Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Monday, May 29, 2006
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
The things which you hold on dearly...how far would you let go?
Find this rather amusing..I am in the midst of "collecting" all my kid's and detractor's things over this past two months in Maris Stella Pri School..I am personally amazed at how God showed me the way the boys react to things would actually be a life lesson to me.
It just occured to me after talking to God about it. I would have to clear out my drawers soon and be shifting my workstation and to my stock taking account, to date, I have collected, satay sticks, erasers, lotsa pens, Pokemon cards, bookmarks, torchlight, my prized soccer ball and not to mention a green wriggly little fellow..which I hope is worming around safely in the school garden...and now the latest craze in the classroom scene ladies and gentlemen is the RUBBER BANDS. Flashes of red and yellow will spring across the room when you are talking in class...took a bag of them today...:)
The boys actually place great value in these little things. I would be amazed at how they would brawl and cry when their things are removed from them, how they would want to hold on to them so tightly that they hope that the teacher would be lenient and be nice to them. One boy cried running after me after class for me to return his precious notebook in which he wrote, about the "special" powers that he and his friends has accumulated over the months of "training". Today I did something drastic..threw a boy's shoe outta the door!I am amazed at the stories that I heard about the boys doing business selling all the thigns that they had collected to earn profit...
The things we hold on to so tightly...One by one as I had collected the things from the boys, I had harboured this hope that they would listen and do well in their work. Pretty like what God wants me to do in many of things that my little possessions...how i still like a little child sometimes..holding on to my pride, my prized little erasers and satay sticks of requests from God. God would want to bless us with many gifts ...but in the process...there must be a spiritual "pruning" "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be more fruitful."John 15:2
Many times i come begging at God's feet...do You have to take that away from me? Do you have to really give it to You God? Do I have to surrender that little thought that i hold on to ? All this reasoning just because we want something from God and when He demands that we give it all to Him...it becomes really tough...I wrestle with God, each struggle i realised that the tear in my heart or soul becomes much deeper and hurt more...it was so much easier to simply let go to God..The kids who struggle with me did not just get hurt emotionally themselves, i realise that I do get hurt its really a tight feeling when the kid makes you angry at times, then it dawned upon me God is hurt too when i struggle with such animosity over my rights He wants to give the best..today another deeper understanding of His love for me...
Remembering also the song that we had sang at CG,
Give them all, Give them all , Give them all to Jesus,
Shattered dreams and wounded hearts and broken toys,
Give them all, Give them all, Give them all to Jesus,
He'd turn your sorrow into JOY!!
The fishing line would have to be released further in order to "get bigger fish" as what the Chinese always say..but GOD asks for complete surrender, replete at His feet...How much faith do I hold right now to let go, really let go of that fishing line,that eraser of value, that "Pokemon Card" of my heart?
Lord, I pray, burn it deep and take all of me Lord! That last stubborn stronghold of my pride, my emotions, my wants and needs i want to give it to You...help me dear Lord! It's Your Grace, that I am here...Help me not to over ask for more...I want to experience this joy, this freedom that comes from complete surrender at Your feet...The deeper in love, the deeper aspects of my heart, Lord I pray you touch me there too..thank You Lord for all You'd have done.....:)
It's really amazing..how simple everyday things like that should help me see God in the lives of those kids...God takes and He blesses us back so manyfold in return...:)
Tucking away the strands of stray rubber bands in the drawer..:0) Yupps there's always a round 2 in this wrestle tomorrow....
It just occured to me after talking to God about it. I would have to clear out my drawers soon and be shifting my workstation and to my stock taking account, to date, I have collected, satay sticks, erasers, lotsa pens, Pokemon cards, bookmarks, torchlight, my prized soccer ball and not to mention a green wriggly little fellow..which I hope is worming around safely in the school garden...and now the latest craze in the classroom scene ladies and gentlemen is the RUBBER BANDS. Flashes of red and yellow will spring across the room when you are talking in class...took a bag of them today...:)
The boys actually place great value in these little things. I would be amazed at how they would brawl and cry when their things are removed from them, how they would want to hold on to them so tightly that they hope that the teacher would be lenient and be nice to them. One boy cried running after me after class for me to return his precious notebook in which he wrote, about the "special" powers that he and his friends has accumulated over the months of "training". Today I did something drastic..threw a boy's shoe outta the door!I am amazed at the stories that I heard about the boys doing business selling all the thigns that they had collected to earn profit...
