Think I have blogged about this in 2005 about how God saved me through my troubles once again. Am so relieved...
"Though You have made me see troubles, many and bitter, You will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth yo will again BRING ME UP."
Just thought of how undeserving I am of God's mercy I am again...
I must really blog about this to once again testify how wonderful God's goodness is...what I share is going to be really sensitive and it can really shake my world so beware....
I have done a major mistake on my part. I have miscalculated my pupils' marks after printing and after generating the report slips. Can't really blame the system for generating the wrong class position. I should have waited. Been rather complacent over the results and have left it at that for a good two weeks.
It was until last night did i want to go check my results slip and the marks sheet.
I was struck green in the face by what I saw and I could not really sleep after that...
The class position were all WRONG. Not tallying with the results slip.
There's this huge sinking feeling you know that you have done something major, some grave big mistake.
I have already informed the parents and asked to the kid to go for rehearsals for prize giving..what to do man?
I did what was the only thing I could do, I prayed.Told GOd how sorry I was and how careless and asking Him to bring me out of the situation with His wisdom and strength...I really could not sleep...went first thing in the morning...told no one except the HOD...I am in serious trouble.
God is really with me all the way, He helped me through the HOD, how he sat down and resolved the issue with me, gave me advice on how to speak to the parents etc...how he urged me to trust in the Lord too. I was so encouraged!
I decided there and then, my ecapism cannot work, I must do something about it. ANd the very first thing i can do is not to let my emotions and feelings affect what the children are facing today. I decided to let them have FUN. I forsaken every worry at the point of time and joked and laughed with the kids. By the time I was done for the morning, the two kids whom I have spoken to have agreed amicably on their change in their class position. Everything went well.
With much trembling I asked the Malay Mother Tongue teacher to be with me as I break the horrifying truth: that their son has not got that class position after all. To my surprise and relief, He was so kind and mentioned, "I know something is wrong, My son did not get as good grades as last semester, he could not have got that position. I understand where you were coming from and I accept!" I so so relieved that I hugged the mother tongue teacher!! Thank goodness he managed to agree upon a "peace offering' for my mistake.
So amazing was God's grace, it all boils down to doing the very least at the very lowest level, was to trust in the Lord and to continue bringing joy to those around me...Thank You Lord! Once again YOU RAISE ME UP...:)
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
God is amazing! :)
Had a prayer meeting just over the Sunday Morning before service where our leader shared to us on being opportunistic in sharing the Gospel. It can happen ANYWHERE, be it at your workplace, between friends, even in the context of a funeral setting!
Heard an encouraging testimony about my Care leader that he was so opportunistic that at a certain Christian wake, he even took the chance to witness to the people around him! Such was the amazing extent of the burden that he felt for the lost.
Today after service, realised that we had our dear friend LP coming to service by herself! She has been rather close to us for the past one year and I was amazed by how much she wants to come and hear message and the Word of the God! It was such a surprise visit cos she did not sms anyone of us...
GOd bless her heart of wanting to hear the Gospel. May You touch her heart soon...:) AMen!
Now is the time when opportunity arises, there you have a person willing to hear and know more about God...how are you taking your chances today? :)
Heard an encouraging testimony about my Care leader that he was so opportunistic that at a certain Christian wake, he even took the chance to witness to the people around him! Such was the amazing extent of the burden that he felt for the lost.
Today after service, realised that we had our dear friend LP coming to service by herself! She has been rather close to us for the past one year and I was amazed by how much she wants to come and hear message and the Word of the God! It was such a surprise visit cos she did not sms anyone of us...
GOd bless her heart of wanting to hear the Gospel. May You touch her heart soon...:) AMen!
Now is the time when opportunity arises, there you have a person willing to hear and know more about God...how are you taking your chances today? :)
Saturday, November 10, 2007
My dear Primary 1s
Realised today that 3 of my P1 pupils are transferring to a new school on the block!
Was so sad that I called them up individually one by one to talk to them to ask them why they are changing school etc. Two of them had said that their parents think that the new school is nearer to their house and they only need to walk unlike their current school which they would have to take a school bus...
I hugged each and everyone individually, Akmal, Yan Qin and Fatima, will miss them so much...such sweet, well-behaved kids...teared a bit la...sigh...
Was so sad that I called them up individually one by one to talk to them to ask them why they are changing school etc. Two of them had said that their parents think that the new school is nearer to their house and they only need to walk unlike their current school which they would have to take a school bus...
I hugged each and everyone individually, Akmal, Yan Qin and Fatima, will miss them so much...such sweet, well-behaved kids...teared a bit la...sigh...
Friday, November 02, 2007
The scary sound of silence...
Have you ever experienced or come across people who simply cannot respond to you even when you talk to them, smile at them? Say things to them at their Mother Tongue?
It wasn't until I entered teaching did I realise just how pampered and protected I am as a kid. I was hardly exposed to people who are just different. My friends are mostly "normal" kids if you can understand what I mean.
WHen I entered into the Primary School classroom, you have kids who cannot read, dyslexic (read letters and words backwards), autistic kids (quiet,or unable to control emotions) ADHD Syndrome (hyperactive children)...kids that just stare at you, deep down into you, at whatever antics you try to pull...They cannot open their mouth to answer. You wonder to yourself, "What's going on in their little minds? Do they comprehend what you are saying? Do they make sense of the sounds that are around them? Especially those that are speech that are coming from people?"
It is scary...some kids I have come across just simply cannot relay what they want to tell me. They come to me every day,....silently, lifting their homework to me, not uttering a single word, or say a word of good morning. All communication is through their eyes and body movement...Kid Z would always come to me, shaking his legs, eyes are on me, that blank motionless stare ...You would have to comprehend to yourself does Kid Z want : A - Go toilet? B - Someone bullying him? C-I forgot to bring my homework or D - I just wanna come up to you and freak you out. Cos, he simply does not answer ANY of my questions of "What's the matter?" or "What do you want?" There were many times when I could not understand what he was trying to say and he actually wetted and soiled his pants a few times...
