look, it's a rainbow!

I hear a quiet, still voice saying...

2012-02-06T06:33:00.006+08:00

"...love,"

In all joy, in all uncertainty,

In all hope and in all disappointment,

Love.

Because God has called us to love.

And never to judge.

"Love is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."

In Narnia, Lucy never once judged Mr. Tumnus. Being innocent and unassuming, she believed that he meant only good.

"Oh, no. You're the nicest faun I've ever met. You can’t have done anything that bad."

Lucy: Oh, I should go.
Tumnus: It’s too late for that now. I'm such a terrible faun.
(Tumnus is lying down)
Lucy: Oh, no. You're the nicest faun I've ever met.
Tumnus: Then I'm afraid you've had a very poor sampling.
Lucy: You can’t have done anything that bad.
(Lucy hands Tumnus her handkerchief)
Tumnus: It's not something I have done, Lucy Pevensie. It's something I'm doing.
Lucy: What are you doing?
Tumnus: I'm kidnapping you. It was the White Witch. She’s the one who makes it always winter,
always cold. She gave orders: If any of us ever find a human wandering in the woods, we’re
supposed to turn it over to her.
Lucy: Oh, but Mr. Tumnus, you wouldn’t…I thought you were my friend.

(Lucy and Tumnus run to the lamppost)

Tumnus: She may already know you’re here. The woods are full of her spies! … Even some of the
trees are on her side!
(Lucy glances up at the trees. Finally, Lucy and Tumnus step into the light of the lamppost)
Tumnus: Can you find your way back from here?
Lucy: I think so. … Will you be alright?
(Tumnus starts to cry)

Lucy: Hey, there there. It’s alright
(Tumnus tries to return the handkerchief)
Lucy: Keep it. You need it more than I do.
Tumnus: No matter what happens, Lucy Pevensie, I am glad to have met you. You’ve made me feel warmer than I’ve felt in a hundred years. Now go. Go!

Even when Mr. Tumnus himself revealed his bad intentions to kidnap her, Lucy still had so much hope. Child-like faith.

"Oh, but Mr. Tumnus, you wouldn’t!"

For indeed, "Love always hopes, always perseveres."

And most importantly, "Love never fails."

Lucy's endearing love touched Mr. Tumnus, completely transforming the faun for the better.

"Lucy Pevensie, I am glad to have met you. You’ve made me feel warmer than I’ve felt in a hundred years."

As Heidi McLaughlin puts it, "...wherever we are, our love can melt the hardest heart, heal wounded hearts, show compassion, or quiet an anxious or fearful heart."

Love will shine when all is dark.

We are all broken beings in some way or another. This is truth.

But if we were to emphasize each other's brokenness and faults, what hope is there in life?

The hardest of hearts would only turn harder.

Instead, if we believe that one only meant good, there is a high chance that this perception may cause the other to transform for the better, just as in the case of Lucy and Mr. Tumnus.

Even if this transformation does not occur, we are called to forgive. To overlook all past offences, assuming they were done out of ignorance. To love, and look at the beautiful side of each person.

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." - Luke 23:34

And all of this hope is made possible, because our God is stronger than any other. He is our avenger. He is a God of Justice. Our God will come to our defense.

We become like what we focus on.

If we are to keep record of wrongs and try to build walls to protect ourselves from hurt and betrayal, we cannot love wholeheartedly. There will always be a contradicting thought at the back of our minds.

Just like a sheep willingly following its shepherd wherever he leads, we should lay our doubts, fears and cares at the foot of the cross, and trust that our Shepherd will look after each of us.

Lift our eyes to Heaven, and there will be freedom.

Freedom to love, truly.

For indeed, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails". - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Because God is so good, so faithful...

2011-12-08T03:01:00.001+08:00

I choose joy.

I choose to rejoice and give thanks for His bountiful blessings.

Faith

2011-11-21T20:42:00.001+08:00

There are times when what I thought, were my core beliefs, are questioned. I find myself repeating these values over and over again to myself and to others, only to realize that I may, perhaps, not, at this point in time, fully comprehend the depth of what I'm actually saying.

But I believe that it is during these times, that that specific belief would be taken to a greater level of understanding.

Any initial comprehension of a principle would be shaky. I'd like to think of it as climbing a steep hill. You suddenly lose your grip, and you try to grab as many things as possible to keep yourself steady - new shrubs, stones, branches of trees etc. You soon realize that many of these things are not stable either, and you let go of them, tightening your grip on those which are firm, like the bigger rocks perhaps. Most of the time, if you find a very stable rock, just stepping on that one rock would keep you safe and balanced.

In the same way, that one rock is God.

"...my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my Savior," - 2 Samuel 22:3

Our beliefs should be strongly rooted in God and His word, and there should be no looking back. Just as a shrub is pruned from time to time, so is our faith.

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." - Colossians 3:23-24

in the realms of His grace and love

2011-11-18T06:35:00.003+08:00

So much has been happening these weeks, and many lessons learnt. I feel almost compelled to write the long due blog post but time restrains. It beckons me to return to my assignments, which are all due tomorrow and next week. But before I end, I have to say, the best times in the world are those quiet times, alone, in the vast green, or sometimes, in the drizzles, singing hymns of praise, speaking to our dear Father in Heaven. Pondering, sighing or laughing. Watching the carefree scampers of squirrels, adorable puppies. Laying down all silly thoughts, emotions and fears at the foot of the cross, receiving His divine restoration and strength from above. Oh, the wondrous beauty of dwelling in His presence!

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me

2011-10-13T06:40:00.006+08:00

It's been over a month since I first reached Dublin, and God has been so, so good to all of us. Though the excitement about being in a foreign, four season land has markedly reduced, and as we become more aware of our responsibilities and (notoriously mind-stimulating) duties as medical students, I still cannot help but gasp in awe of the beauty of the surroundings each day.

The unpredictable climate, the strong winds, the incessant raindrops and the much welcomed sunshine - you cannot help but wonder in amazement what tomorrow holds for us (literally!).

Thus far, we've had a few enlightening lectures about medical etiquette and interesting patients. I find them particularly uplifting as it gives us, at least, a vague picture of our lives five years down the road. It gives us some form of direction, and encouragement, knowing that all our efforts would eventually, by the grace of God, prove beneficial in our respective medical careers. We have also been given the task, in pairs to interview a patient at their respective residences -that seems potentially interesting and I'm looking forward to it next week.

I met a warm, endearing elderly lady in a nursing home a few weeks ago, as part of one of our assignments. I couldn't help but smile at her, she reminded me, slightly, of my grandmas back in Malaysia. Sure enough, she was one bubbly, spunky grandma. As we introduced ourselves, I saw a glimmer of excitement in her eyes when she heard we were medical students. She then told us the following:

"Well, you know, I have a grandson. He's studying medicine too, in Trinity - you know where that is?"

She looked at me expectantly, and I nodded rather enthusiastically in response.

"Yes, that's grand..." and she paused for a moment, as her eyes lifted towards the sky through the windowpane just across the room.

"He's a nice chap you know," as she turned slowly towards us again. "A really good chap,"

She was about to continue speaking, and I expectantly waited for the usual, loving, wise words of advice the elderly had for us, but was briefly interrupted by the nurse on duty.

"Thank you ma'am, but these students should leave now. You need to rest,"

"Okay, okay. Well then, I wish you all the best in your medical studies," the grandma said, a little disappointed.

I felt bad for the grandma, and impulsively reached out to give the grandma a hug. Rather unexpected, but I was glad, I hope she felt the same too : )

Then, we were given the opportunity to attend a physiotherapy class for the elderly, which I found absolutely entertaining. The instructor motioned for me to sit on the chair in between herself and another elderly lady.

And ragtime music was played.

"Okay sweethearts (referring to the grandpas and grandmas), let us exercise our toes!"

So the flexion, extension, adduction and abduction (medical jargon alert!) of toes began.

One, two, three, four.

Two, two, three, four.

Doing great sweethearts!

And I was definitely enjoying myself, being an audience, watching the amusing routine. It reminded me of ballet class, when we used to sing the song, "Good toes, naughty toes". : )

And all of a sudden, the instructor stopped the music and looked at my group mates and I expectantly.

Come on, if they can do it, you can do it too!

One, two, three, four.

Two, two, three, four.

Toes up..

... keeping her eyes on us.

We were horrified. Clearly, that was not part of the plan. We were there as students, outsiders, detached from the community within the nursing home - just there to learn, get enough information to write a report and return home.

But soon, we realized we had no choice but to submit ourselves to her (instructor) orders.

Very good!

Leg up. Hold.

One, two, three, four...

I was actually enjoying the routine very, very much. And I could see the elderly beaming with delight.

When the exercise finally ended, the grandma beside, tapped me on my shoulder and said,

"Hi, I'm Mary, what's yours?"

That was so sweet!!

God has the most unique ways of bringing sunshine to our lives.

I could go on and on about the many amazing people God has brought along my path, just in Dublin itself. The helpful bus drivers who spend two to three minutes, telling me how to get to a certain hospital or nursing home, a random man and lady who offered me their cards FOC, so that I could photostat a number of documents, the cashier who offered me a free cup of tea since she had an extra cup, very helpful seniors, church members etc.

I am so grateful.

There are so many uncertainties when you come to a foreign land, but all these fade away in the light of His glory and grace. Our Father in Heaven makes sure that we are all well taken care of. He never fails us. Indeed, He is to be praised.

Endless praise.

Today was a relatively busy day for me towards the evening, and I returned home a little fatigued, but eager to make myself a warm meal. However, I wasn't very careful with the knife and accidentally cut both my fingers.

I was quite shocked myself to see blood literally freely flowing out of both fingers, and by the end of twenty minutes, it had collected to almost the top of a microwave box. (sorry for the vivid description, couldn't help it) It was a very strange feeling, a little hypnotizing initially. I stood, perplexed, not knowing what to do next. I was alone in the house and my phone had run out of credit.

Very, very strangely, instead of taking action, I was just filled with so much appreciation for my fingers.

It was a deep cut ( I shouldn't elaborate further), but anyway, what I'm trying to express here is that I am entirely grateful that my fingers were not severed. I would never be able to play the piano, or any other instrument.

Using my uninjured hand, I began searching on the net for what I should do next. As usual, this did not help to bring relief, in the least. I began reading this sentence:

A deep cut on the fingers could possibly cause damage to the peripheral nerves...

...and I stopped. It was too much to take in such a short span of time.

Solemn moment of realization.

But again, God is so amazing. I was beginning to feel the stinging pain, and probably the slight effects of blood loss. A little anxious. After a number of unanswered calls on the internet, I decided to go down to a friend's room to ask for help.

And they quickly brought me in, cleaned my wounds, fed me and made me rest on the couch for some time (as I was beginning to see white).

Blessing after blessing.

A blessing in the disguise of a crisis.

Showers of love, hearts of gold.

Thank you, you beautiful people! : )

God is good all the time.

And with this, I conclude with a stanza from one of my favourite hymns, "His Eye is On The Sparrow".

"When songs give 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,"

With much love,

Sarah C

Stepping out. Experiencing.

2011-09-20T06:04:00.002+08:00

Photographed by Carol Jhayssy Manja

Greens turn to shades of fiery red and orange.

Bursts of vibrant yellow and earthy brown.

Against the deep blue sky.

Sunlight streaming through the trees.

Leaves glistening.

A magnificent sight to behold - what beauty!

On a Sunday morn, I was deeply moved by the grand, ethereal sounds of the pipe organ and the resounding voices of congregational singing;

"Now you are, exalted to the highest place,
King of heavens, where one day I´ll bow.
But for now, I marvel at this saving grace,
and I´m full of grace once again."

Beautiful.

Magnificent.

Glorious is His name.

In the flurry of events, we fix our eyes upon Jesus.

Steadfast.

Unfaltering.

Looking full in His wonderful face.

"Your grace is sufficient for me,
Your strength is made perfect when I am weak,
All that I cling to,
I lay at your feet,
Your mercy has triumphed where I should be judged,
So now by your grace I am free."

So blessed. Dublin.

2011-09-09T05:56:00.003+08:00

Two years ago, Dublin seemed so far away.

Two years ago, we buried our heads in books at the last minute, spent hours worrying over our results and spent many sleepless nights just waiting. Waiting, and waiting.

Only by His grace.

His mercies.

A burst of fresh, crisp, cold air, as I stepped out of the plane.

Wondrous. Beautiful.

The land of green and dew.

Blustery days.

Drizzles and occassional heavy pelts of raindrops.

I am in awe.

I am entirely grateful.

This is Dublin.

Augmenting August's Capacity

2011-08-17T13:25:00.001+08:00

Checked the mailbox, and found a jewel amongst junk mail - a beautiful postcard from a dear friend! : ) I am in awe of the picturesque scenes even within this campus. New Zealand is heaven! : )

These months, I have developed such a strong liking for pumpkins! I mean, who can not love pumpkins? They have gorgeous hues of orange, are rich in flavour and have such creamy, thick texture!

Absolutely delectable!

Anyways, this pumpkin passion resulted in a series of culinary adventures - everything pumpkin based! First, it was cheese sauce without cheese, adapted from this recipe.

And now, it's the Spiced Pumpkin Oat Muffin, with spiced cream cheese filling!

It wouldn't be honest of me to say that I had an amazing time making this muffin, considering this being my first attempt ever at baking. Nevertheless, I'd say it was most satisfying to see the muffins rising in the oven, growing in height as the heat grew more and more intense.

This muffin is a little more moist than usual, but extremely delicious, especially with its sweet and spicy overtones. Besides, it was wonderful to enjoy these muffins without guilt. Everything in this muffin is, um, healthy, considering the ingredients - whole wheat flour, oats, cranberries, fresh pumpkin puree, freshly grated ginger, cinnamon and molasses! : )

Adapted from this recipe, check it out for a guilt-free, scrumptious muffin!

It was also a month of firsts for me as my Dad and I hiked up Penang Hill for the first time!

