Ballet Performance ; FRee Lunch ; New Watch ; Fang's Office!

Hahaahaaa... it has been an interesting and exciting day!! hahahaa....

at 2.30 pm, fang and i headed down to VICTORIA THEATRE... CULTURED RIGHT??? hahahahaa.... we were there to watch a BALLET PERFORMANCE! haaa... no lah... to support one of my cell members, faith... hahahaa.... had been wanting to go see her performance! hehehe...

Me and fang just before the performance started! haaa..

Can u spot faith?? hahahaa... she's the one in the front row, second from right! haaaa...

And we spot her here again, the front row, right corner! hee. I like this dance! apparently it won them an award too! haaa.......

Look at the amazing number of students who performed.... all 500 of them.... from young (think about 3-4 yrs??? till sec 3 or 4 i think.... amazing!! haaa....

.... and so that was the end of the concert! hehee... didn't manage to take pic with faith though! haa.... Faith's mum really very nice... she sponsored our ticket! so paiseh leh..... hee....

And so.... after the long concert, we were super duper hungry... and thinking where to go for a gd lunch (at about 4pm!!!!) haaa... and so...... while we were deliberating... hahahahahaa.... we spotted a buffet catered for the event beside (some choral performance thing..)

HAHAA... AND YES.... since they had so much food..... and since there were many people..... we joined in! HAAHAHAa... Ooops....

Us and our delicious food... HAAHHHAA... the salad was really good! haha!!

So yup.... that was our ballet performance and free lunch.... on we proceeded.....

Fang needed to head back to office... so we walked tro citylink... and.... since my mum wanted to buy me a watch for christmas, i had to help her shop for one right??? AHAHAA.... so yes, after a little shopping, i bought a fossil watch! haaa.... i like it a lot! heee...

here it is!!

My new watch! hehehehee...Me and my new watch! HAHAHAHAA.... *satisfied*

And while i'm doing all these nonsense phototaking and uploading,Guess what is fang doing??? hahahahaa...

Oops............. Busy at work! HAAHAHAA.... Cool right... look at those 3 computer screens!! hahahahahaaa....

And this is her office cat.... HAAHAA... psst, i dun like cats... hahahahaha... oops!

Smile!! hahahaha..

Hahahaahha... ok.... that's my day for u...... shall move on to do more important things now! HAHAHAA....

BYE!!

HeLLO FroM VietNaM!!

HAhaahha.... hello!! hehe.. in vietnam now, this hotel has free internet!! hehee....

whee... so fast.... 2 more days left in vietnam.... haaa... it's been a really blessed trip! though i wish i had more money! hahahahaahaa...........

Anywayyyyy......... will blog more when im back!! hehe byeeeeeeeeee

Blessed :)

I really thank God for my cell……. Hee.

I am really very blessed…. The most blessed cell leader, really!

They are such an encouragement to me…. And it’s such a joy to lead them, to be with them, to help them succeed….. Hee. :)

Well, there are times when I’m so tired of serving…. But today as I reflect, i just wanna say “Thank you Lord” for the blessing of my cell….. hee. The blessings far outweigh the weariness! J

Well, without me even teaching them, some of them have taught me this verse: “Obey your leaders, so that their work will be a joy…”

I’m really blessed. :)

--

Just an update of my life so far:

Work has been quite busy, hehe. Last Saturday was the 4th Saturday that we had work on weekends… Hehe, the days are over, finally! :) Though I must say it was a joy to be with the kids…… hee… I miss them already! HEHE…

Next week, I’ll be off to Vietnam! So fast leh…. Quite unprepared actually! HAHAA… it’s like something that we keep talking about for the past 100 years, then suddenly it’s NEXT WEEK! Hahahahaa….

Okok, gtg. Update again soon.. :)

Delight in the WORD of GOD!

I'm so inspired!

Today, I read Psalm 1 & 2. What Jewels i found!!

Psalm 1:2&3 - "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. He is prosperous in all he does."

Psalm 2:7&8 - "I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, You are my son. Today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession."

WOW! What great promises and truths in just the first 2 chapters of psalms! THANK YOU LORD, for speaking to me so quickly! heheheehee.... I'm the happiest person on earth now! heeee... wheeeeee........

I'm on a quest! I've a new resolution - I will start to memorize a verse or 2 each day as i read the psalms! Then, i will be able to remember roughly what each psalm is about!! SO COOL RIGHT?? HEHEHEE.............. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm on leave tmr!!!! Tmr's the encounter!!! GOD IS MY STRENGTH, MY SHIELD, MY FAVOUR, MY FRIEND AND MY KING! wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..............

BYE!'

*ponder* shd i go meet sara and mel @ chomps? hahahahaa.

Return to the Word of God

We had team meeting today.. It was a really refreshing time.. Thank God for each one of them...

One main thing that struck me today - Return to the Word of God... Crow, remember to read the bible!! heheee.... So important, yet so easily neglected... :)

Ok, shall go sleep now. Tired! hehe.

It's exciting days ahead! Whee!~

Eventful Night!

Haha. LEt me tell u a story..

Last night, i came home at 10 plus, quite tired and having slight flu... so after washing up and all, i took some medicine... felt a bit drowsy, but hair was still wet so i didnt head to bed immediately...

So i walked about in the house... then realised the stove still had 2 pots with food in it - one had barley, the other had lou bah.. So i kpo kpo went to tell my mum about it... she asked me to heat up so the food wun go bad..

So......i went to on the 2 stoves.... and since they would take sometime to boil... i went back to my room... and..... in less than a minute, i fell asleep. HAHAHAA................... Seriously!

And yes.... The fire was left on!! But i did not remember about it.... So there it went boiling and boiling and boiling....

Till 1 am when my brothers came back.... They got a shock of their lives when they reached the doorstep.... They could smell a lot of smoke! Haaa.... YA! The whole house was filled with smoke (SERIOUSLY...) .... They faster rushed in and switched off the fire.... Apparently some neighbour also smelt it and came to our house to check if things were alright.... HAaa.... and so.... the next 1/2 hour or so my good ole brothers were there fanning the smoke out of the house.... i was 3/4 stoned.... really dunno what to do..... how to help... haa...

But really gotta thank God that the kitchen was not burned down! It was really so possible for it to happen.... Maybe if my brothers came back an hour later, the story will have a different ending.... haaa.... Thank God for my family... I am really blessed to have them... :) My dad spent today evening scrubbing the pots (Totally black) and super miraculously he made them cleaner than new!! Amazing...

Well, it was really an experience, seriously. Was quite badly shaken.... haa... But now ok lah. Had quite a bit of fun scrubbing the kitchen with my dad just now. hahahaha. I told him, "Come on, look on the bright side of it... If this didnt happen, our pots wouldnt be so clean now!!" HAHAA... he gave me the killer stare in return... HAHAAHA....oops!! haaaaaa....

Anyway.... today marks the end of Character IDol prog on saturdays! phew! finally sia.... But i must say i enjoyed it.... The children are a blessing...

HAving cell tmr!! excited!! hehehee.... wheeeeeeeeeee....

Good Night!! :)

Refreshed! :)

It has been an emotionally tiring week! Or rather, emotionally-dead week! haa... I really don't know how to describe it, but the bottomline was i was so far from the Lord!

Hehe, though i dreaded going for today's prayer and praise (really no excuse not to go...), I praise God for julia, who led such a spirit-led worship... It brought such release within me, something i was searching for but could not find... It brought such restoration to my heart... It seemed to answer all the questions in my heart, yet in a different way... hee... Well, Praise God!

