How Dare You?!

How dare you question the goodness of the infinite omniscient God? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all (Rom 8:32). And this Son, who was not spared, this Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who is all knowing, all powerful, all good. Stooped so low to save us from eternal damnation and continues to be our Shepherd, who only desires what is best for us. How can you question His goodness? What right have you to speak? Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? Let Him who accuses God answer Him! (Job 40:2)

What suffering are you going through that you do not deserve? Are you the only one in the world who is suffering? Have you no blessings at all to count? Would you spit in the face of the One who loves you and gave Himself for you by being discontented after He has done everything to give you every spiritual blessing? (Eph 1:3). Will you be spoilt, rebellious and insolent? Questioning His all sufficient and perfect care? Don't you dare! Don't you ever dare!

Do things that come easy get taken for granted?

the answer would usually be a resounding, "Yes!"

you don't really need to look far for the answer... i'm sure you have one in mind before i start listing examples down...

whether it is spoilt brats with their expensive toys or grown ups who got things too easy, to children who don't have an interest in their parent's passions... it's quite natural for humans to take things for granted when they didn't have to work too hard for it...

which brings me to the point of my post... do i take salvation for granted? how about God's grace and mercy then? of course i know that our salvation came at a tremendous cost, and that cost is appreciated greater the more we know about the person and work of the Lord...

that point aside, how about 2nd generation christians? kids who grew up in bible believing homes, where the things of the Lord are taught from infancy... we've always had the answer, we've always known about faith, God and His plan of salvation, we've been trained in disciplines that make us who we are...

but did it come too easy for us that loving the Lord is harder? because we never had to search, or have a truly life changing, 180 degrees turn-a-bout...

and does the familiarity decrease the appetite for the Lord's things?

as you can see, the scope of this discussion is so wide and many facetted, which is why i blog so little... because i think of something, wish to put it to text, then find myself not really doing justice to the subject....

so there you have it... my unfinished, uncompleted, half-left-hanging thoughts... hope it may stir a useful thought in your mind tho...

He leadeth His own with a gentle hand

I found this entry in one of my many started-but-never-continued diaries. So much so that I don't even know what year it is...

25th Feb

Felt stressed over taking charge of Teen's Club. How do I fill Chee Ching's shoes?

Ex. 36:1 "to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work"

It is only by God's grace and empowering. May I never boast or feel proud of myself.

I really have no idea which year this was. But it must have been many years ago, since I remember Ivan and Timothy were in Teen's. And now they're almost out of YP! How the Lord has in His grace guided us and supplied us the strength and wisdom to do the things He has given us to do! This comes as a very much needed reminder as I start 'worrying' about what the DRAMATIM will come up with for the July Youth outreach meeting. Thank you Lord!

DRAMATIM production

Here are the videos from our Easter Outreach presentation.

This one had to be edited in the end with the first performance clip as the camera didn't focus properly.

You can hear a glitch, cos i haven't learnt how to use the video editing software properly...

kreekree... kreekreee...

that's the sound of crickets chirping telling me it's time i updated this blog... :P

Pics from the garden

Here are some pics as promised. You'll be surprised the amount of interesting things you can find going on in the garden. First, here's a baby praying mantis... Saw him on this leaf and he's on the same leaf everyday. Will try and get a better pic with tripod and macro filter soon, before it grows up and moves on...

We also have wasps in the garden. Will try not to burn or get rid of it unless completely necessary ;)

First passion fruit from this new plant!

And the mango tree has flowered too, as mention in previous post. See the little baby mangoes! Have to find out if i need to wrap them up or just leave them to grow...

The ficus outside has been plagued with all manner of destructive pests. Often, it gets eaten botak, then grows new leaves again. We've seen so many types of leaf eating bugs, from space aged looking ones, to sticky slimy ones so much so that these one looks so 'normal' :)

Our pond has reached an 'equilibrium', according to Hans. There is moss, but the water is nice and clear. I feed the fishes everyday, so we'll see how big they grow... Actually, the fishes are just there to eat any mosquito larvae :)

Ho Hum

Ok. so. looking at my previous post, i can safely say that i have not done any of the things i set out to do. so what's new. anyway, we finally cancelled our astro, so there's one distraction less. the computers have also been a huge distraction, so no more bringing my macbook back during weekdays cos i will waste time on it. bloc's back from the vet and technically i have been spending more time with him cos i have to feed him meds twice a day. wait a minute, it was cheryl that i was supposed to spend more time with! hahahahaha... i have decided to get back to gardening too. i believe there was a reason why God created the perfect garden and put adam and eve in it, to till and enjoy it. there is so much you can learn about the Creator from His creation. our new passion fruit plant is flowering finally. i hope it will not grow too out of control like the previous one. definitely looking forward to passion fruits. also, the mango tree has been flowering but no signs of fruits yet. will post photos soon. saw a really small cute baby praying mantis on the passion fruit plant leaf today but couldn't capture it (on camera) cos i was already late. have been arriving at least half an hour early to work everyday and intend to visit dealers on a more organised, regular basis. dennis is no longer leaving for australia, so i don't have to look for new staff. i am also journaling the teens meetings weekly on another blog so as to help me remember what happened at the end of the year. we have had 4 new children this two weeks! oh, bella is getting seen to, and i hope to be able to drive her around a bit more soon. mei's time back seemed to fly by but the prospect of our going over in september is keeping things from looking glum. also, sue mei and khee guan are coming back in march with the kids! i promise more pictures in the next post... ;)

