house-hunting

It was time for apartment hunting again. We rent, so every time the lease ended there's always an option to continue or look for another one.

All the time, however, I always believed that if God wants us to move, He would have prepared a new place for us. That does not mean that I was not anxious. Poring over property classifieds in the paper, calling them up and visiting apartments, are really taxing. It always brought me to near despair.

Yet in the past 8 years and 4 times moving, God always led us to the right apartment. I say the right one, because every time we found the house we simply knew. From the time we stepped into the house we just loved it. Like this apartment we're staying now, it was such a beautiful surprise from Him, so lovely, so right for us, that I couldn't stop laughing and smiling after we closed the deal that time.

But I always wonder, what if this year is different? What if this year God is going to lead us to a place we don't really like? What if we don't love the new place? After all, current rent prices are disastrous and we have to downgrade.

Again I was near despair last weekend. As my hubby and I go through the classifieds and visit an apartment and arguing over the budget, I felt that surely this time is different. Surely we would have to move to a bad place.

I keep reminding myself that God is my Father. He will never abandon me. I asked Him for a house that we love, that we can afford. Even though my head told me otherwise, I believed with all my heart. Whereever it is, He knows best. Even if it's not very nice, it would be the best if it's from Him.

Well, what do we know. HE did it again! Today we went to see an apartment. We were blown away by it. Such a cosy and lovely place. Much smaller, because we cannot afford a big place like our current apartment, but it's just right. And the owner likes us so much, she gave us a very reasonable price. It's still above our budget. But that, too, we know God will provide.

We signed the contract tonight. All three of us love it. Throughout the visit my son just plonked himself happily on the sofa like he was at home already. It's just recently renovated, too. There are even little details, like furnitures that we had always wanted. It's all provided. The house is easy to clean with ceramic floors throughout. I could totally see my new baby crawling around in there.

What a lovely surprise, yet again!

I was reminded of something tonight. That my heavenly Father delights in making His daughter happy.

Whatever He allows to happen, whether good or bad, is always for my good. Always. Praise the Lord!

"... your heavenly Father knows that you need them."
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Mt 6:32

The Wonder of Ultrasonography

Today we went for checkup again at our ob-gyn office. Again the doctor used ultrasonography and this time, at 12th week, I saw my baby ever so clearly!

She used to be just a tiny pea-sized heartbeat. But in three weeks since we last saw her, she has grown twice as much. She is now 4.6cm from the head to the rump.

As the doctor, my husband and myself watched, she was lying on her belly. Then to our delight she turned facing up. Then turning left and right, too, so that I could even see her oval face with two eyes, a nose and a mouth. Her chin was pointy.

Her tiny arms and legs were there. At one point we saw her moving her arms about in front of her. I couldn't believe how active she was in my tummy at this stage. Now everytime I think about her, I can know that she is not just a 'plant' growing in me. She is a person! She moves about and just simply enjoying herself in there.

Of course we still don't know whether it's a boy or a girl. I'm just referring it to a she here for practical reasons. :P

I can't imagine anyone aborting her baby at this stage. And yet some people still abort their baby even up to 20 weeks into pregnancy for whatever reasons. It's murder. Plain and simple. :(

I love my baby and looking at her with the ultrasound truly made me even more aware of this.
If you are pregnant, seek ultrasonography as early as possible. The doctor said it develops a bond between parents and the baby. He couldn't be more right.

The Lord bless you.

Trusting in my Father in Heaven

So yesterday we found out my son contracted HFMD (hand foot mouth disease). It's a deadly disease caused by virus that usually affect children.
Thank God the doctor says, for his case it will go away after a week.

But the thing is I'm almost 3 months pregnant. As all pregnant people know, chicken pox or rubella virus, etc, is fatal for foetuses.
The doctor said that as long as I don't get it, the baby would not be in danger.

So now we are keeping my 9 year old in his room, contented and happy with room service (by his dad). Thank God it is holiday also, no school.

At first I was worried sick because I am very close to my son. Just a half hour before we found the red dots on his palms and soles of his feet, I was hugging him. Surely I might get infected!

That night my husband prayed for the joy of the Lord to be my strength.
I stood up after that prayer much strengthened. The Lord's joy is a powerful thing indeed.

I reminded myself that He is my shield. He is my baby's shield also, as He forms him/her in the most secret place of the earth, in my womb! He who is in control over every molecule in this universe is in control over those viruses. He knows what is best for me and my family.

Thy will be done. Whatever happens, this baby is His.

Genesis 15:1
After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,a
your very great reward.b”
a Or sovereign
b Or shield; your reward will be very great
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Ge 15:1

a new life

We have not planned for this bundle of joy, but the Lord did.

For a long time we prayed for God's time, to have another child.
We didn't think it was God's time yet.
My son thought it was time. So he started to pray this year.
The Holy Spirit puts it into my heart to pray also along with him.
Then, He prepared my hubby's heart.
So when I found out about this new life in me, my hubby was not surprised. He was overjoyed!
My son was ecstatic.
What a miracle. Unplanned, but planned all along by God from eternity.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Ps 139:13-16

Praise the Lord.