You must be thinking, "What? You call yourself a Penang lang (which means 'citizen' in the Hokkien dialect)?". : )

Well, yea, but I'm so glad we finally did it! : ) The first kilometer up was the most challenging, as I wasn't really mentally, and physically prepared for it. In addition to that, being a little too excited (and ambitious), I carried a heavy backpack with extra clothing, a towel, water, my DSLR and its accessories.

But I thank God for this man in his sixties who encouraged us till midway (when he stopped and decided to hike back down). We would never have made it if not for his persistent assistance and optimism.

We started out in the late afternoon. Thus, halfway up, we saw many hikers happily coming down the hill, while we were perspiring profusely and panting, slowly climbing up against the force of gravity.

We both knew that we had to make it to the peak, so that this afternoon would be worthwhile. Yet, I was quietly hoping that my dad would just turn back and I would gladly follow. : ) And vice versa.

But of course, there was no literal conversation of that sort, so, we solemnly hiked up. No turning back.

Completing the final lap. The road is noticeably less steep as compared to the path midway.

The breathtaking scene of Penang! All our breathless moments hiking up the hill were worthwhile! : )

Tears of joy!

A tree illuminated with yellow light from below.

"This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24

Well, I hope you have an amazing August, filled with love and many happy surprises : )

What INTEC Has Taught Me: Seniors are awesome!

2011-08-17T01:13:00.005+08:00

All this while, I've always believed in a positive senior-junior relationship. Perhaps, being the eldest in the family made me think that way. However, this wasn't really reflected in my schooling days, until...

INTEC : )

Being that stereotypically overenthusiastic junior when I first entered INTEC, I immediately participated in some sort of a talent show held in conjunction with the German Week. Looking back, I realize that I probably made too many calls to the senior in charge, asking a whole list of questions of when I could try out the piano, whether I made it to the final round, etc. etc. : )

Anyways, I soon realized that I was the only junior participant in the entire competition, and the thought of it was quite intimidating indeed. I expected to be ignored by all the seniors, and thought I had to sort of 'fend for myself', and stay a lone ranger. Haha!

Again, I was so wrong. The moment I stepped into the hall, I was warmly greeted by at least four to five seniors, who not only brought me to the registration counter, but also made sure that I was well taken care of. It felt so good to be looked after once in a while. From the first day of competition till the final round, never once did I feel lost or neglected. Seniors were always there, ever ready to help me out in any matter, making sure that I felt welcome in the company of other seniors. Honestly, I was touched. Very touched.

I thanked God for these amazing seniors, but told myself that it was most probably a rare experience, which would only occur once in a blue moon.

Once again, God brought another group of equally amazing seniors to us juniors - the awesome peeps from Campus Alive (the Christian Fellowship group of INTEC). They literally took care of our every need - feeding and driving us, making sure that we were always taken care of. They were our torchbearers, leading the way - where men have hardly trodden.

Mountain movers.

Inspirers.

And we watched in awe and admiration.

Being blessed with such noble seniors has given me greater insight on the responsibility and love of seniors towards the juniors.

Indeed, it does feel quite overwhelming at times, trying to emulate such exemplary leadership as displayed by our seniors. Nevertheless, along that path of transformation, I realize that emulation comes with responsibility, and originality.

They constantly sought God for wisdom and direction, and each had a quiet, gentle spirit.

I believe, these qualities are exactly what we should be emulating.

I thank God for all of you seniors! And, if you're reading this, thank you! : )

Look, it's a rainbow (of hope)!

2011-08-11T19:18:00.001+08:00

Well hello everyone! : ) It's been two years since I last changed this blog's layout, thus I thought a revamp would do this blog some good - so as not to bore you, my dear readers, and myself : )

What do you think of it? : )

I asked my sister the same question, and she emphatically said that it would be very appealing to little children. In her words, "It'll make a good kindy website!".

: |

Oh well, I guess I'll have to agree on that point, but it's good to be young at heart, always! : )

I must admit that I was struggling with HTML and mostly, CSS codes all the way through, but I'm so glad it's over now! : ) The tutorials online have been a big help! If you'd like to learn more about these codes, check out W3Schools! Very enlightening site!

On another note, I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate all you peeps who have just received your A level results, and to you who will be embarking on a new journey in university - whether in Malaysia (truly Asia) or overseas.

This marks the start of a new phase of your life, and therefore a new rainbow of hope lies ahead! Be excited to experience the great plans God has for each and every one of you! : )

I'd also like to challenge all of us to take the road less traveled by, because as Robert Frost says, 'that has made all the difference'. : )

In whatever you do, stay courageous and never lose hope! : )

As for me, I am still waiting along with many others for our Edexcel A Level results on the 18th of August. I must say, it is quite a task to steer away from negative thoughts which invoke feelings of anxiety and fear.

But since it is said in the Bible,

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." - Philippians 4:6

it is best that we busy ourselves with other matters and pray unceasingly, to prevent our mind from wandering elsewhere : )

Meanwhile, I hope all of you are enjoying this week thus far, and smile! : )

What INTEC Has Taught Me: Accepting 'NO' as an Answer (PART 2)

2011-07-22T17:24:00.004+08:00

This is a continuation of "What INTEC Has Taught Me: Accepting 'NO' as an Answer (PART 1)".

So from my previous experience, I learnt to submit to God's authority. At the same time, I unknowingly developed a 'mini phobia' towards my HOP. It became so bad that I did not even dare to ask her for permission, and just passively assumed that it would always be a 'no'.

A couple of my course mates and I took up 'Math' as an additional subject and had been attending Math lectures in college for about 2 years.

As for me, Math has always been my security blanket. At times, it would even become part of the foundation of my self-esteem. Even if I was facing problems with other subjects, I'd look to Math for some form of 'comfort'.

However, my HOP was not happy, again. She was concerned that Math would affect my performance in the three other subjects. Thus, at the last minute, just before trials, all of us (taking Math as an additional subject) were not allowed to sit for the Math paper for the real exams. Despite our appeals, our dear HOP was adamant about it.

I experienced repeated bouts of disappointment, frustration and at times, even humiliation, especially when told by others:

"Hey! I heard you aren't taking Math anymore. But you've been attending lectures for two years now! What a waste of time and effort!"

I know the above statement was said out of sympathy and concern, but yet, I felt so helpless and useless because I couldn't 'handle' math. My actions began to be controlled by fear and anxiety. And I began to develop negative feelings towards the entire situation. But again, in the Bible, it is said:

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." - 2 Timothy 1:7

Instead of timidity, power. And instead of frustration, love. And the self-discipline, so that we are not overwhelmed by emotions (in my case, fear). I personally find smiling the best remedy for facing our fears. The next few times I met our HOP, I forced a smile. Eventually, the smile came naturally, out of goodwill, and not forced respect.

Before I continue, I'd like to thank our awesome Math teacher, who, out of her own initiative, tried numerous times to convince our HOP to let us sit for the Math paper. Even though the attempts were not successful, we were all touched by our teacher's dedication and efforts.

So many times, I tried to run away from my fears, only to face them head-on. I believe, God knew it was important to overcome those fears before closing that chapter in my life.

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Also, I learnt that God is our only security blanket, and it is only in Him that we trust.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." - Proverbs 3:5

What INTEC Has Taught Me: Accepting 'NO' as an Answer (PART 1)

2011-07-20T10:35:00.010+08:00

Two years in INTEC, I believe, have done me much good. Thus, I plan to encapsulate all these lessons learnt into a series of honest posts entitled: What INTEC Has Taught me. This is the start.

It is my hope that you, dear readers, will be able to gain much insight from these experiences. Take courage, even when faced with adversity! : )

“God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons we could not learn in any other way. The way we learn those lessons is not to deny the feelings but to find the meanings underlying them.” - Stanley Lindquist

Before coming to INTEC, I pretty much received 'yes'es to most of my requests (accompanied with a beeg wide smile) : ). However, things changed two years ago.

I thought asking for a one-day leave from college (to attend an inspiring media workshop which I had been looking forward to for a long, long time) would be an easy task. Besides, I was given the impression that college students had more liberty than high school students. But I was SO wrong!

One fine day, I walked up to my Head of Programme with a letter in hand. I was greeted with quite a friendly smile, and a 'Yes?'. I introduced myself, and briefly described the workshop I was to attend. I talked about how important this workshop would be for me, not only now but for my future, and how I could better contribute to the college etc. (I know, that was quite a lot of rambling : D )

And before I could explain further, I was cut off with a short, curt, one word answer, which I had always feared - 'NO!'.

This can't be true, I thought.

Being rather desperate, I kept on asking, and soon, pleading. The HOP probably realized that I wasn't going to stop anytime, and warned me that she'd inform my scholarship-awarding body if I attended the workshop instead of college.

I was literally on the verge of tears. Probably due to the shock that I could face the prospect of having my scholarship withdrawn.

The 'thank you' which followed was one of the hardest ones I had ever uttered. Anyways, I knew I had to miss a day of the workshop, and attended college (obediently : D ). Nevertheless, this rejection affected me greatly for I was carrying a burden far too heavy, and I was unwilling to let go of it. But in the Bible, it is said,

"Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you." - Psalm 55:22

Although I could not see the point in staying for only one class that day (instead of attending the workshop), I guess it was more important to obey the authority God placed above me.

"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." - Romans 13:1

Of course, by this, I don't mean obeying any authority mindlessly. I believe in obeying after appealing persistently and praying fervently. Even Moses submitted to the authority God placed over him - the stubborn Pharaoh of Egypt.

When Moses said "Let my people go!", Pharaoh said "No!". Moses and his people did not flee, but prayed and appealed to Pharaoh again, and again, until Pharaoh relented:

"Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go." - Exodus 12:31-32

In my case, I did not receive a 'yes', but God knew I had to learn how to handle a 'no' as an answer too. Eventually, I did attend the workshop for the remaining three days, and had a wonderful time learning from such amazing, skilled, talented and passionate people.

Ultimately, I'd like to say that God cares for us so very much, and we need not worry about things not going our way because,

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9

When you feel like singing 'The Lazy Song' ...

2011-07-14T20:05:00.007+08:00

... sing the 'Happy Working Song' instead. : D

It works. It ALWAYS works, for me. I guess it should for you too? : )

* but you have to sing it with all your heart, with a smile on your face, even when you feel like hot oil has permeated through your skin, and your hands smell of 'that-characteristic-scent-on-all-unwashed-dishes'

Well, I've probably repeated myself too many times now, but honestly, housework gets you thinking about anything and everything - which usually equates to life.

So today, while catching a whiff of mom's fragrant chicken-fish broth, my mind drifted off (as usual), this time, to the issue of satisfaction in life.

I guess satisfaction can be said to be relative. Subjective.

Suppose we had all we needed, wanted and craved. Would that guarantee complete satisfaction? You probably know the answer to it : )

I don't think human beings will ever be satiated, primarily due to one reason - comparison.

Here's an example.

It's Christmas time! Mommy and Poppy drop little gifts into the stocking by Tommy and Bobby's bedside. On Christmas morn, little Tommy excitedly puts his hand deep into the stocking and pulls out a gleaming, red remote-controlled toy car. Tommy is the happiest boy on earth, because all year round, he had been begging Mommy to buy it for him. The red toy car was his only dream at that time, and it was a dream come true! Theoretically, Tommy should be completely satisfied.

Now, guess what happens next? Bobby reaches into his stocking, and pulls out a beautiful Thomas and Friends Wooden Train Set, complete with Percy the Railway Engine and Toby the Tram! : ) Bobby gasps in sheer delight. Little Tommy slowly peers over at Bobby, and he is filled with an emotion he has never felt in his life. An emotion which left him dissatisfied, a little envious, wanting more and more - all because of comparison.

Comparison is undeniably a part of our lives, all the way from childhood, to our teen years, adulthood, and finally, just before senescence : ) Comparison is usually used along with other techniques in teaching, for self-improvement, for a source of motivation etc.

In school - the rankings are based on comparison to other students.

"Country X is so much better than Country Y. What's wrong with Country X?'

Girl: "I only received RM100 from my parents. : ( My friend received RM1000! That's like 10 times more! Why can't my parents be as nice as hers?"

But soon, we realize that any thought or approach based on comparison comes with many adverse effects - the main being discontentment.

And if we experience continuous discontentment for a long period of time, there is a high chance we'd turn bitter towards the subject we are being compared to, holding grudges which were never meant to even exist. And the world would not be a happy place : (

I believe that the best comparison is not done horizontally, but vertically, with our Father in Heaven. For in the Bible it is said,

"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." - Matthew 5:48

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." - 2 Corinthians 3:18

We are all less than perfect beings. Comparing among ourselves will not result in any fair comparison at all. But comparing ourselves upwards results in valid comparison because we have a constant parameter - God! : )

Despite saying that, I must say it is almost impossible to avoid being a victim of comparison. As much as we tell ourselves to stay away from it, our mind will occasionally carry out comparisons, and we may be subject to comparison due to others.

Nevertheless, I believe, the only way to get through this vicious cycle is by making sure that all thoughts, actions and emotions, are based on our Father's love for us. Thank God for every little blessing in our lives, be generous with gratitude, and look nowhere else but upwards.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

The Unagi Days?

2011-07-09T01:30:00.005+08:00

A month ago, my sister ordered an Unagi (Japanese eel) set meal at a popular Japanese restaurant chain. Unfortunately, that dish caused her an upset stomach for the rest of the day. This incident made me think a little about the Unagi.

Like most eels, they are slimy and black on the outside, but when cooked, its meat is tender and white. The skinned Unagi is most often barbecued, steamed and served with vinegared rice. However, sometimes, the Unagi is not completely skinned, and there are remnants of black thin skin on the fish. Just with a little effort and perseverance, the skin usually comes off easily by gentle scraping with the back of a knife.

So yesterday, during one of our 'piano practice sessions', I could see that "mah lil' Abigail" was getting really tired, and frustrated after hours of practising at the piano, twisting and stretching her fingers awkwardly to play chords, which were most probably meant for gargantuous adult hands. I knew exactly how she felt, as I too faced the same problem (before my hands grew that is : D ), and in an attempt to encourage her, I suddenly said:

"Abigail, these are the 'Unagi Days'! " (with much passion and conviction)

Obviously, Abigail gave me her most 'weirded out' look ever. And her hands froze in midair.