I am so sorry that I have to say this....I really don't know how to react. It took me a long while to appreciate Kid Z. He had such a sweet, sweet smile. There was this incident that scared me out of my wits, Kid Z had an asthma attack and it was right there in my classroom. He was sobbing from morning 8am to 930am. I was not first-aid trained and I tried to coax him, talk to him, he cannot tell me what was wrong with him. Finally took him to the general office then found out from the first-aidders that through his sobbing he had a faint wheezing sound...It was ASTHMA! Can you imagine you are autistic and you have an attack for a good 1 and half hours and NO ONE KNOWS? This is so scary!!! A matter of life and death in a matter of seconds!
God's grace and protection was certainly on me and that kid then.
Then just yesterday, another same case kid, Kid S came up to me. He could recognise my common commands and instructions and he would repeat them with much enthusiasm, causing everyone in the class to laugh. Kid S came up to me just yesterday "Teacher, I have not finished my work,"pointing to his unfilled worksheet...in the exact same fashion as his group mate E had just done, but the difference is, with a blank face and a mechanic voice.... You really wonder to yourself, does he do it because he recognise patterns and form? Or does he really understand what he's trying to tell me?
The Lord is really teaching me a lesson on how to really love and appreciate kids properly...
Shivers down my spine again...
It wasn't until I entered teaching did I realise just how pampered and protected I am as a kid. I was hardly exposed to people who are just different. My friends are mostly "normal" kids if you can understand what I mean.
WHen I entered into the Primary School classroom, you have kids who cannot read, dyslexic (read letters and words backwards), autistic kids (quiet,or unable to control emotions) ADHD Syndrome (hyperactive children)...kids that just stare at you, deep down into you, at whatever antics you try to pull...They cannot open their mouth to answer. You wonder to yourself, "What's going on in their little minds? Do they comprehend what you are saying? Do they make sense of the sounds that are around them? Especially those that are speech that are coming from people?"
It is scary...some kids I have come across just simply cannot relay what they want to tell me. They come to me every day,....silently, lifting their homework to me, not uttering a single word, or say a word of good morning. All communication is through their eyes and body movement...Kid Z would always come to me, shaking his legs, eyes are on me, that blank motionless stare ...You would have to comprehend to yourself does Kid Z want : A - Go toilet? B - Someone bullying him? C-I forgot to bring my homework or D - I just wanna come up to you and freak you out. Cos, he simply does not answer ANY of my questions of "What's the matter?" or "What do you want?" There were many times when I could not understand what he was trying to say and he actually wetted and soiled his pants a few times...
I am so sorry that I have to say this....I really don't know how to react. It took me a long while to appreciate Kid Z. He had such a sweet, sweet smile. There was this incident that scared me out of my wits, Kid Z had an asthma attack and it was right there in my classroom. He was sobbing from morning 8am to 930am. I was not first-aid trained and I tried to coax him, talk to him, he cannot tell me what was wrong with him. Finally took him to the general office then found out from the first-aidders that through his sobbing he had a faint wheezing sound...It was ASTHMA! Can you imagine you are autistic and you have an attack for a good 1 and half hours and NO ONE KNOWS? This is so scary!!! A matter of life and death in a matter of seconds!
God's grace and protection was certainly on me and that kid then.
Then just yesterday, another same case kid, Kid S came up to me. He could recognise my common commands and instructions and he would repeat them with much enthusiasm, causing everyone in the class to laugh. Kid S came up to me just yesterday "Teacher, I have not finished my work,"pointing to his unfilled worksheet...in the exact same fashion as his group mate E had just done, but the difference is, with a blank face and a mechanic voice.... You really wonder to yourself, does he do it because he recognise patterns and form? Or does he really understand what he's trying to tell me?
The Lord is really teaching me a lesson on how to really love and appreciate kids properly...
Shivers down my spine again...
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
The Other Boot
From Mountain Wings -
The Other Boot
===============
My Father used to tell my brothers and me a story of World War I. While a young soldier was praying before bedtime one night,another soldier told him to stop that noise and threw one of hisboots at him.
The next morning, the soldier who had been praying returned the boot to its owner cleaned and polished, and asked for the otherone and said he would also polish that one.
My father said the young soldier was never abused again. I was only a little girl when my father told this story, but I have never forgotten it.
~Submitted by Meg Seaman, Australia
~ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let himhave your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile,go with him two miles. (Mat 5:39-41 NIV)
Just felt that this email is so divine. Was chatting with my leader about some issues. He said exactly the same thing. Teared a bit over the phone cos its really tough, you see it in writing to turn the other cheek when someone slaps you in one cheek... But you are so hurt by the first cheek already that you cannot turn your neck! My leader urged me to do as much as my human strength allows me to and to stand there and wait patiently. After all, Jesus is still nice to people who mistreated Him.
What if you obey God and you turn your other cheeks and in the end both cheeks are equally scarred, mawed and slapped hard upon, what now? Probably as much as it hurts me, the hand that welded the stroke on my cheek is also hurting so much more inside?
I don't know how long this is going to last. I cannot take it anymore...God help me help me help me....Can I live without a heart?
:(
The Other Boot
===============
My Father used to tell my brothers and me a story of World War I. While a young soldier was praying before bedtime one night,another soldier told him to stop that noise and threw one of hisboots at him.
The next morning, the soldier who had been praying returned the boot to its owner cleaned and polished, and asked for the otherone and said he would also polish that one.
My father said the young soldier was never abused again. I was only a little girl when my father told this story, but I have never forgotten it.
~Submitted by Meg Seaman, Australia
~ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let himhave your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile,go with him two miles. (Mat 5:39-41 NIV)
Just felt that this email is so divine. Was chatting with my leader about some issues. He said exactly the same thing. Teared a bit over the phone cos its really tough, you see it in writing to turn the other cheek when someone slaps you in one cheek... But you are so hurt by the first cheek already that you cannot turn your neck! My leader urged me to do as much as my human strength allows me to and to stand there and wait patiently. After all, Jesus is still nice to people who mistreated Him.
What if you obey God and you turn your other cheeks and in the end both cheeks are equally scarred, mawed and slapped hard upon, what now? Probably as much as it hurts me, the hand that welded the stroke on my cheek is also hurting so much more inside?
