Love that keeps on giving

It's Boxing Day today. Time to put away the gift boxes. For many Christmas is about Santa and Christmas presents. For some, the toys will be played with for a a seaon before being tossed aside. Rarely will gifts last forever. But Pastor reminded us during Christmas service, at its heart, Christmas means no matter what else will disappear in the future God's love will last forever.

1 John 4:9-10
By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him.
In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Being Thankful...

I received this email from a friend. It's about being looking at life from a different perpective and being thankful for things we ordinarily complain about.

I am thankful:

For the wife
Who says it's hot dogs tonight,
Because she is home with me,
And not out with someone else.

For the husband
who is on the sofa
being a couch potato,
because he is home with me
and not out at the bars.

For the teenager
who is complaining about doing dishes
because it means she is at home,
not on the streets.

For the taxes I pay
because it means
I am employed .

For the mess to clean after a party
because it means i have
been surrounded by friends

For the clothes that fit a little too snug
because it means
I have enough to eat.

For my shadow that watches me work
because it means
I am out in the sunshine

For a lawn that needs mowing,
windows that need cleaning,
and gutters that need fixing
because it means I have a home

For all the complaining
I hear about the government
because it means we have freedom of speech.

For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot
because it means I am capable of walking
and i have been blessed with transportation

For my huge heating bill
because it means
I am warm.

For the lady behind me in church
who sings off key
because it means
I can hear.

For the pile of
laundry and ironing
because it means
I have clothes to wear.

For weariness and aching muscles
at the end of the day
because it means I have been
capable of working hard.

For the alarm that goes off
in the early morning hours
because it means I am alive.

And finally, for too much e-mail
because it means I have friends who are thinking of me.

What New Delhi Taught Me About Gratitude

There is a Sunday school song that goes something like this "Count your blessings one by one". Too often, we forget to do that. It's only when we see others less fortunate than ourselves that we are reminded of how much we have been given.

On my first trip to India, I saw first hand how the poor in one of the world's largest populated nations live. It's not something one forgets easily - families building make-shift homes on the sidewalk. I was told that some of these people have to pay "rent" for the sidewalk space. Livestock and strays forage for food in piles of rubbish. Horses, cows and donkeys that pull carts filled with supplies look mal-nutritioned. People cram into buses, three-cycle motorcyles, trucks and tractor or animal pulled carts, some hanging precariously. Children have to work, be it in the paddy fields or selling souveniers to tourists.

Of course, not all of India is like that. But during my 5-hour car ride from Delhi to Agra, home to the magnificent Taj Mahal, I saw these scenes repeatedly. After an experience like that, I'm not likely to be complaining about the "hardships" of life anymore. My troubles compared to the daily struggles of these people and animals just to survive day to day seems insignificant. If there's one thing my experience in India has taught me is to count my blessings one by one.

"Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have, we will not be happy - because we will always want to have something else or something more."

Brother David Steindl - Rast

A Time For Me

I woke up this morning to a brilliant blue sky - the kind that we've not seen for a while in light of the haze we've had. It reminded me of the same beautiful day I spent in the Andaman, Langkawi earlier this year. And like that day, it would have been a waste to spend it indoors. So after my regular morning walk with Kess, I decided to pop by the park for a brisk walk to get my heart rate up (Kess tends to sniff every tree, branch, hydrant and electric pole so we usually end up with a leisurely walk). Later in the morning, I took my parents for a follow-up visit to dad's cardio and then had lunch with them at a popular Hakka restaurant. I got home just in time to catch a bit of the hunky "Take Home Chef" on the Asian Food Channel. After all that food, it was time for a quick nap.