"Yea, the Unagi Days! You've got to keep persevering, and trying, and believing, and praying, and there will be a breakthrough! Right now, you're still gently scraping off the black skin. In just a moment, you'll be reaching the tender, succulent meat of the unagi!"

Most probably, Abigail didn't understand a thing I was saying, but anyway, she continued practising (rather obediently XD). Struggling. Persevering. Sighing. Trying. Obeying what I said, even when it was ridiculous (such as jumping, shouting 'REACH FOR THE SKY!', and practising). : D And the whole cycle repeated again and again.

Yesterday's practice session didn't end on a high note. There were still occasional mistakes, unwanted rhythm breaks and uneven trills. We were quite disappointed.

However, the next day, Abby was so pleased to announce that our piano teacher was 'quite happy' with the third movement, the piece we had been working on for hours. Joy! : )

Well, of course, this is only the beginning. Perfection requires sincere efforts over a long period of time. Nevertheless, a good start for ma lil' sis! : )

Indeed, as my Mom says, as long as you put your heart and soul into whatever you're doing, all your efforts will be worthwhile. Your actions determine the result. : )

And after you put in the effort, commit it all unto the Lord, and wait expectantly on the Lord. For in the Bible it is said,

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." - Proverbs 16:3

In honor of Fathers

2011-06-19T12:36:00.003+08:00

"Everything You are to me
Is everything I'll ever need
And I am learning to believe
That I don't have to prove a thing
'Cause You're the one who's saving me"

- Savior Please, Josh Wilson

Honoring all fathers and our Father in Heaven : )

On days like these

2011-06-07T22:24:00.003+08:00

... I treasure brief, but wonderful moments with my parents. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. It's so commonly used, that its true meaning is often overlooked. But if you stop, and ponder on in for a moment, you'll realize that it has a much deeper significance.

To-day, my dad came in person, and my mom, in spirit : ). Five hours of love and bliss. Eighteen thousand seconds of grace and goodness.

These weeks, I've been surviving on oats, fruits, salads and soup. ... And throughout these weeks, I've nurtured this immense like for cranberries. So much, that it's definitely a part of my every meal. Although my mom had to stay home to look after my other two sisters, she thoughtfully packed a huge bag of cranberries - after realizing that her eldest daughter had turned into quite a cranberry-craving monster : )

With every cranberry I eat, I'll be thinking - Mom : D ❤

What a beautiful connection - cranberries and mom! haha : )

I've also come to realize that it's probably almost every mother's dream for their children to play a musical instrument. As my Dad and I walked into a shopping complex, lo and behold, we saw a gleaming black beauty - a grand piano, left unattended in front of us! : ) I practically jumped with joy, after being deprived of it for almost a month. (As you know, we didn't have much time to bond, during the exams : D.)

Despite the piano being in the center of the mall, which meant that it was probably the center of attraction, I didn't have time to dwell on the possibilities (of catching unwanted attention). In rapture, I excitedly sat at the piano, running my fingers lightly over those gleaming ivory keys. Ah, heaven.

Moments later, an Indian family of three young children walked over and stood by the piano. I tried not to notice, and continued playing, but soon realized that it was only polite that I stop and acknowledge their presence.

We had a generally delightful conversation (their Mom and I) - except for the fact that their Mom first addressed me as 'aunty'. I was so horrified. It became obvious to the Mom that I was rather displeased (haha!) and so, she corrected herself, asking her little sons to call me 'akka' instead. Now, that's better! : )

As per Mom's request, I taught her two elder sons (three and five years of age respectively) to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the piano. Hm... shall I call it a success? Well, they managed to play the tune with their right hand, with no particular rhythm, and constant prompting (from me). : ) Oh dear God, do grant me more patience? : D

Oh boy, the best part of it was when I saw their mother beam with such joy. She was so proud of her sons, that she made them play the tune again as she recorded a video of them on her mobile phone. We (Mom and I) proceeded to discuss the importance of picking up a musical instrument at a young age.

Mom of three sons: But I think they're (the little lads) too young and playful. Usually, it's girls, not boys who play the piano.

I pondered on that for quite some time. Well, that's true. Just calculate the ratio of girls to boys who play the piano, out of a group of college students, for example. But I must say, some of the best piano players I've known are guys. (If you are a guy who plays the piano, yay for you!) AND, on the contrary, I've seen countless girls who are amazing drummers and bassists! Yeah! : D

Actually, it all depends on how passionate you are in picking up that instrument. That's all : ) So I hope the mom sends her kids for music lessons, for at least the first ten years of their life, and who knows, these lessons may nurture their hidden passion for that specific instrument : )

As a mom, I guess you've got to be really determined and persevering in sending your kids for lessons, and making sure they practice. Cause I think I was a quite a distracted kid, and practiced only an hour before my classes. Imagine the humongous amount of effort and monitoring I needed from my mom. : D You know, like in chemistry, you need that amount of 'activation energy' before a reaction occurs. That probably will come from your mom. Haha! And after that, like in any exothermic reaction, as heat is released, you discover your passion and love for the instrument! : D

Okay... : ) Just my two cents.

What do you think about going for music lessons at a young age and the importance of parent involvement in these lessons?

Because of His great love

2011-05-29T16:33:00.005+08:00

He gave His only Son.

This memory will remain etched in my mind forever. We were singing 'So You Would Come' in church today, and suddenly, Hannah and I heard a beautiful child-like voice from behind. We turned around to see a young girl, of hardly seven, so earnestly, passionately singing:

Come to the Father
Though your gift is small
Broken hearts, broken lives
He will take them all

Though her breath was short, she mustered all her strength and gave her all. There was not a trace of doubt or fear in her voice. But only her overwhelming child-like faith in our Father in Heaven.

Her unfaltering trust in the love and forgiveness of our God, reminds us that indeed, our God is the God of yesterday, today and forevermore.

We should never once be unfazed by disappointment or rejection, or doubt our Lord. Just complete assurance, and child-like faith in our Lord, that He will see us through.

For indeed, Jesus said:

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." - Matthew 19:14

p.s. i love debussy : )

2011-05-28T08:55:00.005+08:00

Always loved his music, and always will.

Words can never describe how beautiful his music is - the rich overtones, Javanese influences, the unique pedalling and delicate, mellow touch (which just melts my heart every time!), the occasional pentatonic harmony, how both the melody and accompaniment blend in so subtly, the brilliant chime-like upper range, the magical parallel chords etc. etc...

Though I probably know Claude Debussy only through his music, I'd say we would have been quite good pals XD

Debussy's music has kept me going these weeks - especially Maid With the Flaxen Hair, The Sunken Cathedral, Claire de Lune and Prelude to the Afternoon of a Fawn.

If you're reading this on Facebook, click on the 'View Original Post' button at the bottom of the page to listen to Debussy's impressionistic masterpiece : )

ripples across water's face

2011-05-24T18:01:00.005+08:00

In the end, may all disappointment be born with grace, and all joy accompanied with humility.

I just thought that was a beautiful one sentence summary of our feelings during the exam period : )

For the disheartened,

"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD." - Psalm 31:24

And for the glad-hearted,

"Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!" - Psalm 98:4

Regardless of the situation we're in, THIS remains true all the time:

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever." - Psalm 28:7-9

Note the present tense - I am helped. Not I was helped. Or I will be helped. : )

: ) Love.

* The title is completely unrelated to this post : ) Don't crack your brain trying to make a connection. : )

Somewhere over the rainbow...

2011-05-19T02:23:00.008+08:00

... the heavens welcome one more beautiful soul - a man who has touched the lives of many with his love, kindness, courage, resilient hope and unrelenting faith in God.

Growing up, I'd always hear stories of this young lad - of his small, yet steadfast steps; his diligence, persistence and dedication - and how that brought him far in life - to one of the most established medical schools in the US, and became a respected medical doctor, loved by his colleagues, patients. Everyone. And yet, he would always smile so kindly - wherever, whenever and to whoever. He became my inspiration.

In 2007, he was diagnosed with metastatic esophageal cancer. Quoting a paragraph from his online journal,

The journey has been long and hard, and it is indeed easy to slip into periods of self-pity but together we will will try to take it one step at a time, doing our best at every step in order that we can one day say that "we have fought the good fight, we have finished the race, we have kept the faith - 2 Timothy 4:7".

Despite all the pain and initial disappointed hopes, he courageously fought on and remained steadfast in the Lord. Always optimistic. In his journal, there would always be good news in every bad news. : ) A few months ago, though he clearly looked weary, he still smiled so kindly.

Tonight, I received a call. He'd gone to be with Jesus. For a moment, my heart sank. He'd be greatly missed by all.

But I know, up in heaven, our Father welcomes him with open arms.

"Welcome home."

"I know that God holds your life

Your battle is finally won and He said well done

My faithful servant well done." -Jeremy Manongdo

ha ha.

2011-05-14T07:59:00.007+08:00

Okay, firstly, I'd like to credit my usage of 'ha ha.' to Jan Tie. : ) I love that there is a space in between to separate the repeating monomer of 'ha'. (too much chemistry - so haha is a polymer??) And a full stop to signify its end. lol.

Anyway, on a random note, as I was browsing through the marking scheme of a Biology paper, look what I found:

Question:
A triglyceride consists of one glycerol molecule with three fatty acid molecules joined to it by ______ bonds.

Answer:
ester; ACCEPT esther or easter

ha ha. Are you kidding me? : D

So yeah, after that, I wasn't sleepy. : )

Have an awesome blessed weekend! : ) SMILE! : )

vegetable broth on a hot, languid afternoon

2011-05-10T19:37:00.004+08:00

Actually, I don't know how Popeye relates to this post. But anyway, have you eaten your spinach today? Mr Popeye here says you absolutely should! : O

These afternoons have been so scorching hot, that they just drain all the energy out of you. So sleepy. But guess what, I think I've found some form of potent soup - vegetable broth! : D haha.

All you need is lots of vegetables. No salt needed : D

Cabbage, carrots, celery, tomatoes, broccoli, seaweed; threw numerous cloves of garlic and bulbs of onions, and a dash of pepper. Pour enough water to cover the vegetables, heat to boil and then let it simmer for as long as you want : D

When you feel like it, drink up! : D Dinner! : )

*I've personally found boiled cloves of garlic to be quite filling indeed (I think I'm queer) , but of course, you can add rice or sweet potatoes for your source of carbohydrates : D

The Night is Young

2011-05-06T02:45:00.008+08:00

Random alert, very, very random. Even the title is random. XD

Random facts:

1. It's the study leave.

2. One more week to the grand opening ceremony, Biology on Mon! yay/nay?

3. I am sleepy, thus the randomness.

4. Do you know that Jesus loves you very much! (okay, um, forgive the syntax error as well. But this question ends with an exclamation mark. Yay!)

Insights:

A pastor said in church one weekend, that we are made to love everyone unconditionally.

He told us this story.

One beautiful/ sunny/ happy/ hopeful/ random/ sarahhy/ shaunthesheepy/ Fri/ *fill in your own adjective* day, a father and his son were travelling in the car.

Suddenly, a bee entered, and the boy panicked, as he had a terrible allergy towards bees. The father stopped the car immediately, and skillfully caught the bee with his bare hands.

Silence.

The older man grimaced for a moment, and soon after, he released the bee back into the car.

Appalled, the young boy asked, "Father, why did you release the bee?"

Solemnly, the father replied, "Son, I took its sting for you."

*Note: A bee can only sting once. Just like a fish hook, a bee's barbed stinger is easy to insert but difficult to remove.*

Random pic. Just thought you'd be interested to know? : D

Okay, enough of diversion. Back to the point.

I don't know why, but the ending struck me hard, as I thought more about it. Many times, we don't love, for fear that it may not be reciprocated. Many years back, I remember, as a young unsuspecting child, just loving everyone freely. And some responded with harsh sarcasm. Probably, being the young kid I was, I didn't expect that from the world. Burst into the staff room, and exclaimed to a teacher, "The world is so unfair!" Cried with my bolster, waking up the next day with my pillow damp in tears. (random : D).

XD lol. There, I've just shared a part of my childhood with you. Ha ha. Random.

Eventually, God taught me through many countless, beautiful (sometimes, painful) lessons, that we should give and expect nothing in return.

Community service to the world. Once in a lifetime opportunity.

After experiencing this infinite sacrificial love of God, who sent his Son, Jesus to die on the cross for us, is there not one thing we can do for this world God has placed us in?

So yes, just like how the father took the bee's sting, our Father in Heaven has taken the sting, so that we can love everyone.

What is 'the sting'? Well, maybe smiling, and receiving indifference from someone. Or perhaps a scowl? : ) It can also be greeting and complimenting someone sincerely, and not receiving a response you expected.

Or perhaps... sending a super lengthy heartfelt sms/email/fb wall post to someone, and receiving a short, curt reply?? Does that sound familiar? : D

Yes, I know it hurts. And we start to find ways of protecting ourselves from the pain, by not loving that person. And we judge. But remember, our loving Father in heaven has already taken the sting of it. We are dead to self (Romans 6), we are made to love. Because we already have the unfailing love of our Father, that is the best love we can ever have. I believe, just clinging on to that love is enough to refresh us, liberating us from the world of disappointed hopes.

If we do not expect, the world does not disappoint : )

After all, look upwards for the ultimate hope. We were always meant to give sideways, but receive upwards : ) *wait, do you get what I mean? : D*

Derive joy from giving. Thank God for positive responses. Smile at 'not-so-positive' responses. Know that everyone is facing their own battle, and perhaps, they need love more than we do. Besides, we've got an infinite source! : ) Look beyond our superficial expectations, to see their need.

Anyone we meet is a part of God's purpose for our lives! : )

Longest random post ever, I think : )

Jesus loves you and I love all of you too!

How Great Thou Art

2011-04-26T20:05:00.013+08:00

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation,

And take me home- what joy shall fill my heart!