I don't know how long this is going to last. I cannot take it anymore...God help me help me help me....Can I live without a heart?
:(
Friday, October 26, 2007
Good Story from Professor John Powell
This is a good read sent to me by Carol. Enjoy! :D
A true story.>>>>>
Father John Powell, a professor at Loyola University in Chicago writes about a student in his Theology of Faith class named Tommy...
Some twelve years ago, I stood watching my university students file into>the classroom for our first session in the Theology of Faith. That was the day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my mind both blinked. He was combing his long flaxen hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders.
It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with hair that long. I guess it was just coming into fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn't what's on your head but what's in it that counts; but on that day I was unprepared and my emotions flipped. I immediately filed Tommy under "S" for strange...very strange.
Tommy turned out to be the "atheist in residence" in my Theology of Faith course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father/God. We lived with each other in relative peace for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a serious pain in the back pew. When he came up at the end of the course to turn in his final exam, he asked in a cynical tone,
"Do you think I'll ever find God?" I decided instantly on a little shock therapy. "No!" I said very emphatically.
"Why not," he responded, "I thought that was the product you were pushing." I let him get five steps from the classroom door and then called out,
"Tommy! I don't think you'll ever find Him, but I am absolutely certain that He will find you!"
He shrugged a little and left my class and my life. I felt slightly disappointed at the thought that he had missed my clever line "He will find you! " At least I thought it was clever.
Later I heard that Tommy had graduated and I was duly grateful. Then a sad report came. I heard that Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to see me. When he walked into my office, his body was very badly wasted and the long hair had all fallen out as a>result of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice was firm, for the first time, I believe.
"Tommy, I've thought about you so often I hear you're sick," I blurted out.
"Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer in both lungs. It's a matter of weeks."
"Can you talk about it, Tom?" I asked.
"Sure, what would you like to know?" he replied.
"What's it like to be only 24 and dying?"
"Well, it could be worse."
"Like what?"
"Well, like being 50 and having no values or ideals, like being 50 and thinking that booze, seducing women, and making money are the real biggies in life."
I began to look through my mental file cabinet under 'S' where I had filed Tommy as strange. (It seems as though everybody I try to reject by classification, God sends back into my life to educate me.)
"But what I really came to see you about," Tom said, "is something you said to me on the last day of class." (He remembered!)
He continued, "I asked you if you thought I would ever find God and you said, 'No!' which>surprised me. Then you said, 'But He will find you.' I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time." (My clever line. He thought about that a lot!)
"But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, that's when I got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven. But God did not come out.. In fact, nothing happened. Did you ever try anything for a long time with great effort and with no success? You get psychologically glutted, fed up with trying. And then you quit. Well, one day I woke up, and instead of throwing a few more futile appeals over that high brick wall to a God who may be or may not be there, I just quit."
"I decided that I didn't really care about God, about an after life, or anything like that. I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more profitable. I thought about you and your class and I remembered something else you had said: 'The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those you lovedthat you had loved them.'"So, I began with the hardest one, my Dad.
He was reading the newspaper when I approached him.
"Dad."
"Yes, what?" he asked without lowering the newspaper
."Dad, I would like to talk with you."
"Well, talk."
"I mean...It's really important."
The newspaper came down three slow inches.
"What is it?"
"Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that."
Tom smiled at me and said it with obvious satisfaction, as though hefelt a warm and secret joy flowing inside of him.
"The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged me. We talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me."
"It was easier with my mother and little brother. They cried with me, too, and we hugged each other, and started saying real nice things to each other. We shared the things we had been keeping secret for so many years."
"I was only sorry about one thing --- that I had waited so long. Here I was, just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to."
"Then, one day I turned around and God was there. He didn't come to me when I pleaded with Him. I guess I was like an animal trainer holding out a hoop, 'C'mon, jump through. C'mon, I'll give you three days, three weeks.'
"Apparently God does things in His own way and at His own hour. But the important thing is that He was there. He found me! You were right. He>found me even after I stopped looking for Him."
"Tommy," I practically gasped,
"I think you are saying something very important and much more universal than you realize. To me, at least, you are saying that the surest way to find God is not to make Him a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather by opening to love. You know, the Apostle John said that. He>said: 'God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him.'
"Tom, could I ask you a favor? You know, when I had you in class you were a real pain. But (laughingly) you can make it all up to me now. Would you come into my present Theology of Faith course and tell them what you have just told me? If I told them the same thing it wouldn't be half as effective as if you were to tell it."
"Ooh I was ready for you, but I don't know if I'm ready for your class."
"Tom, think about it. If and when you are ready, give me a call."
In a few days Tom called, said he was ready for the class, that he wanted to do that for God and for me. So we scheduled a date. However, he never made it. He had another appointment, far more important than the one with me and my class. Of course, his life was not really ended by his death, only changed. He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or the ear of man has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined. Before he died, we talked one last time.
"I'm not going to make it to your class," he said.
"I know, Tom."
"Will you tell them for me? Will you tell the whole world for me?"
"I will, Tom. I'll tell them. I'll do my best."
So, to all of you who have been kind enough to read this simple story about God's love, thank you for listening. And to you, Tommy, somewhere in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven --- 'I told them, Tommy, as best I could.'
If this story means anything to you, please pass it on to a friend or two. It is a true story and is not enhanced for publicity purposes.
With thanks,
Rev. John Powell, Professor
Loyola University in Chicago
A true story.>>>>>
Father John Powell, a professor at Loyola University in Chicago writes about a student in his Theology of Faith class named Tommy...
Some twelve years ago, I stood watching my university students file into>the classroom for our first session in the Theology of Faith. That was the day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my mind both blinked. He was combing his long flaxen hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders.
It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with hair that long. I guess it was just coming into fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn't what's on your head but what's in it that counts; but on that day I was unprepared and my emotions flipped. I immediately filed Tommy under "S" for strange...very strange.
