What I learnt at the wake

of P's dad…was quite tickled (unusual at funerals) whilst listening to a mandarin sermon/message. Some points I remembered which I'd to note down, since it was quite sound teaching which was localized...

• A christian funeral is not a gathering of people to send the spirit of the dead away, it's for us, the LIVING, to think about our lives which is only here for awhile and passes away (1 Peter 1:24-25)
  



• Worried about who is going to feed my spirit once I die, lest I turn out to be a hungry ghost? But how about our ancestors who have been forgotten? There would be a lot of extremely hungry ghosts currently
  



• Didn't expound on sin (us ignoring God/rebelling against God), so not sure if people understood the message fully
  



• Our God is great! Only Jesus had overcame death and resurrected (came alive)! He's indeed God himself. (Acts 2:31-32) No one else claims to have resurrected from the dead.
  



• People ask who knows what will happen when we die…the Bible clearly says "man is destined to die once and thereafter to face judgement" (Hebrew 9:27-28). Quite unlike what's said nowadays, where no one knows what's going to happen after you die.
  



• Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. No one goes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). Quite an impact if you don't believe in Jesus...speaker then invited those who didn't believe yet to consider this point now, urgently.

Suck tummy in and upwards, squeeze butt and...

pull down shoulders! Remember to breathe normally. Make sure your feet are in V-formation. Try it. It tones your tummy muscles which is not used as much.

My dear friend J taught me after she went to Sydney to be trained as Pilates instructor. Still remember the time when she was telling me about how she needs to find the authentic Pilates instructor to be taught properly, like in search of truth. =)

Once she set up her own shop, I signed up for it, partly needing some form of exercise. You'll be amazed how it's low impact and you could still perspire and the next day, you can feel all your muscles aching. It was interesting to see her hubby, who has a big frame, doing Pilates. After the course of it, he says he feels stronger and I couldn't agree more, because I started to make use/concentrate in using other muscles. Think I had less neck and shoulder aches, all due to working on computer 8hrs/work day.

Check out her website - Classic Pilates

There's a trial session you could take just to see if you'll want to sign on for the whole package.

Let's train those tummy muscles of ours!!

any resemblence?

when you are cursed > you bless
when you are persecuted > you endure it
when you are slandered > you answer kindly

(from first corinthians chapter four verses twelve and thirteen)

How difficult it is! The instant/natural reaction is to give it back in same/equal doses.

Such resemblence of how Paul, the writer's reaction, being similar to his master, Jesus. Could it be that they saw beyond the persons' who cursed, persecuted, slandered? Beyond the situation/issues? What calmness and clarity they had! And such security in God.

My fav christian mandarin song which has lots of meaning...

Translation: There is one God

music

Online recipes in blogs...

are so GOOD! One which I just chanced on and liked immediately, because of it's simplicity...eatzybitzy....and her pictures are well taken

Christmas is..

COMINGGGG!!......how do I know? I saw the christmas decorations at Orchard Road last week whilst going to Tanglin Mall to meet M. Haha!

It's a declaration that christmas shopping NOW begins! Buying gifts for family, friends, colleagues, etc. Will anyone and everyone appreciate a hand-made card and not one which is commercially printed?

For sure, there's more to Christmas. A time when everyone hears through songs in the media, in shopping centres that Jesus Christ was born into this world, God becoming flesh and Jesus is the Saviour of the world in the end. Does it just go through one ear and out the next for those who haven't or don't want to consider the good news of what God has done for them, his enemies, of which I was one of them too?

There's definitely more to Christmas then what the world thinks it knows
http://www.moretochristmas.com

Thought I'd attach pic above which looks quite christmassy. Took it in Finland during summer (Sep 06) using close-up mode on Nokia N73. An attempt to exercise some photography/artistic flair =)

Motivations...

...needed for everything we do?

God is light >> motivation to not sin against our Creator God?
1 John 1:5 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20john;&version=31;

God is love >> motivation to love others because he first loved us when we were his enemies?
1 John 4:16 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20john%204;&version=31;

gifts from God...

which are both gifts of life and gifts of talent/skills...

Check out my school-mate's son. He's 5 years old and he plays the drums! Amazing enough! More amazing is that he's got rhythm, not out of synch! Seems like he imitates his parents and how they're involved in music ministry. Such is modelling to a child. They observe and follow. Disciples are made that way....just like Jesus' disciples following him and imitating him.

http://drummerboydavy.blogspot.com/

Video craze...

Durian and 3 yr olds




Ilona tells of God the creator


Samuel and tractor


Presents received by Kerrs' kids from Uncle & Aunty Kweh


Candles blown when Jessica turned 1 yr old

My first video upload...

an amazing achievement of being able to upload a video!!

Amateur recipes

are always amateur...here goes the search of how to make $4+ coffee at a cheaper price...