Then I shall bow in humble adoration,

And there proclaim, my God, how great thou art!

* Carrie's rendition of this timeless hymn is too beautiful for words. You have to watch it.

living waters. filled eternally.

2011-04-19T18:08:00.002+08:00

Let a man who is thirsty

be brought to an ocean of pure water, and he has enough…

God is a satisfying good — the soul cries out, ‘I have enough.’

God is the chief good.

That which is the chief good must ravish the soul with pleasure!

There must be in it rapturous delight and quintessence of joy!

God is the chief good.

Therefore the enjoyment of him

is the highest felicity.

- Thomas Watson

Merry Christmas! : )

2011-04-13T01:39:00.005+08:00

i wish.

April Fooled!

Have a blessed week : )

I am the God that Healeth Thee

2011-04-04T18:28:00.009+08:00

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your disease,”
- Psalm 103:2

I woke up yesterday morning, to find that i had a terrible sore throat. It got worse in the afternoon, and I could hardly speak without experiencing pain in my upper palette. I was rather anxious about it, as I would need my voice for the next few days. Helpless and all, I prayed and committed this matter to the Lord.

Initially, I just felt like informing my friend right away that I would not be able to make it for worship practice . Nevertheless, despite the little faith I had, a small, lingering part of me just wanted to believe His promises. And God is good all the time! : ) The sore throat miraculously disappeared today morning! : ) Ah, the joys of experiencing God's gifts and goodness! : )

Well, although I'm still not completely well (slight fever and a throbbing headache), I'm trusting the Lord, Jehovah-Rapha, our Healer! : )

If you're sick today (physically or emotionally), God can heal you too! : ) <3

"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." - Romans 8:28

I am grateful for

2011-04-02T22:19:00.008+08:00

a) a teacher, who actually tells you to look for marking errors in your exam papers to gain the three more marks you need to get an A.

b) a waiter who walks up to you, and corrects the initial receipt, telling you ' Maaf, waitress tadi caj kamu terlalu mahal'

c) sunny days which speed up the evaporation process, so necessary for dry laundry

d) a super short electricity cut

e) the nightly calls from mom and dad, and their heartfelt, encouraging prayers

f) bible.cc and biblegateway.com which makes it so much easier to refer to bible verses

g) peaceful, quiet, mornings

h) an effective alarm ringtone

i) sunny, understanding, cooperative people

j) invigorating, liberating dances with Santhya, to 'Kingdom Dance' from Tangled's soundtrack : )

k) for our ever loving, amazing God. Nothing is too big for our God!

: )

the sun hath risen.

2011-03-27T13:16:00.018+08:00

There is transforming power in the

DECLARATION OF PRAISE

by FAITH

in worship.

In the biblical context, the name Sarah connotes persistence and steadfast faith. Although she struggled with the harsh conditions of her time, with God's strength, Sarah eventually rose above her circumstances and overcame life's hardships.

Though many times I have fallen, Sarah's transformation from a life of doubt to that of strong faith constantly encourages me to rise again and place my trust in God. Philippians 1:6 tells us that "...He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ". Nevertheless, when circumstances begin to threaten the hopes and dreams God has placed within me, it's so easy to get caught in the cycle of self-pity and anxiety. Then I realized that faith is not just believing that God is at work in our lives.

Today, God reminds me that that faith should be taken a step further by thanking God for what we cannot see at this present moment in time and by acknowledging the manifestations of God's presence.

This step of faith is so liberating. I assure you. : )

So, dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your mighty hand at work in my life! : )

"For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." - 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

we call out Abba Father! : )

2011-03-20T20:59:00.002+08:00

"Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."

- Isaiah 40:26

: )

At the Cross I Bow My Knee

2011-03-05T00:20:00.004+08:00

“These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word." - Isaiah 66:2

Courage lives in the heart of the lowly… those who can embrace humility and the possibility of imperfection … because that needy place is where God meets us.

"Just bow in humility to rise up in courage." [read more of this insight here!]

And He welcomes us with open arms. Jesus hold me close in your embrace.

God's Loving Assurance

2011-02-28T02:08:00.002+08:00

Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
2 Corinthians 3:4-5

at the scent of water it will flourish

2011-02-22T01:41:00.003+08:00

10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:10-11

Philippians 4:12

2011-02-08T01:41:00.002+08:00

Love this Bible verse. It's easy to overlook verses such as these, but if you look closely, it actually means so much.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. - Philippians 4:12

today's brunch

2011-02-02T13:43:00.008+08:00

Today is Chinese New Year's Eve, which is the day Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner, including mine! : ) This also calls for a lot of preparation and hard work! : O So, here's mom's:

nutrition-packed, ambrosial energy booster - oatmeal! : )

God sends us strangers too II

2011-01-27T13:03:00.006+08:00

God loves to send strangers to cheer us up in our dark moments.

I don't know if it's the same for you, but sometimes, it's so much easier to talk to a stranger. An outsider.

No prejudices, no preconceived perceptions, no judgement.

Just an honest, sincere conversation.

These weeks, so many things have been going through my mind. I had many decisions to make, plans to finalize, priorities to determine and I was struggling to differentiate between dreams and reality, faith and logic. Anxiety. Increase in heart-rate.

I couldn't release those feelings to those who knew me best, cause I'd end up worrying them as well.

But, God really knows us inside out! : D So, today, I met a young lady, in her twenties, on the bus back to Akasia. She had the most beautiful gold-flecked sea-green eyes, which reminded me a little of Rapunzel's. : ) Even though I later found out that they were colored contact lenses (: D), her inner beauty and her sweet, loving demeanor really shone through! : )

She speaks with an American accent, and is half-Malaysian & half-Yemeni. : )

As usual, I didn't feel like talking to anybody, but she initiated the conversation, with the simple, yet almost unheard of:

'How are you doing?'

Four words made such a difference. We talked about almost anything and everything. About her family. Her personal life. Our lives as INTECians in different programs. etc. She was to get married at the end of the year to someone (in his thirties) whom she would meet (for the first time in her life) next week. I was amazed to see how excited and eager she was. There was not a single hint of doubt or fear in her! : )

Then, as always, most conversations with me will somehow be directed to food and nutrition! : ) And we talked about Mediterranean & Middle-Eastern food! : ) How both of us loved olives, olive oil, yogurt and dates, and their nutritive values. Haha! : )

Fifteen minutes seemed like an hour or more! By the time we bid farewell, it seemed as though we were old friends : ) She is indeed another God-sent angel : )

For the first time in a few days, I felt so much more at ease, knowing that God is indeed looking down from heaven, watching over all of us. : )

¹⁸ But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,

on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

¹⁹ to deliver them from death

and keep them alive in famine.

²⁰ We wait in hope for the LORD;

he is our help and our shield.

^{²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,}

for we trust in his holy name.

^{²² May your unfailing love be with us, LORD,}

even as we put our hope in you.

Psalms 33:18-22

Chapter 19.2: The Midnight Surprise ♥

2011-01-21T23:43:00.044+08:00

I don't know where and how to start.

Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness! : )

As I said in the previous post, and as noticed (in the video) by Rita, I found everyone just a little too strange. : D

I saw silent written conversations between Jo Ann and Ju Vern, doors closed once I left the class, secret conversations and Ju Vern's camera : D

But, honestly, I never expected anything other than a celebration in class. So, obviously, I was SO shocked when you peeps played the video!

Okay, here's how it started.

At about 10.30 pm, I returned from the first cell group of the semester (which was awesome! Thank you cell group peeps for the wonderful, energetic birthday song and toast XD ). And the house was superbly clean! I was and am actually very happy - thank you for cleaning the house Santhya and Ming Ying! : D

I was really tired that night, kept yawning, and resolved to sleep early for once in many months! By 11.45 pm, I was already in bed, answering the last call for the night (from Jeevithaa, thank you so much!). And all of a sudden, Santhya came in, and started with her half-truth stories, AGAIN (which I cannot disclose). But it sounded so real, that I actually sympathized with her. I actually made an effort to stay awake to talk to her! : / haha! Then, Ming Ying came along and joined the conversation. Unsuspectingly, I told Ming Ying of Santhya's 'plight', and mingy nodded understandingly.

I noticed the door was left ajar, and it was pitch black outside. Strange, I thought. But I was too fatigued to think 'critically'. : D Asked Ming Ying about it, and she replied:

There's an electricity cut.

haha! : D Electricity cut when I'm charging my laptop in the room? ; D Then it suddenly dawned upon me that something 'strange' was going to happen soon. Oh no, clad in only pyjamas, I was about to meet a whole group of people! : /

By this time, Ming Ying and Santhya were tickled by their own blunder, and were laughing uncontrollably. XD And there I was laughing along with them! : D Sigh.. : )

When I finally got out of the room, everyone started singing the birthday song. However, I had no idea who they were, as it was pitch black (except for the glow-in-the-dark stars, as well as the luminous handphone displays). Well, of course, I heard some prominent voices such as (...), but I was SO astounded to see the number of people in the room when the lights were finally switched on. Almost all the girls from M4 came. And... Odelia brought along the Korean girls, Su Jong, Yuni, Linda and Tami! : D : D : D

Oh my goodness for the fourth time!

And then came the video, my 'FAVOURITEst' part. All these while, I've been editing videos, and I've always secretly wished that someone would edit one for me too : D. And you made my dream come true! Thank you, thank you!

I laughed till my stomach muscles were aching, and I was very, very touched. Thank you so, so, so much! I really don't know how to thank all of you. You peeps sacrificed so much time and effort. Even those whom I don't see smiling very often, were smiling so broadly in that video ( and I know that takes a LOT of effort, I appreciate it!). And obviously, not forgetting all of you sporting people. It takes a lot of guts to act comically for my sake (and uh, sacrifice a bit of your reputation : D).

So, after much thought, in appreciation of your AWESOME efforts, I decided to do a small analysis, or rather, break-down of the entire video. : ) You know, like those film reviews and stuff : D I hope you enjoy reading it, as much as I loved watching the video over and over again. (By the way, I've already watched it at least thirty times now haha! : D )

First of all, to Jo Ann, I'd like to say that I'm very honored to have my facebook profile stalked extensively, as can be seen from some of the pictures below XD

Shaun the Sheep Fanatic? I don't use this emoticon, but I guess it's the most appropriate now. =.=' perspiration. haha! : ) No, seriously, I was so glad that you took those pictures, as Shaun the Sheep is my good, good friend, just as you are. XD

Aw, thank you for using this graphic too! : D (although I know you aren't very fond of felines : D ) Thank you, thank you so much!

Okay, this clip totally stunned me. I have to say, Ming Ying and Santhya, you were awesome! I am so amused! Thank you for sacrificing for the sake of my happiness! : D love you! ♥ Totally reminded me of Maximus! (Note: You see their ponytails? Don't they look like horse tails? Santh and Mingy actually made the effort to tie their ponytails in that manner. :D ) Dear Ming Ying and Santhya, THANK YOU for spying on me the past week! : ) I feel so loved! haha! Honestly speaking, you really make good spies, cause I totally believed and trusted you! : ( : D This whole midnight surprise would never have been possible without your constant probing and detective work! Again, thank you so much! : ) ♥

Next is the terrific Shaun the Sheep parody! : ) Aysha, Evon and Dickson, baaaaaa! : D May God bless you with His endless sheepy providences! : )

Love all of you too! : )

HI Royston! HI Pek! & HI Mugi! *in a squeaky tone* : D Although your comments were like SO random, eg.

1. Roy: 'Um, apparently, I'm the tallest now...' (??? XD)
2. Mugi: 'Donate blood Sarah' (pleasant tone), 'Donate blood Sarah' (serious tone), DONATE BLOOD (very, very desperate tone)!
3. Mugi: I book his laptop.

LOL! I understand you have a need to be random, so I forgive you XD kidding. As Pek always says, I'm serious...ly joking! : ) Really, it was a pleasant surprise to see you three in the video! : ) Thank you! : D

Ah, Yin Li, Grace and Homi! : ) That was just so adorable and heartwarming!! : D

I really loved it! ♥

Ahaa! The Korean-speaking ladies, Amira, Khalilah and Asiyah! : D

사합니다 (gamsahabnida)! Keep on smiling, love your cheerful, free spirit! It's really a joy to have you peeps around! : D

Elisa, Naqiah & Zulaikha! : D Hyper sangat la! : D haha! But it was so sweet! : ) Lots of flying kisses and hugs to you too! : D ♥

Shafern: We're not supposed to sing, so happy birthday!

Ferny, fern. LOL! : D

Siew Ai: Enjoy this video! I think Ju Vern has put a lot of effort into this...

Indeed! : ) I am so touched! : ) Thank you Ju Vern, Jo Ann, Xiao Qi, Rebecca, Cindy, Eileen, Ming Ying, Ying Ying, Rita Krishnan, Chia Chia, Q-En, Yew Chong, all my beloved 10M4 peeps, and everybody else who made this possible! : D

Delia! You made an appearance, thank you so much! : ) I love your smile too! : ) You have a beautiful personality, so just keep up the awesome stuff you're doing! : )

JANNNNNY walnutt!!!! I totally hyperventilated when I saw the clip! : D Thank you so, so much! All the way from Seaboo huh? : D And you played the violin too!! Loved the Happy Birthday rendition (especially the 'bite' of the bow on the string when you played the last B-flat)! Sorry, that was random! : D I was so touched! : ) See you really soon! ♥

And David! Oh my goodness, you really gave me a shock of my life! : ) You did your trademark whistle (which still fascinates me very much!)! Thank you, thank you!! See you soon too! : )

The men of 10M4, looking awesome! : D Is it me, or did I hear some form of harmony in the Happy Birthday rendition? : ) But anyways, that was really cool! : D Thank you, thank you so much Hafiz, Syahiran, Kee Chun, Azim and Yew Chong! Though you guys are the minority in our class, all of you are as important too! : ) Ah, I especially love this screencap of you guys, cause all of you are smiling! That's really rare! : ) I look forward to seeing you smile more often!! : D

Sheep! Sheep alert! The sheep are so adorable, they make me smile (widely!)! : ) Thank you Carol, Mel & Abigail!! : D Thank you for making the effort despite your busy schedules! Love you! : D

The next section of the video is a news report, by our beloved, hilarious Rita Krishnan, on the reason behind my status:

why are my housemates and classmates so queer all of a sudden? : / : )

Rita, maybe you should consider being a doctor cum stand up comedian! Really! : )

Rita: What day is today? It's Sarah Chew Sue Mei's birthday. I repeat! It's Sarah Chew Sue Mei's birthday. Friends of Sarah Chew Sue Mei have been going crazy and this situation has been observed since a few days ago.