Tommy turned out to be the "atheist in residence" in my Theology of Faith course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father/God. We lived with each other in relative peace for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a serious pain in the back pew. When he came up at the end of the course to turn in his final exam, he asked in a cynical tone,
"Do you think I'll ever find God?" I decided instantly on a little shock therapy. "No!" I said very emphatically.
"Why not," he responded, "I thought that was the product you were pushing." I let him get five steps from the classroom door and then called out,
"Tommy! I don't think you'll ever find Him, but I am absolutely certain that He will find you!"
He shrugged a little and left my class and my life. I felt slightly disappointed at the thought that he had missed my clever line "He will find you! " At least I thought it was clever.
Later I heard that Tommy had graduated and I was duly grateful. Then a sad report came. I heard that Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to see me. When he walked into my office, his body was very badly wasted and the long hair had all fallen out as a>result of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice was firm, for the first time, I believe.
"Tommy, I've thought about you so often I hear you're sick," I blurted out.
"Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer in both lungs. It's a matter of weeks."
"Can you talk about it, Tom?" I asked.
"Sure, what would you like to know?" he replied.
"What's it like to be only 24 and dying?"
"Well, it could be worse."
"Like what?"
"Well, like being 50 and having no values or ideals, like being 50 and thinking that booze, seducing women, and making money are the real biggies in life."
I began to look through my mental file cabinet under 'S' where I had filed Tommy as strange. (It seems as though everybody I try to reject by classification, God sends back into my life to educate me.)
"But what I really came to see you about," Tom said, "is something you said to me on the last day of class." (He remembered!)
He continued, "I asked you if you thought I would ever find God and you said, 'No!' which>surprised me. Then you said, 'But He will find you.' I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time." (My clever line. He thought about that a lot!)
"But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, that's when I got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven. But God did not come out.. In fact, nothing happened. Did you ever try anything for a long time with great effort and with no success? You get psychologically glutted, fed up with trying. And then you quit. Well, one day I woke up, and instead of throwing a few more futile appeals over that high brick wall to a God who may be or may not be there, I just quit."
"I decided that I didn't really care about God, about an after life, or anything like that. I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more profitable. I thought about you and your class and I remembered something else you had said: 'The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those you lovedthat you had loved them.'"So, I began with the hardest one, my Dad.
He was reading the newspaper when I approached him.
"Dad."
"Yes, what?" he asked without lowering the newspaper
."Dad, I would like to talk with you."
"Well, talk."
"I mean...It's really important."
The newspaper came down three slow inches.
"What is it?"
"Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that."
Tom smiled at me and said it with obvious satisfaction, as though hefelt a warm and secret joy flowing inside of him.
"The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged me. We talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me."
"It was easier with my mother and little brother. They cried with me, too, and we hugged each other, and started saying real nice things to each other. We shared the things we had been keeping secret for so many years."
"I was only sorry about one thing --- that I had waited so long. Here I was, just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to."
"Then, one day I turned around and God was there. He didn't come to me when I pleaded with Him. I guess I was like an animal trainer holding out a hoop, 'C'mon, jump through. C'mon, I'll give you three days, three weeks.'
"Apparently God does things in His own way and at His own hour. But the important thing is that He was there. He found me! You were right. He>found me even after I stopped looking for Him."
"Tommy," I practically gasped,
"I think you are saying something very important and much more universal than you realize. To me, at least, you are saying that the surest way to find God is not to make Him a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather by opening to love. You know, the Apostle John said that. He>said: 'God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him.'
"Tom, could I ask you a favor? You know, when I had you in class you were a real pain. But (laughingly) you can make it all up to me now. Would you come into my present Theology of Faith course and tell them what you have just told me? If I told them the same thing it wouldn't be half as effective as if you were to tell it."
"Ooh I was ready for you, but I don't know if I'm ready for your class."
"Tom, think about it. If and when you are ready, give me a call."
In a few days Tom called, said he was ready for the class, that he wanted to do that for God and for me. So we scheduled a date. However, he never made it. He had another appointment, far more important than the one with me and my class. Of course, his life was not really ended by his death, only changed. He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or the ear of man has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined. Before he died, we talked one last time.
"I'm not going to make it to your class," he said.
"I know, Tom."
"Will you tell them for me? Will you tell the whole world for me?"
"I will, Tom. I'll tell them. I'll do my best."
So, to all of you who have been kind enough to read this simple story about God's love, thank you for listening. And to you, Tommy, somewhere in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven --- 'I told them, Tommy, as best I could.'
If this story means anything to you, please pass it on to a friend or two. It is a true story and is not enhanced for publicity purposes.
With thanks,
Rev. John Powell, Professor
Loyola University in Chicago
Thursday, October 25, 2007
For every 3 that you save...
Recently I have come to realise some shortcomings of myself and how limited I am as a person...
Sounds like a bleak start to a blog posting but its great to be able to realise how small you are, put down your ego and really acknowledge that I need God's intervention, I need His hand in my career, my life matters and everything. I realise that how much God's help that I need and I really cannot carry everything to my shoulders. I got the blues...
For every 3 pupils that you save from turning bad, 1 child will slip out of the hole in the nets which contained children that you manage to save from drowning. For every 3 children that loves you and adores you, 1 child will view you as the most terrible teacher that he or she has ever met. For every 3 pupils that you helped pass the exam and improve in their work, 1 kid will not pass, no matter how hard you tried. That's when you know, you tell God, God I have tried my best, the rest is up to You...
G is one such little boy. Being very sweet and cute looking, many teachers will be taken in by his looks and not bear to lay their hands on him. When I took G on, he was quite subdued. But two months down the road, horns on him grew and it takes harder than a chainsaw to hack them off.
G is rather weak in his studies and he's in my remedial class. I have coached him and found that he's unwilling to learn nor share his things with the rest of his group mates. This causes a great problem as he slowly "evolved" into a sweet-looking class bully.He would open his big lovely eyes and stare at you and ask you for forgiveness, which would melt many a hardened heart.
During one of those remedial days, he punched a girl very hard in the stomach. Shocked by his behaviour, immediately called his parents, to which you have a protective mother who would go, "My son will NEVER do that, He spends most of his time in the after school care, I have no idea what he does..."
