Argyle

Had dinner (actually, just hors-d'oeuves - however u spell it) this evening with a senior grandpa named Argyle. My mum met him a few times at her Rotary Club functions back in Malaysia a few months ago when he was there and told him about me and he rang me up a few times. I couldn't meet up with him before and forgot to ring him back. But he rang me up again last week (after he had a surgery....felt bad after he said that) and he feels bad if we don't meet up after he promised my mum he'll look me up. So he invited me to some restaurant website launch he was invited to.

Anyway, it was nice to finally meet him. He sure can talk on and on and on..=P And I try my best to understand what he's saying.

But what I want to say is that he is a really nice person with a big heart and most importantly, a heart for God. He told me more about himself and the way he sees and thinks about certain things and asked me questions about myself. He finds great joy in just helping people, he treats and talks to everyone the same, no matter who you are he'll take an interest in what u're interested in and not just want to do his own thing. etc etc When he said that, I was reminded of what the apostle Paul said (in the bible) : 1 Corinthians 10:25-33

It's interesting how we can just walk by someone and not think anything, or wonder what to talk about with someone new ....but not realising there's so much to find out about someone. So much that one has gone thru in life, no matter who u are. Not that it's so easy to just talk to everyone but God's love compels us to owe no one anything except to love one another (Romans 13:8a, personalised).

Some recent photos

With some of my uni mates @ Mel C's housewarming, Newtown.

She just moved out of her family home to live with 4 other random people already living in this house. Theme: Euro-trash ( she just went on a 1-month holiday in July to Europe, so I guess trying to relive her love for Europe)

Mel & her best friend, Jo...trying to be Euro trash.

As for me, no idea what to wear.That night, when I was driving home, saw an accident on the road. It was my first time seeing someone lying on the road unconscious. I'm not sure what happened but I hope he's still alive.

With Jason and 3 of the church kids.

i like this photo coz it's simple and casual! The more I see the kids every week, i just love them more and more, even though sometimes they don't want to behave. But children are such blessings from God. They're so small and "innocent" and have such simple minds. They listen to you when you are firm and all the more, if you are kind. Parenting is serious business, teaching our children is serious business. Every week is challenging in learning how to teach the kids God's Word, and working out what was good and could have been done better. The world will shape us here and there and twist us according to its wants, but God's TRUTH is never changing. I realise more how important God's truth is in our life first, letting it shape us, before we can even teach it to anyone. It's a journey of perseverance and endurance, toil and discipline - difficult but worth it. Keep telling ourselves that!

I love kids. I think I want 6 (hahah...i'm just joking ok)

Happy birthday to me and my cousin-in-law, Vignesh!

His bday's just a day before mine. My bible study group threw us a surprise - thanks guys :) I know he really appreciated it and so did my cousin (who's in Malaysia) !! I'm glad that he could come instead of spending his birthday by himself and meet my lovely bible study group family.

Bible Study Group Picture with Vig.

My little girls.

Me & the boys

Can't believe the year is ending. I'm like "mother" of the group (they call me that, can u believe it)but even then, I've learned so much from each and every one of them. They're all so special and different, with great stories to tell of their lives. Nothing is too small or unimportant. Even though our lives may diverge, I'm so glad that we're all part of the great one body in Christ and that we're in a journey together, forever.

The story of Joseph

I love this story!! --> Actually, it's not a story - it's a true historical account!!

Recently, we taught the kids at Sunday School the story about Joseph and how God was able to turn the bad things that happened to Joseph into good.

If you're unfamiliar with the story of Joseph (one of the great patriachs of the Old Testament - Genesis 37-50), let me give you a brief overview.
1) Joseph, being one of the 12 sons of Jacob and his favourite son, was despised by his brothers, who then planned on killing him, but in the end sold him to traders as a slave to Egypt. As a slave to Potiphar, an officer of the Pharaoh, Joseph found favour in his sight and was made the overseer of the house.
2) But Potiphar's wife started to lust after him. Joseph refused her advances and she lied to her husband about what happened, making Potiphar angry enough to throw Joseph in prison. However, in prison, God gave him favour in the sight of the prisonkeeper and was put in charge of all the prisoners.
3) Later on, God helped Joseph interprete dreams of two prisoners who worked with the Pharaoh. After 2 years in prison, he was asked to interprete the Pharaoh's dream, and the Pharaoh seeing how wise he was, made him the Governor of Egypt (2nd in charge after the Pharaoh). Because he was the governor, he was able to bring his family to Egypt during the dreadful time of the famine.

And so, God was with Joseph all this while....even though things seemed bad, God had a purpose for Joseph.