The things we hold on to so tightly...One by one as I had collected the things from the boys, I had harboured this hope that they would listen and do well in their work. Pretty like what God wants me to do in many of things that my little possessions...how i still like a little child sometimes..holding on to my pride, my prized little erasers and satay sticks of requests from God. God would want to bless us with many gifts ...but in the process...there must be a spiritual "pruning" "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be more fruitful."John 15:2
Many times i come begging at God's feet...do You have to take that away from me? Do you have to really give it to You God? Do I have to surrender that little thought that i hold on to ? All this reasoning just because we want something from God and when He demands that we give it all to Him...it becomes really tough...I wrestle with God, each struggle i realised that the tear in my heart or soul becomes much deeper and hurt more...it was so much easier to simply let go to God..The kids who struggle with me did not just get hurt emotionally themselves, i realise that I do get hurt its really a tight feeling when the kid makes you angry at times, then it dawned upon me God is hurt too when i struggle with such animosity over my rights He wants to give the best..today another deeper understanding of His love for me...
Remembering also the song that we had sang at CG,
Give them all, Give them all , Give them all to Jesus,
Shattered dreams and wounded hearts and broken toys,
Give them all, Give them all, Give them all to Jesus,
He'd turn your sorrow into JOY!!
The fishing line would have to be released further in order to "get bigger fish" as what the Chinese always say..but GOD asks for complete surrender, replete at His feet...How much faith do I hold right now to let go, really let go of that fishing line,that eraser of value, that "Pokemon Card" of my heart?
Lord, I pray, burn it deep and take all of me Lord! That last stubborn stronghold of my pride, my emotions, my wants and needs i want to give it to You...help me dear Lord! It's Your Grace, that I am here...Help me not to over ask for more...I want to experience this joy, this freedom that comes from complete surrender at Your feet...The deeper in love, the deeper aspects of my heart, Lord I pray you touch me there too..thank You Lord for all You'd have done.....:)
It's really amazing..how simple everyday things like that should help me see God in the lives of those kids...God takes and He blesses us back so manyfold in return...:)
Tucking away the strands of stray rubber bands in the drawer..:0) Yupps there's always a round 2 in this wrestle tomorrow....
Monday, May 22, 2006
Sarawak Trip 28th April to 1st May 2006
Went for a good long weekend getaway during this weekend hols over the Labour day PH.
What sparked off from a casual MSN one fine day in the staff room with Jeannie made me suggest that...why not we both pay Ms Lau a visit...wahahah
We have known Ms Lau for so long but have never got down to her place...guess we are all hyped up...kudos to Jeannie..we have our airplane tickets and schedule planned out within a few days...she can be a planner or scheduler...ever thought of that?
heheh....
Both of us decided to take Silk Air after much discussion cos if we travel by budget..we have to take to Senai Airport which is 3 hours from Singapore..then fly by Air Asia...i gave a "No, No" sign to Jeannie...aiyoh...just pay more a bit and fly la....
Our first trip to Sarawak...Sarah is back for her annual retreat home...:) miss her wor......so excited also..me have been wheezing and coughing for the past week...did not really recover...from my last entry...i had left the stadium of screaming boys at Hougang...din have time to change outta my sports attire and went straight to the airport....very unglam...hmmmm...
I thank God for such sweet friends like Sarah and Jeannie ever since the NTU days. We 3 were like in the same group for a good 1 and half years...things din really work out at first for me.. I was rather off..then slowly as I joined the group more ..I was attracted to the bubbly nature of Sarah and the quietness of Jeannie...hahah guessed we clicked..:) We started to serve together...even at one point of time Sarah and me were Jeannie's core team. Could see how we three were put into 3 different Sub D after NTU....NG1, NG5 and NG14..wah....MSN i tell you is a very powerful tool..we would chat and catch up all those nitty gritty things that simply amuses us day in and day out...
I was rather intrigued by Sarah..our dearest Princess...haah how she is brought up..her Christian parents and of course...her younger brother....we were all so piqued and excited to meet her family....:P
Lotsa good food wonderful break
What sparked off from a casual MSN one fine day in the staff room with Jeannie made me suggest that...why not we both pay Ms Lau a visit...wahahah
We have known Ms Lau for so long but have never got down to her place...guess we are all hyped up...kudos to Jeannie..we have our airplane tickets and schedule planned out within a few days...she can be a planner or scheduler...ever thought of that?
heheh....
Both of us decided to take Silk Air after much discussion cos if we travel by budget..we have to take to Senai Airport which is 3 hours from Singapore..then fly by Air Asia...i gave a "No, No" sign to Jeannie...aiyoh...just pay more a bit and fly la....
Our first trip to Sarawak...Sarah is back for her annual retreat home...:) miss her wor......so excited also..me have been wheezing and coughing for the past week...did not really recover...from my last entry...i had left the stadium of screaming boys at Hougang...din have time to change outta my sports attire and went straight to the airport....very unglam...hmmmm...