Refreshed and awakened by a strong cup of Ipoh white coffee, I decided it is time to update my neglected blog, which brings me to this very moment in time. The very fact that I can do this today, on a weekday, is a gift - a gift of time. Ever since I started working from home last year, I've really cherished the flexibility of working from home. Sure, it requires an incredible amount of discipline because unlike working in an office, there isn't a punch-in clock or a sign-in sheet or a raised eyebrow from the boss to keep me on my toes. What drives me is deadlines. Yes, I can choose the hours I work but sometimes my choices mean I have to work nights or weekends to get the project done. For today, it is good enough that I can choose to take this weekday off for myself.

Tomorrow, it's back to work. A deadline awaits.

"Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can't buy more hours. Scientists can't invent new minutes. And you can't save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow."
~Denis Waitely

Amazing Love

Today is Easter Sunday. The day Christians rejoice that Jesus who was crucified on Good Friday for our sins was resurrected - defeating Satan and death once and for all. It's the day that I am reminded of God's amazing love for us, His children. The song below by Graham Kendrick describes it so perfectly.

Amazing Love by Graham Kendrick
My Lord what love is this?
That paid so dearly
That I, the guilty one, may go free.

Chorus:
Amazing love, oh what sacrifice
The Son of God, given for me
My dept He paid, and my death He died
That I, might live.
That I, might live.

And so, they watched Him die
Despised and rejected
But oh, the blood He shed, flowed for me.

And now, this love of Christ
Will flow, like rivers
Come wash, your guilt away,
And live again.

Perfect Timing

Ecclesiastes 3:11
"He has made everything beautiful in its time..."

God's timing is always perfect. Just as I was ready to end my self-gifted sabbatical, He provided me the job that I was looking for. Now, I'm working from home and am happy that I don't have to get stuck in traffic commuting to work. Truly He has made everything beautiful in its time!

Words of Wisdom

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill

Following through my last post on our visit to Philea Home, I wanted to share a quote on giving. Giving isn't just about money. It's also giving of our love and time. In the busy world we live in, we are sometimes so preoccupied with getting more. Sometimes it feeds itself, the more we get, the more we want. And in the quest of making a living, we forget to make a life. We have no time and energy to give to our loved ones, let alone strangers. So, take a step back to reflect and make a life by giving.

It Is More Blessed To Give

Last Sunday, this phrase became more than just a phrase to me. Our cell group visited Philea Home, an orphanage in Kapar, Klang. Our intention was to bless the 20 kids with a special meal and gifts. We were even able to obtain sponsorship from a hypermarket to donate baking goods as the home volunteers wanted to bake cookies during the festive season to raise funds. So, after church service, off we went with cakes, games and goody bags in our cars. When we arrived, the McDonalds' meals were already there (McD's agreed to make a special delivery even though the home was outside their delivery area). The kids were really excited as they hardly ever get such a treat.

We spent the afternoon singing songs and playing games with the kids. They had so much fun (we did too, despite the sweltering afternoon heat) and thrived on the attention. After the activities, we had cakes for tea, another special treat for them. By then, their curiosities got the better of them. They couldn't resist peeking into the bag of goodies we had lined up by the door. As each bag had a name, they were looking to see which bag was theirs...Kids will be kids! When we called each child individually, it was a pleasure to see the sheer joy in their faces as they came up to receive their goody bag.

Truly, it is more blessed to give than to receive. We went with the intention to bless the children. In the end, we were the ones who were blessed.

My friend Doris captured some amazing shots of the children. Check out her post on our visit to Philea.

My encounter with the firefighters

After my post on the NY firefighters, I actually had an encounter with the Malaysian men in red yesterday. No, there wasn't a fire at my place...Thank goodness!

It all started on late Sunday night when we heard mewing coming from the airwell up on our roof. We also heard a thudding sound as if someone (or something) was knocking against the door of the airwell. Needless to say, it wasn't a restful night...

The next morning, we heard the mewing again. This time, it sounded desparate. Obviously, the kitty couldn't figure out how to get off the roof (typical!) We had to do something. Hubby had to go off to work. I wasn't brave enough to climb up the stairwell. What was I to do? My neighbour suggested I call the Bomba (Malay word for firemen). They sent a team within 20 minutes. I was amazed at their efficiency!

