Tuesday, May 31, 2011

.. Mom's Testimony ...

And so ... this is Mom's testimony .... super long years ago .. we moved into Tmn Muhibbah. Our right side neighbor are teachers and very nice people ... our main door and their main door are side by side .... so our neighbor knows our going in and out .... no problem .. cos they are very nice people. In fact when they bought a semi-D house, they even ask Mom to buy the other house so that we can still be neighbors.

Our left side neighbor where Mom's room is next to their room .... ooo ... that neighbor has been a headache since day one. The lady sells nice prawn noodles in the market and her late husband char keow teow (fried rice noodle) in market which is quite famous. But their relationship is never good .. they fight cats and dogs day and night .... u can always hear fighting ... plates .. pots .. pails flying around in the house. Since she sells noodles in the market ... she wakes up very early 4+ in the morning to prepare ... so from the back room ....we can hear tumbuk2 sound .... cooking sound (which is fine) but .... since is frustrated with her gambling drinking husband .... she will nag, yell and scream releasing her frustration as she prepares ... and you know .... wee hours in the morning .... your house is just not sound proof!!! Eventually, the husband passed away .... and we taught that it will bring peace .... yes ... to certain extend cos she stop running the noodle stall in the market.

But the greatest challenge for Mom is the smell of burning incense sticks ... the worst -- the ashes from the whatever whatever that they burn. The neighbor will purposely burn it at the back of our kitchen area instead of hers because she knows that the ashes will mess the house. Right in front of her house .... right at the side of ours ... facing our house there is a "house" for her god .. this is a challenge for Mom. Once Mom told her to move the house (off cos she cant -- its fong-shui) ....and do not burn at the back of our house ... her face turned black ... scolded us in her house for a week!! After that she stopped talking with Mom and us ....

So, what options Mom has? One - sell the house and move out (which she almost did) Two - pray for the neighbor's salvation!!! That was super many years ago .... imagine Mom has been living with SM and I for almost 10years ... that was how long u can imagine Mom prayed and prays every time she comes back to Sitiawan for this neighbor ...

And then ... SUDDENLY .... yesterday, I saw the the "house" and altar was missing outside her house was missing!!!

I asked Mom what happened ... Mom just said .... Oooo they are going to church now and all this has to go!!!

Wow!!! Praise the Lord!!! The power of Mom's prayers .... now ... we have a peaceful home and clean house in Sitiawan :0...

Friday, May 13, 2011

WaterF U N!!!

I better blog this event before a 3rd outing happens :) .... been wanting to blog on my FUN time with the youths at Gunung Water Fall many many moons ago but didnt ... today, we had the same outing again ... so tot I better blog it down :-0

This sudden trip happened when after our Sunday meeting on the lesson of how to handle stress, Zian An approached me that some of them want to go to the waterfall to "de-stress" ... and soak in water .. since its a public holiday and it had been super hot for the past few days .... so, within just one and a half day, we put the trip together!

By 630am, we left Tmn Uni .... after "sending" the adults off for their normal hiking route and prayer .. we excitedly gathered for a brief prayer and some ground rules .... and head count -- 16 of us!!! "Let's GOOOOO!" We eagerly jumped into the water ... by 740am ....

Just as we got into the water --- there was the 1st water "attack"!!!! Hahhahaha ... belum apa2 must splash2 di ..... then, we had a few rounds of "birthday baptisms" ..... for May babies ...

The journey was not easy .... because we did not really know how long we will take (all we know, we need to be at the parking place by 1130am to meet the adults) and how the route will be like ... the dangers of the rocks and stone cos NONE of us actually completed this route before!

We walked and walked ... we stopped at 2 or 3 pools of water where we played and enjoyed the water .... and we continued to walk on .....none of us really know where we are heading ... all we know that our journey will end at the waterfall mid way of the hill ... how long more it will take ... none of us know .... at one point .. we saw a jungle route that will lead us back to the main route of the hill ... a shorter cut but we didnt want to take it ... because the river route is more "chi-kek"...