God's guarantee

In the shadow of the Lehman Brothers collapse, that has become a domino effect to our financial crisis at the moment, I was reminded of this verse:

Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Eph 1:13-14

As christians = believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit.

Awesome as this seal is, it is only a deposit, an earnest or a downpayment, for the glory that is to come.

If someone buys a property, he will give a deposit, a promise to send the full payment at a later date. But he might default.

Indeed even a big bank that has been there for more than a hundred years can go bankrupt with our retirement money going down with them!

But I was thinking: will GOD, the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of all things, default?

Of course not!

1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. 1 Pe 1:3-6

Oh, praise the Lord for even when our life on earth is wasting away, our inheritance in heaven is shielded by His power until the full redemption is meted out.

Yes, even though we are saved now and have this joy and peace, yet our full salvation is not yet. All this is but a foretaste of the glory to come. It is not yet even fully realized.

Oh, may we have this longing to know God more, so that we may long for this full redemption. Not just looking for treasures on earth like stocks and bonds and money and property and health. But eternal stuff that will count for eternity. Talking about compounded interest on that one!

a sister

My sister's long time best friend has been staying with me for a while. It's so nice to have a sister here with me, 'cos that's what I consider her to be.
She's prayerful. She's generous. She's fun.
She's just such a down to earth person that I can imagine her as a missionary/pastor's wife one day.

My son loves her company and will look for her if she's not home. I hope the Lord sort out her work soon so that she could settle down in her own place and lift up her 'suffering'. But for the moment, we are just enjoying her stay with us.
This proves that every trial and suffering God allows for us is truly designed lovingly by Him for our good.

I wonder if she knows what a blessing she has been to us.

Here's to you, sis!

rainy days

Rainy days. Sore throat days.

Singapore is rainy these days. But that doesn't necessarily mean cooler days. Sometimes the clouds are hanging so low and so thick, you could hardly breathe because of the humidity. You could almost see the reflection of the city lights on the low hanging clouds.

Hence the clinics are filled with people having flu, sore throat and what-nots. How do I know? Well, I was one of them queueing with a friend for almost 2 hours.

So, mornings are sunny. Afternoons are rainy. But that's not always the case.

Like last Thursday.

The kids had been praying hard that it would not rain in the afternoon because we were planning a picnic at the beach in Sentosa. But the whole week it was always raining almost the whole day, so we were kind of skeptical.

Not the kids.

My son still has that conviction that God will answer our prayers according to His perfect will. So of course it would not rain.

To my son a picnic at the beach is God's perfect will.

So there we were at the beach with our best friends. Lovely weather. Lovely sand. Lovely sunset.

Thanks to God who knows what we need that day.

a mother, full of grace

Live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Eph 4:1-2

I'm learning to be a kind and compassionate mum. Completely humble and gentle. Long suffering/Patient. Bearing my family in love.

It's so hard. But it's what God demands of me. It's actually what God demands of me as a christian. Moreover, as a mother.

I know His grace is sufficient for me. His strength is made perfect when I am weak.

How do I be patient but not permissive.
Having boundaries in the house but still being gentle and allowing my kid to be free.
Spending a lot of time with him and still have quiet times with God.

Ah yes, I have to be thankful that there are still times when he'll be reading a book by himself, allowing pockets of time of quiet for myself.

Here's to our victorious days ahead in Christ!

Coram Deo

Latin words. It means "Before the face of God."

Martin Luther said that the goal of christian living is Coram Deo. That is to live constantly before the face of God.

It is so difficult it's impossible.

Our daily living is filled with rushing here and there, meals to prepare, children to care for, laundry to load, dishes to wash. Blogs to write :P. We sometimes forget that we are living in the presence of God who watches over us quietly, patiently, lovingly, Himself never ceasing to work to hold all things together for this world to keep on turning, turning.

Only by surrendering ourselves to the Holy Spirit can we strive for corum deo.

Yes, I do not want to give up living corum deo just because it is impossible. It's precisely that it is impossible that I could be glad in knowing that Christ Himself through His Holy Spirit will enable me to live this way.

During the day when I suddenly remember that He is present always, I should talk to Him, or sing a song of praise, or reciting a memory verse. Always saying, "Thank You, Lord, for this moment. For this city where I live. For this house. For this family." Anything.

Oh, may His grace enable me to do this. Always.

May I never be too sick for this. Even when I'm old. Even when I have alzheimer, dementia or anything of that kind. May I never forget Him who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Just a thought and a prayer for today.

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. 1 Th 5:23-24

Romans 3:23

Teaching Sunday School 4-year-olds (K1 class).
Such a privilege.
Today at the end of class, during coloring time, a girl named Valerie looked anxious and asked me how she might go to heaven.

The Bible truth we have been teaching today was God wants us to choose to obey Him.
We had been talking about what sin is and what pleases God. We sang Nothing But the Blood during praise time.
The Scripture verse was Romans 3:23, and that's what we were coloring about. There's a picture of heaven in it.

"For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God."
I told the kids we are too short, we can never reach heaven unless we ask Jesus to save us.

A few minutes into coloring, while I was busy coloring with the other kids, Valerie called me and asked that question. Sensing her urgency and seriousness, I decided to bring her to another table to talk with her a little bit.