An exasperated beginning teacher with not much experience in handling such parents had nothing to say.
G continued his tour of antics. Drew grafitti all over another girl's worksheet, doodled pencil marks on his bright yellow desk...
SA2 Spelling exam was imminent. Teacher called G's mum again and advised her to watch that G actually prepared for his 30-word spelling. G's mum: "I have been coaching him, but he does not listen to me and watches TV. He's very distracted that boy..." or another response will be "the tuition centre (after school care) which I send him to will take care of his homework..." win liao lor... what can I say?
G was among the only 4 who failed the Spelling exams despite numerous practices in class.
G continued to refuse reading books during silent reading and talks in class. Teacher separates him from the rest. Continues his bad handwriting. Despite numerous nagging for him to write on the lines provided, he mumbles a plain "NO!" and refuses to budge. While his 2 of his group mates have improved from a failure grade to a Band 3 and Band 2 in their English results today. G still refuses to learn.
G missed the passing mark again...
For every 3 that you save... You would have to come to terms that there's this one special child that you cannot save. Is it the environment? His parents? Asking myself now, what kinda parent I would want myself to be when I eventually would have kids of my own....I can only pray and hope that G does not grow up to by a terrible child with bad character, too protected by what parents deem as love for the child...
Sounds like a bleak start to a blog posting but its great to be able to realise how small you are, put down your ego and really acknowledge that I need God's intervention, I need His hand in my career, my life matters and everything. I realise that how much God's help that I need and I really cannot carry everything to my shoulders. I got the blues...
For every 3 pupils that you save from turning bad, 1 child will slip out of the hole in the nets which contained children that you manage to save from drowning. For every 3 children that loves you and adores you, 1 child will view you as the most terrible teacher that he or she has ever met. For every 3 pupils that you helped pass the exam and improve in their work, 1 kid will not pass, no matter how hard you tried. That's when you know, you tell God, God I have tried my best, the rest is up to You...
G is one such little boy. Being very sweet and cute looking, many teachers will be taken in by his looks and not bear to lay their hands on him. When I took G on, he was quite subdued. But two months down the road, horns on him grew and it takes harder than a chainsaw to hack them off.
G is rather weak in his studies and he's in my remedial class. I have coached him and found that he's unwilling to learn nor share his things with the rest of his group mates. This causes a great problem as he slowly "evolved" into a sweet-looking class bully.He would open his big lovely eyes and stare at you and ask you for forgiveness, which would melt many a hardened heart.
During one of those remedial days, he punched a girl very hard in the stomach. Shocked by his behaviour, immediately called his parents, to which you have a protective mother who would go, "My son will NEVER do that, He spends most of his time in the after school care, I have no idea what he does..."
An exasperated beginning teacher with not much experience in handling such parents had nothing to say.
G continued his tour of antics. Drew grafitti all over another girl's worksheet, doodled pencil marks on his bright yellow desk...
SA2 Spelling exam was imminent. Teacher called G's mum again and advised her to watch that G actually prepared for his 30-word spelling. G's mum: "I have been coaching him, but he does not listen to me and watches TV. He's very distracted that boy..." or another response will be "the tuition centre (after school care) which I send him to will take care of his homework..." win liao lor... what can I say?
G was among the only 4 who failed the Spelling exams despite numerous practices in class.
G continued to refuse reading books during silent reading and talks in class. Teacher separates him from the rest. Continues his bad handwriting. Despite numerous nagging for him to write on the lines provided, he mumbles a plain "NO!" and refuses to budge. While his 2 of his group mates have improved from a failure grade to a Band 3 and Band 2 in their English results today. G still refuses to learn.
G missed the passing mark again...
For every 3 that you save... You would have to come to terms that there's this one special child that you cannot save. Is it the environment? His parents? Asking myself now, what kinda parent I would want myself to be when I eventually would have kids of my own....I can only pray and hope that G does not grow up to by a terrible child with bad character, too protected by what parents deem as love for the child...
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
PSLE marking...marking in school :P
Teaching has its perks and it is now I am enjoying my week's break in school and taking my own sweet pace to mark all the papers and assignments that I have given the kids.
Quite "eng" as some can testify to the number of sms-es and calls that I have been giving out...
Something cute to share la,
Last Friday was a half day for all Muslim students and staff. We were expected to release the kids at 1030am in the morning so that they could go home to prepare for the festive celebrations.
This kid came up to me (obviously not a Muslim).
Kid G: Miss Tham, Miss Tham! My mum's a Malay!
Rac: (thinking to herself what kinda joke they wanna pull) But Gilbert, your mum's Chinese! I have spoken to her and seen her. She's Chinese!
Kid G: No No No! Miss Tham, my mum's a Malay!
Rac: But why do you say that Gilbert?
Kid G: (idignantly) She's born in MALAYSIA! She's a Malay!
Rac: ... ... ...
Kids can be so candid at times :P
Quite "eng" as some can testify to the number of sms-es and calls that I have been giving out...
Something cute to share la,
Last Friday was a half day for all Muslim students and staff. We were expected to release the kids at 1030am in the morning so that they could go home to prepare for the festive celebrations.
This kid came up to me (obviously not a Muslim).
Kid G: Miss Tham, Miss Tham! My mum's a Malay!
Rac: (thinking to herself what kinda joke they wanna pull) But Gilbert, your mum's Chinese! I have spoken to her and seen her. She's Chinese!
Kid G: No No No! Miss Tham, my mum's a Malay!
Rac: But why do you say that Gilbert?
Kid G: (idignantly) She's born in MALAYSIA! She's a Malay!
Rac: ... ... ...
Kids can be so candid at times :P
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Monday, October 01, 2007
Love is...
Love is ...
Seeing someone smile after you praise that person...
Your special someone being rescued by some timely thing you did that needed your help...
When you toil, you pray, you watch and wait...
When there is no response is also a response...God in His most precious timing...
Not expecting anything, the risks you take in upholding the principles and what it takes to really take care of someone and be there for someone...
You get hurt, you get stab wounds from sharp words, from hard cold stares, malicious grapevine that puncture your confidence.