May i always remember the Lord and his goodness to me.. :)

我的心，你要称颂耶和华

我的心 你要称颂耶和华
不可忘记他的恩惠
他赦免你一切过犯罪孽
医治你疾病复原

我的心，你要称颂耶和华
不可忘记他的恩惠
他以仁爱慈悲为你冠冕
为受委屈的人伸冤

天离地有何等的高
他的慈爱也何等的深
东离西有多么的远
他使我的过犯也离我多远
耶和华有怜悯的爱
且有丰盛无尽的恩典
从亘古直到永远
耶和华他是我的神

Afterthoughts..

I’ve just finished the amazing story of Dave Pelzer. I thank God for him – An amazing child, boy, man who could so easily give up, but did not. I thank God that he wrote this book; it is indeed an inspiration..

Just to give you some background, this real life story has 3 parts: A child called ‘it’, The lost boy, and a man named dave. In summary, he tells of his story as a abused child, so badly abused by his mother that the court ruled for him to be separated from her, and put in foster care. In the second part, this boy struggled hard from one foster parent to another, struggled through issues in life. The last part, he writes about his life as an adult – not a bed of roses.. but he never gave up, and… he made it.

This guy’s life story touched me to tears, especially the last part. Probably it’s a very apt time for me to be reading this book too.

I opened the book initially, expecting a normal ‘inspiring’ story of how a boy struggled when he was young and when he grew up, finally from the clutches of his mum, he could carry on living life normally. I thought his nightmare will end the moment he left his mum.

Well, his story was not on of self pity. I doubt his intention was to make readers grossed out at the extent of his abuse. But subtly, his message was on never giving up, and always giving your all. Just to press on, no matter what. I can’t say it half the way he says it, cuz I’ve not been through what he has.. If u haven’t read the book, go read it.

Just yesterday I was grumbling to myself how hard life is. I was moaning to myself about how responsibilities are weighing down on me.. And as I saw a mother with her child at the swimming pool, I suddenly had the thoughts of how as we move on in life, the responsibilities just multiply… And when we reach the stage of parenting, there’s no turning back..

I shuddered as I thought about all these… Suddenly I felt I lost my footing.. I told God, life is so scary.. I think I’m comfortable where I am. Deep down inside my heart, I knew that the struggles I have now will only make me stronger. I just had to overcome this struggle within myself.

But somehow in my thoughts, I always had this perception that soon, things will be smooth sailing and when I get stronger, it will be so easy to handle life’s issues.

But it’s not true.. Even as a man in his thirties, Dave still struggled.. With different things, to different extents… but he still struggled.. But the thing is this – even when he was struggling deep down, he still gave.. Even when he felt so unworthy to give his “motivational speech”, he still did it…

“Never give up”.. “Press on”… “Give your all”… these clichés are so commonly heard, yet so barely understood… by me, at least…

Just do it.

:)

Goofy drinks coffee
And smiles Happily
As he watches Tv
By the old oak tree

Suddenly Goofy gets crazy
and throws all his money
Boy is he funny!

Everyone loves Goofy
Cuz he's always happy
Oh what a joy is he!

HAHAHAA. BYE!!

OucH..

Went for the GE run on sunday morning....

Though we only ran 5K and walked the oher 5K...

My whole body is aching like anything now.....

Havent exercised for the longest time...

Really very suan....

Takes great effort to stand up, sit down, walk up and down stairs...

What has happened to me?????? How come so unhealthy?????

Aiyo....

*GROAN*..............................

:)

Thank God for the long weekend!

This has been a long week.. Unintentionally, every night i was out! So by friday, I was almost half zonked out!

had a good time catching up with my good ole friends ade jass and fang... we talked till about 4+ am i think! hahaha.... :)

And jass has an amazing "library" at home! hahahahaha..... we all borrowed some books from her.... haha! Thanks jass!! hehehehe.... Will return u SOON!! haa ....

Actually, quite seh now still... going to sleep soon. hehe. I reached home about 3 plus, took a bath and went to bed...... but had a home visit at 6, so had to get up by 5 plus! went there half asleeepp.. hehee...

But! THe Lord really takes care of us... I went there feeling tired and quite hungry.... And in the end, the home visit turned into a dinner! hahahaa... joined the family for tze cha... very nice! super good food lah... got fried calamari, cereal prawn, kang kong, di ban toufu, curry fish head, pork chop... soup... wheeeeee... hehehee... PRAISE GOD!! hahahahahaa........

Thank you Lord.. :)

Dear Lord, Bless all my friends and family.... In JEsus name, Amen! :)

Great is Your Mercy

by Don Moen

Thank you for your mercy
Thank you for your grace
Thank you for your blood
That’s made a way

To come into your presence
And glorify your name
Lord I stand amazed at what I see

Great is your mercy toward me
Your loving kindness toward me
Your tender mercies I see
Day after day
Forever faithful to me
Always providing for me
Great is your mercy toward me
Great is your grace

Your promises are ages
Your love will never end
Two thousand generations
Your covenant will stand
Showing grace and mercy
To those who fear your name
Establishing your righteousness and grace

Great is your mercy toward me
Your loving kindness toward me
Your tender mercies I see
Day after day
Forever faithful to me
Always providing for me
Great is your mercy toward me
Great is your grace

This is a really beautiful song... coupled with the beautiful music that comes with it.... it's really beautifully written and speaks so much of the Lord's goodness... I thank God for Don moen! :)

Privilege of Serving - Ps Patrick Chew

Yesterday, Ps Patrick preached a really sincere and honest sermon.. (Ade, ur no.3 fav pastor! must go listen! haahaha.....)

Quite a few parts of what he said resonated with my own life..

He shared about having a heart of compassion... It is different from "serving".. Which is what has been on my mind... I constantly check with myself - am i helping them because it is my job, or do i really serve wholeheartedly? Until the Lord can trust u with his compassion, He cannot trust u with His power.

Be a fisher of man.... not a keeper of aquariams!! haha... this sounds so funny, yet so true and so apt! hahaa... THat is the bottom line.... Are we winning people for the Lord? Or are we just concerned with how our cell is doing.... and thats all? haa.... Lord, open my eyes, open my heart!

There was one part in the sermon that i almost teared... that was when he shared about uncle lee, the sick uncle that he had been visiting.. and passed away a few mths ago... Sigh, reminded me of Dulcie! Every part of the story was so so similar.. Even to the ending... But for Dulcie, it was not the 2 watermelons and kopi-po.. But a packet of belinjau crackers, haha... Her fav snack! hehe... But i thank God that just like Uncle Lee, Dulcie had also experienced the Lord even in her sickness.. And I'm sure she's in heaven healthy and happy now... :)

I realise that i get tired very, very easily... haaha... need to rest more! (Tho i feel that i hv been sleeping a lot leh... haha...) On a seperate note.... Emmanuel is so cute!!!! hehehehee....... Let me put a pic of him to thank him for making my weekend so happy! hee hee.

Have a blessed week........ :)

The Starfish Story

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.

Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”
The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…”I made a difference for that one.”

A rather heavy heart as i walked home today.. Suddenly the all familiar starfish story came to mind....

A different kind of happiness

This week, I was blessed with the opportunity to witness 2 instances of what i call "a different kind of happiness"..

There was one day that i went with a family to get some groceries.. They are poor. Even a roof over their heads is an issue.. Yet the children have this interesting resilience in them, yet this childlike happiness and humour in them.. As mother and daughter walked ahead of me carrying a matching kungfu panda bag, i couldn't help but smile..