Valerie might decide to ask Jesus to be her Savior. I am very cautious about this. I need to confirm if she really wants Jesus.
"So Valerie, you really want to go to heaven to be with Jesus one day?" "Yes."
"Do you know that you are a sinner?" "Yes."
"Do you want to ask Jesus to save you?" "Yes."
I had to ask something that she could answer more than just yes or no.
"Valerie, why do you want to ask Jesus to save you?"
"Because I want to make Jesus happy."

Wow. That's original. If she wants to make Jesus happy, that means she wanted to obey Jesus. That's why she wants to be able to go to heaven to be with Jesus.

After talking some more, we prayed the sinner's prayer together.
I hugged her and assured her that Jesus would never leave her now.
I encouraged her to pray to Jesus everyday, and after she can read, read the Bible everyday because He will always be her Best Friend.
Also I told her to tell her daddy and her mummy about this.
Afterwards we continued coloring happily.
"Jesus is my best friend," she said.
"Yes. Jesus is my best friend, too," I said, glad. "Jesus is always there for me. He will always be there for you, too."

After class I talked to her mum and dad. I told them what happened. I told them that this is only the beginning of a very long road. (It does not mean she has changed to become an angel.) I encouraged them to pray and read the Bible with her every night.

There will be ups and downs in her life. She will have to rededicate herself again and again at every milestones (isn't that just like us?). Valerie, as well as I, have to continue to make her salvation sure.
Philippians 2:12-13
"... continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Php 2:12-13
(Not that we are saved by our works, but because we are saved, therefore the fruit of our lives should be consistent with our salvation. The absence of fruit will only mean the absence of the source. No salvation is void of obedience to God. If someone claimed to be saved, but have no qualms disobeying the Savior, she is not really saved in the first place.
James 2:14 "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Jas 2:14)

What a privilege it is to be able to partner with God in His powerful work of bringing people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

What joy it is to have so many children in heaven. Those who become my brothers and sisters in Christ. Our family tie is the blood of Christ, thicker than any blood line on earth.

I praise You, Lord, for such an encouragement you gave me today. For the privilege of watching Your Spirit work in even the littlest and simplest hearts of children.

My first 12x12 digi LO

thanks to tips from Balzer Designs

free digital kit from Mirka_K snowdrop kit

Boom De Ah Dah!

My son's favorite commercial from Discovery Channel.
His favorite show is Mythbusters. Occasionally also Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs. They're very funny and informative.

Sovereign God

Today as I walk home from the market, listening to a song from Bob Fitts on my ipod, I was thinking about God. The pathway is winding between two apartment buildings (a condo and an hdb block), with leafy trees on one side and grass on the other.

I look at myself walking ever onward towards home. Every step takes me closer. The road is hot and sometimes gravelly, but I press on knowing full well that it will soon be over. Another half a mile.

I look at the road ahead of me and realised something.
God is already there. He knows where I'm going. He always knows. He always protects.
He is powerful to use everything for His glory. Even the bad things.
Nothing can happen outside His knowledge.
The wicked and the righteous will both be put to justice.

My road is known to Him. He knows where I'm going and He is taking me there.
This love relationship that I have with my Father in heaven is real.
I'm so glad He answers prayers. I'm so glad He is sovereign.
My heart can trust in Him.

Fully.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Je 29:11

His Eye Is On the Sparrow

ps: bird in picture not a sparrow

In the morning the birds sound so happy. Maybe because it was raining all morning.
They were busily chirping in the trees below our apartment. Some were singing outside our breakfast window. It really seemed to me like they were talking to each other in loud cheery voices.

The rain lasts all day long. This is such a welcome respite after a week of humidity.

I love it that the birds are not intimidated to approach our windows.
Thank You, God, for the birds this morning.

Luke 12: 6-7, "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Lk 12:6-7

This song below come to mind.
Hymn: His Eye Is On the Sparrow
text by mrs. C.D. Martin

1. Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely
and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant friend is he:
His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know he watches me.

Refrain:
I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
for his eye is on the sparrow,
and I know he watches me.

2. "Let not your heart be troubled,"
his tender word I hear,
and resting on his goodness,
I lose my doubts and fears;
though by the path he leadeth
but one step I may see:
His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know he watches me.
(Refrain)

3. Whenever I am tempted,
whenever clouds arise,
when song gives place to sighing,
when hope within me dies;
I draw the closer to him,
from care he sets me free:
His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know he watches me.
(Refrain)

here's to starbucks

It’s funny but it seems that wherever I go in the world, we always end up in a starbucks.

This photo of a cup of iced water is taken at the Beijing international airport, arrival hall. The starbucks in Beijing will have seats outside the cafe itself. Usually right opposite the outlet. Look out for their signature tables and couches.

It's only since 1999 that I started drinking coffee. I used to love cappucino and cappucino only. I do not really like change. So, it's always just a "tall Cap" for me, please.

After 5 years of cappucinos (yes, that long!), I switched to "tall caramel no whip Mocha". I'm overjoyed if there is a hot Mocha Valencia (with mandarin syrup) during the chinese new year festivals here. Or the hot Peppermint no whip Mocha. Mmmmm.... I wish christmas was all year round.