I cringe upon hearing my full name being repeated so many times! hahaaha! : D You totally cracked me up!

So this video proceeds to show viewers the 'craziness' which has been happening the past week.

HAHA! : ) This is freedom of expression, really! In this clip, the featured people (as shown in the graphic above) blow party horns and shout my name in the maddest ways possible! XD

Awh, our adorable Miss Teng, whom the whole class is so fond of. Jo Ann stayed up till the wee hours of the morning to edit this video! See Jo Ann, you really are the ultimate party planner! Why are you so awesome!?! : ) Pro! Yea, that's your specialty! : D And I could so see that she was about to fall asleep anytime during the midnight surprise! ; ) Oh my goodness, again! Thank you so much, I kind of feel bad cause on that night, I slept quite early : D I ♥ you!

(oh, by the way, that look on Jo Ann's face is SO typically Jo Ann! XD )

Yea! Are you ready to stand up for peace? XD I am! : D

Kidding. Actually, this is what happens.

Rita: This is Miss Teng, a friend of Sarah Chew Sue Mei, the birthday girl of the year. (Me: What???? hahhaha! XD)
Jo Ann, the interviewee, smiles sheepishly, and bashfully neatens (or rather flattens) her infamous 'innocent bangs'. OCD!
Rita: Miss Teng, do you have anything to say?
Jo Ann grins widely, waving her hand back and forth, and looks a little blur.
Rita: Eh, talk la!
It seems that our Miss Teng has 'suddenly' lost her voice.

Jo Ann then displays a few sheets of paper, which say:

HELLO SCSM! ARE YOU READY???

*background music was hilarious. It was a song which just kept repeating the phrase, 'Are you ready?' in different melodies. I know Jo Ann, that is definitely your idea! Cause we're jakun! : D

Well, what are we viewers ready for ? : )

A parody of Mariah Carey's Against All Odds! My top favourite! Oh my goodness, you HAVE to see the video clip of this part! Request to see it - it's worth the trouble!

It starts off with Westlife singing the first verse, and Rita mouths the words! Super hilarious!

Then, Mariah sings in the second verse, and guess who parodied? XD

Tan Yew Chong!! haha! Thank you for being such a sport, as you always are! Totally loved your humorously exaggerated imitation! : ) And Santhya actually thought he was a girl for a moment! : D

Then, Miss Rebecca Wong takes over! : )

Rebecca, you've got talent!! XD You do act like Mariah! : D Your facial expressions and actions! AWESOME! : ) And I LOVE your flying hair, courtesy of Cindy! : D

Look at this! I am SO amazed! We can already form a production team! : ) To see so much effort put into making this video, I am really moved. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart! : )

Next, we have an original 10M4 rendition of Wang Lee Hom's 你不知道的事 (ni bu zhi dao de shi), accompanied by a cinematic-like music video! : D Enjoy, and be amazed at the following screen shots! They look so professional! : D

Boy meets girl. They fall in love.

And they fall deeper in love.

Girl is left alone.

Girl is very sad & dejected.

Man reflects and decides to put a halt to their relationship.

你不知道我为什么离开你

我坚持不能说放任你哭泣

Girl cries and breaks down.

你的泪滴想倾盆大雨碎落满地

在心里清晰

Aw... : (

Note: I can read and write in Chinese! XD

Chia Chia & Xiao Qi: You acted so well! Chia Chia, you totally remind me of the main cast of a taiwanese/korean drama! So natural! And Xiao Qi too! Why do you always amaze me? XD

Back to our much loved character, Rita Krishnan, the news broadcaster. : )

Rita: Good evening! We're back at the studio of Channel One! Just now was an extremely touching scene.
She places her hands on her heart, and appears to be so sympathetic to the girl's plight XD. *fake tears* (Me: LOL! ) All of a sudden, the phone rings. Read her monologue. So ridiculous! : D
Rita: Oh my goodness! Phone call, phone call!
She immediately composes herself, and acts oh so professionally again devoid of those emotions. Taking a deep breath, she picks up the phone.
Rita: Phone call! Yes? yes? YES? SERIOUSLY? Oh my gosh, where is she?? Alright I'll be right there!!
Rita turns to the audience (us viewers) and with exaggerated hand movements (XD), she exclaims,
Rita: Oh my gosh! LATEST NEWS! Sarah Chew Sue Mei is missing!!
She squints at us viewers, raises her finger, puts on her 'detective' look and resolves to get to the bottom of this issue.
Rita: Let's get back to the scene and find out what's happening!

It's back to the scene of the party horn blowers. But this time, they look so dejected : (. Each of them blew the horn defeatedly and dropped to the ground (Me: XD), followed by Eileen's famous dramatic demeanor. : P

Eileen: Sarah..... (in the most mournful tone ever!)

Ahh, Cindy, Rebecca and Eileen, the great dramatists. You look so adorable here! ♥

The video finally ends with a BRILLIANT stop motion sequence by Xiao Qi, which left me in awe and wonder. Oh my goodness! All of you amaze me with your talents!

Even when the video finally came to an end, I was still too stunned for words. I know you kind of expected me to cry (oops). Sorry, but really, I teared in my heart. As I've mentioned so many times, I was and am very touched. Terharu. It was just bizzare. I mean, I never knew that behind those mundane classes that week and the weeks before, all of you were putting in so much preparation and hard work for this surprise (which I love so much!). Thank you, so much!

Just to give you an insight of how amazed I am, I haven't been sleeping very soundly for the past few days because my mind keeps replaying the whole midnight surprise and the video. On the first night after midnight, I felt so loved that I just had to get up from bed and watch the video once more. You know, that feeling in your heart, that warm and fuzzy feeling which releases your endorphins, and makes you quite hyped up. Yea, that feeling.

Also, thank you for the world-famous, ooey, gooey, melt-in-your-mouth Cinnabon cinnamon roll (description taken from the international homepage of Cinnabon) : D, and the beautiful gift, card and banner! : )

I love the colors! It's so rainbow-like! Thank you everyone!! : )

I love the card, Odelia! I especially love the message! Thank you so much! ♥

Cindy, Rebecca, Eileen and Jo Ann (I hope I didn't miss anyone out!), I LOVE THE BAG! : ) Why are you so awesome at choosing such appropriate, lovely gifts! I was in need of a white one, and I totally loved the colors in between. How did you know? : D

And... suddenly, there was another video to watch! Guess who?

My beloved fallies!!! : D : D : ) : ) ♥ ♥ ♥

To Abigail and Fleash: I can't believe you actually kept that 'korean traditional hanbok' on the bear even after I left! : D See, I told ya it looked cool! haha!

Thank you for the 'medley of Eleasha and Abigail's silly songs'! : ) I love it so, so much!

Fleagail: We're going to present you with.... a medley of the MOST RIDICULOUS, ENCHANTING, WEIRD, songs!!

Haha, what's up with the pink monkey and Solution!! : D My goodness, so funny! : ) You know you peeps totally reminded me of Ryan Higa & Kevin Wu's Dance Crew's introduction! : D And I can't believe you just danced to the theme song of 'Shaun the Sheep'. Haha, I know I annoy you when I play the song at home! : D

I totally cracked up at your caption, *Ele tries to make sure Abi doesn't go out of tune ;)* haha! Belly button, uh, uh! : D

So, my beloved Daphnia and prospective hippo, I can't wait for next week! I want to go home now! : D And, I'll be ready with a pair of scissors to trim your bangs pumpkin! : D Yea!

Phew, that was SUCH a long post. To all you people involved in the video, I hope you enjoyed reading this, and I appreciate your efforts so much! I'm telling you, that midnight surprise was the best thing that ever happened to me in quite a while! : )

Last but not least, I'd like to announce the winner of the Most Discrete Camera Evader ever! Miss Ewwy! Okay, don't think I'd forget about not seeing your face in the vid XD

But hey, I'm in the photograph too.

[I was actually considering this photo initially! : )]

Fair and square, cause we're fair ladies. haha!

Okay, that was lame.

Anyways, I just want to thank you for 'chasing' all my beloved friends for the videos. I know that took a lot of effort, I can totally imagine you doing that task. Discretely fbinboxing people for videos, talking behind my back with Jo Ann and more (in a good way XD), making calls, numerous smses, getting frustrated with people who don't turn up, shooting video after video, explaining the whole plan to my friends again and again, hm... I'm trying to imagine what you'd do! : D Oh yes, and anxiously thinking up all kinds of excuses to explain your strangeness, because you've got too many strange quarks! : D You are uh-mazing! Oh, did I tell you that our JV along with a few other people attempted to 'hack' into my computer system? Wow! That's freaky. XD haha! (p.s. DON'T shy away from my camera! *glares*)

Also, not forgetting you awesome 236 people on Facebook! : ) I appreciate every single wish, thank you so much! Also, thank you for the photo and album comments and likes. Every one counts! A big hug from me to you! ♥

To everyone mentioned in this blog post, and everyone else who made this possible, thank you so much! You have been such a blessing in my life, and I'm just overwhelmed by your love - the smses, the hugs in college on Friday, the wishes (even from those whom I don't really have the chance to talk to), the smiles on Friday (from whom I hardly see smiling) and in the video, the fb posts and messages, phone calls, cards, gifts, the scrumptious cinnamon roll, and most importantly, the times we've spent together : )

I love, love, love all of you! ♥

Chapter 19.1: The Incandescent Night ♥

2011-01-21T21:00:00.012+08:00

This week has been overwhelming, really overwhelming! I must admit the first half of it was filled with all kinds of qualms and anxiety pertaining to the interview on Tuesday. I actually have a whole story (with a good ending of course : D ) to tell, but that will be explained in later posts.

This post will be dedicated to my amazing unitmates, Evon, Santhya and Ming Ying! : )

Back to the incandescent night. Right after the interview, I was hoping to spend some time with them during dinner. However, Ming Ying insisted that I accept my classmates' invitation for dinner at a nearby mall. Thus, I unsuspectingly followed her advice : )

We had a delightful time (even in the KTM, which is quite a miracle : D), and returned at about 10pm. Well, on the way back, I became aware of my classmates increasingly queer behaviour - making phone calls to people whom they don't really call, giving those kind of glances (which speak a thousand words) to the people around me and asking me questions which they don't normally ask : D.

But, I just disregarded it - thought I was probably thinking too much : D

Alas, I returned to my room only to be greeted with more strangeness! My unitmates somehow seemed to be a bit too eager, enthusiastically asking me question after question. Being a bit suspicious, I then demanded to know the reason behind their unusual behaviour, resulting in that facebook status:

why are my housemates and classmates so queer all of a sudden? : / : )

oops! =P

I guess I made them very worried, and Santhya started giving me so many hilarious reasons, which I am not allowed to disclose. (none of them were true by the way XD)

To be honest, I was really suspicious, and started to uh, 'prepare' myself for the surprise. Santhya, Evon and Ming Ying took turns to disappear mysteriously, while I just waited. And waited. : D

To cut the long story short, I decided that I had enough of waiting, and went to shower. At that very moment, I heard something very, very strange (again!).

I heard my name from every direction, echoing through the room. Seriously, I don't know why, but I freaked out! And my phone started ringing persistently.

At that point, I really panicked. I mean, what was I to do? Run out from the shower? That would be plain ridiculous! And if I could hear my name, the neighbouring blocks would hear it too and that would be just disastrous! To make things worse, Santhya ran up and started 'banging her fist' on the door. You can imagine the situation to be so chaotic! Again, I had to ignore the noises and clothe myself decently (as how Akasia defines it to be) before I finally opened the door and picked up the call.

"Go to Santhya's room now!", Evon ordered on the phone.

I slowly peeked into the room, and suddenly felt a shiver down my spine. What if someone jumped out of that room and scared me to death? Such irrational fears, really! XD I just couldn't enter it.

Frustrated Santhya grabbed me by the arm and practically dragged me to the room. : D I looked down from the window, and had the MOST BEAUTIFUL SURPRISE EVER!

It looked exactly like a scene out of Narnia, with the shimmering lights and the Narnian lamp post!

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I held them back. Not now, I told myself.

Note: I could hear Santhya breathe a great sigh of relief : D

Man, I have to admit, you peeps really have this uncanny knack of touching my heart with your sincerity and love. : D

Amidst the blissful voices of Ming Ying and Evon from below, I couldn't help but recalling the first moment I entered INTEC, and I questioned the very reason why. I was disappointed. Why this program, and why this education centre? Now, I know why. It's the people, their love and support!

It is during these two years that I've experienced such beautiful friendships, which I thank God for, and treasure.

The enchanting ambience kept me spellbound. Listening to the joyful melodious voices of my unitmates, singing the birthday song, in the still of the night had to be the most amazing experience. I looked above and saw our awesome neighbours from 9401 and 9403 happily waving and clapping. It felt like a thousand burdens were lifted off my shoulders, and I could be free once more to smile as wide as the ends of my mouth would allow. Ah, such a heavenly experience! : )

Santhya carved the most artistic watermelon basket I've ever seen : ) ♥

Ming Ying's beautiful floral-patterned hair accessory

A bright and cheery pencil case from Evon

Ah, these adorable bears from Santh now sit on my study table : D

To my beloved unitmates - the caring, helpful and philosophical Evon, fun and lovable Santhya, and the ever-reliable, responsible Ming Ying who always saves me from the roaches,

Thank you so, so much! All of you are so very dear to me. I ♥ you!

find rest my soul in Christ alone

2011-01-12T23:33:00.004+08:00

"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

He refreshes my soul."