Today, i met my boy and his family in town, unplanned! Super coincidence... A very happy and close knit family. Poor, very poor, in finances. Rich, very rich, in love. A smile from my dear boy just makes my day..

There are instances when i just feel like "why not i just give u more money and u clear some debts and so we start anew so ur problem is solved", but i know that this is far from the solution..

As i walk this journey of life, i realise that in a very large sense, the only person who can make a change in your life, is You.. Yes, friends can help, encourage, advice... God can protect, bless... But U have to be the one to decide... U have to be the one to ask for strength.. Even though it is cliche to say this, but it is true that trials make one stronger.

It is sad to see people hurting, searching, struggling.. Everyone has their own problems, struggles... Everyone goes through different seasons in life..

Life may not be easy, but Life needn't be sad, no matter what the circumstance..

One of my students families find joy even in walking in NTUC.... even if they dun buy anything..... Silly, u may say.... I'd say they are creative and know how to appreciate simple things...

I went to visit North light the other day. I received this key chain with this phrase: "We wanted to make a difference in the lives of the students but ended up making a difference in our own lives."

How true.. :)

Cut

Cut: The True Story of an Abandoned, Abused Little Girl Who Was Desperate to be Part of a Family: The True Story of an Abandoned, Abused Little Girl Who Was Desperate to Be Part of a Family

Haha, this was THE book that got me stuck to reading for 3 hours.... haaa... well, it's a real life story and i really needed to read something like that at that point in time to bring me back to the reality of what i'm doing at work.... hmm..

Well, it did rekindle some passion in me... though this is quite an extreme case... it's a good read.. haha, and i wanna read the other book written by her! I think she's quite amazing.... to give of her life to foster children... requires a lot of you.... hmm...

:)

Trip to Borders

Crow went to Borders today, unintentionally, to buy a notebook to pen down some stuff.

As crow was leaving after making the purchase, a book caught her eye..

And lo and behold, a miracle happened... hahahaa.. From that moment, till 3 hours later, crow was stuck to the book, literally.

And I finished it, all at one sitting, all 310 pages of it! Amazing right..... hahahaa...

(Well, if u know me, i HATE reading!! hahahahaa.... i always felt it's the most boring and tiring task for any one to do... HAHA! What got into me todaY????????????)

Hahaaa... so that's crow for you. Potentially rash and impulsive, with all sorts of weird ideas. HAha. Oh, did i mention i got so hungry when i was at page 149, that i rushed out to grab a burger, gobbled it down in 3 min, and hurried to continue reading???

HAHAHAHAA.

So, what is the book about?

Well, I'll blog about it another day. haha! Eyes are real tired after such a long read!

Good NighT! :)

Weapon In My Bag (My Mighty Shield)

Moments when I'm weak
Times when I may stumble
My mind's not clear to think
My Spirit can't press on
Lord I'm prone to wander
My will it lacks the strength
But you showed me that all the while
I've the answer to it all

My mighty shield is your word wrote out for us
Through it you showed us all
Your love your might your grace
Times when I am dry
You fill me up again
And Lord you guard me with Your mighty shield

Such a book of love
Filled with words of grace & wisdom
It can answer all life's questions
It's not just a book for my religion
I know the truth it holds
Yet often time it's just left in my bag
Far from my sight

O Lord please remind me
Of this greatly treasured tool
Written generations back
But every word stil holds

My mighty shield is your word wrote out for us
Through it you showed us all
Your love your might your grace
Times when I am dry
You fill me up again
And Lord you guard me with Your mighty shield

Teach me how to utilize
This weapon in my bag
Help me to use it more and more
To bless to guide to heal
May I understand O Lord
The truths you will reveal
O Lord I'll use
This weapon in my bag
O Lord I'll use
This weapon in my bag

- Crow, 6/10/08

Enough is Enough.

I hereby declare that I'm on a healthy diet from today onwards!

And I shall start and continue exercising!

Ok byE!

My Day

Selamat Hari Raya!

This greeting has much newer meaning for me this year as i serve in the midst of many muslim families. Boy, their devotion and discipline blows my mind. Maybe if i'm a muslim, i'd be better able to keep to my diet. (Alright, alright, let's start tmr. hahaha.)

Haha, well, so what did i do today?

My day starts from last night. We had our good ole team meeting, heard from each other and of cuz from del, shared about our concerns.. Well, what could i do without this family of mine.. Really thank God for that!

And then after that, Joanna, Phebe, Sara, Jacq and I were on the cab home... when out of the blue, mary arranged for supper. Hahaha... so to cut the long story short, mary, kel, sara and i headed over to our trusted HK cafe for a good ole supper session. hahahaha. (Oh, did i say i'm on a diet? hahahaha.) Well, it was a good time spent, even though all of us were really tired. Haha. What can i say... old friends, the best kind of friends. :)

And so Kel gave us a lift home (thank God for him!!) and after bathing (oh yes, i bathed! haha), there i was happily on my bed at 3am. Haha.

Expected myself to head straight to dreamland, but God decided otherwise. hahahaa. Well, just as well since i really wanted to get down to doing it too. Spent the next 2 hours just worshipping and seeking the Lord for my cell and this dear girl in my cell.... Dear Lord, i know i've told u this before.. But... yA! I really enjoy these intimate moments with u... I wish we could have it more often too... Hee. Will try! :)

And so, at 5am, crow headed to bed..... Thinking i'd wake up the next day at like 2pm..... But no! There i was wide awake at 9am! hahahaha. Silly me decided to check my office email, and i decided to be nice and do some report that my boss needed. Hahahaa. Talk about a public holiday! hahaha... but it's ok. it didn't spoil my day. haha.

And so at 12pm, i was done with my work, and lo and behold, crow decided it was time to go for a swim. HAHAHAHA. Yes. At the splendid timing of 12pm. hahahaha.

So yes, finally i got down to some exercise! ha! Swam 20 laps! woo! Happy. hehehe... But realised i really need to get a new swimming costume. hahahaa.

After my swim i had a relaxing time on the beach chair (or whatever u call it..).. Thank God it was not really hot. haha. And i got my cell word planned out for this month! At least one thing done... hahahaha.

Ok so headed home. Mum suggested going shopping. I agreed at first, but after 15 minutes, the tiredness from the swim came to me. HAHAAa.... "You all go ahead k....." haaaaaaaa.

And so, after settling some stuff, i drifted into deep sleep........................................ till 8pm. HAHAA.. woo!

Prepared some sandwiches for dinner, and ate it while watching this very heartwarming show "The Bucket List" dvd.. It's really good! Well, that's another story. HAha.

And now here i am, blogging my thoughts before the day comes to an end.

Yesterday, someone asked me what i was doing today. Nothing much, i replied. Haha, well, it might be nothing much to everyone else, but boy i must say i really enjoyed today! hahahaa....

Rest - What does it mean to u?

Good night!
:)

Today, i finally took the time to go to the home... haven't been there for the longest time...

Well, i must say i had a very good time there, catching up with many good ole friends that i have missed much (and who miss me a lot too!! hahahaa.) They were soon to get over the "y u so long nv come!", as we moved on to talk about other stuff... it was really a good catch up with them.

I found out a news today, that i kinda had a hunch about, yet when i heard it, i was really sad and shocked.. Yup... Found out that Dulcie had passed away... sigh... Don't know how to feel or wat to say about it... just .. yup... sigh! She is someone very dear to me.. We had this special relationship.... this special trust... as i cycled back just now, her words came ringing in my ears.. "Aiyo, my dear, not this one, the other one...".. "Wah u are here ah my dear, come come bring me to my room.." Haha,, she is so candid, so real... and her faith is simple....