But by the time 1030am ... I summoned a "conference" in the middle of the river ... after sending 2 "spies" out to check what's ahead of us .... frankly ... we cannot see what's round the bend ... we cannot see the route ahead ... the rocks are huge and path looks difficult ... so, not knowing how long more the journey will take i had to call for a "conference" cos we need to be back at the car park by 1130 ... and after hiking for almost 3+hrs ... we still have not reach our destination .... so we talked and laid out the options .... some say ... go back the same way ... some say NO WAY ... some say continue going ahead .... since I am the leader ... m suppose to know what to do right and make a decision, right? ... hahhaha .... frankly I really dono what to do and was getting a little desperate cos the team was getting hungry and tired ... thirsty ... even the 6yrs old said .. her tummy is growling .... what to do ... ai ya ... what else ... DOA la .... so, we prayed ... and I make a decision by faith!

Praise the Lord!!! The decision was right .... in less than 10minutes .... just round the huge rocks and bend ..... we reached our destination!!! YEAH!!!!! God is good!!!! :0 :) :0 ....

Almost all of us ... were "injured" one way or another .... I had a cut below my knees and I dont even remember when and how I got it .... many of our feet ache like mad ... cos we walked on rocks and stones .... its like 4hours of free reflexology!!! But all of us said the same thing at the end : "its worth it!! we want to go again though pain all over!!!!"

We marveled at God's creation ... the water was cool .. and COLD .... clear and clean ... and the trees surrounds us and the sun ray slowly comes up ... wow ... God really LOVE us very much .. it rained but not too heavy the night before (if its too heavy we may cancel the trip as it may be too dangerous at the water fall) .... the weather was perfect ... it was a cloudy morning, the sun only came up later in our trip. By the time we got home, it poured cats and dogs!!! WOW!! Our Father held back the rain till we safely reach home in one piece.

It was touching to see how the siblings care for one another .... how the group helped one another out .... waited for one another ... we had 2 "slipper man" ... helping us to carry our slippers so that our hands are free to hike up the waterfall! I am sure our friendship and bonding with one another is closer now ... :0...

The moral of the story at the end of the day : the 4hours hike we journeyed is like our life journey ... we know where we want to be at the end of our life journey ... to be where God want us to be ... and ultimately with God forever ... but we really do not know how the journey is like ... how long it will take (after all, we dont know when we will die right) ....

Our journey on earth is also difficult and tough like our 4hrs hike .. we will get injured in our journey ... by people ... different encounters .. we will get tired and even sense lost ..(yup .. at certain point of the hike ... I felt that we are LOST ... aaaahhh ... how ... I cannot panic cos m their leader!!! ... so ... keep smiling and encouraging the team... hehehhe ... looks is deceiving!!)

But .... we will ALL reach our final2 destination ---- by God grace and grace alone ... He will give us the strength .. and protect us .... and only when we turned to Him and ask Him to lead us ... guide us .... and trust Him ... we need to turn to God and keep our eyes fixed on Him and Him alone! We prayed few times in this hike right?

Our journey was made easier and fun with the people God place in our life ... God will always put people around to us encourage us, help us ... and even journey with us ... just like how we had one another through out the trip ... :0

Lastly, in our journey ... there will be times where we want to give up ... we want to take short cuts out ... especially when we are tired or the journey gets too difficult ... but the important lesson we learned from this trip is ---- breakthrough will surely come .... we will truly reach our final destination when we press in our journey .. but just before we reach ... that part of the journey is the toughest! We just need to press in with God and trust that He will safely bring us to where He wants us to be at the end!

To God be the Glory!!!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

... study ... study .. study ....

