'll tell the hairdresser to do the style he likes. Short & spiky ! He walks out on cloud 9, with spiking hair smothered in gel.


Heather is a real contrast. Begs us not to trim her locks. This usually falls on deaf ears. She'll reel off a list of her friends who have long hair. The list is surprisingly long!!! She sits in the salon, her face gradually turning from a pinkish hue to green then finally completely ashen.... when she sees the final outcome. It's not 1 inch off.... it's 1.1 inch . AARGH!!!!!


So here we are leaving the salon, on one arm, one perky little kid grinning from ear to ear and on the other arm, a frowny looking gal, whinging away... “What will my friends say?”

Ah.. this is not the end of the story.

Next day after school report. (Jordan goes to a boys' school while Heather goes to an all girls' school)

Jordan---- “Mom....NOBODY even noticed my new hairdo. My friends didn't even say a thing!!!!

Yes.. darling. That's how life is. Men usually don't notice this sort of thing. This phenomena starts even at a young age. I am sure Jordan doesn't notice when his friends get a haircut.

Heather--- “Mom...EVERYBODY , all my friends talk about my hair. And guess what? They say it is cute.

Yes.. darling. That's how life is . Women notice everything. This phenomena starts even at a young age. I am sure Heather notices when her friends get a haircut.

By the way Heather, mommy & daddy will never let you have a hairstyle that is not nice. OK? Its a trendy cut .... especially the back with the nice little “tails”.

Lord, You Are Good

 

Lord, You Are Good - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Lord, You Are Good

Lord, You are good, You are good
I trust in You
Love You, with all my heart
With all my soul, with all my strength
I surrender my life wholly to You
Teach me to live by faith, trust only You
Not my will, but Yours alone
To live just for You
I love You

This is a love song I received in my heart this morning as I began to worship God. Indeed, God always puts a new song in me whenever I am willing to give Him my attention. He is faithful, always faithful, so much in contrast to my indifference and lack of consistency in staying close to Him. In many ways, God is constantly waiting for us to come to Him; like a father waiting for his child, and He can't wait to show His greatness and abundance to His children. David, the great psalmist wrote in the Bible: Delight yourselves in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your hearts. Isn't it wonderful to know that our God WILL give you the desires of your heart as you delight in Him? Many supernatural things happen when we are in the realm of His Glory. Great and mind blowing  things can suddenly happen because the love of the Father is great towards His children. He is a God who created the heavens and the earth. Therefore, nothing is impossible for Him. This is how exciting it is to have a great Daddy. Let's find time to worship Him.

Stronger Than The Wild Sea Storms

Stronger Than The Wild Sea Storms - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Stronger Than The Wild Sea Storms

Stronger than the wild sea storms
Mightier than the roaring winds
Bigger than the vast universe
Greater than I can imagine

Holds the whole world in His hands
The Alpha and Omega
Sees the end from the very beginning
Awesome and sovereign

King of kings,
Immovable, my Rock of salvation
Lord of lords,
Omnipresent, Unchangeable,
You reign, You rule
Every knee bow down before You
We worship You today.

We have a great big God, who is in total control of the world He created. If you could just stop and look at the stars and trees and all the creations God has made, you will feel what I feel right now about how great our God is. The psalmist in the Bible talks about comparing our smallness and His bigness in a very interesting way: When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him.... Wow, He is mindful of us ! Yes, no matter what state of mind you are in, or how deep your trouble is, He is mindful of you. He cares for you. I have seen how devastating disasters, sickness and broken relationships could ruin a person's life, but I also have seen in my life how God turned things around. Acknowledge God's greatness and hold tight to God in times of trouble. Many has experienced how He came through for them. I, for one, can testify of His goodness.

Friends, God is good, His goodness endures forever.

Jehovah Jireh

Most of us are familiar with this name God our provider. It is essential that we know this as an experience instead of just knowing coz the pastor says so.

With the recent rise in fuel prices... the prices of other basic necessities have also gone up and these have brought on great lamentations. We have read and heard so much about these issues being debated and how to overcome and make ends meet etc etc. The list goes on.

Our family is no different in that we also face the high cost of living. We used to be able to fill our Innova for a full tank (around RM 80) but now its way above RM 100 !!! When we do our groceries and have our drinks and noodles at the kopitiam the prices are much higher.

Philip & I choose not to complain but rather to trust God. In Gen 26, God instructed Isaac to stay and not to go to Egypt even tho there was a famine in the land. Isaac obeyed and God blessed him abundantly. Philip and I believe that He is Jehovah Jireh..... and even if the gov't does not reduce the price of petrol , God can still take care of us. God is not surprised at all by the sudden announcement of the new petrol price. If we as His children obey His Word and stand on His promises surely we will not lack. ( Ps.34 :8-10 , 2 Cor. 9:6-8 )

God has always been faithful to our family. Financially, He has provided for us even in the most difficult times of our lives. I remember when we were going through a very rough patch financially, God spoke to my heart to increase our tithe and offering. So many thoughts raced through my mind but we decided to honor our Father in heaven by obeying. During that season, amazingly we never experienced any lack. Such is the faithfulness of our God. After the testing period was over, we found that we were able to settle the loan for the music studio far earlier than anticipated. View from our music studio at sunset.