You are dearly missed, Dulcie. But i know that where u r in heaven, u r free from the pain and suffering... And i take comfort in that..

Take time in life to enjoy the simple things, like talking to a friend.. :)

Above all else, Guard your Heart..

I just listened to pastor's message as i missed it last sunday... Wow, just as my colleague said, it is really quite powerful.

Pastor spoke about being fit for battle - Guard your heart, Develop your character and Train your stamina...

He mentioned something that is very interesting and refreshing. He said, pray for an unoffendable heart... Not that you will not be offended, but you CannoT be offended. Wow...

The bible tells us to guard our heart, for it is the wellspring of life. When we let offenses come in to our hearts, it clogs up slowly but surely. Guard our hearts so that we will always be pure in our words, thoughts and actions.

When the time of testing comes, your heart is revealed. That is something u can never hide..

:)

hMm...

With so much happening in the world now, it's really set me thinking..

I look at my family.. it's complete, we're happy.. definitely there can be improvements, but overall, i am really blessed to come from such a gd family... and yet, i also know that just one calamity can bring us down to zero.. let's say i suddenly discover that i have cancer... there goes all the life savings.... there goes all the time we have....

I look at singapore... everything seems stable, literally.... But one earthquake can shake us all and diminish singapore to just dust...

And i know that at the end of the day, God is the only constant... Everything, really... everything and anything can change... But so long as i hold on to the Lord my God, at least i know i am secure...

Just some thoughts at the end of the week..

I have always heard and wondered about this phrase: Live each day as though it were the last.. I for one, have nv been able to do that... i live each day expecting many thousands more days to come.. hahaa... Well, just something to ponder on.

HAha, alright, bye!

HaPpY!

Hehe, just spent a splendid weekend with 3 of my closest friends! It was a short yet really good getaway from hectic singapore!

Beautiful desaru beach!

Wonderful friends!

haha, we're enjoying a nice bbq buffet dinner! hehe.. the crabs were really good! wheeeeee...

And with this wonderful friends, i can be my crazy self! hahaaha...Dearest Fang, JAss and Del, Thank u for being a part of my life! heee... really enjoyed the desaru trip with each of you.... a real pity ade couldnt join us!! Ade, must come the next time k? hehee.. we missed u!! heee...

Well, it;s monday night now and we're back to reality - singapore, work, real life. hahaa. As we get into our usual busy lives again, I pray that each of us will always know that no matter what, we'll always be there for one another - to care, to listen, or even just to crap.... :)

Have a great week ahead!

Older Generation Employees

Over the weekend, i had the privilege of getting to know a group of generally older employees.. PRobably my parents' generation, plus a few years.. Their simplicity and genuine kindness really impressed me. Their humble spirit put me to shame.. Their generosity in speech and action was so, so natural..On hindsight, I now know they were God-sent angels to show me what it means to live a life of simplicity, with an attitude of service.

Generally speaking, there really is a big difference between their generation and mine. In terms of work: Their loyalty to the company is unquestionable; silly arguments of the unfairness of systems seem to hardly even bother them. Their respect for authority is commendable yet so genuine. To me, I equate submitting to authority to respecting.. But to them, to respect authority is to really really respect and follow and believe in... I don't know how to put it. It is really a stark difference.. It makes me wonder.. Is my generation simply too smart for our own good?

Of course, there were only about 5 or 6 of them, and this small sample size definitely cannot define the older generation of workers. But all i can say is i'm really very impressed and taken aback. Why am i wasting time complaining about things that really don't matter? I need to learn to appreciate things more...

Ok, it's the end of my sunday and it's a new week tmr. Haha, alright, no complaining about work, crow! Not for today, at least! hehe.

It's Thursday!

Haha, it's thursday, so fast! One more day to the lovely weekends... hehe.

Real busy this week, seriously! HAha, but amazingly, i feel really very happy doing the tasks too... Praise God for his overwhelming peace flooding my heart! Now i understand that what it means that Without God, i have no good thing. haha. It's really God's work!

Just been thinking this week, that the Lord has been teaching me this lesson of humility for the past few years of my life. It has been a long lesson, not easy, but finally i begin to see some fruits. And i myself am taken aback... On my own i would react rashly usually... But the Lord has helped me to control and restrain, and choose to serve him..

A few years ago, i used to help out at this particular home.. And i just found out recently that the volunteer coordinator has resigned, moving on to the corporate sector. I spoke to her over the phone... It was a short but refreshing conversation. She is leaving not because she is drained or has lost steam; she's just going to another path in life... Leaving with a good record.. She is a big blessing to the home... the residents there love her... she truly cares for them.. though young, she serves them happily yet firmly... and now as she leaves, it is not with any anger or frustration, but with much peace... I'm glad she still remembers me.. (and thank God she doesn't hold a grudge that i "deserted" them a few yrs back..oopss...hehee..) I shall go back to visit her one of these days... And of cuz, the people there.... i wonder how they are...

On my way back, i was listening to a sermon on the discipline of service... what really made me stop and think, was the question that benny ho asked, "Are you a true servant, or are u a self seeking servant?" A self seeking servant serves for others to see.. A true servant serves as an outflow of a deep relationship with the Lord... Wow... haha, I still have a long way to go in this journey... :)

my ex gm came back today and we had a short chat... He reminded me that work is 30% of our life (literally, 8 hours a day).. and we should keep it that way... a balanced life is not just work-life balance... he said it's 5 things: work, family, time, money, wisdom. he said, if you have money, but no time, no point.... all the time in the world but no money, very sad.... have work and money but no wisdom, that's destruction... haa, interesting... haha...

I think i'm getting more lor sor. ha ha ha. Come on, wanna hear a joke?

Ok here goes.

..


..


..


..
.



..


can't find a good one.


HAHAA. trust me, i seriously spent about 15 min trying to search google for a silly joke... but none. hahahaha. either i have a bad sense of humour, or i have lousy net searching skills... HAHAHAA....

Good Night!!!!

:)

Humility: The Key to Favour

Today, i happened to listen to a short sermon by pastor benny ho.. And it's really good! He was talking about favour... And there are so many so many truths in his short message, but off hand, i can only remember this one thing very clearly now: Humility..

He was saying, humility is about knowing your place.. If you're an employee, be an employee and not try to be the boss. Wives, stop trying to fulfil the husband's role.. Children, stop trying to be the parents.. the people in the bible who experienced the Lords favour knew clearly their place - Esther served the King, Ruth submitted to Naomi..

And yet, when you're talking about favour... Hmm, well for me i always felt that it's a very thin line between favour and over confidence / pride.. I find that sometimes when things really keep going my way, i tend to steal some credit for it and forget that it's really the grace of the Lord.. And yet, today i learn that the line between favour and pride is not thin at all... in fact, favour has to do with the opposite: Humility... I find it interesting. On one hand, u need to be humble and know your place and serve who u shd serve... on the other hand, u need to be bold and confident of and ask the Lord for the favour... Haha, seems like i'm talking and rambling on? Well, perhaps the thoughts are not fully processed yet... but i suddenly feel like, hey... having humility is really important! It doesn't just keep u safe, it gets you through... It is not something that is good to have; it is something that is necessary to really fulfil what the Lord called you to be... To fulfil your fullest potential...

Alright, that's all for now.. It's time to sleep... Tomorrow, it's back to work, after 4 days away for holiday! haha, really can't adjust! But, Remember, have a Spirit of Excellence! God blesses excellence! hahahaa.

psssst. I'm hungryyyyyyyyy.......... :)

Just Some Thoughts...

Hmm.. can't get to sleep... a little bothered by something that happened today.... Hmm..