- Psalms 23 -

the hope of tomorrow

2011-01-03T22:31:00.010+08:00

What does tomorrow bring? : )

Well, we really don't know. Uncertainties.

But we can hope.

For in the Bible, it is said:

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. " They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11

This year, you may be facing an important exam. Or perhaps a crucial decision needs to be made. Or maybe, you worry about your upcoming results. About financing your education when all odds seem to be against you. Or maybe, you are disappointed and embarrassed about having to lower your standards and accept an offer.

Or, you may be just, lost and tired of living.

Well, if that's you, I just want you to know that with God, there is always hope. Always.

Meanwhile, make the best out of everything you have. Be creative! : ) And you will learn to derive joy from the simplicities of life.

And be satisfied with the things you have. God has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you." - Hebrews 13:5

I've been through it all, and really, at the end of the day, you will realize that God always has a plan. Keep believing. Have faith! When one door closes, it just means that you're getting closer to THE door.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

And keep on praying. Never be disheartened. For whatever that's written in the Bible stays true through the test of time.

If there's only one person or thing you could spend time with, it would definitely be God.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. - Matthew 11:29

So, pray and hope for miracles. And do everything wholeheartedly, make our Father in Heaven proud : ) Nothing is impossible for our Lord! : )

I thought I'd just share a miracle which happened a few days back - to encourage all of you to keep praying and hoping! : )

On December 27 last year, I posted this on Fb:

Our dear Eleasha Chew has been dreaming of singing 'I See The Light', the duet, ever since she watched Tangled. She tells me that every hour of the day. Unfortunately, I can't seem to imitate the male, mellow, resonant Disney-like voice very well. Once unfulfilled Christmas wish - now who will fulfill it? : D

Well, honestly speaking, I really wasn't expecting anything to happen. I had just expected some 'lol's and 'haha's and perhaps some likes. Nothing substantial. It was just plain ridiculous. But somehow, I just felt like I had to post it. Somewhere in my heart, I don't know why, but I just believed that God would bring someone to fulfill my sister's dream this time.

Indeed, God is good all the time! After lunch, my sister and I carried our daily ritual of refreshing the fb profile page, and all of a sudden, I heard an "oh my goodness" from my sister! : ) Benedict had kindly offered to sing the male part. (Thanks Benedict! : ) We had an awesome time working with you on this project. Your voice is just beautiful!) : )

So Eleasha and I spent the afternoon choosing locations for filming and preparing a Rapunzel-like hairstyle : )

We were excited, yet a little anxious. Never in our lives have we taken so much effort in creating a music video.

I told God that we wanted to honor him with this vid, and that we'd give it our best effort. We wanted this video to encourage and inspire everyone else to place their hope in God. To portray the beauty of life, and perhaps just to bring a smile to their faces.

Finally, when it came to the day of recording and shooting, we were rather tired. And Eleasha was losing her voice. At the start of the recording, things just didn't seem right. First, their voices just didn't seem to blend. Then, I kept fumbling in my piano playing - to the extent of almost giving up because I was very annoyed with myself. Time was running out, and we hadn't even recorded the complete song. But suddenly, God reminded me that I'd prayed very hard, and He always listens, AND God's timing is always perfect. Indeed, at the last minute, miraculously, their voices blended in so beautifully, and though I still fumbled a little on the piano, we managed to record a complete version of the song.

God blessed us with perfect weather for the music video. And we managed to complete the shooting within a surprisingly short period of time. Praise the Lord! : ) For the first time in a long while, Sony Vegas did not shut down while I was editing the video. Three cheers for our Father in Heaven! : D And the entire video was completed within two and a half hours ( I usually take double that time). Praise the Lord again! : )

Miracle after miracle! Indeed, our God is a miracle worker. God knows us inside out, He knows our innermost desires - and all we need to do is believe and work towards it : )

So this year, have renewed hope.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:13-14

Commit all your plans unto the Lord.

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. - Proverbs 16:3

Your miracle will come soon! : )

Our Early Years

2010-12-29T20:06:00.011+08:00

Over dinner a few nights ago, our family was reminiscing old times, when we were younger. Soon enough, we found ourselves laughing unceasingly. Well, if you were once a child, you should most probably know what I'm talking about, right? : )

Of all our stories, I found my youngest sister's particularly endearing (uh, amusing, maybe) : D.

But before I go on, let me briefly summarize Eleasha's and my childhood.

I'd say mine was a pretty happening one, let me just tell you of some memories, 1 being the most vivid.

three!=> I had this particular amusing habit of just greeting any random stranger on the street. At the age of 3, I was usually on my Dad's back most of the time, and I'd randomly wave my hands and greet just anybody, really! : )

two! => Getting bitten on my arm was rather unpleasant : ) There was this girl in my kindergarten who just, apparently, loved biting me. Almost every day, I'd come back home with identical 'dental imprints' on my arm. haha! Most probably, she had teething issues. Not surprising at that age I guess : )

one! => I remember running around the classroom at the age of 4, being chased by a teacher with a cane. That was quite horrible. To think of it, rather traumatic, don't you think? : D Actually, we were all supposed to bring our toothbrushes as a nurse was to come that day to teach us the 'art of brushing our teeth'. And, being the kid I was, and still am (only sometimes =P), I forgot. So, us forgetful people stood in front of the class, waiting to be caned on our hands. Trembling. Wham! And the second wham (as my teacher caned friend after friend)! I couldn't take the suspense any longer, and ran off. That's how it all happened! Yes, I did get caned after all. And I burst into tears. Ah, really! To think about running around, getting chased with a cane - that's funny! : )

Oh my, I really didn't mean to write so much, sorry! : ) But I am very grateful for all these experiences. It is during my childhood and early teens, that I think I've learned many important lessons. Though some were painful, the love of God and my wonderful family kept me going : ). Just remember that every experience counts. There will be points in your life where you just wish you were someone else, but really, take it (the problem) in stride. The lessons you gain from each experience are like little golden nuggets which are essential for the breakthroughs in your life : )

Now, Eleasha's childhood is very impressive. She never went to preschool. : ) She was and still is very self-motivated. Started reading on her own at the age of 2. And before six, she'd already read a number of classics and finished the entire Enid Blyton series : ) Once sincerely dreamt of being a garbage collector. A princess at heart.

Now, Abigail's story! : ) I drew this picture to depict the scene which would happen each day young Abi returned from preschool. Enjoy! : D

Abigail enrolled in a kindergarten called 'FunGates' at a rather young age, of about three. After 'school' hours, we'd be very amused to see two little boys walking with her, bringing her to the car - one holding her bag, and the other, holding her hand, or a flower (most probably meant for her). Aww... how adorable and sweet!! : ) Since Abigail was petite (and still is, only sometimes though =P), the little lads most probably felt like heroes showing their concern to her : ) haha! But don't judge her strength by her size! : ) Abigail's strength is unimaginable! She beats all her male peers at arm wrestling! : )

That's about all! : ) Hope you enjoyed reading it! : ) What are your childhood memories? : )

* check out Anthony's hilarious memories as 'the girl that never was'

have yourself a joyous new year! : )

2010-12-27T11:52:00.006+08:00

This is a little video that we sisters did for Christmas! The first time we heard this song by the legendary Mariah Carey, we completely, entirely fell in love with it. It encapsulates the warm, fuzzyness of Christmas so well and is just - perfectly lovely ;)

Christmas is a time of giving and sharing; it's a time for laughing and loving - and it's our greatest hope that we'll be able to put a little smile on your face from watching this because you mean so much to us : )

Know that Jesus loves you and has great things in store for you!! :D :D

Smile! : )

Love,

Sarah, Eleasha and Abigail

The Christmas Spirit!

2010-12-23T18:49:00.018+08:00

It's the eve of Christmas eve. I've been dreaming of this Christmas ever since last year's Christmas. I've been listening to Christmas carols the whole year! : ) Have you? : )

I've also been dreaming about awaking to:

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping on my nose, and
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir. : )

ah... these fanciful thoughts!

But if that's what Christmas is about, then Malaysians can't celebrate Christmas! :O Neither can the others living in tropical lands! : )

“Christmas is not just a day, an event to be observed and speedily forgotten. It is a spirit which should permeate every part of our lives.” - William Parks

The Christmas spirit is all about love, giving, hope and the light, Christ! : ) And it can all be a part of our everyday lives!

But we never realized a baby born one blessed night
Gave us the greatest gift of our lives...
We are the reason that He gave His life
We were the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live

Jesus gave us the greatest gift ever, salvation! He gave all He could give. And since we are made in the image of God, let us all give and go the extra mile! Let's take some time to appreciate these people who have contributed to our lives. Even the smallest deeds count, as they all accumulate to a big impact in our lives! Give them a hug or a small card - let them know that you appreciate them : )

Over these years, I've learnt not to judge others. It seems, every time I do, God sends that very specific person to comfort me in times of need. Have you experienced the same? If you have, now is the time to appreciate these selfless, caring people. Your strengths may be their weaknesses, and your weakness, their strengths. Every cloud has a silver lining. Always look at the bright side of someone - and you're bound to experience things you've never expected.

The Christmas season is one filled with joy and love. However, if any of you are at a low point in your life, cheer up! : ) Cause in the Bible, it says:

Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time. - Daniel 11:35

Remember the high points in our life, and how our God has remained faithful to us all the time. Besides, as Pastor Kul Bal says, it is during our low points that God usually sends us someone in need of our help, as we tend to be more humble and sensitive to the feelings of others in times of trouble. So, if this is you, look around, and see if there is anyone whom you can help. : ) God has specifically sent you to encourage them : ) I've experienced that many times too - and I'd say, to be able to comfort someone even when you're upset yourself, has got to be the best experience in the low points of your life.

Are you smiling now?

: )

: ( <--- If this is you, still... *sigh* =/... read on! : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : )

If we plot the ups and downs in our life on a graph and connect them, it should look something like this:

Looks familiar? : )

[Note: Well, the low points in your life may not be that low, but the general pattern of the graph should look something like this. Yes? No? I think so. : ) ]

If you number the high and low points in your life, and connect the dots, this is what you get! : )

A crown!! : )

[adapted from Pastor Kul Bal's sermon]

Hey, remember? Jesus is the King of Kings! That makes us part of the royal family! : )

...to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. - John 1:12

All these experiences are just part and parcel of life, in preparation for eternal life with our dear Father in heaven, and we can be sure that God is with us through it all.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. - Psalms 139:9-10
If God is with us, who can stand against us? : )

So, this Christmas, please smile! : ) God loves you so very much, and you are dear to Him.

There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. - Proverbs 23:18

Smile to the person next to you, to the parking attendant, your family, the cashier, the cleaner, random people in malls, the policemen [: )], other drivers and motorcyclists on the road : )

A smile can be very comforting : ) A small act can make a big impact in someone's life. Spread the love this Christmas season! : )

I promise you'll be happier too! : )

Blessed Christmas, and lots of love to all you wonderful readers!

Thank you so much for reading, commenting, or even clicking on the link (to this blog). : ) I hope this post has encouraged you : )

Remember, the joy of the LORD is your strength! : )

Love, smiley love, and lots of hugs,

Sarah! : )

the UMMC Hospital Attachment

2010-11-29T18:22:00.027+08:00

My apologies, I've been procrastinating for quite some time now to complete this blog post! The past week has been such an eye-opener; I believe we've learned so much, but sometimes, it's just a challenge to express it all in words! : ) As you probably know, it's against the hospital's policy to take photographs of patients, or procedures etc. - so, photos posted here are found from Google Images! : )

Right, let's jump straight into it!

We'll start with Orthopedics, followed by Paediatrics, Gynaecology & Surgery and finally Accident and Emergency.

the orthopedic ward

Orthopedics (Definition): The branch of surgery broadly concerned with the skeletal system (bones).

You see physiotherapists, crutches, plaster casts and patients with broken bones here. I remember very clearly this heartwarming scene of an elderly lady and her daughter. This aunty had fallen and fractured her left femur. She couldn't place pressure on her left leg, and thus, needed to learn to walk with the walking frame. There she was, struggling, most probably in pain, to limp - and yet, beaming so brightly! She was most probably the inspiration for the two other patients ( a thirteen-year-old girl with scoliosis and a lady with a fractured ulna and radius ). Her enthusiasm and zeal left all the medical officers, physiotherapists and patients in awe - her optimism was just overwhelming! And all this while, her daughter was patiently translating every single sentence said by the doctors into Cantonese. The watchful daughter consistently positioned her arms behind her mother (as she walked with the frame) to ensure that her mother would not fall. So much love!

Hm... well, just in case you don't know what a walking frame is, it looks something like this:

...except that it has no wheels and kids at the bottom : )

Being rather new to the hospital environment, we had our share of awkward/unpleasant moments with some patients and condescending, sarcastic doctors. BUT, we've had many more wonderful encounters - so let's forget the bad, and remember the good : )

Sometimes, we take for granted the blessings in our life. And when we face miniscule problems, we complain and brood all day long. Well, listen to the story of this brave man.

As we walked into a room in the ward, we heard an audible, friendly "Hi! Pelajar perubatan kah?". We were greeted by a middle-aged man confined to the hospital bed and his wife and young daughter. Even so, he was smiling broadly. He had five illnesses - kidney failure, throat infection, a weak heart, displaced metal implant and one more (i can't seem to remember! :( ). The man even took the initiative to introduce himself to us. He needed an operation to fix that displaced metal implant, but his weak heart was preventing him from undergoing the needed surgical procedure. Yet, he was filled with joy! And what's more amazing is that he could stay so calm and optimistic when his shop had been robbed in the morning and incurred losses of about RM 5000! There I was cringing on hearing their plight, but they seemed almost immune to the troubles.