That mocha season has lasted for about 3 years. I think it's still going strong.

Currently I'm into "iced no whip Mocha" on the rocks, that is with ice cubes, not blended. Maybe it's the humidity in recent months that got me switching into iced.

Here's to starbucks. (Please, please, please don't change the logo!)

The essence of sound theology is knowing who God is and knowing who you are.
R.C. Sproul

We can only know God from His Word in the Bible.
Not from public opinion. Not from self-help books. The only person we should access to know God is God Himself, which He has revealed in His Word.

We can only know ourselves from our Creator, GOD.
Not from psychologists, psychiatrists, or once again, self-help books. The only person who knows about a creation is the Creator. God tells us all about ourselves in the Bible. How we were made, how we are supposed to live, what is our destiny.

Until, and only until, we know who we are: sinners in need of a Savior, we will always be lost.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Je 29:11-12

(Jesus said, )"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:37, 40.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Jn 6:37,40

God's Will

How do we know God's will? ...
But it's not like God is hiding His will and waiting for us to find out what it is. Oh, no.

It's more like God leading me and me just follow trustingly. That's all there is.

There's nothing mystic about it.
All we have to do is pray to the Lord, tell Him all that is in our heart. Our concerns, the confusion and fear. Ask Him to keep us in His way regarding what we must do. Ask Him to protect us from wrong decisions.

He is powerful to answer us. He will never abandon us. That is His promise in the Bible again and again. He will never abandon us to our bad choices, if we earnestly seek His will.

Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Pr 3:5-6

So I should truly trust in Him and not doubt. Why should I doubt Him, that somehow He is going to lose control and let me go? Never.
Jesus gave His life for me on the cross. He died in my place.
What makes me think that He would let me go? Never.

That's how we can know God's will. Not that we know for sure, but that we trust His leading as we decide prayerfully.

Along the process and even afterwards we would still be haunted by whether or not the decision is right. But let's put our trust in Him. If He already impressed upon our heart what we must do, confirmed by advice from godly friends and family too, we should just rest in Him.

Only much later will we see the big picture. How beautiful everything is in God's time.
Oh, yes, we can count on it.

wedding blessings

A friend of mine had a wedding ceremony at church yesterday. As I was sitting there at the pew, I was thankful for the so many guests who attended. The church was full.

The bride, my friend, has been a faithful servant of the Lord at church. She is also a cancer survivor, yet was still faithful to serve in her capacity in sunday school as much as she could during the difficult healing process. No wonder so many church members, parents and children, came. They want to be happy alongside her on this special day.

I'm thankful for these people who came. Because I think it makes her day, really, to see them come.

It reminded me of my wedding day where people braved the volatile situation (after a riot broke out a week before) to attend my meager wedding ceremony. Many of my own family members who lived out of town could not come. Many of my colleagues at the bank where I worked could not come. But I just remember how glad I was when I turned around from my bridal seat and saw the pews packed up to the balcony. There were many parents and children whom I taught in sunday school who made time to attend. The Lord gave me countless people who cared for me, back then in Jakarta. They made my day.

I wish I could have thanked each of them one by one, again and again, for coming on my one, most wonderful day.

So as I sat on that pew, thanking God for my caring church towards my caring friend's wedding, I thanked Him also for the way He cared for my wedding last time, even under such dire circumstances.

Thank You, Lord, for true friends.

my Mosaic today

Want to create something like this?

Below are some questions to get you going. Then simply go to Flickr and type your answers into the search bar. From the results, click on one of the pictures that you like most. Once the page with your picture opens, copy the URL. Go to the Mosaic Maker, set up your mosaic, and paste your URLs. Click Create. Easy as that.

What is your first name?

What is your favorite food, drink, dessert?

Where is your dream holiday?

What do you love most in life?

What is your favorite color?

etc.

Have fun and please send a comment to share with me what you've created!

1. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), 2. text decay, 3. Red sky (north Jakarta dawn), 4. llibreria - bookstore - Amsterdam, 5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mylittlerascal/171041835/, 6. St. Patrick's Cathedral, 7. Holiday Time in Chicago, 8. Cup of Cappucino, 9. i can taste summer! a.k.a. childhood summer! a.k.a. childhood reminiscence! a.k.a. those were the good times!

Cooking Day

Yesterday I spent a whole leisurely day shopping for groceries and cooking. A sister 'ketemu gede' of mine spent the night. It's so nice to have a sister around sometimes, especially because my real ones are all so far away around the world.

Anyway, she wanted to learn some of my recipes to cook for her boyfriend. We cooked pork steak with potato salad for lunch, and babi kecap (steamed pork stew with dark sweet soy sauce) with rice and veggie stir-fry for dinner. We had a blast of a time. That was fun.

I'm sure we'll do some more in the coming days. I hope she stays on for good in Singapore. It's nice to have a sister around.

Persevere in Suffering

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly.