Latte:
1. Warm a cup of milk in microwave
2. Add 2 teaspoons of coffee powder and stir

Mocha:
1. Stir half cup of coffee powder and water
2. Add milk til cup is full
3. Add milo powder and stir

Refreshing salad

which became a success after one try. It's fool proof man! Need somewhere to record it down, hence thought this is a good place. Credit goes to Marc and Lay San for feeding it to me =P

Dressing: olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, red onions thinly sliced, pine nuts or walnuts
Ingredients: spinach, oranges sliced round

chinese new year...

a political time? "How can that be?" some would ask (my non-C colleague did). Well, if you're like me who say wrong things at wrong time, struggling to understand why people are all so caught up with prosperity which they think they can control by words they say and things they do. Sigh. Then there are protocols to follow, ie, younger must visit the older, must have reunion dinner at hubby's side of the family, must bring two oranges & not 1 orange or anything else, the marrieds must give ang pao to the singles regardless of how old they are, etc. During this time, the complexity of people is just enlarged (there's another word to describe, but can't find in my limited vocab). And the complexity is tainted with sin (rebellion against God). Ah-ha! You asked "what has sin got to do with it?". Just have a ponder about all the scenarios/situations amongst family/friends. If people could be simple and treasure the relationships, disregarding whether people behave a certain way, wouldn't that be wonderful? Reminds me of the pharisees in the bible who keep seeing others being unclean outwardly, yet forget that their hearts are not clean either.

I'm just going to have a quiet night with my parents, though possibly an argument or two might erupt, and doing the laundry or housework might happen, but just to be with them and appreciating what God has given to me, which I can't ask for more. I do love my parents, hopefully just the way God has loved us, demonstrating via Jesus' death. It's amazing how obedient Jesus is to God - how we were meant to live. oops! Am I diverting? hehehe...i should endeavor to be focus =)

Ok, have to rush off now. See my cha-bo's blog (http://cantgetwatiwant.blogspot.com/2006/01/larry-cucumber_26.html)! I too love Larry the cucumber! Gave her a bookmark which had some words behind saying "God's way is the best!"

Funny pics

to laugh at and enjoy (following spamster's Oct 15 blog http://www.cantgetwatiwant.blogspot.com/ but mine is cuter, of cos *BIG grin*)....my finnish colleague is here for 2 months to train my team-mate and I, and he shared his online website http://www.mjamjam.tk/. His son, Markus, is SO cute/adorable!! Just simply enjoyed babysitting him, walking him around Suntec fountain area during dinner time. Click on "Kuvagalleria", you'll see his baby pics, starting from "Ensikuvat", think that means one of the months in the year, don't know which one =P

He reminds me of Josiah...hmm, think I'm missing him calling me "Aunty...". I must get down to emailing his mom....missing her too.

For my dear friend, soon-to-be Mdm Tan, who's getting married in Mar 06, click "M&M häät 12.7.2003", check out my colleague's wife's gown, it's beautiful, but only angmoh culture can appreciate it.

Ok, I simply had to try blogging with pics. Now, I know how to do it =)

(Hmm, why can't I position Jos' pic at a particular position on this page? It keeps defaulting to top right corner..hai)

I have concluded...

that the blog I want to keep will be similar to this http://www.sharingadventures.com!! Not trying to do any company marketing here (though I was told in the army defence technology interview when I first came out to work that I'm suited in the marketing industry..nah!), but just wanted share with family and friends what I see. If you ever saw my online album, you'll know what I mean...some friends can attest to it. Hee!

Okie doks, it's back to the drawing board now....*joy draws*...hahahha...

Have to think through...

what is the purpose of my blog. Since I had a blog, I've been "advertising" to friends that I have one too, hoping to get them excited about my blog. Hahaha! Am I becoming a 7 year old again? Or is it just a wee-bit of pride of participating in the "in" thing? But really, I was curious about my friend's blog location, going around identifying blog with blogger, etc. And I didn't understand the mystery of remaining unknown, disassociated with one's blog. Friend explained about the hoo-haas amongst groups of friends and the "fame" which came with it *I could understand that* and how the "fame" could focus on the blogger and not our Creator. Agree to some extent, but, it's the same with our speech/action/life, isn't it?

I did have one conclusion - that with blogs, friends read it and know about what's happening in your thoughts, but it sometimes eliminate quality time spent together, as though assuming that through reading one's blog, we have already done so. Oops! Am I repeating myself? My sis can attest that I'm not a word person, more numbers, hence you could expect point forms or in this case, bad formation of words or jumping from one thought to another, like now. *grin*

Ok, I've to check on the one who gave birth to me, health-wise.

*mumblymumbly continues to ponder...*

Under the influence of not alcohol...

but it was the influence of my beloved "xiao xiao" friend PP (either known as pastor's pet or pastor's pest), that I created this blog. It was SO exciting! Once the blog name was accepted, we both clapped as though it was such a BIG achievement! hahaha

When friends talk about blog, I wonder...

• Where do people find the time?
• Wha! Such nice pictures and helpful simple recipes!
• Are they all IT literate to create a blog?
• Why is it called a blog?
• Hmm, good place for friends to know my state of redeemed life =)

Ok, ok, have to rush off to have some russian food now! Til the next exciting episode...