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
Matt 7:3-5

I have been thinking about this: Constructive criticism and Receiving feedback. I have learnt that it is important to learn to receive feedback cuz this is one of the most important, or rather, this is the key to improving. One man cannot see his own mistakes but others can see it plainly. Well, i must say it is not easy to receive feedback. It requires humility to submit to the other person's advice. It requires trust - to trust that the person means for your good and not to bring u down. And even if u do not trust that person that much, to trust that God will give u the wisdom to discern and submit. It requires a positive mind to move on and work at being better the next time round, and not get beaten down. It requires obedience. It requires patience to listen to what he/she has to say.

On the other hand, i feel too, that we need to give constructive criticism. Are we thinking through before we speak? When i receive feedback, i constantly filter off many things that i feel, at that moment, is not meaningful or true. When i do not agree with the person, i tend to shut off after a while.. Honestly there are many times, that deep in my heart, im thinking, "Hey, who are u to tell me this... u urself are unable to walk your talk..." But at that moment, i also pause and ponder if i'm focusing on the speck of sawdust in my brother's eyes, ignoring the plank in my own, as Matt 7 says.

Simply receive criticism? No matter if it is true or untrue or half-true? Is it wise? My facial expressions always show exactly what i'm thinking. If i don't agree with u, it's plain to see.. The Lord has been telling me, "Crow, just take it in... It's ok... It's really ok.." I need to learn to really take it in and then later filter it with the Lord. Learn to die to my own desire, my own rights, my own achievements.. Learn to listen to what others have to say.

I think it is not easy. Especially when we know that man is imperfect. Man tends to be biased in opinions. And yet, the Lord says, learn to just take it in.

Well, what have i to lose? Just some face lah... hahahaa.

"I have been crucified with Christ, and i no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life i live, in the body, i live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me". Galatians 2:20

Die daily, that u may live life to the full.

heeee heeeee

i just got home from a very wonderful day! heheheehe.......

This morning, we held our sports carnival... it went well,. praise GOd! Good weather (no rain though a little too hot, hehe), wonderful helpers, good spirited kids (generally, hehe...) well, i enjoyed myself! hahaaa...

then came home to rest.... hehe, and sara came over and shared about our coming DIVING TRIP!!! WHEEEE!!!!! hehehee,... she and mel are really fantastic lah.,.. splendidly letting me have my hammock idea! hahahahahahahahaa........ ok, internal joke... hahahaha.... but ya!! i m excited to go holidayyyyyyyyyy
hehehehehehehee

Went for a run with some of them in the evening.... hehe. it was nice! hehehee. enjoyable... but of cuz... what was even more enjoyable was.... drinking after that!!!! HEHEHEe...... ooops.. hahahaha........... i miss drinking lah.... though im on a diet! HEHEE...

Haha, yay! hehehe. Quite excited for what is to come. Hheehhehee.... byebye!!

We're Going on a Bear Hunt..

Haha, last Sunday, i helped out at this nursery service.. I know it was divine that i helped out on that particular day, when i felt so tired! In my human mind, I'd rather go to service and just absorb, not give!! haha.. But of Cuz, God's ways are higher..

I learned a new song on that day! haha.... It' s called "Bear Hunt"... Haha, just a kids song with many funny actions and the ending is very funny! Well, through the song, the group of children "encounter" many obstacles: Long grass, Thick Squelchy mud, deep swirling river, etc etc... and the song says "Can't get over it, Can't get under it... Got to go through it." How true. There are many obstacles that come our way, and siam as we may, sometimes we cannot get over it, we cannot get under it... God just wants us to go through it. And depend on Him along the way...

Haha, the song also says "I'm not scared.. Been there before!" Haha, Yup, we should face the future with confidence cuz we know God always leads us in victory! :)

The song has been playing in my mind all morning! So here's the lyrics! hahahaa... I might just go back volunteer again one day u know! :)


BEAR HUNT
(chorus)
We're going on a bear hunt
We're going on a bear hunt
We're going to catch a big one
We're going to catch a big one
I'm not scared
I'm not scared
Been there before
Been there before
Oh no!
Oh no!
Long grass!
Long grass!
Long wavy grass
Long wavy grass
Can't go over it
Can't go over it
Can't go under it
Can't go under it
Can't go around it
Can't go around it
Got to go through it
Got to go through it
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish
(chorus)


Mud!
Mud!
Thick squelchy mud
Thick squelchy mud
Can't go over it
Can't go over it
Can't go under it
Can't go under it
Can't go around it
Can't go around it
Got to go through it
Got to go through it
Squelch, squelch, squelch, squelch, squelch
(chorus)
A river!
A river!
A deep swirling river
A deep swirling river
Can't go over it
Can't go over it
Can't go under it
Can't go under it
Can't go around it
Can't go around it
Got to go through it
Got to go through it
Splash, splash, splash, splash, splash
(chorus)


A cave!
A cave!
A dark gloomy cave
A dark gloomy cave
Can't go over it
Can't go over it
Can't go under it
Can't go under it
Can't go around it
Can't go around it
Got to go through it
Got to go through it
Clock, click, clock, click, clock.

We're going on a bear hunt
We're going on a bear hunt
We're going to catch a big one
We're going to catch a big one
I'm not scared
I'm not scared
Been there before
Been there before
What's that?
What's that?
Two furry ears
Two furry ears
Two sharp teeth
Two sharp teeth
It's a bear!
It's a bear!
Ahhhhhhhhh!
Quickly, through the cave, click, clock, click, clock, click
Through the river, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash
Through the mud, squelch, squelch, squelch, squelch, squelch
Through the long grass, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish
Run quickly,
Close the door,
Bang!

A MiLEStoNe!

On Sunday, i went for my very first 10km run...... The Mizuno Run! hehe.

So glad i went... and completed it! hehe! The feeling of completing it and not stopping is just.... Wooooo.... hehehehe........

A few things i've learnt through the run:

1. God's ways are higher than our ways
- Actually i told myself after the 4km mark that i'd let myself rest after the 5km mark. And usually, my body will refuse to continue if i've made such a "promise". But just before 5km, the Lord said, "What if i say, continue? Will that overwrite your promise to urself?" I was unwilling at first, but i told God, ok, i'll try... and he gave me so much strength in my mind to continue, albeit at a slower pace, but i did not walk! hehe. Not just mind over body, but God over mind over body! hehe.

2. Success is a choice
- If you know that the task ahead of you is attainable, you need to know too, that success is a choice. Having a spirit of excellence is important... To do your best, not just to try your best... And even if a task is altogether possible, it is also possible to fail in it. You have to decide to win.

3. You'll get better at it.
After 7km, it was so easy to continue, and there was no thought in me to want to stop and walk. My body was so atuned to the running that i was just automatically going on and on..... It's the same in our life.... when we keep at it, we'll get it.

Above all, i thank the Lord for helping me to complete the run. I thank the Lord for wonderful friends to run with me. I thank God for His blessing of my Ohana.... :)

WE MADE IT! :)

One . . . . More. . . .. Day . . . .

haahahaa. WEEKEND IS COMING!!! WOOOOOO!!!!

hehe........... this week has been a long, long week. Seriously. hahahaa... I can't believe i pulled through! haha! okok, almost pulled through lah, one more day to go!

And! tmr's gonna be another busy day! But it's ok! Cuz after tmr, Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Sunday is Mizuno Run!! I'm so excited to go run together with my Ohana, especially after the last run that i did not turn up! oops! heeeee...... Yay! hehehee.