Choosing to love, You choose to be that clown when others told you to stop,
Choosing to grovel at the person's feet when others told you to let go and release.
Choosing to do things for the person even he or she may just spurn you, leave you alone in that corner hugging the guitar, playing the tunes...
Allowing God to fill in the emptiness of the heart, infill it with His love before jealousy, hatred, envy, malice, and suspicion sets in...
Fill up my tank with God's love...
He knows the pains of our lives and the desires of our hearts...
But wait, Love is also...seeing the people that we care for be happy releasing it to God, taking a step back...how many times have i said this and blogged this and putting it down literally....?
Seeing someone smile after you praise that person...
Your special someone being rescued by some timely thing you did that needed your help...
When you toil, you pray, you watch and wait...
When there is no response is also a response...God in His most precious timing...
Not expecting anything, the risks you take in upholding the principles and what it takes to really take care of someone and be there for someone...
You get hurt, you get stab wounds from sharp words, from hard cold stares, malicious grapevine that puncture your confidence.
Choosing to love, You choose to be that clown when others told you to stop,
Choosing to grovel at the person's feet when others told you to let go and release.
Choosing to do things for the person even he or she may just spurn you, leave you alone in that corner hugging the guitar, playing the tunes...
Allowing God to fill in the emptiness of the heart, infill it with His love before jealousy, hatred, envy, malice, and suspicion sets in...
Fill up my tank with God's love...
He knows the pains of our lives and the desires of our hearts...
But wait, Love is also...seeing the people that we care for be happy releasing it to God, taking a step back...how many times have i said this and blogged this and putting it down literally....?
Thursday, September 20, 2007
One year on...Happy Birthday Hope Singapore!
Hope Singapore Musios
With the Hope Bangkok Musios Chin Chin - Singer, Nathan - Keyboardist and the Bassist (forgot his name :( )
My only other piece in the strings duet Sijia
Me and Daniel Leow - Youth Worship Leader
What a wonderful weekend! My mum really came! Standing there in the midst of all the crowd I can see her. Thank God for her making this small step to come to church! Although she left halfway unable to take the blaring music..I am grateful already..this is such a breakthrough. I think I must have gone through the worst spiritual warfare yet...I strained my vocal chords from teaching, My dad last minute pulled out from coming to see me play, my stress levels gone up and I am perpetually shaking badly at times, my heartaches even more, The devil really comes to search, kill and destroy..
Many times I wanna put down, come on, You all don't need a violinist right? I badly need the break...my own needs are not met! God spoke to me during the worship on serving Him forever and trusting in Him...I was so touched. In my quiet time God also spoke,
John 15:16 ~" You did not chose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last".
It's a simple verse, but God made me realise again that He has appointed me as a minister and with that comes a need of a heart to be of total surrender to HIM. I broke down and cry again...It was another spiritual experience that I have felt within this month! Amidst the mad rush of costume preparation, makeup and all, I realised that I really love God and His people. Nothing can take me away, I decided once again to put down the disappointments and hurts that I have felt these few weeks once again down at the Lord's feet. God appoints He will provide and magnify. Whatever little talent you have, give it all to God, Give it all to Jesus.
He knows...
The last 6 years of my life was dedicated to this church and I am so glad that I found my family here. Having backslided for 5 years. Chukai, my dear friend from uni days introduced me here in 2001. I was so blessed by this family, all the hard decisions that I made, each to put down more of myself and put more Him into my heart, I realised that my life was never the same again.
Thank God for all the sheep, the shepherds, the pastors, the musios!! the wonderful brothers and sisters in this family of Christ! :D
The growing process was ardous and not without much pain but its this family that made me want to grow in my faith and simply love the Word of God more , not forgetting a simple wanting to obey what God says...which is quite tough due to my stubborn pride..God peels off all these little things like the skin of an onion...
I love this family of Christ, I love this family of God!
Sunday, September 09, 2007
What does a Teacher make?
Got this from a MOE email...:P
Not really into ego boosting here...but just wanna encourage those who are very tired already in the teaching profession to hang on and to press on...Don't quit on them ...now...
What Do Teachers Make?
The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminded the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about teachers, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."
To corroborate, he said to another guest, "You're a teacher, Susan," he said.
"Be honest. What do you make?" Susan, who had a reputation of honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make?"
"I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional Medal of Honor and an A- feel like a C+ slap in the face if the student did not do his or her very best."
"I can make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence."
"I can make parents tremble in fear when I call home."
"You want to know what I make?"
"I make kids wonder." "I make them question."
"I make them criticize." "I make them apologize and mean it."
"I make them write." "I make them read, read, read."
"I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, and definitely beautiful over and over and over again, until they will never misspell either one of those words again."
"I make them show all their work in math and hide it all on their final drafts in English."
"I make them understand that if you have the brains, then follow your heart
... and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make,
you pay them no attention."
"You want to know what I make?"
"I make a difference."
"What about you?"
(Source: http://www.bpsd.org/williampenn/room103/whyteach.htm)
Not really into ego boosting here...but just wanna encourage those who are very tired already in the teaching profession to hang on and to press on...Don't quit on them ...now...
What Do Teachers Make?
The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminded the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about teachers, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."
To corroborate, he said to another guest, "You're a teacher, Susan," he said.
"Be honest. What do you make?" Susan, who had a reputation of honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make?"
"I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional Medal of Honor and an A- feel like a C+ slap in the face if the student did not do his or her very best."
"I can make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence."
"I can make parents tremble in fear when I call home."
"You want to know what I make?"
"I make kids wonder." "I make them question."
"I make them criticize." "I make them apologize and mean it."
"I make them write." "I make them read, read, read."
"I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, and definitely beautiful over and over and over again, until they will never misspell either one of those words again."
"I make them show all their work in math and hide it all on their final drafts in English."
"I make them understand that if you have the brains, then follow your heart
... and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make,
you pay them no attention."
"You want to know what I make?"
"I make a difference."
"What about you?"
(Source: http://www.bpsd.org/williampenn/room103/whyteach.htm)
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Thoughts on the Word that was spoken...