Wow! In this generation that is bombarded by temptations of free "flow" of broadband ... facebook-ing ... computer games ...BGR (if u dont have a bf / gf at 14 or 15yrs, u r a geek, not normal), hang out with friends or roam the shopping malls, or as a group rent chalets to hang out, BBQ, karaOK the night away, gym, basketball, football, badminton, reading love novels, sms, talking on the phone on top of the many tuition and homework ... how to separate from all these and have heart to focus on studies? Hhhaha ... no wonder 24hrs is NOT enough to use. The youths today have much more things on their plate its just so difficult to study .. and this is on top and above the struggle with laziness, no mood, sian, language barrier or limitation .. and the feeling of forever sleepy ...

So, last Sunday in our youth meeting, I invited 4 "speakers" to share their experience how to study, how to prepare for exam and how did God help them in their studies. The "speakers" are actually the youths themselves ... Li Chin (this one last min kena tarik in), Kelvin, Jing En and Yeak Ming ... and oh yes Wee Xiang who also gave lots of input especially on how to study Accounts. Thank you very much for being sporting and sharing yea ... :0

Well, I didn't want to share how to study from my own experience because then it will sound like their own Mom at home "singing songs" to them ... I am very sensitive and careful here because I am older than some of their mothers ... I dont want to be another mother to them ... but their friend ... to share and have fun with ... :0

I can conclude that there are 3 main points that is similar from all the 4 sharing how to study :

a) Relationship with God
It is only with and by God's grace that we can study -- to have mood to study, know what to focus on to study .... only Holy Spirit can help us and empower us to fight the temptations ... the bed calling out to us .... come come come ... come to me ... the sms non stop coming in .... tv, computer games ... "facebook-ing" instead of really face the book to study .... aaahhhh ... how? Only Lord in His mercies can help us ....

I remember my form 6 days ... if it is not because of God, I can never make it ... I will never be able to focus and study ... my motto then was : study hard and study smart .... only God can help us to study smartly ....

In the mist of crying out to God and drawing near to Him .... we personally encounter and experience God - then God is no longer a second hand encounter ... or we will cross over from becoming God's grandchild to becoming God's bao-pei ... the apple of God's eye.

b) STUDY!!!!!
Yes .. we envy those who score As .... but when we compare the way they study and the amount of time, afford and energy put into the studies verses what we put in .... we have to say that that is why our result is like that ... no need to be jealous ... it is hard work .. our "speaker" who score straight As in his SPM says that he can shut himself in his room for whole 6hrs and study! We need to work hard friends ....

All of them shares that they set for themselves goals and target for them to achieve in their studies to push and motivate themselves ... and off course ... in the mist of doing so, they also have targets and goals for their life .. m sure they do not live irresponsibly ... drifting in and out of life ... living and doing as they please .. when they like ... but ... with responsibility towards the life and resources that God has blessed them in order that the blessings of God will flow in a greater manner ...

Responding to my question what shall I do if I have no mood to study --- one of the "speaker" replied ... "no mood still need to tell myself must have mood .... cannot depend on mood to study and live!" ... Yup .. that's sounds real fact of life ... imagine we go to work and that day we have no mood to work ... we can call in to say that we have no mood .. hence not coming to work?? Off course NOT!!! For now ... the job for youth is FULL TIME Students = full time studying ... so ...

c) Friends

Think that this is also a core point ... that is why we have the saying birds of the same feature flock together right? Right kind of friends is important because the power of friend influence is the greatest at this stage of life .... friends are the best people in the world .... not even parents can replace that ... right young people?

So, when we hang out with friends who study ... their performance in studies will give us motivation to study hard so that we will not be left behind in our studies and revisions ... friends will help us when we do not understand or do not know how to do Maths .... I love it when Kelvin says hanging out with the right friends is very important and had help him a lot cos ... when they study, they will study hard .... when they play, they will also play hard ... so ... when they study .. they will include him .. and when they play they will also invite him to play hard!