Update

Well, as Pei Ling pointed out in the comments to the last post, it IS time for an update... and probably the last post of the year. What has been happening recently? Well, besides being busy with the JIC choir, Mei is BACK! and I am typing this on my new macbook (company purchase, ok?). Had sleepover for my Teens class and also Overnighter for the Teens children (photos on Facebook). Boss came for a visit. And many more things I can't remember. So what would my resolutions for the new year be? I can think of a few.

1. Get back into a routine so I can spend proper time in prayer and Bible study.

2. Put my heart into my Chinese lessons.

3. Spend more time with Cheryl.

4. Take Bloc for a walk everyday.

5. Take time to plan.

Looks like they all have to do with proper time management. Cheryl got me a Moleskine planner, while Pei Ling gave me journal for Christmas. We have terminated our Astro subscription (effective 13th Jan because of 1 month notice). So, I really have no excuse for not spending time more wisely now. If only it were that easy. Anyway, with your prayers and encouragement and in the Lord's strength, I know it can be done. What about stuff planned for the new year? Evan's birthday party on 6th in Penang. The revival of the Singing and Drama team? More interesting programs for the Teens? All require planning wor....

Ordering my private world

Mum bought me the book Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald quite some time back. I remember reading it but don't remember if i finished it. Anyway, i recently decided it was time to take a step back and take stock of myself. Whether i was being true to myself in the things that i do and get into. It's quite scary to find that i am just drifting along in life, doing what i think is what God wants me to do and not really knowing if what i'm doing is because i am driven to by the expectations of people around me, or my own selfish ambitions or simply because these things present themselves to me and i just take them on. So, since last tuesday, i have taken away a few distractions that rob me of my time. No fb for a week at least, no tv, just to put myself into a more contemplative mode before i reach another 'milestone' in my life. I've pressed the economy button on my car and forced myself to keep within the speed limits, something that is extremely tough for me to do and i find a real challenge. As i work at being a true disciple to the most gracious and loving Lord and Master, i know my growth has been stunted, but better late than never right? Anyway, i hope those of you who read this blog will keep me in your prayers as i attempt, by the Lord's strength, to order my private world, so that i will truly understand stewardship, know exactly who i am, possess an unwavering sense of purpose and practice unswerving commitment in my life. As i strife to have my mind renewed by the grace of the One who has called me, may i be a blessing to each of you too.

experiments

How long it has been since I've posted something. Been trying to wrap my head around this whole photography thing but not quite sure how I'm doing... Here are a few samples... (click on image for full size)

Water cabbage
Cherry tomato flower
Radiated tortoise
Crackpot plant flower

Oh, and this bird comes every morning and 'grumbles' at our window. I say grumbles cos it doesn't chirp like a sparrow or sing like a magpie robin, but well, grumbles... At least that's what it sounds like to me. It sometimes pecks on the glass too!

starbucks bug

Finally took the mug Tong How and Pei Yee gave me to the office... so that it could join his fellow starbucks brethren in their quest take over the mug world... and no, none of the other mugs belong to me except the standard mug that I inherited from Khairul after he left...

a change

Ok, the next time you see photos on my blog, it will be from a 'new' camera. I have sold my trusty Panasonic FZ7, which I really love and got myself an old 2nd hand Olympus E300. The FZ7 has loads of features but I use the simplest 'point and shoot' mode for most of my shots. Now I have to learn how to even just get a shot in focus... Well, I guess it's time to learn something new. I'm quite sure the new owner of the FZ7 will be having fun with it too ;)

Bye bye FZ7...


Hello E300...
Notice how the shot of the E300 looks better, cos I still haven't learned to use the dslr properly yet... huhu...

Our Video

Never had this when we were married almost 11 years ago, so when Azril said his wife, Iza, wanted to do a photoshoot for us cos they don't have any Chinese couples in their portfolio, I agreed. I'm not one to take to posing and having his picture taken. Even snapped at the poor camera man on our wedding day when he made us pose uncomfortably on the wedding car. Anyway, we rushed back from choir practice to meet up with the Myshots team and followed them to a location near our place. The whole shoot took less than an hour and just in time for them to buka puasa. Here's what Azril did video wise, photos will come later... watch in HD if possible...

www.myshotswedding.com

Fiction and Fantasy

Dreams are stuff you... well.... dream. Some people chase their dreams and make it a reality. Others sit back and watch. Still others have their dreams come through by a fortunate (or otherwise) twist of events. Dreams are often about things you desire to have, people you wish the same of and perhaps situations you imagined yourself in. Some people live their lives around their dreams, others pause for a moment to fantasize then get back to reality. In my fantasy, I have a pretty 9 year old daughter named Kerith. She has a 6 year old sister who's more outgoing and adventurous than her. And they both find their 4 year old baby brother very annoying... ok, enough day dreaming, Time to get back to reality!