His wife then explained that they were grateful he was still alive. Her husband would rather be confined to a wheelchair than to face the high risk of death of surgery. And yes, she was smiling too! It astounds me to see how these people can maintain such optimism even when faced with challenge after challenge. Indeed,

I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains. ~Anne Frank

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. ~Eleanor Roosevel

And we also saw this frail elderly man on the ventilator, connected to an oxygen saturation monitor which looked something like this:

And on the other side of the bed was a pair of defibrillators connected to an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor. From the huge hospital machinery surrounding the patient, one could definitely tell that he was critically ill and needed close monitoring. Indeed, life is fragile.

Here's some trivial stuff we found out! - Housemen carry their pocket medical dictionary in their sling bags. They're quite easy to identify, and in this specific hospital, they don't wear white coats! : )

the paediatric ward

A large number of patients in the paediatric ward had cysts,

Cysts (definition): Dermoids are benign (non-cancerous) tumors that, under the microscope, look similar to skin tissue – hence the name "dermoid." Usually, dermoids in the neck are firm lumps that are attached to the overlying skin.

And most of these patients had to undergo a biopsy to determine if the cyst was cancerous. Even when it wasn't, chemotherapy was usually administered to the young patient to kill off any undetected cancerous cells.

In that ward we were in, chemotherapy was usually administered to young children (below the age of three) via a thin tube (cannula) inserted into a vein, which is then taped firmly to his or her arm. The cannula would also be used to take blood and give other medicines. Although this reduces much of the pain, just the insertion of the cannula causes much distress to the child. A common side effect of young patients in that ward on chemotherapy is hair loss.

There were also some older children with hernia, which is an opening/weakness in the muscular structure of the wall of the abdomen, causing the bulging of the abdominal wall.

I remember a young child from another ward running excitedly around the area. He seemed so agile, but actually, he was born with syndactyly (two or more fused toes) and adactyly (the absence of some toes) on both feet.

Syndactyly

While the little child ran happily around the ward, his anxious parents were discussing the possible treatments for their son with a doctor. The boy would probably have to undergo surgery to separate the joined toes. I did hear the doctor mentioning something about skin grafts to leave minimal scars.

... and finally,

the Accident and Emergency Department

We see some patients in a dilemma, choosing a less effective means of treatment, due to the inability to pay. There was this man who fractured both wrists. The orthopedic recommended surgery for at least one arm so that the man could carry out his daily activities. However, the man went against the advice of the surgeon and opted for both arms to be placed in casts, as he could not afford surgery. He preferred to undergo surgery back in his homeland, where it would be more affordable.

We also see how when money is concerned, there is little sympathy or consideration for the affected party. Due to a motorcycle collision, both motorcyclists and their respective pillion riders were admitted to the hospital. The husband and wife had very minor injuries and received only outpatient treatment. However, the other motorcyclist who fractured his ulna and radius on both hands lay on a stretcher. Despite the state the latter was in, the husband persistently stood by the bed of the other man, negotiating a compensation.

We've also noticed how medical assistants can be better than doctors sometimes : ) Learnt the importance of being careful after a female doctor accidentally pricked her finger with a needle used to inject her patient. Realized the need to be calm even in traumatic situations, and finally, the significance of being patient, but firm, especially with difficult patients (who are not aware of their critical condition), who refuse treatment (when very necessary).

Actually, we were also given a tour around the Pharmacy Department, but I guess, this post is long enough. : D (an excuse to stop typing : ) )

Check out Isaac Tay's experience here!

Sources:

http://www.macmillan.org.uk

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus

http://www.doctorhoffman.com/wwderm.htm

Disclaimer: Some of the information in this post is only hearsay (from hospital staff). Corrections are welcome to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this post.

Miri the Magnificent

2010-11-24T10:08:00.003+08:00

Location: Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia

If you love the sea, beaches, sunsets, sunrises (if you're a nature person), Miri's the place for you to visit! It's BEAUTIFUL! : ) Indescribable.

Click here to delve in Miri's beauty : : )

Feel down in the dumps? - try Yahoo! Answers : D

2010-11-22T19:17:00.008+08:00

Just recovered from another small allergy reaction yesterday. But thank God it's the holidays - cause sleeping's the best medicine! C:

So, before I start editing pics from the land of Hornbills (no, i did not even see one hornbill!! : ( ) Here's another short post to, well, hopefully, encourage you when you're down in the dumps! )

This happened two weeks ago, on the night before the first day of exams - Math! : ) I broke a bottle of supplements, specially prepared by my mom. Felt so bad about it - as the bottle was probably 95% full!

Consumed with guilt, I couldn't bring myself to study. Numbers and formulas were not registering in my head. Even after being reassured by mom, I STILL COULD NOT FOCUS! C:

Suddenly, out of the blue, I had this random idea of posting my plight on 'Yahoo! Answers' !! XD.

Check it out here.

Honestly, I didn't expect anyone to reply. I just needed to let my feelings out anonymously.

And to my utter amazement, I received five replies in a minute. Literally! And within half an hour, they multiplied to fifteen! They were so encouraging and loving, I was so touched by all the replies! I wish I could post them all here - but it would be too space consuming. But do click on the link above to see all these wonderfully sweet comments - they will definitely make your day!

Okay, if you really don't have time for one single click : ( - i shall try my best to summarize the replies:

Well, some were really lame, till they became funny! : D

and u have to be studying? its sunday, the day of rest so y don't u rest? (don't take my advice if u want to fail, but u know...) ha ha well got think of something amazingly stupid, that u and ur friends once did, it will make u lol, hope this helps (knda) ha ha

Oh my goodness. LOL - seriously! haha! But this comment definitely made me smile. : )

"Don't worry" (starts beatboxing) "bout' a thing" (beatboxing) "Cuz every little thing, gonna be alright!" (more epic beatboxing).
Lol, I hope my singing made you happy :c).
Source(s):
Sharktale, lol!

HAHA! I can almost picture the beatboxing! : ) Yes, it made me very happy! : )

~ ~ ~

And there were the comments which put things into perspective:

The thing you broke isn't difficult to replace, your chance of a decent education may not be. Good luck for the finals.

True... : )

look at the crazy comments that people give each other on youtube, or pray,read the bible.

HEY! That's exactly what I do! HIGH FIVE! : D

The way i think of it is that its done you cant do anything about it so there is 0 point worrying about it. if you need to concentrate plug in your music while you study that's what i always do..
and to cheer you up.. the weathers nice today:P

Very common advice, but yet, appropriate in this time of crisis.

Dont worry forget about it and concentrate on your exams and when thery're finished replace that thing.
the only thng i can say is i have broken so many expensive things that now i have even stopped caring about what i break. Dont worry!! Everything will be fine as long as the thing was a "thing" and not a heart!! :) xox hope that helped

Haha! I never thought about that - but I think that's a very good way of looking at the problem! C:

Hit the books Sarah. Have you heard the saying, "work before pleasure?" Although it would please you to be cheered up at this time, chances are it will not come easily. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. The break cannot be undone and it cannot be repaired or replaced tonight. Your sincerest concern is enough for now.

If the item belongs to someone else, write a brief note to self, consider the forthcoming conversation and possible solutions. Sign it, a wonderful person who can do all things. Set it aside, forgive yourself, and get those much needed minutes of study time in, rest, have a nourishing breakfast, and ace your finals.

That's one piece of practical advice! : ) I didn't really fancy reading this particular comment initially, BUT, whatever that's said is absolutely true! I find the second paragraph especially helpful in getting your mind off the problem : )

~ ~ ~

And there were also the comforting, soothing comments : )

It's not your fault, your an amazing person. You will succed in your finals because your smart, you are beautiful on the inside and out.

It helped me to hear that when I was sad.

Well, this person probably doesn't even know me : ), but it was such a delight to dwell on some positive thoughts once in a while! : )
~ ~ ~

So yea, that's the summary. Click on THIS to read more! : )
There are really such thoughtful darlings on the internet who take the initiative to care for someone like me, whom they don't even know! God bless them all! They've been such a blessing, and if I could, I'd love to thank all of them in person.

I hope this cheered you up! : )

And if you ever feel upset, you might want to try Yahoo! Answers ; )

*hint* XD

a brief update

2010-11-19T15:03:00.006+08:00

We've had such an exciting time after the draining crammed exam week.

Taken away by the breathtaking sights of Miri.

Surpassed our normal walking limits in Kuching, exploring the entire waterfront by foot.

More than repaid our sleep and food debts in Sibu.

: ) Going to climb some steps now. : D

i surrender all

2010-11-03T21:59:00.003+08:00

All to Jesus I surrender

All to Him I freely give

I will ever love and trust Him

In His presence daily live

I surrender all to You

All to Thee my blessed Savior

I surrender all to You

sigh. breathe. deflate. inflate. stretch!

2010-10-09T00:24:00.007+08:00

I have been stretched.

Within my elastic limit.

And it feels good.

Emotionally stretched. Mentally. Stretched in terms of vocal range. In terms of facial muscles. Diaphragm. Lung capacity.

It's quite a feat to do away with expectations and comparison. Especially when its attractive force is so great. You easily get pulled into the messy circle of standards based on comparison and expectation.

But then again, this is no excuse for lack of effort and planning. God's standards are of the highest, not based on the final product, but on the 'background work'.

This calls for diligence. Sacrifice. Perseverance. & Preparation ahead of time.

God is good. All the time. He puts a song of praise in this heart of mine.

My heart sank in the morning, but it leapt for joy in the evening much more. : D

And then it dropped a little, and remained fairly constant for the rest of the night. With another rather significant dip somewhere past midnight.

recognize the style of writing? C:

Well, temporary setbacks are meant to be lessons learnt. Many have fallen, but they pick themselves up and continue the race. They may have limped to the finishing line, but they finished the race. And that is all that matters.

Perseverance through all circumstances.

Life is a shaping process. Through obstacles. Observation. Personal experience. Mild failures.

But you see, there's one thing which makes all the difference. We have God, and God cushions every fall. : )

He welcomes us with open arms even after each mistake. After each disappointment.

We place our hope in God.

Be gutsy, and go!

Background music while this post was written:

Avalon - We are the reason, Bob Acri - Sleep Away

Little Men Of Faith!

2010-09-27T14:20:00.005+08:00

After a (very) recent evaluation, negative thoughts pertaining to my incompetency in a certain subject began to cloud my mind. With another assessment around the corner, I began to doubt and worry.

"Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." - John 14:27

"Why are you timid, you men of little faith?" - Matthew 8:26

I find the phrase 'men of little faith' to be rather impactful and amusing at the same time.

'Men of little faith'. : D

If you rearrange the words within that phrase, it goes:

'Little men of faith'!

Now, how adorable does that sound! : )

I can imagine ourselves as puny little dwarfs standing before gargantuous mountains, wide-eyed. And in our tiniest, most timid but commanding voices, we shout:

"Move it!" (reference: Madagascar! : D)

For in the Bible, it says:

I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." - Matthew 17:20

All these circumstances in which feelings of inadequacy arise cannot be avoided : ) Nevertheless, I believe they usually serve as a gentle reminder that we need God. He completes us. And that our God is a loving God, who works miracles in the most unforeseen situations. : )

I could sing of your love forever C:

2010-09-26T18:39:00.001+08:00

I'm happy to be in the truth,
and I will daily lift my hands,
for I will always sing of when,
Your love came down.

childhood revisited

2010-09-12T00:49:00.025+08:00

in relation to HEALTH.

I remember being offered my first cashew nut ever at the age of six. Eager to try the unique looking nut, I took my first bite. I would consider that to be one of the 'not very good' decisions in my childhood. : ) Ate less than half a cashew, but the allergy reactions raged in my body. From an upset stomach, to itching, rashes and finally to wheezing, my parents were definitely appalled. It was almost after one week at the hospital that I finally got better : O. But on the brighter side, I now know very well to stay away from cashew nuts! : )

A few years later, I had the same reaction when eating a dish with 'traces of pistachio nuts'. And with a Malaysian local fruit, rambutan.

So, today, instead of working on my report due next week, this distracted writer decides to google 'cashew allergy'. : )

'Cashew allergy in children was proven to exhibit eight times more severe symptoms of wheezing and 14 times more potentially severe cardiovascular symptoms like heartbeat disturbances and drop in blood pressure'

Wow. No wonder.

And guess what?

Cashews, pistachio, mangoes, rambutan, longan and lychee all come from the same plant family as the infamous poison ivy and poison oak!

So what is the common toxin in all these fruits/nuts/plants?

URUSHIOL

It is a resin, which creates significant skin rashes, and can be toxic when ingested. Urushiol is the same chemical found in poison ivy, present on the shell of the raw cashew as well as on its tree's leaves. An allergy to this chemical could be potentially fatal when eating completely raw cashews!

The Mechanism behind this Allergy

These symptoms are caused by the production of immunoglobin E, IgE (allergy) antibodies and histamine in response the the allergen, urushiol.

* something to note: it has been established that an asthmatic or an individual with a history of asthma would be more prone to this poison-ivy like allergy.

What a relief to determine the root cause of my allergies : ) I recommend all you peeps with other allergies to research! Might save your life! Might save another's : )

His Unexpected Ways : )

2010-08-31T01:32:00.008+08:00

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you," - Matthew 7:7

Our God is an awesome God! Why? Because He works in the most mysterious and unexpected ways! : )

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.

Somehow, I lost my laptop charger head somewhere along the way yesterday night. And, only today evening did I realize that it was missing! Well, somehow, problems relating to computers or the internet tend to bother me a little more than any other thing. : )

Searched every possible place for that tiny little charger head, but to my utter disappointment, no.. : ( Even the collaborative efforts of my friends did not succeed in recovering it. Even after prayer, no. : ( Got more and more and more anxious. Funny how I keep forgetting this: : D

"And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?" - Matthew 6:30

Called the entire family. Dad suggested to go to the compy shop immediately, instead of worrying : ). Eleasha prayed. : ) Well, I went with a heavy heart, decidedly thinking that there would obviously be none. Trudged unwillingly into a nearby computer shop, and asked if they had a charger head.

I think I said it with such unwillingness, till they had to ask that I repeat my query. : ) And to my big surprise, the man returned quite soon from the back of the shop with that specific charger head! : ) The man then proceeded to tell me that I was really fortunate, as it was the only one left. And, that they had actually planned to discard it as it was old, and probably not very in use now. : ) Praise the LORD!