I strongly believe in right company of friends .... and good friends ... we need to be wise ... cos this will impact and change the course of our life and future! This is why the Bible says : “Bad company corrupts good character.” ( 1 Corinthians 15:33)

So, dear young ones ... what else can I say ...your brothers and sisters have said them all ... and I also echo the verse that Li Chin leaves with you .... and trust that when seek Him first ... He will surely help you and bless you .. give you what you need!

Jia You! May you offer your studies as a living sacrifice of worship to your God!!!


Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Missing Penang :(


While I waited for my car to be serviced this afternoon .... I flicked the magazines and came across one section that interest me ---- pages and pages of photos of Penang-Georgetown!!! OOO man!!! Make me really really want to go back to Penang .... especially walk the streets of Georgetown just to take photos .... Market Street, Lebuh Chulia, Love Lane, Penang Road .... Armenian St, Little India ... Kimberly St .... Campbell St .. where I always park my motorbike (free parking) so that I can walk to Penang Road .. and where I will always buy my shoes .... handmade canvas shoes with a little heels .... I buy all the colors available -- green, red, blue,black, beige .... Khoo Kongsi .... Beach Road,
SM and I briefly talked about going back to Penang this year beginning of the year ... Mei2's wedding is on 2 Jul and I have said that I will not be attending cos the timing seem to be too packed for me ... :( ....

Man ... when m I going??? I just want to go back ... walk the streets ... and it must be morning ... Market St .... day time ... and night .... just to take photos ... eat and enjoy the people living there .... well, that's what I did in those days right .... riding into the streets in the morning with my camera to take some people interest photos that is news worthy for my Photo J paper, then going in the evening ... just to enjoy the hustle and bustle of people ending the way ... as night falls ... and then ... makan!!! -- the best bak chang in Love Lane!!!

Hope I get my wish come true and truly get a trip to Penang just to be among the people and enjoy the buildings :0 ....

Man I miss Penang!!!!


I plucked these photos from this page :
http://www.peterloud.co.uk/photos/Penang/Sidestreets/Sidestreets.html

This guys is not only great photographer, he captures Penang just as I remembered it ... the places ... that i love ... and the graveyard and even the tombstones where I roamed when I am bored!

Oooo Penang ... when m I going back to see u .... "lovesick" ...

Monday, May 9, 2011

A Mother's Love Is A Haven in Storms of Life : Helen S Rice

Saturday night I called Mom to remind her that Sun is Mother's Day .... but I told her that I already "celebrated" Mother's Day for me last weekend when I was down and gave her present di .. :0 ...

Lots of my friends and cousins envy me .. at my age and Mom's age .. I can still have someone physically with me that I can call Mom and can phone her all the time. Most of them will keep telling how blessed I am to still have Mom ..

Yup ... I am very blessed indeed to still have Mom with me ... and enjoying her ... calling her everyday on the phone ... and when I dont she will phone me ... she waits for my call every day .. that I am very sure of ....

I tell my friends and cousins that Mom is living in God's extra extra grace ... cos she is past 70 and God has extended her life .... and preserved her life ... many many times .. in fact, the drama that we had this CNY did make me think that I may need to be prepared for the worst ... especially when Mom at one point was growing weak ... her voice was slowly getting softer and did not seem to eat much ..

But God has His purposes in preserving Mom .. I believe that God indeed has His sovereign reasons and purposes and may Mom live to fulfill the purpose and plan of God fully ....

Today ... Mom is full of life, energy (in her spirit) and determination to live!! She prays 2-3 times daily for all of us .... family by family she will name them one by one ... and off cos for 3 of us ... the DO-RE-MI (that's what she calls LN, CK & I) and now adding Yeow into her prayers. She off course also prays for her own health .. she is very determine to be able to sit up for longer time and able to walk again ... with the help of a walking stick rather than a walking frame.