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Photo taken of me by the school photographer during National Day celebrations
That word that was spoken... kept in my mind...I was occupied by it and i think it is really a spiritual experience from God. Considering the fact that brother Terry don't really know me. I went through with God, in my mind, what's the void that he talks about? Why can't I receive God's love? Haven't I been doing all those things? Praying, worshipping God, dun I feel sense of peace? Joy?
I realise now that it is a manifestation of a jealous, bitterness that I build myself up when something does not go my way. I can't forgive, I can't bring love into my heart when I so easily judge people like that and try to be nice to the person, which I immediately discount off as a character which I have perceived it to be.
Yesterday, spent one whole afternoon with Jasmaine...she tried her utmost to ask me forgive someone and to talk more to someone. me being super stubborn, refused to see her point when I was so angry, disappointed with that person. She really hoped that I could speak into the person's life. I kept arguing with her that, well firstly the person must want to talk to me right? How to talk to that person when all the time of that person is spent in another group talking to the person and focusing on that particular person? Yet I am amazed, Jasmaine saw something in me that she felt that I am the best the person to speak into the person's life.
woo hoo...feel the cattiness in me?
I retort, well if that person spent so much time with that person, might as well SHE go and talk to that person. Why me? I am NOT capable...can't talk to that person...WHY SHOULD I EVEN BOTHER AND HELP?
woo hooo more cattiness...woo hooo scary right....I thank God that He sends Jasmaine at this point in time...I think really God, zam His brakes and grabs hold my hand at this very moment...
Ah...God steps in at this point...that person's name pops up EVERYWHERE...in my lesson passages I prepared, in MRT trains, in buses, lorries, in newspapers, that NAME jumps out JUMPS OUT...Okay God...I will stop running away and avoiding ...:S
but why me? I keep asking God?
I have a serious lack of God's love in my heart.
Hmm, this lack of love, has robbed joy, robbed love, my heart arteries has gone through heart bypass. Actually with God's love, everything else will flow in your life. I would first need to receive it first. Praying hard now. I believe, I believe God has brought this word to me because He loves me a lot and wants me to hold on to the promises and that He has mentioned.
Yesterday, I relooked at Phillippians 4:6-7,
"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."
THANKSGIVING, PEACE...very simple words
Prayer with thanksgiving to the Lord, brings forth joy and anticipation and trust, you would not be so complaining and bitter and fearful or lamenting...hmmmm
Prayer life that only dwells in the latter will result in disappointment with God that results in an expectation which firstly did not build on trust in God.
Thanksgiving in my prayers...joy will come :) Help me Lord, Help me, Help me, Help me..
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Prophecy and thoughts...
Ah...finally been catching up with Law's , YC's and ppl's blogs...
Most of them blog about the same thing...having time finally to sit down and rest and finally enjoy a quiet afternoon or day off, listening to Praise and worship songs or simply not rush...
A few comments from my loved ones and Dad sparked these thoughts,
Dad ~ "It's been 3-4 years since I last properly talked to you or seen you around at home".
Cousin Zhi Yuan (Whom I am teaching Tuition) - "Wow, Jie3, You seemed to be so busy 24 hours a day!!!"
Truth being, I have not met friends, I have books unread, I have not packed my room, I have not slept, I have not got time to rest for ....yupps they said it years...very disturbing eh?
Don't want my life to be a vicious cycle, as YC as so aptly put in his blog, 7 days a week 2 days for weekends for supposedly "rest" is NOT ENOUGH. More concrete plans would have to be made or they would just slip slip away...
The word through the Holy Spirit which was spoken by brother Terry was so real, last Sunday that it was really sharp. He spoke of patches of darkness and patches of light in my life, caused by fluctuating emotions. Sometimes, I have that mountaintop experience of being excited for God, sometimes, I feel drained, disappointment, loneliness and pain. He urged me to pray and worship the Lord more, that I would receive His love and through it comes the Fruit of the Spirit, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and Self-Control. Do i want to subject myself to the pain and drawl of emotional swings again? sigh...
Prayer, Worship must be essential for a significant change in my life...What am I waiting for?
Praise to the Lord!
Most of them blog about the same thing...having time finally to sit down and rest and finally enjoy a quiet afternoon or day off, listening to Praise and worship songs or simply not rush...
A few comments from my loved ones and Dad sparked these thoughts,
Dad ~ "It's been 3-4 years since I last properly talked to you or seen you around at home".
Cousin Zhi Yuan (Whom I am teaching Tuition) - "Wow, Jie3, You seemed to be so busy 24 hours a day!!!"
Truth being, I have not met friends, I have books unread, I have not packed my room, I have not slept, I have not got time to rest for ....yupps they said it years...very disturbing eh?
Don't want my life to be a vicious cycle, as YC as so aptly put in his blog, 7 days a week 2 days for weekends for supposedly "rest" is NOT ENOUGH. More concrete plans would have to be made or they would just slip slip away...
The word through the Holy Spirit which was spoken by brother Terry was so real, last Sunday that it was really sharp. He spoke of patches of darkness and patches of light in my life, caused by fluctuating emotions. Sometimes, I have that mountaintop experience of being excited for God, sometimes, I feel drained, disappointment, loneliness and pain. He urged me to pray and worship the Lord more, that I would receive His love and through it comes the Fruit of the Spirit, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and Self-Control. Do i want to subject myself to the pain and drawl of emotional swings again? sigh...
Prayer, Worship must be essential for a significant change in my life...What am I waiting for?
Praise to the Lord!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Singles Q & A
Got this article from Fenn's email. It's really an interesting and wonderful read!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have not felt freedom in EIGHT MONTHS! Can you imagine? another EIGHT MONTHS of groping in the dark, stubbornly sticking to my old principles. People around me has been really encouraging me, speaking and praying for me in this area of relationships and when they read this you know who you are, I can't thank you enough. You all mean a lot to me. I finally got it sink into my skin!! The Lord loves me and He desires the best, bEST, BEST!! for me!
I will let go, mark these words.. and enjoy the article below :P A highly interesting and worthy read!