God also rewarded us with a trip to South Africa, money to buy a grand piano (I had chosen the smallest baby grand but God had other plans. He chose the next size up, much to Philip's delight as it was a gift for him) and we believe He has more blessings in store for us.




In front of the old Parliament in Pretoria.








Philip tried to touch a tiger cub while on Safari.







We firmly believe that in the days to come..... as the Lord continue to prosper us we will be able to do more for the glory of His name.

My Life Was Made Brand New

My Life Was Made Brand New - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: My Life Was Made Brand New

My life was made brand new
Forever I am redeemed
Because of what You have done
B'cause of the depth of your love

O where can I find such love
Only in Christ who died for me
Not by my works or my deeds
But by the blood of the lamb
Now I’m a free man indeed
I live in Christ, Christ in me

No longer condemned by sin
And it’s no longer I live
But Christ that liveth in me
A new creation I am

A celebration of life
A life devoted to You
To You alone my heart yield
I’ll worship You, only You
And You are mine, I am Yours
Together and forever

A life with Christ is worth all celebrations. We are living in a time so deprived of true celebration. Even the most exorbitant celebrations the world could offer are too short lived. True celebration must come right from the source of celebration – God Himself. When you have God, you WILL celebrate life.

People who came back from near-death situations will usually learn well what it means to treasure life. Likewise, the reality of realizing that God can pull you out from whatever miry pit you are in to give you a new life from death is worth rejoicing.

The power of God is at work daily to impart His joy and His peace among His children. Let us be quick to embrace Him, tap into His limitless supply of living water and bathe in the glorious presence of the Holy Spirit. As you do that, soon you will realize that you are living in a realm far above depression, anger, bitterness, sickness and lack.

Friends, I encourage you to go to God and let Him be the Saviour who will rescue you and give you a ‘back from death’ experience. If you haven’t know God personally, I invite you to trust in Jesus as your personal Saviour by praying: “Dear God, I come before You now to confess my sins. I want to repent of my sins and trust in Jesus as my Saviour. Jesus died for my sins and resurrected on the 3rd day. I thank You for using the blood of Jesus to cleanse my sins and giving me eternal life now. I will make Him the Lord of my life. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.”

Come and join me in celebrating life to its fullest! Do enjoy this song and have a joy-filled day !!

Tribute To My Sisters

My sisters are truly gifts from God to me. They are so many families with sibling rivalries where siblings don't truly or sincerely care for each other but treat each other selfishly for their own gains.

However, my sisters are totally different. I've 3 of them who loves me dearly and would not hesitate to correct me when I'm wrong. Their constructive criticisms and doses of love have in many ways shape me.

One of them, Jackie whom I see almost everyday is one of the most generous creatures I know on planet Earth ! She has showered me with extravagant gifts so often and my kids always look eagerly at her luggage when she return from overseas trips. Mind you – my kids also consider her the “strictest of all the aunties”, so when she praises them, they are over the moon. Philip describes her as “intelligent”. That's true – she knows God's law of sowing and reaping. That's why she always give me stuff so she can reap incredible rewards !!! Smart woman !

Carol is my spiritual mentor. Residing in UK does not restrict her long arm of discipline from reaching me if she feels that my spiritual life needs a kick in the butt !! She is a source of strength for me in my darkest hours and has comforted me countless of times. She's the one who has truly ventured in ways the rest of us girls have not... like reaching the summit of Mt. Kinabalu, deep sea diving, supernatural experiences with God, going for PhD when the rest of us are contented with painting our nails !!! To Philip, Carol is a woman passionate about life and wants to live it to the fullest measure. She's not one to settle for mediocrity... or laze around tanning herself ! Ha ha !!!!

Alie is the youngest of the lot. The baby of the family who now lives very independently in Perth. She's the quiet one (in comparison to us), more creative than us and can sleep longer than the polar bears. Generally her taste in fashion and sometimes even food is different from us. She dares to be different and there is always a sense of adventurous spirit around her. Philip says she's a carefree creature. That is certainly a compliment. Wait till dad hears this. Foochows are not supposed to be carefree. Foochows are supposed to work hard, 26 hours a day and to make tons of money, buy lands and properties and influence the world economy !!!

The camaraderie we share is priceless. Our sense of humour keeps us sane and realistic !!! Together we learn not to be so uptight over things but to laugh at ourselves and have fun too. We have the highest respect for each other and constantly uphold each other in prayer. These 3 ladies make me feel special and Philip feels privilege to have them as sisters. To my precious sisters – May God's blessings overtake you.