When you phone her .. her voice is full of life and joy ... laughter .... :0 ... that's Mom ... she very very very ... almost never cry but always positive and determine to work things out with God's help :0... I really thank God that God gives her a prayer partner .... Mom told me that Nelda prays with Mom and some times worship God together ... guess that's the "service" till both of them are able to attend church.

With this, I remember how much she prays for me ... those 7 years of wilderness ... if it is not her prayers (and the prayers of my siblings and loved ones) ... I will not be where I am today .. I will still be lost ... if it is not the prayers of Mom ... I dont think I will go thru TTC ... she will phone me 2-3 times a week and always always ending our conversation by praying for me. Ah Yi used to envy me .... In fact, even during STPM days Mom will pray for me ... 1mth before and during the exam, Mom will brew ginseng with kampung ayam ... and bring it all the way to Tmn Hijau for me to drink ... 2 days 1 fresh chicken ... and off course .. my varsity days ... Mom prays for me too ..... and she continues to pray for through my working life until this very moment ....

So i would like to dedicate this poem by Helen S Rice to my dear Mom ... yes ... her LOVE is indeed a haven for me ... especially in times of storm. Mom has always been there for me .... thank you Mom .. Thank You Abba for giving me Mom ... :0

++++++++++++++++

A MOTHER'S LOVE is like an island
In life's ocean vast and wide,
A peaceful, quiet shelter
From the restless, rising tide ...


A MOTHER'S LOVE is like a fortress
And we seek protection there
When the waves of tribulation
Seem to drown us in despair ...


A MOTHER'S LOVE'S a sanctuary

Where our souls can find sweet rest
From the struggle and the tension
Of life's fast and futile quest ...


A MOTHER'S LOVE is like a tower

Rising far above the crowd,
And her smile is like the sunshine

Breaking through a threatening cloud ...


A MOTHER'S LOVE is like a beacon

Burning bright with FAITH and PRAYER,
And through the changing scenes of life

We can find a HAVEN THERE ...


For a MOTHER'S LOVE is fashioned

After God's enduring love,

It is endless and unfailing

Like the love of HIM above ...

For God knew in HIS great wisdom
That HE couldn't be EVERYWHERE

So HE put HIS LITTLE CHILDREN In a LOVING MOTHER'S CARE.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

... All Things Bright and Beautiful ...

Yes ... remember this old old song? I remember Mrs Tay teaching us in MIF .. this is how old the song is to me ... anyway .. the song has been in my mind past month and when I look at the beautiful things that God created ... from the weeds ... to the birds of the air ... the animals .... not to mention us ... I just marvel at it ... yes ... all things bright and beautiful reminds me that my Lord God created them!

This time around when I visit SM's hse .. I was officially introduced to Raccoon .. the new pet in town .... I just am amazed how different Raccoon is from Jacky ... off course they come from different type of dog ... and if I can draw similarities with us humans, Raccoon and Jacky seem to be from different culture and race background ....

Raccoon hardly makes any sound .... gentle yet majestic in his own way .. the way he walks and carries himself ... just like from upper class .... he is also very clever ... I believe he no bark at me but sniff me and jump on me all over cos he knows I am family. Later in the night ... KC's frd came ... Raccoon barked at him ... not family member ... amazing right ... each creat
ure that God creates is also very different ... amazing!

This morning, I called him to me to pose ... so that I can take pix of him .... initially he came thinking that I want to play with him or give him food ... but after awhile, he decided to abandon me realizing that am not giving him any food nor play with him ... I opened my car door to get my camera out ... he stood right next to me ... hoping to hoop in .. I didn't give him the chance ... he was disappointed ... no wonder he ignored me at the end ... hahahha ....

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.


Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,

He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.

All things bright and beaut
iful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all

The purple-headed mountain,

The river running by,
The sunset and the morning,
That brightens up the sky;


All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them a
ll

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one;

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and s
mall,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows for our p
lay,
The rushes by the water,
To gather every day;

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them al
l

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.