Old Photos

Can you spot anyone familiar in the photo below?

Ok, so we know one guy's name's simon.... answer below...

Hire a parent?!

Came across this advert in the Low Yat forum... Some kid put up and ad to hire someone to act as his parent for report card day! Really gotta give it to him for creativity... Unfortunately, he's got quite a small budget, hahah

http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1103739

WTHire Matured Woman or Man, age 50 - 60 for report card day -_-

Item(s): Matured Woman or Man . CHINESE only. smile.gif age 50-60.

Package includes:

Price: RM30, just need ur help for 1 hour.

Location: SMK Damansara Utama opposite Uptown smile.gif

Contact method/details: PM ME URGENT !! biggrin.gif
---


this is not for anything sexual

just need help from anyone of you that their mom or aunty is free this thursday 23 July.

easy money up for grabs. i actually need 2 man or woman to pretend to be me and my friend's mother/father to collect our report cards.

very simple just be at my school , SMK DAMANSARA UTAMA at 23 JULY THURSDAY between 8am-11am. and pretend to be my mom and collect the report card and just act.

then you will be paid RM30 just for that.. biggrin.gif

please help ~ thumbup.gif thumbup.gif URGENT biggrin.gif

This post has been edited by carbonfibre: Today, 02:35 PM

The Cost of Real Love is No Charge...

Came across this country song by Melba Montgomery and it made my eyes water... (click 'play' to listen)

No Charge.wma - Melba Montgomery

NO CHARGE
Melba Montgomery
Writer: HARLAN HOWARD

Recitation:

My little boy came into the kitchen this evenin'
While I was fixin' supper
And he handed me a piece of paper he'd been writin' on
And after wipin' my hands on my apron
I read it - and this is what it said:

For mowin' the yard - five dollars
And for makin' my own bed this week - one dollar
And for goin' to the store - fifty cents
An' playin' with little brother, while you went shoppin' - twenty-five cents
Takin' out the trash - one dollar
Gettin' a good report card - five dollars
And for rakin' the yard - two dollars
Total owed - fourteen seventy-five.

Well, I looked at 'im standin' there expectantly
And a thousand mem'ries flashed through my mind
So I picked up the pen, turnin' the paper over,
This is what I wrote:

For nine months I carried you
Growin' inside me - NO CHARGE
For the nights I've sat up with you,
Doctored you, prayed for you - NO CHARGE
For the time and the tears.
And the cost through the years, there's NO CHARGE
When you add it all up.
The full cost of my love is NO CHARGE.

For the nights filled with dread
And the worries ahead - NO CHARGE
For advice and the knowledge
And the cost of your college - NO CHARGE
For the toys, food and clothes and for wipin' your nose
There's NO CHARGE, son
When you add it all up,
The full cost of my love, is - NO CHARGE.

Recitation:
Well, when he finished readin'
He had great big old tears in his eyes
And he looked up at me and he said,
"Mama, I sure do love you."
Then he took the pen,
And in great big letters
He wrote: "PAID IN FULL."

When you add it all up
The cost of real love is - NO CHARGE



Thanks Pa and Mum, for teaching me what real love is... Love you both very much :)

Just For Pun...

Chee Choun sent me these via email.... enjoy!

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Lino­leum Blownapart.

9. Two silkworms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organisation.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: ‘You stay here; I’ll go on a head.’

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab centre: ‘Keep off the Grass’.

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said: “No change yet.”

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

18. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

19. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

20. A backward poet writes inverse.

21. In democracy, it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism, it’s your count that votes.

22. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

Eaten Alive!

Our poor tree in front of the house. Got attacked by hundreds of caterpillars and i don't know if it'll survive. The fig tree nearby seems to have been attacked by something too...

"You've been looking a little down lately dear."

Jimmy's heart raced. She'd noticed! He pulled her closer as she approached the bed he was sitting on. He looked up at her then hugged her tightly, his hair wetting her pink work blouse a little. Should he tell her that he was frustrated, angry and sad all at once? Could he tell her that it was partly because of her? All he needed was a little attention. He was screaming for it but she never seemed to notice, till now. He thought hard for the right words to say. Should he also tell her about the problems he'd been having at school? Did he want to burden her with the details? or should he just savor the moment? But before he could open his mouth, she pulled herself away.

"Mummy's gotta go now. Pick yourself up and get on with life", she said as she walked out the door.

Jimmy sat there all alone again. He shouldn't blame her. He knew she loved him and had to work. Maybe he should go away so she didn't have to work so hard....