Anyway, why I find this story so fascinating is the depth of emotions in Joseph. As I was reading the passage, it hit me how much suffering Joseph went through. And how much he trusted God and truly forgave his brothers for what they had done to him because he could see that God had a purpose for it all.

"Gen 41: 51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, "It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household."

Joseph is already Governor and his brothers came to Egypt to seek grain, but was accused of being spies by Joseph, whom they didn't recognise.
"42: 22 Reuben replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood." 23 They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. 24 He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again."

After his brothers brought back Benjamin as requested:
"42:29 As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?" And he said, "God be gracious to you, my son." 30 Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there. 43: 31 After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, "Serve the food." "

He wept loudly again when he finally revealed himself to his brothers, after seeing that they had changed. He wept again on his father's shoulders when he sees him after so many years. And when his father died, Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him.

I think the account of Joseph is so real, the emotional pain vividly expressed. It's such an amazing story. I think a film of the story would be equally as touching. The depth of his love for his father, his brothers after years of separation and pain.

Memories

~Memories of New College friends ~

I was just looking at all these digital photos that i recently managed to get off Newton and was just thinking about the time when he and Anne came all the way to Singapore to visit and then they and Guan came up to Malaysia for a short trip. Newtown was actually very very kind and printed out hard copies for us last year and where he's from (Shenzhen in China), they give very nice little photo holder album things. And I was looking at the dates - early Feb 2006! Time has definitely flown past so quickly. And much has happened and i'm still not yet the age of our big brother (and senile), Jere when I started at college 2002 and he was already there...hahaha...

By the way, Jimmy Choi, if you're reading this, I just wanted to say "happy belated birthday" and I hope that birds and China and wherever else you may go will continue to enrich your life in many many ways. Happy belated birthday 10/10 to Jere too (how can i ever forget his bday esp the time when we were all watching the FIFA world cup and the time was 10:10 and he exclaimed at that, trying to point something about it - i knew he meant his birthday straight away!). Anyway, he won't read this, but happppy happy 31st Jere!! I wonder if he's still senile =P

Thinking about Kailing, weihseun, Ruthie, Jodie, Joni, Kimmy, Sahil, Mahsa, Dilan, Alex Law etc etc...I cannot believe more than 5 years have gone past.

Newton, Guan, Kenneth, Pey Pey, Anne & me after having satay in Kajang, M'sia

funny advert on the MRT in Singapore

~ At Manly~

A photo of some of my workmates: Anita (work experience only and she's left us), Ivy, me & Leva about 3 weeks ago. We're having lunch at Manly beach as a farewell to Anita. I'm kinda immune to the name "manly" but i wonder why they even named it that in the first place. =P

It was really great to have Anita with us, she helped us so much and I really enjoyed our conversations. I wished she could have stayed longer!

People get fired, or just leave.

A couple of people got "fired" just in the last couple of weeks.

And it was one of the ladies upstairs' last day last Friday...before her 6-month maternity leave. Don't know if she'll come back, or extend her leave, but at least she knows the job is still waiting for her when she comes back. Not always the case though. She's been here close to 14 years too.

Anyway, felt really sad Friday close to the end of the day. My friend wondered why I was so, am i that close to her? - I don't know, change that involves a loss is sad , I even felt pricked and "shocked" when the KFC near my house was bulldozed to build a road, or when shops I'm so used to seeing close down or when my brothers just left me for 1 1/2 months on holiday. When it comes to people, I guess I'm really like my late grandfather.

However, back at work again on the first day of the week today and it was okay. Not sad anymore.

Challenge conference last weekend

A hint from Joni to update my blog haha...ok i'm finally doing it. Last weekend, we had a long weekend coz of Labour Day and I was just away at a Christian conference called Challenge conference.

With some of the girls just before our departure back to Sydney!


It was challenging as the name says. The talks were great and may I use this opportunity to commend anyone who reads here to listen to Phillip Jensen's talks. He is such a fantastic speaker. He is like a wise grandfather, witty and sharp and his humour is just impeccable. His talks are faithful and in context to what the Bible says and he just speaks in such a refreshing manner, recounting personal experiences and also drawing in issues from current and past events of the world.

check out:
http://afes.causeway-online.info/repository/afes-resource/NTE%20Index.html
http://www.cathedral.sydney.anglican.asn.au/pages/downloads-raquo/archive.php

However, ultimately, to exclude other speakers whom we think are not that "great" in comparison with Phillip Jensen would be a biased thing to do. It's not the speaker that matters but who the speaker is pointing the audience to --> Jesus and his gospel.

Another eventful thing that happened that weekend was that my car battery went flat at the time we were supposed to leave. Think my friend who parked my car forgot to switch the little headlight off and i didn't even notice later on. Oh well, i wasn't worried ...coz i knew there would be guys to help me hahah...what are they for anyway... =P just joking