Richard Bach

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Joseph son of Jacob- to his brothers who sold him to Egypt but who later came back to him (Genesis 50:20)

The sovereignty of my God overcomes all things.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Ro 8:28

May you be encouraged today. That as long as you are in His hands, you are safe. Never step away, be unmoved. You are in GOOD hands. Stay.

Persevere. Forgive those who intended to harm you- give it over to God. Justice will prevail in due time. God is not mocked. He is sovereign. He is patient.

He is our Shield and our very great Reward. Stay close. Stay.

all in Quiet

It is in quiet obedience that we follow His footsteps

It is in quiet reflection that we hear His voice

It is in quiet assurance that we find His rest

It is in quiet trust that we find His strength.

-Roy Lessin- taken from www.dayspring.com

How quiet have we been today?

How many pockets of quietness have we allowed for ourselves, alone with God, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of daily life?

Do we always want to let other people know how much we're doing and suffering for His kingdom? Or do we take time to be quiet, to obey and trust quietly, based on the fact that our FATHER who sees all things will see what we do in our quietness?

How quiet will we be today?

Zephaniah 3:
17 The Lord your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Zep 3:17

God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.
Peterson, Eugene H.: The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, Colo. : NavPress, 2002, S. 1 Sa 16:7

The heart.
God looks into the heart.
I used to see this verse only as God knowing who is who. Especially in terms of their devotion toward Him. Or of their purpose that God has set for them before the beginning of the world, as in the case of David, son of Jesse, later to be king of Israel (read 1 Samuel 16:1-13).

But a sermon (podcast) I heard from Dr. Erwin Lutzer helped me see it from a different perspective.

What is in the heart?
Not all the mushy, sweety cutey things, actually. But terrible, mean thoughts. Sinful, horrible intentions. Things that are left unsaid, hidden from every eye. (You wouldn't want to talk to me ever again if you had seen what was in my heart.)
If we are honest, that is what's in everybody's hearts. Men and women, even children's hearts.

What is amazing is this:
God sees my heart, and yet He still loves me!
Not only that, He even died on the cross in my place, just so that He might win my heart.

Now if that doesn't break one's heart, I don't know what would.

Our response should be of thanksgiving and humility, bowing down to Him in adoration:
My Jesus, My Savior, Lord, there is none like You!

He looks and He looks. And that's the only thing He looks at on me. It doesn't matter how beautiful I coat my outward appearance. He looks at my heart all day long, apart from everything else He sees. Let us be transparent before Him, knowing that He sees the heart. Every motivation, every hidden agenda. That should drive us to holiness, isn't it?

Let this guide my thoughts today. That the Lord of Hosts sees not like men sees. He looks at the heart.

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. 1 Sa 16:7

(PS: I love how the photo above looks like crayon drawing. )

Great Wall at Mutianyu

We chose the section of the wall at Mutianyu (moo-tian-yeo-oo) because according to Fodor's it is away from the crowd and more scenic.

They were right. We're sure glad we picked this one.

The ticket office is divided in two. Surprisingly they were in competition to sell tickets to us. One side offers sky chair to the top, and back on a toboggan. The other side offers cable car ride back and forth. For safety reasons we chose the cable car.

But if you love toboggans and don't have small ones tagging along, you might want to try it.

The great wall is, well, GREAT.

And hot this time of year. But at least there are some peddlars selling 10 Yuan ice cold mineral waters up there (say, "ping suey" = cold water). So if we're out of ammo, there's still hope.

Also there are bees the size of a thumb. They seem to like hovering around the middle of the path on the great wall. We avoid them. Careful with bees. When we slap them their juice will attract their comrades to attack you in hordes. So just ignore them, please.

My son ran up and down the wall pretending to be a soldier at war. He had fun. There are holes at the bottom along the wall facing out, I suppose for the soldiers to shoot arrows from.

It's really a wonderful close to our trip. We saved the best for last. I love the scenery, the old stones (some new bricks were added during renovations), the old steps.

Praise the Lord.

Lunch at Mutianyu

We found a wonderful, tiny restaurant very near the Great Wall at Mutianyu called Xiaolumian. http://www.xiaolumian.com/. It's rustic. But it's a very clean place. Very hard to find, too.

As the name suggests, it is located in a small road. Very small road. Xiao=small, Lu=road, Mian=noodle. Thank God for a kind and resilient taxi driver who keeps using his handphone to ask for directions from the restaurant.
We finally reached the place and was delighted with the smiling waitress who is a local living in Mutianyu. And... speaks english!

The dumplings are tasty. The noodles fresh and, mixed with the sauce, is wonderful. I also enjoyed the freshly cut vegetables they prepared for us.

What a unique, traditional chinese meal. Kudos to my hubby who found it when he researched the internet.

Summer Palace

We went to the Summer Palace on Saturday. Phew! Crowded!

But we love the hike up and down the hill through narrow passageways. Rocky steps lined with christmas trees. I guess I mean pine trees.

Occasionally we spotted beautiful plump birds the size of a chicken (but not chicken). They sing. They went down the path to take a sip of water or peck at the ground. The back is blue but the wings are black. We love spying them.

The stairs leading to the temple on top of the hill is magnificent. You can see it on the photo above. It zigzagged up and up and up. We felt like Po in Kungfu Panda (coming up soon to a theater near you!) when he had to climb the stairs up the mountain.