祂实在爱你

祂实在爱你 - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: 祂实在爱你

让我告诉你, 祂实在爱你
一生一世都不要忘记
让我告诉你, 祂是你的上帝
你不要再前后躲避

神将祂最完美, 最真实的爱
浇灌在你我的生命
神差祂的爱子耶稣到世上为你我作赎罪祭

我得着自由, 永恒的生命
丰丰富富在我涌流
从此我得着生命的意义
让我再次提醒你
祂实在爱你


今天与你分享这首歌, 希望你会喜欢这轻快的节奏, 也要提醒你一件大事: 祂实在爱你. 是的, 祂实实在在的爱我们每一个人. 不管你现在是处于甚么样的环境, 神对你的爱是永不改变的. 不是因为我们的可爱, 或是我们的成就, 神爱我们是毫无条件的. 我们都晓得如何领受父母的爱, 也知道如何把爱无条件的为儿女付出. 同样的, 神爱我们, 祂是天上的父亲, 祂会毫无保留的把祂丰盛的恩惠浇灌给祂的子女. 只要你肯亲近神, 相信祂, 让祂成为你的救赎主, 你也可以和我一样成为神的孩子, 享受祂丰盛的应许, 过一个有意义的人生. 神所赐的自由, 是超越一切的捆绑, 苦难, 病痛, 逼迫和缺乏, 因着祂的应许, 我们可以得到真正的解脱. 我所以能这么肯定, 是因为我本身曾经经历到神在我最需要时成为我及时的帮助; 我的病痛得了医治, 祂的富足使我不至缺乏!

真的, 祂实在爱我, 祂也实在爱你.

Close To You

Close To You - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Close To You

Close to You
To feel Your touch
That's my deepest longing
Draw near to You
To seek Your face
and bathe in your love
So refreshing

When I dwell in Your Presence
I find my strength in You
I can taste Your living water
as I worship You

You are my help in times of trouble
You are the author of my faith
You give me joy beyond all measure
My Daddy, I love You.
My Daddy, I love You.

I am so excited about how God loves me, especially after being touched by God's Fatherly love during my recent KL trip. It is a wonderful feeling to know that my heavenly Father loves and cares for me. I still remember how my dad loved and cared for me throughout my growing up years in Penang. Dad gave so much of his life for me and the family, and now as a father myself, I feel that I have unlimited love to give to my 2 children. That is how we understand a father's love, but as I am trying to understand more about the depth and width of God's love for us, I realized that it is not only the knowledge of His love that counts, but the experience of His love that really blows us away. The only way to experience God's love is to draw near to Him. It takes time and effort to be close to someone, and you will soon realize that the time you set aside to seek God is worthwhile because the experience of His love itself surplus the time and effort you would have put in. When my children take the initiative to draw me a picture or just want to spend time with me, I am more than willing to stop everything and pamper them as much as I can. God is a better daddy than all of us. He is the best Daddy ever. He has been there for me through all the seasons of my life, and I can always count on Him.

Friends, give your heart to God, draw close to Him, have fun with Him, and you will soon realize how much He desires to have fun with you. Happy Father's Day.

He Blesses Again n Again

We believe God enjoys blessing His children. We were very blessed during our recent short trip to KL & we want to testify to His goodness. Allow me to share just a few incidences.

We were attending a conference and at the same time hoped to sneak in a few shopping trips and hence have set aside some money for all the fares as we anticipated that we would be using a lot of public transport (taxi/LRT). However , it turned out that we hardly use much of the public transport as most of the time transport was provided. In this respect, we especially want to thank Ps. Kim, Amba & Punitha.




Shoppping @ The Pavilion.






Jordan with the Lego built Ferrari at The Gardens, Mid Valley.







At this conference, we were among a few hundred participants and 1 morning, the speaker, Stephanie Herzog being led by the power of the Holy Spirit began to pray & minister to the congregation. As she moved among the crowd , she stopped right next to Philip and began to pray over him. As she prayed, I could feel the incredible love of God embracing Philip and tears were rolling down his cheeks. The presence of God was so real. It was simply amazing.

Having a nice dinner at Dome has always been our family tradition whenever we are in KL. Since Father's Day is just round the corner, I told Philip I would treat him to dinner on Sunday evening. But God had other plans up His sleeve so to speak. Instead of me treating Philip & the kids to dinner, we were treated to dinner at the Dome by Jennifer (Philip's sis).

On the way to the airport, our taxi driver sprang a surprise on us. He enquired whether we had taken the kids to Putrajaya and we replied we hadn't the time. He detoured and in a flash we were in Putrajaya. Our taxi driver was there and then turned into our tourist guide cum photographer. He was so kind and generous. He didn't even charged us for the Putrajaya tour!!!!
During this KL trip, we found that we actually saved a lot of money.... which is kinda rare as in KL we tend to be in spending mode!!! To everyone who has blessed us..... TQ.