Overjoyed! : ) Reached down my pocket for some spare cash. And all of a sudden, the man quickly informed me that I didn't have to pay for it. He said it with a big smile on his face. Perhaps that of a Cheshire cat : ) That was so wonderfully unexpected!

I prayed to find my charger head. But God had a better plan. As a reminder to place our faith in Him always. To remind me of the importance of just a little more generosity. And to bring some joy after a mentally straining day. God works in unexpected ways!

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." - Psalms 28:7

I left the shop with the many burdens off my shoulder. Felt a ton lighter. Just a little generosity made all the difference.

We are never too small or insignificant to make a difference. We are all keystone species : D

Keystone species is a species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community and whose impact on the community is greater than would be expected based on its relative abundance or total biomass. : D

Just a little more love. Just a little more kindness. Just a little less procrastination. Just a little more initiative. A small effort may make all the difference. : D

hello. happy. sad. gain. loss.

2010-08-24T16:12:00.006+08:00

Sometimes, I can be rather irrational. Over these months staying away from home, I've developed some sort of phobia towards the buses in Shah Alam. While most buses take approximately five hours to reach Penang, our SA buses can take up till 12 hours.

In that 12 hours, I could have travelled to Singapore, from Penang, by car, at a leisure pace. In that 12 hours, I would have reached Christchurch, South Island of NZ. 12 hours to Penang, well, is a bit exasperating. Consequently, I procrastinated buying a ticket, till I was informed that all buses back to Penang have been completely sold out. But God is just so so good.

Told my friend about it. Miraculously, the next day, she asked if I wanted to buy her ticket since she had a family function to attend that night. Praise the Lord!

God is good all the time!

On another note, over the years, we've all grown very fond of the Macintosh, and it has become a part of our lives. Our dear Mac inspired Of Roti Bakar and French Toast, A Leap of Faith, Fally Two's numerous musical videos on youtube, our growing interest in film, music composition, graphics and many many more. Our dream maker. Maccy is running the high risk of losing her life, due to it being struck by lightning. All options have been ruled out due to financial constraints. But we still have the wonderful option of prayer. Well, we're definitely hoping for a speedy recovery for Maccy, but in every situation, God has a purpose. And it is always good. For God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good. : )

"Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you," Psalms 55:22

His Grace Is Sufficient For Us : )

2010-08-14T19:03:00.009+08:00

Jehovah Jireh, our provider!

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9

Two main events this weekend:

a) Campus Alive's Amazing Race

b) Jan's Birthday! : D

And, most of us had tests & assignments coming up the next week. You know, one of those typical busy hectic weeks in a semester - those 'pressure cooker' moments : )

But Our God is indeed Jehovah Jireh, our provider : )

A. We were in great need of high resolution photographs, especially for an event such as this. But, none of us had the appropriate photo-taking equipment. We were so blessed with two very wonderful, charitable people. Kelvin and Kai Ming, who so generously lent their DSLRs to us. Well, yes, a DSLR does take better quality pictures, but its benefits actually extend way beyond just photo quality.

First of all, many of us were much happier. Basically, blur pictures induce frustration. High resolution photographs can make one's day : ) So, in conclusion, DSLRs plays a crucial role in the society by making the world a happier place XD

evidence: from a facebook comment on one of the pictures:

ah~~~ i like this...so so much!!!

wow.. a really2 beautiful happy family photo! :) will cherish this moment 4ever!

These photographs are so, so important as they remind us of the wonderful times we had together. Sometimes, in our busyness, we lose ourselves, and relationships may be affected. Only these pictures can remind us of our blessings, which will in turn remind us that God still loves and cares for us, which... will give us renewed hope for the life ahead of us : )

Secondly, the DSLR has had a significant positive impact on the relationships between all of us. It has provided a common ground not only for photography enthusiasts, but also for everyone else who appears in these photographs. Many would run to these DSLRs to see the photographs, and they would be overjoyed to see the satisfying results of their hard work (their different poses and actions : D). More communication involved. More bonding. Better relationships! :D

B. Praise the LORD for two parking lots! : ) The moment we prayed for one, God so graciously provided us with two parking lots next to each other!! : )

We also had such a wonderful time preparing the banners for Jan's birthday : ) Blessed Birthday Jan!! : D

i thank God for wonderful people

2010-08-09T13:59:00.005+08:00

Math class at 10 today.

The lighting in that particular class was rather dim, due to some blown light bulbs (and you know how long it takes for the administration to make just a single change to anything : > ). Besides, I've grown a little more short-sighted over these months ( : < ). Consequently, I was having quite a hard time reading what was written on the white board.

So as Miss Yap was making her daily rounds in the class, I flipped to an entirely clean sheet of foolscap paper (since I wasn't even done copying half of what was on the board). I was tired of squinting and craning my neck (in between the spaces of heads in front of me). Suddenly, someone tapped my shoulder.

Miss Yap. :O

You're very slow, she remarked. Do you understand today's lesson?

Uhm, yes..

Then, are you feeling unwell?

Well, you see, Miss Yap is an exemplary teacher, always concerned about her student's well being, and their progress, etc. etc. and you really can't get away with anything. XD

So, I had to tell her the truth - that I found it hard to read whatever was written on the board due to a combination of my poor eyesight and dim lighting.

And, I quickly added that I would copy from my other classmates later.

She nodded. And walked back to the front of the class.

Note-taking resumed. And I was quite shocked : )

Her handwriting became three to four times larger, and she used a new, thick white board black marker pen.

And I could see even leaning back on the chair, without having to strain anymore.

Usually, we'd be expected to catch up with the teacher by all means. It's usually not the teacher's responsibility to ensure that we completely understand the lesson.

But today, this was definitely not the case.

So Sarah, are you okay? Can you see what's written on the board now?

I smiled gratefully, and silently thanked God for such a concerned teacher.

unraveling retrospections

2010-07-28T18:25:00.039+08:00

first: identity
Through thick and thin, God is always with us. Sometimes, when things go well, we become less and less dependent on God, and more dependent on the people around us. Nevertheless, there will be a point (or even many points) in our life where we'll realize that we need God. That God has been there for us all the time, even when we were caught up with the things of the world. At the end of it all, we realize that this kind of dependence can only be temporary. It is a changing world. Our life on Earth - that's temporary too.

'This is our temporary home'. – Carrie Underwood

I guess we are all 'blind' in some sense. Only God knows the complete future and has a specific plan for each and every one of us : ). So, in that case, can the blind depend on the blind? Well, even if we meant good, there are limitations. But our God is omnipotent. All-powerful. Our God is omniscient. All-knowing. : )

Without God, there'll always be that hole within our souls. That need. That yearning for a little more love, security, and most of all, an identity.

Because you are God's children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into us to call out, "Abba! Father!"
- Galatians 4:6

"But now, this is what the LORD says--he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."
- Isaiah 43:1

Here’s the wonderful news. Our God is omnibenevolent, which means that His love for each and everyone of us is infinite. His divine love is dimensionless. And… we are God’s children, which means God is our Father : ), which means… that He will be there for us, as a source of strength and protection, just as a father is towards his children.

And each of us have different areas of focus. Consequently, it may be hard to reach an agreement due to different views and priorities.

We may share the majority opinion. Or we may not.

But both ways, we attempt to gain acceptance by being what the others are. By aligning our thoughts with the others. And sometimes, there are a myriad of opinions, so many, that we are unsure of which group to belong. To fit in. We think the majority opinion is the better opinion (maybe a safer one too).
Well, it may be true, but many times, this is not the case.

In the process, we lose our identity. Perhaps, yes, a common agreement is met. But finally, we’d ask ourselves: Who exactly are we?

Well, you see, it is only by aligning our thoughts with God that we are assured of what to do. And there is no need to look left, or right, or up, or even down. : ) Because God’s way is always the right way, the only way, and we can be sure of that! : )

We tend to see things through a microscope. Perhaps the only difference between a scientific microscope, and our microscope is that the latter is biased towards negativity. Sometimes. : ) Certain matters may seem so important to us at this point in time. For instance, we want a certain decision to be made, immediately, as a sort of ‘negative feedback reaction’ to reverse the negativity. And usually, when they seem so important to us, we make rash decisions.

[Rash decision equals bad decision. It’s funny how I’ve experienced it countless times, yet, I easily forget this crucially fundamental lesson! : O We really shouldn’t be hasty in our decisions. If God wants it to happen, the decision will be made, even if it’s against the odds! : ) ]

But God sees things just as they are. In perspective. God looks at the complete picture, He sees things a gazillion light years ahead of us : ) So what seems big and important to us now, may actually be of almost utter unimportance in the future. God knows best! : )

Thus, if we base our identity on the changing world, then our identity would be constantly changing too. But if we base our self-esteem on the very foundation of God’s word, knowing that God has called us by name, there is no need for insecurity and unstability. Here’s an analogy. If we build a house on mud as the foundation, then its occupants would live in constant fear due to its unstability. But if we build a house on the rock, then its occupants would be fully assured of their own safety.

God created us in his image. And therefore, who would better understand us more than our dear Creator? : )

second: the ‘you need it more than i do’ phenomenon
In The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, the hanky is used as a symbol of goodwill.

At the start, Lucy knew that Mr. Tumnus, the faun, would be in trouble with the White Witch for saving her.

Lucy: (Tumnus starts to return her handkerchief, but she gives it back) Keep it, you need it more than I do.

And towards the end of the movie, Aslan, very dear to Lucy, leaves Narnia. Lucy is terribly upset, and Tumnus returns the hanky.

Tumnus: Here (pulling a hankie from his person) I think you need this more than I do.

People in this world need love. It was reported, just recently, that a lady faked cancer just to obtain some financial help, and most of all, love and attention which she was deprived of. It was all about the ‘need to be loved’.

I believe it serves as a reminder to all of us, to love everyone. Even if they go unreciprocated. Even if we don’t feel like it.

It’s important that they receive love. People can go to unthinkable extents just due to the lack of love.

Some love will be reciprocated. But they may be delayed. And sometimes, we take it personally. We think all that we do goes unappreciated. Nevertheless, God makes the outcome of every situation good : ) The delay, could actually be a blessing in disguise. The reciprocation will come in times when you need it the most. It happens : )

Even a short message, or an email, or a wall post, or a brief chat may make all the difference.

third: infinite
Many people are of the opinion that blessings are numerated. Success is numerated. If there are two blessings available, and one person is blessed…

2-1 = 1

Meaning… there is one more blessing available, and they must, by all means obtain that last blessing.

Well, you see, our God is an infinite God. Just as God is all-loving, we should give freely, infinitely, without fear that we would end up having less than the others.
God’s blessings are INFINITE! : ) So if the number 2 represents God’s blessings,

Then… 2-1 = 2 and 2-2 = 2 and 2-6 = 2

Why all the kiasuism? : ) Why all the unnecessary stress we bring upon ourselves?
Give and you shall receive! : )

I was especially inspired by Ms. Carol Jhassy – when she, out of her own free will, sent a number of us past year papers for practically every subject, just before the exams last semester. Honestly speaking, I admit ashamedly that I would have second thoughts about doing that. I know that many of us, including myself, would not have even thought about that. For some, even sharing these papers when asked is a problem. Well, naturally, that’s human nature.

The fittest survive, huh? So we thought.

Share the blessings. God’s blessings never run out – if others are blessed, that doesn’t mean we aren’t blessed : )
So, thank you Carol!! : ) It was so generous of you to share those papers with us, and you have inspired me to do the same : )

don't let the bed bugs bite

2010-07-26T00:02:00.009+08:00

is what I usually say after someone announces their 'flight' to dreamland.

Well, I actually didn't mean it, literally. But last week turned that statement into a reality.

Bed bugs each night can cause fitful sleep. They do.

To every problem, there are many solutions - depending on the way you go about solving the specific problem:

a) Spray some 'bed-bug' kind of repellent - which may have side effects towards health and the environment

b) Wipe the surface of the mattress with a wet cloth - which may clean only the external surface of the mattress, but provide an even more conducive damp environment for bed bugs to live in.

c) Sun the mattress - more more sunlight! : ) bye bye bed bugs - i hope.

What a delight to have my dad help me out with this strength-requiring task : )

Tonight will be the first night after the sunning. : )

next highlight - foody : )

Played around with the Papago GPS system, and explored Klang.

Spotted by Mei Yi : )

Light dinner at a corner coffee shop. Great claypot chicken rice and double-boiled soup : )

highlight three!

Dinner around the Ole-Ole area with Santh. Due to budget constraints, Santh packed food from kentucky's. Ordered a salad and a pie. Santh - fruit juice. Here's what happened.

Mr. Waiter seemed very amused with us. Maybe it was the salad. Or maybe it was us ordering so little. Or, maybe the kentucky meal : )

The salad was - well let's just say, even one who attempts to eat that specific salad with all graciousness, would fail. Epic fail : ) Lettuce leaves were huge. And the onions were shockingly spicy. Thousand island sauce - felt like concentrated hydrochloric acid in the stomach. You could feel your gastrointestinal walls literally eroding.

So, I guess even my best attempt at the salad bore similarities to that of a cow grazing green pastures.

Maybe that's what caused the unusual amount of attention from Mr Waiter. Besides, Santh couldn't conceal her laughter. : )

Mr Waiter: Nak order apa-apa lagi.

Santh and I: Tak, tak tak tak...

Mr Waiter: *looked as amused as ever and started laughing*

Santh and I: Uh..... *at a loss for words*

We felt quite uncomfortable under the watchful eyes of Mr Waiter. Always too eager to take an extra order. Sigh.

So, the moment he left, Santh started concocting some form of 'food art' as you can see below : ) We drew a face on the plate! : )

We meant to leave immediately to avoid all embarrassment but... alas, the bill was not paid yet!

Rushed over to the cashier, hurriedly handed over some carelessly folded 10 dollar notes, ...

and Mr Waiter noticed the plate [before we left!]

oh no.

i wonder if they'll ban us from entering that eatery ever again.

: )