They came equipped with their animal pole and thick leather gloves. Had a quick chat with the friendly firefighters and found out that cat rescues from the roof are a common occurence. Sometimes when the firefighters show up, the cats decide to "rescue themselves"...Since there was silence, they thought that this may be the case. But they were good sports and went up to check anyway.

They found one frightened and angry kitten, hiding behind the water tank. It must have found its way through a gap and couldn't get out again. Now I understand why they had thick gloves. The lil' kitty was spitting, snarling and scratching like crazy! Mid-way, the frightened kitty poo-ed, leaving a trail of poo in my home! Sigh...

It wasn't pleasant cleaning up the poo and wiping my floor throroughly with disinfectant. It cost us money to call in the pest control to fumigate the roof against fleas (our neighbour's home was infested with fleas after a cat gave birth on their roof). We didn't want to risk flea bites.

But, we were grateful to the men in red. Often times, we don't think very highly of public service. This team of firefighters did a wonderful job rescuing the kitten. Not only that, they performed this public service cheerfully! Well done, to our Malaysian firefighters!

A reflection on life

Niagara Falls, New York

Today, I am thankful for the life God has given me.

Psalm 139: 1-18

"O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
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.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because
I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together
in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am still with you. "

Thank you, Lord.

Great Service at Shell

Great customer service is rare. We expect it at 5-star hotels because we pay 5-star prices. Even then, we don't always get it.

I certainly didn't expect great service at a petrol station. Ever since the petrol stations moved towards self service at the pumps, we rarely expect any service from the attendants. In fact, some attendants just stand around doing nothing and just watch when you start cleaning your windscreen. That's why I was pleasantly surprised when I went to pump petrol at the Shell station opposite the Eastin Hotel today. I don't usually patronise this station but after today, I just may.

When I drove in, the attendant guided my car to an empty slot. When I got out, he asked with a smile if I was paying by credit card. Then he offered to clean my windscreen without me asking for the service. After he had completed cleaning, he went on to the car behind me and proceeded to clean the windscreen. When I encountered a problem with the credit card receipt, he immediately acknowledged my request for help with a nod, asked his colleague to take over the cleaning and came over to assist me. This gentleman, Encik Bakar is a shining example of great customer service. I am so impressed. Well done, sir! It's good to know people with passion for their job.

Tribute to Mum

One of my passions is cooking. Looking back, I can trace this passion back to my mum. My mum loves to cook for her family. So, I grew up with home-cooked food on the table. When mum first got married to dad, she didn't know how to cook chilli dishes (She comes from Cantonese background). My dad, a Malacca baba, grew up eating curry and chili dishes. Mum told us that when she first fried fish, dad refused to eat coz it didn't have chilli. Today, one of mum's specialty dishes is fried fish with stuffed sambal filling! It is a testament of her love for dad. Mum continues to experiment with new recipes she's seen on TV. This goes to show that you're never too old to learn.

I have to confess that when I used to live at home, I never really enjoyed cooking. I didn't like to help out in the kitchen as it meant I had to miss out on my play time or TV time. But, mum was a believer that her children should know how to cook. When I went overseas for studies, I had no choice but to cook. Eating out was expensive and not something a student could afford to do on a regular basis. So, very often, I would call home and ask mum for a recipe.

Now that I am married, I find myself preferring to eat in most days. Even when I was working, our friends used to be amazed that I cooked dinner regularly. The dishes were simple and I used the crock pot often. Now that I'm on a sabbatical, I've had time to experiment with more complicated dishes. Plus, with my brand new Teka oven, I look forward to experimenting with more roasts and grills. Our friends loved the baby-back ribs we prepared for a dinner party.

And so, on this Mother's Day, it is apt for me to pay this tribute to my mum, and all mums out there - for all the good food you have lovingly prepared for your children and for instilling the passion for good ol' home-cooked food.