But the view from above is very rewarding. We could see the Beijing skyline.

For lunch, we sat under a shade of trees on top of the hill. It was very quiet there. We could peek at the lakeview in between the trees. The plump blue bird came back for a visit. But she did not eat bread or anything we entice her with. In fact she declined to stay. (Hence, no photographs of her.) That's nice, I thought. They are independent. Not used to begging people for food like city birds in other places.

Ritan, then Tiantan

On our third day in Beijing my son and I planned to visit Tiantan Park (Temple of Heaven). It's south of the city and it's huge. (My hubby went to give training at his office on Thursday and Friday.)

But in the morning the taxi driver accidentally dropped us in Ritan Park. He must have heard the doorman wrongly or whatever. But my son and I decided to check it out anyway.

It's a public park so entrance is free. There is one small pond near the front. Very serene.Little children with their mums or grandparents play around it.

The park goes deeper where there are many corners for people to exercise. An old couple sat together under a gazebo, the husband was playing a chinese string instrument while the wife turned the musical sheets for him. No one was watching. They didn't ask for money either. They were just playing it.

We spotted beautiful grey colored birds jumping from tree to tree. My son had fun trying to get as close as he could. But the birds seem to anticipate his next move all the time.

In the middle of the park there was also a big circular mound used to give sacrifices. It's a big area and was deserted because it's all stone.

Finally after a short lunch and coffee, we got the correct temple of heaven. It's where the emperor gave sacrifices to the God of heaven to appeal for good bumper crops.

It's a beautiful park with lots of ancient cypress trees. and very green at this time of year.

We came out right on time for... rush hour. Thank God for sending a taxi driver for us in that middle of nowhere (it seems to me!). The taxi driver also endured at least an hour of driving through massive traffic jam along the highway. He didn't complain at all. Amazing. And all the meter charged me for all that distance and jam was less than 8 singapore dollars.

At night we had peking duck and some sichuan dishes for dinner at the hotel's restaurant. I wish we could go to the famous peking duck restaurant in a hutong somewhere in the city, but the traffic jams was a major deterrant for us. So there.

I am thankful for God's protection and His mercy that day, that I could reach the hotel back safely.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Php 4:6-7

Just outside of the Tiananmen Gate on our first day in Beijing (21 May) we witnessed a quarrel between an old man and an old woman who collects plastic bottles to recycle. Obviously they were fighting about the amount of bottles that belong to them. Maybe they happened to count it next to each other or something, we didn't know. But it really saddens us that they were fighting over mere cents. These people really are poor.

Plastic bottle collectors, usually old people, were in every park and public places we visited. It's nice to sometimes see a group of people purposely stopping by them and drink up their mineral water so they can give the bottles to these people.

At the base of the Great Wall at Mutianyu my son ran a distance to give his bottle to a very old woman, no taller than himself. She looked ancient even from afar. I waved goodbye to her and gave her the most loving eyes, from afar. To my delight she burst into a big smile and waved and waved back at me for a long time.

That really touched me. Not only that her eyes are still good , but also it makes me think that though I may not know the language perfectly I can still show them Christ's love. I know He loves these people. I know He is pleased to show it through me.

I just pray that these people that touched our lives on the trip, whether taxi drivers, waitresses, or bottle collectors, will in turn be touched by Christ and find Him.

Philippians 1:6

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Php 1:6

Last night my son and I attended a concert by Steve Green.
He enjoyed it very much. I'm so glad.
Steve Green did not just sing, but also teach us God's Word through it.
We came away comforted by God's sovereignty, Christ's Lordship and our Blessed Hope: His Second Coming.

Every song ministered to me immensely. But I want to share just one.
The title is "He who began a good work in you".
I'm sure some of you know the song. The lyrics are as follows:

Chorus:
He who began a good work in you
He who began a good work in you
Will be faithful to complete it
He'll be faithful to complete it
He who started the work, will be faithful to complete it in you

If the struggle you're facing
Is slowly replacing
Your hope with despair
Or the process is long
And you're losing your song
In the night you can be sure
That the Lord has His hand on you
Safe and secure
He will never abandon you
You are His treasure
And He finds His pleasure in you
chorus

It comforts me that the Lord GOD is faithful to complete the work He had begun in me.
He had saved me from my sins. He had delivered me to a new life in Him. He also will continue to mold me and shape me until I see Him in heaven again, looking eye to eye with Him, perfect as He is perfect (for no one less than holy can see Him or be in His presence).

It means that He is also faithful to complete the work He had begun in my son.
I know my son loves and believes in Jesus, a saving faith. Yet which mother can really be sure?
This verse through that song comforted me. That God also will be faithful to complete HIS work in my son.

Oh, such peace to be in my Shepherd's everlasting arms!

To get around I have to ask the concierge to write the name of the destination on a piece of paper just so that there will be no misunderstanding. After all, it is my first time to Beijing. Plus, my mandarin is non-existent and javanese infused .