Ok! Gotta go sleep now! bybyebyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I will sing

This song never fails to tug my heart each time i hear it when i am feeling lost.. Yes, I will sing.. :)

I Will Sing
by Don Moen

Lord You seem so far away
A million miles or more it feels today
And though I haven't lost my faith
I must confess right now
That it's hard for me to pray

But I don't know what to say
And I don't know where to start
But as You give the grace
With all that's in my heart

Chorus:
I will sing
I will praise
Even in my darkest hour
Through the sorrow and the pain
I will sing
I will praise
Lift my hands to honor You
Because Your Word is true
I will sing

Lord it's hard for me to see
All the thoughts and plans
You have for me
But I will put my trust in You
Knowing that You died to set me free
But I don't know what to say
And I don't know where to start
But as You give grace
With all that's in my heart

Chorus

My Sunday

It was a nice day today. (Sounds like the start of a pri sch compo right??) hahaha.

Firstly, we had our v first combined cell today!! It was nice.... Nice to see God's family gather together... Yup, some pics to liven up my blog! Here u go!

Them trying to unentangle themselves.... hahaa...

Forfeit time! Unity is Strength! hehehehe

Interesting news paper game.... Really demonstrates power of unity! hehe!!

In the evening, went for a nice run! hehee........ :)

Then after that, met ade for dinner!! hehe... it's been a long time since we got to catch up!! hehee....

Life is simple. Take time to smell the roses................. hahhaa. though i have no particular liking for flowers! ok out of point! bye bye!

have a gd week ahead.......... :)

haaaaaaaa......

I just got home from watching MagicBox.. and was greeted with.... A CHEQUE IN THE MAIL! !WOO!! hahahaa....... payment for some small proj some time back.... heheehe.. woo!

Magicbox was nice.. We brought our students there.... Haha, besides the fact that they made a lot of noise, (SIGH...) it was a nice time with them there! But, i'm truly tired now.... hahahaa.... super zonked! no rest on saturday is not good! haha!

bye!

Give Thanks

Many thoughts in my mind today.

Today, 3 of our former students came to our office to collect something.. I couldn't believe my eyes when i saw them. I can only thank the Lord for his protection and grace.

One of them is this boy called mdnoor. I still remember so vividly my first impression of him. It was my first visit to a step up club, during my very first week at work. I entered the class from the back, knowing that the session was going on halfway and expecting them to be at least seated and showing some respect........... nowhere near that. This boy was sitting at the table, blasting his mp3 player at top volume, grooving and tapping away to the music. And when he saw me, he looked up, gave a friendly smile and introduced himself, and continued with the music.... hahahaa..... i was shocked. Yes, i was glad at least he noticed my existence... but what was he doing blasting the music while the lesson was going on????????? hahahahaa....

i later learned that he always wanted to be a dj.... Interesting yea? But still.... this boy had many other issues. He had such a big problem getting up on time as he watched mtv till late the night before. They bought him a watch, an alarm clock... and called him on the PSLE days to ensure he got up for his exams...

How is he now? He is a fine young lad... Well mannered, humble, courteous.... I asked him if he can wake up on time now... he said "Of course. I'm always early now.." Haa.... He did not use the alarm clock we gave him... he said he still keeps the alarm clock and the watch in their respective boxes... too precious! hahaa.... He used to pierce his tongue.... We asked him to show us his tongue... he proudly showed us his clean tongue and said "come on, i'm in secondary school already!" haaa.... he has grown up! Now he sleeps at 9.30pm each night..... hahaa.... WOw..... All i can say is God is good.... I believe that the Lord sustains and protects all the children under our care....

I do get discourged at work.... But i really thank the Lord for incidents such as this... that remind me that hey, the Lord ur God will fight for you.... Sometimes it seems like the things u do don't really make a difference... but hey, the Lord's mighty hand is at work.... His ways are higher than all our thoughts....

Thank u Lord for this reminder! I praise u!

hmm...

sigh... frustrated at work...

really frustrated!

Sigh!

pondering...

Haha, i'm very bored!!

Is that all there is to life???? hahahahaa...... This is a question that i find that i keep asking myself daily! yes i know that life should be exciting and fulfilling.... haha... but honestly i have been feeling very bored!!!

"6 days u shall labour, and on the seventh day you shall do no work........"

"LAbour is worhip to the Lord...."

"Balance your life........"

Haha. i'm ok. I think. haha. Either that or i'm suppressing my emotions and putting them into the "i don't want to think about it" file.... hahahaa......... Well, it's not that i am sick of each day as it comes... i'm not! i still look forward to seeing my students and all... and there r many things that happen daily that put a smile to my face... it's just.... there are also many moments that i just sigh and think to myself, "Is that all there is to life?" hahahaa......

Yes there is more to life.... we should look towards to concerns of others.........

alright, need to do some work b4 going to bed.... :)

It's thursday tmr! hehehee. malay course!!!! wooooo! :)

Tired...

I think time passes so fast..... we're half a month into july! b4 i know it, it'll be the end of the year.... haha...

Last weekend, our 1st 3 mth jc class had a meetup. haha. It was hilarious talking about those funny moments back then.... hahaa.... about how we (almost) skipped maths class, but were threatened by the teacher and headed back to class (we were already at the mrt!)... haha... and we all can hardly remember many of them in the class.... lost contact... wonder how they all are!

I heard this song by don moen on youtube that day.... i think the words speak volumes of how i feel......

Like Eagles
O my soul
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
It's been told form the beginning
The Lord your God is on your side

O my soul
don't be afraid
Hope in the Lord
By His righteousness and power
He will strengthen
He will guide

Chorus:
And I will soar
On wings like eagles
Held by the hand of God
I will run and not grow tired
When on His name I call
For the Lord is never weary
His ways are beyond my thoughts
I will trust in Him
With all my heart

(Repeat verses and Chorus)

And I will rest upon His promise
Patiently I'll wait...

(Repeat Chorus 2 times)

I will trust in Him With all my heart

ramblings...

these few days i've been thinking quite a lot... hmm, to say i'm affected by the things happening around me, maybe... i don't really know... oh well...

interacting with parents is part of my job.... and i must say, some parents are really, really not doing what's best for their child! sigh, then again, parenting is really not easy! As i see so many kids weekly, it really hits me that the way your child grows up is really in the Lord's hands... I mean, you can provide a good environment for him... send him to the right classes or schools... in the end it is really the grace of God that will make your child who he is... hmm!

all the while i know i'm a person who doesn't like changes.... i am quite inflexible... haha... So changes do affect me... I feel sad when things around me change from good to bad.... from perfect to imperfect.... And it's worse when i can't do anything to change the situation.... Ai, i really don't like change... But i need to know the God is REally always in control, no matter what..

Haha, i think i'm getting old.... rambling on and on.... hahaha... told u i've been thinking these days! Hahahaha... Well, one thing that the Lord has been speaking to me is that only He remains constant forever... Everything else around us can change and will change if God says so.. So accept change... embrace change.... But above all, through this may i learn to cling to God and God alone.

Ok! Enough for today... good night!! :)

Weekends!

The weekend is here! wheee.... haha, but guess what? Gotta go back for a meeting today.... haa... booo... and i cant miss it.... cuz.... i'm conducting it! hahaha.... of all days, on a saturday! sigh...! hahaha... oh well!