I thank God for such sweet friends like Sarah and Jeannie ever since the NTU days. We 3 were like in the same group for a good 1 and half years...things din really work out at first for me.. I was rather off..then slowly as I joined the group more ..I was attracted to the bubbly nature of Sarah and the quietness of Jeannie...hahah guessed we clicked..:) We started to serve together...even at one point of time Sarah and me were Jeannie's core team. Could see how we three were put into 3 different Sub D after NTU....NG1, NG5 and NG14..wah....MSN i tell you is a very powerful tool..we would chat and catch up all those nitty gritty things that simply amuses us day in and day out...
I was rather intrigued by Sarah..our dearest Princess...haah how she is brought up..her Christian parents and of course...her younger brother....we were all so piqued and excited to meet her family....:P
Lotsa good food wonderful break
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Without You
I remember i was a huge fan of Mariah Carey back in 1994, my sec school times to around JC days...that was when she was still married to Tommy Mottola the Sony Label boss who had focused her earlier albums more on vocals than her looks...
Those days she was really HUGE and popular, I remember myself as a teenager, recording all the music videos on TV and there was this series of TV specials on stars which i recorded everyweek..think i must have played the tape over and over and over again so many times....found this video "Without You" recorded in the famous Madison Square Garden. I really think she was really pretty last time! :) 8 ocvtave vocal range...she was in the ranks of "diva" together with Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Janet Jackson...oh yeah those 80s to 90s time...:P
Its one of my personal favourites from the album Music Box...hehe, most of you all could remember hits like Hero, Dreamlover,I'll be There (~"Just call my name and I'll be there...") and of course All I want for Christmas...these days RnB is in the rage...She does not sing like she used to anymore.
Do enjoy the video with me...:)
Those days she was really HUGE and popular, I remember myself as a teenager, recording all the music videos on TV and there was this series of TV specials on stars which i recorded everyweek..think i must have played the tape over and over and over again so many times....found this video "Without You" recorded in the famous Madison Square Garden. I really think she was really pretty last time! :) 8 ocvtave vocal range...she was in the ranks of "diva" together with Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Janet Jackson...oh yeah those 80s to 90s time...:P
Its one of my personal favourites from the album Music Box...hehe, most of you all could remember hits like Hero, Dreamlover,I'll be There (~"Just call my name and I'll be there...") and of course All I want for Christmas...these days RnB is in the rage...She does not sing like she used to anymore.
Do enjoy the video with me...:)
Caterpillar
Says a highly amused Rachel( and trying hard not to burst out laughing keepin a straight face...) to the poor P1 boy...
Brought the perpetuator to the Science Garden..
Rac: "RELEASE THAT THING BACK TO THE SCIENCE GARDEN!!"
P1 Boy: "But , But , But, it WUN crawl out of the leaf!!"
Rac:... ... ...
Brought the perpetuator to the Science Garden..
Rac: "RELEASE THAT THING BACK TO THE SCIENCE GARDEN!!"
P1 Boy: "But , But , But, it WUN crawl out of the leaf!!"
Rac:... ... ...
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Touched by a......10-year old!!
28th April 2006-Sports Day!!
Was totally touched today....its a short day today as the kids are already in their "off" mood for the long weekend for the Labour Day holiday. I had to take some boys in their Maths lesson today..as usual, there's something about boys and their ego...doesn't seem to change with AGE eh? Some kids gave me trouble again, a group of about 6-7 were writing lewd stuff on paper and passing them around giggling and laughing...and simply refused to OWN UP that they have done wrong..
The form teacher and me got down to "decipher" the code, "Who wrote this line?" "Write your name beside that line!!" But as always...no one dared to admit himself writing the vulgarities. We questioned this group of boys together with the form for a good 45 minutes!! Until one boy finally broke down and cried!!
Released them to go home to get their stuff, while i was still fuming..had to catch a plane to Sarawak that evening rushed to get my luggage and passport.
Arrived at scorching hot Hougang Stadium at 1235pm and was assigned CROWD CONTROL. Imagine with me ppl, how to you do CROWD CONTROL with a group of noisy Secondary and Primary school boys, all excited for the Sports Day? Aiyoh!!!! I met the the boy who was crying earlier on. To my surprise, he was waving his hands around," Miss Tham, Miss Tham, MISS THAM!!!" I was really surprised....just barely a few hours ago, I was there scolding you and you were crying...now you are welcoming me??
Learnt another hard lesson that day, how kids, especially boys could be so forgiving, chinese say" Bu2 Ji4 Chou2". My heart was still feeling awful from the lecture that i had given them..WOW....this is really a good lesson for me..
Was queueing up for the ice milo (rem those lil green coupons that we used to get when we were in pri sch?) this sweet little scout from the notorious class in my earlier post, came up to me,(the scouts have to first give up their Milo to teachers first) my fellow teacher standing beside me reached out to take the cup, but he went "Miss Tham only..." AWWWwwwwwwww..... i really could not stop smiling!!!!
Lord, my heart is won over by these 10 year olds!!!
:)
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