Thanks to my mom and dad who spoke mandarin at home when I was growing up, I could still at least survive in communicating the basics. It got me around in taxi, it got me food (when ordering), it helps me to communicate with people to show them love and concern. But really it is little more than "tarzan" gestures sprinkled with mandarin words.

But of the few caucasians I met in restaurants, etc, I overheard them speaking to the waiters in fluent chinese (mandarin). Wow. If they can do it, I should be able to do it better, right. (Maybe they have a private tutor. Heheh.. jealous.. )

So come on, people. Let's learn this beautiful language.
Now if only I have more time... (... excuses...)

Today we went to Beijing Zoo to see the pandas.
It's quite a big park. Sadly, the animals are mostly in concrete enclosures.

But we enjoyed ourselves exploring the vast ground.

The highlight for my son was getting a cute panda as a new friend.

The sandstorm was gone.

Then we went to Malls of Oriental Plaza for late lunch. It has a terrific food mall downstairs, with a food court filled with chinese and japanese style food.

Dinner was at Crystal Jade Palace.

Another perfect day.

Missing Indy

If in Singapore what we see everywhere yesterday was the poster of the new Indiana Jones movie, in Beijing all we saw in the past two days is big screen tv's showing CCTV channel's earthquake updates. Whether it's at the airport, the malls, or even at road junctions. Big LCD screens show rescues going on. The solidarity of the people is wonderful.

No signs of Indiana Jones yet.

May the Lord bless everyone affected by the earthquake. May His purposes be fulfilled for His glory. May He grant salvation to the people.

sandstorm

Beijing is beautiful. Except for the sandstorm.

Light yellow dust covered everything. Trees, cars, buildings, us...

But we were undeterred. We trudged on through miles of sidewalk in search of the Dongximen subway station. Good thing we walked through mostly leafy embassy areas.

My son was coughing a couple of times, or sneezing. So was I.

But the weather is nice and cool compared to our sauna Singapore (that I really missed today because of the sand). Overall it's not so bad. People could still breathe, albeit slightly sandy.

Finally we reached Tiananmen square. A really big place.

It so happened that there was a protest of some sort, we didn't know what it was all about. But it was loud and involved quite a number of people. Turns out it was a show of support for the earthquake victims. People gather together under the hot sun of Tiananmen Sq to shout out encouragements to the victims as if they can hear them. I think that's really touching.

Later on we proceeded into Forbidden City.

My son's complaints, due to his fatigue, only ends when he saw the exit sign from that huge complex that was forbidden to all but emperors and their immediate families and servants for centuries. I've got to give him credit, though. He did last a whole morning and some of the afternoon quite cheerfully, despite we just got off the plane this morning.

Room service for dinner, please.

Tomorrow I'm checking the weather first before I'd venture out.

Thank God for today. For the lovely Terminal 3 both in Singapore and in Beijing. For a good night's sleep on the flight. For the sandstorm, that we could have a chance to experience it. Hope it will go away soon. ;P

Signing off for the day,

3 (sand)stormtroopers.

Beijing Trip prelude

Here I am on my way to the land of my ancestors.
I'm thrilled cos I've never been to China before.
Part of me is sad, too, remembering victims of the earthquake that just happened.

We're going to take the red eye flight.
My son is famished cos now is nearing midnight.
He's eating pepperoni pizza with his dad at the bistro in Terminal 3. What a nice terminal, to say the least!
I'm enjoying the cappucino. Superb.

I can't wait to see what's in store for me in the next few days.
Oh, yeah.

My son who usually never converse with us in chinese, suddenly already spoke quite a few sentences with me in the taxi. Just a light banter. Wow. I hope this trip will awaken his passion for the chinese language.

what clues will our children find about our lives after we die?

We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives

CHORUS:
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find
REPEAT CHORUS

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

Perfect!

It will always give a Christian the greatest calm, quiet, ease, and peace, to think of the perfect righteousness of Christ. How often are the saints of God downcast and sad! I do not think they ought to be. I do not think they would if they could always see their perfection in Christ. There are some who are always talking about corruption, and the depravity of the heart, and the innate evil of the soul. This is quite true, but why not go a little further, and remember that we are “perfect in Christ Jesus.” C.H. Spurgeon.

Perfect is not on the outside, but on the inside.

Perfect is not about temporal stuff (for then it is not perfect), but about eternal.

We women love to fret and nurture their anxiety. We complain a lot about our imperfection. It's what we talk about all day! Well, almost, given the chance.

This Mothers' Day, here's to our hope to change our mindset. Let us not worry and fret about our imperfection anymore. For if we belong to Christ Jesus, we are perfect in Him. Only in Him.

So come to Him daily, for He promises rest.

Look forward to our future in Him.

To Him who is timeless and eternal, the future is already here. We are perfect in God's eyes, because we are IN His Son Jesus Christ.

Oh what a wonder. Amazing love, how can it be? That Thou my God shouldst die for me!

If we understood this, know that this knowledge does not come from ourselves. But the Holy Spirit gives us this understanding.

Happy mothers day, all sisters in Christ. Even though you are no yummy mummy, you are perfect in His eyes. He loves you with His everlasting love.

honor.our.parents

When parents are around, we feel safer. We feel taken care of. We feel loved.