Yesterday i was at this assembly at this pri sch... with the P1 and 2... And the coaches were teaching them the song "pass it on" in a friendship version.... Wow, when they started singing it, it was electrifying!! really.... so sweet... so innocent...so real..... really very nice! Felt like a mini encounter, i was so touched i almost teared! hahaha.... really very awesome... even the teachers stopped what they were doing and some stood up too! haaa... my Gm was saying... Many times, children teach grown ups many things... When we see the smiles on the children's faces, our hearts are healed.. how true.... :)

I am so excited! Sara and i are gonna HIKE the Southern Ridges today!! hee hee... EXIT D!!!! hehehehee....... So Cool... i'll be uploading pics soon to brighten up this blog! hehe... Till then... BYE!!!

Nothing Comes Close

It's been a long time since i asked the Lord for a new song! Hmm... this short song is entitled "Nothing comes close"... There was once when i was worshipping the Lord in service, and I felt so close, so divine, like i was in heaven... The feeling is indescribable... And at that time, i told the Lord, This feeling that I have now, Nothing can ever replace it..... Hope u'll be blessed by the song too!

Nothing Comes Close
As I stand in Your presence
Peace fills my heart
When I lift my hands
Surrender all
Your Spirit lifts me up
You lift me up

Chorus:
This feeling in my heart
This dancing of my soul
The love you have for me
So pure So real So true
O Nothing..
Nothing Comes Close

So real, so true
Your love for me
Lord I surrender to You

Time Flies!

haha, i can't believe it's july already! We're into the second half of the year, much faster than it seems!

Hmm... I reached home at 7 today!! wow... so early right?? Felt so happy on my way home leh! hehehe.. i think i was even smiling to myself! haaa............ Nah.... u must understand... today i had this assembly talk that i was so apprehensive about! haha.... and finally it's over, and it was ok... so... i felt so free!! hee hee... so happy. hahahaa.

Anyway..... as i was saying.... time flies! Half of 2008 is gone just like that! haa... Mmm, so far it's been a good year... It feels like a very different year... don't know why! haha.... Well, for one, this is the first year that God has led me to write many songs!! It's always such an exhilarating experience each time i pen down the songs.... which reminds me, i haven't been writing any recently! oh no! hahaa...

One more thing, this year I've started exercising more.... haha... though i need a lot more discipline in it! haha! I really enjoy monday evening Cardiomix lessons with tng.....(and the delicious dinner after each lesson,haha!) and the occasional jogs with pam, sara, del, chin... very fulfilling! hee... And we are joining more runs together too! which in itself is rather exciting! it's literally RUNNING together as an ohana! hahaa.. ok not funny... hahaha...

Let's see... what else.... Hmm, Work! Well, this year i see the evident deepening of relationships with the children, with volunteers.... it's really different! And God has certainly blessed me with the privilege and honour of seeing some fruits of our labour! Well, there are certainly moments that i'm down, but when these life stories come in, it just puts a great big satisfied smile on our face.... PRaise God!

Well, just a simple story ro share... there is this boy, last yr P6.... he was big and burly, loud and rash.... really! He was literally our benchmark for everything.... hahaha... Yet this boy had this distinct leadership and charisma in him... and it was so evident that he had a very good and kind heart... i remember last year, when derrick shared with him that his teacher had a lot of confidence in him to do well in his exams, he broke down... And that is no small deal, a big burly boy like him breaking down.... Well, what has become of him now? We always worried about him, even after he left school.... It's that kinda boy that either do v well or v badly cuz he had so much potential, so much energy in him..... Haha, lo and behold, he has become a model student.... he even came back to receive a special prize from the school... hahahahaha... it was a huge shock to us, seriously.... we were so amazed, we know it can only be God... i mean, really! It was Impossible! hahahaa... Praise the Lord.... The last we heard, he was going to the library on saturday to borrow books... HAHAHAHA... my eyes almost poped out.... haaa..... God is amazing, Amen?! :)

I look forward to an interesting second half of the year... Praise God for what he has done so far.... Yup.. Thank You Lord! :)

Father's Day 08

Celebrated Father's Day early this year, with mum's side of the family too. First time we did this, quite interesting... celebrating for 3 fathers together!

Part 1: Dinner @ Pow Sing - Serangoon Gardens...

Food was good! See that boy in front? Haha, he's another cute cousin of mine, same age as xuan! Wah, I thank God for his entertainment the whole night... ha ha ha....

Part 2: Bowling @ the Club..

After which, we celebrated Father's Day with a very amusing cake! haha...The 3 best daddys in the world! :)

Group Pic.......

Part 3: KTV! (ha ha, carolyn... KTV?!?!?!!HAAA....)

Nah... i didn't sing... hahahaa... But it was nice seeing them just relaxing and having fun...

But ha ha, as i said, my cousin was the one who entertained me today...... He is really quite cute! Think i can put him together with Xuan and they can have a great time yakking away! hahahaa....

That's him! hahaha, he's taking a breather from irritating me!!! hahahahaa...

Happy Father's Day! :)

Inaugural Cooking Competition 2008

Haha, had a fun time today at my cell's Cooking Competition! Thanks to faith for organising... it was a great time spent with them! And yes, both faith and zelia are talented in cooking! :)

I'll let the pictures do the talking....

Preparing to start: 1. Ingredients bought by Zelia; 2. Team Zelia and Geraldine

Food for the day! 1. Faith: Appetizer: Food on the spoon, Main Course: Sweet Salmon, Dessert: M&M Delight 2. Zelia: Appetizer: Hot Chocolate, Main Course: Tom Yam Mian Xian, Dessert: Strawberry Pudding

Chefs Hard at Work! While i'm busy snapping away! hahahaha... no okay... i was preparing the score sheet! ha ha ha...

Scoresheet! HAHAHA.. Yes, that's GOOFY! haaaaaaaaaaa.

Faith's Appetizer! Wow right??? It's called "Food on the spoon"! hahha.. interesting.....

Yummy!!! 1. Food on the spoon 2. Baked Salmon 3. Baked potato with Sour cream and Bacon bits!

Hehe. So proud of them! I don't think i could cook when i was Sec 1! hahahaa... not that well, at least! :)

I love these girls! God bless each one of them! :)

:)

End of work week! hee.

oh yeah, i'm on LEAVE tmr! So today marks the end of my work week! heeeeeeeeeee.

it's been a good week! hee, got to see my students today. happy! :)

anyway... after work today, i made my way to queensway, finally! Have been wanting to go there to buy proper running shoes! And i got it! yeah!!!! :)

But actually, my main point of blogging is this. hee hee. after that i went anchor point........ and...... at anchor point........ i saw.....................



...






..








..









..



A DISNEY RESTAURANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yes, u didn't see wrongly, that's GOOFY they have there!!! hee hee heee............ *gleams*

and......... and.......... they have a small SHOP! GUESS WHAT I FOUND THERE?????????

hahahahaha....

hahaha........

A GOOFY PUPPET!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA....... SO COOL RIGHT???????? Can u imagine....... i can put my hand into it and irritate the whole wide world with Mr GOOFY!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA.........................

Goofy: "Why don't the rest of you find me amusing???" -sad-

Goofy: "Can't be...... EVERYBODY LOVES GOOFY!!!!!!!!!!!!" HEE HEE HEEE........

pssssssst. did i mention i'm on leave tmr? HAHAHAHAHA. WOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

hahahaha, have a mini cooking competition tmr with my cell girls! Oh man, they are so amusing. hahahaha.

bye!!

A Great Way to End The DaY!

hee hee. It was a loooooooong day at work today........... But no doubt, i left office feeling so accomplished! Honestly, i couldn't believe i finished what i set out to do! hahaha!

anyway! reached home at 9 plus, legs felt itchy..... and wanted to try my bro's PACER! hahahahaha... so i happily changed and went JOGGING!!! heheeee....

well, jogged alone for today!