Sure, they're getting older. Sure, sometimes we need to take care of them more. But what a privilege to do that, since they have been taking care of us all our life. No, more than that. Since it is God's command to do so: to honor them.

Our parents will always be our parents. They never stop caring. Never stop loving. Just like my child will always be my baby. And I will never stop loving him, even when he goes astray. He knows he is always, absolutely always, loved by me and his father.

Now, on their stay here, my parents are also caring for my son in their own sweet little way. Almost unnoticed. My mom never forgets to iron his little uniform and laid it out complete with a pair of socks on school nights. Here my dad is coaching him chinese.

We should always be thankful for our parents.
They are God's blessing for each of us.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 

“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Eph 6:1-4

Catching Up

Now I almost cannot catch up with my son on his reading. He reads so fast!
This is exam week and he still managed to finish this wonderfully thick and classic book, thanks to the Silent Reading times every morning at his school.
I gave this book to him middle of 2007. He didn't want to touch it at first. Then he started the first page and was hooked, for a while. Afterwards many, many other books distracted him for a long time.

He only continued this book last week when I purposely dropped it into his bag to read. Everyday he was so busy studying with me after school, that I'm surprised he finished it today.

I need to catch up with him.

Well, I gotta stop blogging now and start reading.

Oh, what a Friend!

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Joseph Scriven, 1819-1886

So often I'm struck by anxiety. Which in itself is no sin. It becomes sin, however, when one is consumed by it. Oh, may He have mercy on me!

Yet as the words of the hymns remind me, I forfeit tremendous peace if I continue to try to carry my own burdens. What a privilege to carry all, ALL, to my BEST FRIEND Jesus in prayer.

red.iPod.

It was my sister's birthday.

But lo and behold, one thing leads to another, and she ended up giving me a gift. (The next day I proceded to encase it lovingly in the red leather case!)

Oh, thank you, sister! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

It's not only beautiful, but useful.

Turns out iTunes is also very easy to use. I have the feeling that the rest of the world are iTuned already except me up to a few days ago. Hahah. Better late than never.

I love downloading podcasts from www.gty.org/podcast and http://www.rbc.org/ among others.

I can listen to them whenever I'm cooking and cleaning, on the road, etc.

So cool.

So blessed.

Sweet Remy

Our fluffy Remy is always calm and composed. His beady black eyes show his kind and gentle heart (I think )
Whenever it's supper time he would know. At the slightest sign of us approaching, he'd get into his food bin and just waits there for us to pour it in.
Plus he would regard me with his eyes sweetly as he tucks in. You can see it in this video.

We had five hamsters before him, so we know Remy is really special.
He is not jumpy or overly cautious.
He doesn't hoard his food somewhere in a corner. He keeps all the empty sunflower seeds, etc, in the bin for me to throw out the next day. It's extremely easy to keep his cage (Habitrail Ovo Suite) clean. I think he's one year old this month.

Sweet, sweet Remy.

Happiness is ...

Happiness is a plate of ayam penyet with rice on the side.

I'm thankful that here in Singapore I can still occasionally enjoy this crispy fried chicken dish complete with sambal belacan.

Yummy!

Enter His World

At almost 9 years old, my son finally bought his first gameboy. It's a Nintendo DS Lite.

All his young life I have always been his partner in playing computer games. My husband and I like to play nice computer games as much as him. Before we give to him, we always check out the ESRB rating and read the reviews about the game.

So when he started playing DS last month, he also shares with me every detail and advancement he made. I didn't have any idea what he was talking about because some of the cartridges we couldn't share.

Finally we decided to buy another DS for me. Both of us enjoyed it so much that my husband also started to feel left out. In the end, he got one for himself, too. :D

You see, there is a feature where we can all play together wirelessly in one game, like playing chase or capture the flag. So it's really fun. We can even connect via WiFi.

I attended a parenting seminar at church by Wilson Phang last Saturday and the speaker said that for children below 9, we need to establish authority with discipline. A rod is needed.

But for 9-12 years old and teenagers, we have to maintain a close relationship with them. If we think preteens (before 9) needs a lot of our time, teenagers need a lot more. We need to enter their world and be their friend.

So I guess this is one of those things that needs to be done. Playing DS together, talking about it and having a great time together from time to time. By understanding his world, I can use it at our bible study time together to illustrate an application.

What parents had to go through for their children ;). No harm having a great time doing it, too.

So that's the story. No prizes for guessing which color belongs to whom. Let me just tell you that my son's got the silver one.

To Feed A Boy

Most children are fussy to some degree about their food.
Most parents are anxious about what their kids eat or don't eat.
I am one of those parents. Though I have to say, not so severe. ;P

I learned to pick my battles wisely.
For instance, my son this month discovered that he sort of likes yellow cherry tomatoes. So I decided to give him more of those, and less of the ones he doesn't like. This way I am happy, and he is happier.
After all a happy heart makes a hearty appetite.
Or something like that.

And our Lord Jesus did say that little children (and adults!) live not by food alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3). So I guess if I must choose, I would prioritize fussing over his Bible-reading habit more.

We all try. In His grace.

Happy feeding your kids today!