1. Pacer distance: 5.22km! hee hee, enough for me for today! well, passion run is double! haaaaa.... 2. A satisfied and fulfilled me! I finished my 5km! hee hee...

Feel so relaxed now........ God is GOOD! :)

Health is Wealth!

hahaha. though it was a really busy day at work today, at 6.35pm today i literally DroppeD ALL my work, dashed to the toilet to change, and headed straight for the run @ CBD area with sara and pam...

SO GLAD i went!!! it was a nice refreshing run... no pressures.... perfect scenery.... wonderful company... nice weather... God is GOOD!! hahaha.

Sadly, no pics to show for the run..... hee hee...

Took a few pics after dinner though! :)

Me and pam with the Bungee Jump at the background..... Will miss this dear sister!

It was a nice and relaxing evening.. Thank u dear friends... now i'm all recharged and ready for the rest of the week! :)

We Say BizaD NumbEr OnE, You Don't BelieVe VerY ChAm!

Haha, met up with BIZAD today, for tng's bday celebration..

Clockwise from top left: 1. Ah Ren, Tng, Sueeeee... 2. Empty plate after huiying ate up ALL the salmon ( hee hee, just kidding......) 3. Ah Ren FORCED to take pic with tnggggggggg.. (haaaa, ok ok kidding lah!!) 4. Tng the birthday girl!

Haha, it was a nice and simple dinner spent with dear ole bizad..

Well, just for memory sake, here're a few photos worth remembering...

1. Dinner @ HK Cafe last year - Brother Dom's HENS PARTY (hahahahaa.........) Still can't believe he is married already!! oh man........

2. Lunch @ Sun & Moon Jap Restaurant... Boy is the food DELICIOUS....!!!! ha ha... :)

..Need evidence?

Here u go.......

Clockwise from Top left: 1. Tempura PRawn and Sushi Set 2. Steaming Hot Delicious Stew (Aiya, actually the truth is i cant remember what dish that is, haha) 3. Trapped cheesecake. haha. 4. Desserts........ YUMMY!!

Haha. Don't you think I'm a regular blogger?? I'm so proud of myself! hahahahahahahahaa.......................

God's Family, God's Children..

Started cell with this group of girls almost 2 years ago.. It's been an interesting journey with them so far...

Brought them out for a mini structured experience today.... haha... Today, Faith, Joy, Zelia and Geraldine came... Sylvia couldnt come as her dad was home... boohoo...

clockwise from top: 1. Geraldine (Blindfolded) and Joy, 2. Zelia (the "Best" blindfold partner) & Faith (The most screamy blindfoldee), 3. Waiting for Instructions, 4. Walking together...

It was a really enjoyable time spent with these dear girls.. But more than anything, I was really amazed at how the Lord spoke to each of them during their short 20 min (or less!) of solitude..

Snipets of their reflections... Boy do i have an artistic group, hahaa..... and with my dear zelia actually drawing out what she saw in the scenery in front of her (she must have confused this with some ART lesson or something...), and the most amazing thing is that God can still speak to her through that! hahaha...

Dear LORD, Thank you for blessing me with them... Just as u said in last year's dream, This cell really brought me much FAITH (literally), JOY (literally) and LOVE...

I Surrender them to You Lord! May they bring GLORY to You!

From Strength To Strength

Lord I am not worthy.. But Lord, Your grace always lifts me up no matter what I've done.. Help me not to look back again, but go from strength to strength.. Help me Lord.

From Strength To Strength

From the days of my youth
Trying times I’ve been through
Wandered from Your presence
Hidden from Your grace
But I know
From the days of my youth
You have been with me
You spoke life into this broken heart
Strength to my soul
You believed in me

I know I’ve told You
I give my life to You
Many times I said
I’d start anew

So I sing
I will go
From strength to strength
Never look back again
Mount on eagle’s sings
Soar higher than ever
Cuz You give Victory

- Crow, 8/5/08

Teach me to fear You

Teach me to fear You, Lord, that i may walk in Your ways.

Teach me to fear You

God You are mighty
Every knee will bow at your glory
Awesome God You reign
We stand in awe at Your Name

Mighty God
Awesome God
You reign

Teach me today
The fear of the Lord
That I may walk in Your ways
Erase all doubt
May I just stand in awe
Teach me to fear You Lord

To enter Your courts
With fear and trembling
Fear and trembling
Fear and trembling at Your Name
Lord I tremble at Your Name

Mighty God
Awesome God
You reign

- Crow, 7/5/08

Take Your Place

Lord, I surrender all. Help me to surrender daily.

Take Your Place
How could I fail to see
Everything I have, all I am
It’s your blessing
I can speak a thousand words
Labour my whole life
I could try with all my strength
All in vain

Just one word from our King
And the world was made
Just one touch from the Lord
And the earth will shake
Just one thing You ask
That I give You my life
Lord now I surrender all

Lord come, take your place
I need no other
Come work your wonders
I will trust in You
Give all to You
Jesus
Take your place

- Crow, 6/5/08

Nothing Else

Dear Lord, when i received your total forgiveness and drew close to you, I was like men who dreamed. You filled my mouth with laughter and my tongue with songs of Joy. You did great things for me, and my heart was filled with Joy. Lord, I'm sorry. Restore unto me your life again, Lord.. I don't care about anything else.. I just want my relationship with You back, Lord..

Nothing Else
Many things may cloud my mind
I choose to praise You Lord
You’re the way, the only way
I’ll follow You my Lord

May my life reflect Your righteousness
May my words be filled with grace
Let my thoughts be of You Lord
Change me Lord I pray

Nothing else
Nothing else matters
I love You
I know You love me
Nothing else
Nothing else matters but You

Jesus, you died for me
And Nothing Else,
Nothing else matters

- Crow, 5 May 08

All or Nothing

Psalm 119 - Very beautifully written... The first time i read through it, the only thing that went through my mind was, "Oh man, I'm like, so far from this lah... hahaha.." I find that i am lukewarm. I find that i am not like the man in the psalm, so eager for the word of God to live in his life... And so there i was comparing myself to this man, till the Lord said, "Crow, it's all or nothing. MAke a choice..." And the following song (not complete i think..) was birthed through my ponders on this psalm....

All or Nothing
Blessed is he
He who does no wrong
So blessed is he
He whose walk is blameless
Steadfast are his ways
And he praises
With upright heart

Is it so hard
To be that man
To love your word
And live it out

Yet I must
Cause your word says

It’s all or nothing
A choice to make
You gave me all
Now I will give you all

I’ll seek you with all my heart
Walk in all your ways
Sing with all I am
Till I see Your face
I’ll give you all I have
Nothing will I possess
O Lord I give to you
My all

It’s all or nothing
All or nothing
A choice to make
You gave me all
Now I will give you all

- Crow, 28/4/08

Forget Not

As i read the past 3 days of psalms - Psalm 103-106, the one thing that kept shouting out to me was "Do not forget what God has done.. Remember to always praise the Lord" As the psalmist went through so many verses of the many things the Lord has done, in my heart i kept crying out "Lord, may i forget not the many things u have done for me.." And so, this simple song is titled "Forget Not"..

Forget Not

It's easy to sing out
When God's blessings flood
It's easy to cry out
When you're feeling torn apart
It's easy to shout out
That our God's the King of Kings
Yet it's easy, so easy
To forget
What God has done

I'll shout it out
I'll tell the world
Of every blessing big or small you have bestowed
O help me Lord
Years down the road
That every good thing You have done
I'll forget not

God you are good
You are so good
You have been so good to me

- Crow, 14/4/08