Singles Q&A: How Do You Catch His Attention?
Carolyn McCulley
Author & Contributing Writer
Though it was an unusual question, I understood it immediately: “How does a woman appropriately, biblically, humbly, and submissively go about ‘cracking the twigs and stirring the leaves?’ A friend of mine said that it seems like girls end up ‘breaking logs and throwing leaves’ too vigorously at times.”
This woman was not referring to any hiking or forestry activity. She had heard a quote read at a Christian singles conference and she, like several other women, had written me to ask how to apply it. First, some background. The quote read at this conference was from the outstanding book, Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart, by John Ensor:
Brothers, it falls to us to be the initial risk takers in matters of the heart. Headship means being the one to go ahead and ask. It is ours as men to suffer the embarrassment of rejection if need be. It is our role to initiate. Get to it right merrily. We are the hunters. They are the quarry. It is for men to strike out into the forest and look. It is for women to crack the twigs and stir the leaves so we know where to find them.
Ensor wrote this as a humorous touch in an otherwise direct chapter about biblical masculinity. He wasn’t trying to explain anything to women in this chapter—he was addressing the guys and their responsibility to pursue and initiate relationships. Though I searched the rest of the book, there wasn’t any further explanation about this intriguing “twig-cracking” comment.
So I decided to take a poll and directly ask men for some illustrations of attractive “twig-cracking and leaf-rustling” behaviors. What I discovered is that the qualities these men were describing were quite similar to the qualities that the Bible commends for godly wives (see Proverbs 31). That should be no surprise! Here is a quick summary:
1. Smile While You Stir: A cheerful woman is hugely attractive. A self-absorbed, complaining, and moody woman is hard to lead and please. Ask any married man to describe what attracted him to his wife, and among his top qualities will be her smile—hands down. But this is not superficial cheer. It must really be grounded in the next quality. . . .
2. Trust God As You Wait: No man will ever do everything right—not as a boyfriend and not as a husband. The woman who does not expect perfection from fellow human beings, but is learning to put all her trust and faith in her Savior, is much more gracious and patient as “the quarry.” Anxiety, restlessness, and jealous possessiveness will spook the hunters.
“I think that women most effectively ‘cracks twigs’ by seeking to glorify our Savior with their lives,” writes a single guy named Kyle. “This is what draws my attention to a woman. The humility that is expressed in a woman who truly fears our God is what is most attractive. However, please understand that I am not advocating that all women become nuns. All that I am saying is that when a girl is not trusting God with her future, this is most usually seen in her interaction with the opposite sex.”
Trusting God for one gift (marriage) is hard if you don’t appreciate the best gift you will ever receive, though. Which is why the third quality is essential for both trust and joy. . . .
3. Grow in Gratitude for the Gospel: Marriage is a tremendous gift. But it pales by far in comparison to the gift of salvation. It is also a gift that is only for this lifetime. It is an important gift, and one that desperately needs to be esteemed more highly in our generation, but it is only a temporary gift. So we need to cultivate our gratitude for the gospel—that outrageous act of mercy in which Christ took the punishment for our sins on the cross and, in the divine exchange, offered us His righteousness so that we could be reconciled to a holy and just God. Gratitude for the gospel should permeate our lives. When we really grasp that we’re walking objects of mercy, it colors everything we say and do. This is how we can “rejoice with those who rejoice” when we have yet to receive marriage—for we have already received something far more miraculous that we desperately needed.
“SMILE! Your joy and satisfaction is not found in another person but resides only in the Lord,” writes a man named Tim. “Trust me when I say that the guy loves to see a woman smile. This does not mean you should wink at him or laugh at all his corny jokes, but let him see your joy in the Lord.”
4. Pray Before, During, and After You Crack Twigs: Proverbs 30:19 says that the way of a man with a maiden is amazing and wonderful, something too profound to be easily understood. So if Scripture says this is a mystery, why should we expect that some formula or method in the latest singles self-help book is going to solve it? When you think about it, it is amazing that two sinners can be drawn to each other (at the same time!) and then make a pledge to stick it out for the rest of their lives. Frankly, the longer I observe the mystery of marriage, the more I am in awe of God’s sovereign ability to bring two people together. So pray for the gift of marriage for yourself and your friends, pray for the single men you know to find a wife, pray for your pastors and your church to help single adults get married, pray that God will conform you as a fruitful helpmate to your future husband, pray for a humble man who listens for God’s voice—and then pray that God speaks your name to him.
5. Encourage the Hunters: It’s hard to be a godly man in a culture that promotes pornography, violence, and self-centered passivity in men. Give some props to the brothers who endeavor to flee sin and temptation to follow Christ. Even without that outside influence, men have to work hard to trust God and risk rejection when they initiate relationships. So be gracious when you’re approached—this man may not be the hunter you wanted to attract, but don’t shoot him down so hard that he flees the woods. Even if you say no, be kind about it and make it easy for him to keep on hunting. In fact, encourage all the nearby hunters. If you see them selflessly serving others, speak up and thank them. If you see them stepping up to lead a group activity (akin to herding cats at times), voice your appreciation. If they serve you by getting rid of some pesky varmints in your neck of the woods, make sure they hear your “well done.” Your general reputation as an encouraging woman may well draw a hunter from the far side of the forest.
6. Refresh the Hunters: Be a hospitable woman. Cultivate your domestic diva and make your “nest” a place that hunters want to be. You don’t have to have a huge house or even your own house. Just make the place you reside a clean, comfortable and attractive place and then invite others in.
“Create group fellowship opportunities,” says a single man named Ricky. “You can both practice hospitality and get to know people better by inviting people over for a meal, or ice cream, or to watch a movie. Don’t feel bad about including ‘certain people’ when appropriate. And build the friendship—don’t throw yourself at him, but it’s okay to ask him good questions and follow up on previous conversations. Let him know that having a conversation with him isn’t horrible and laborious and you wouldn’t mind having another one.”
7. Be in Proximity to the Hunters But Don’t Scare Them Off: This one requires some finesse—you need your friends and family to help you evaluate how you are doing. Your accountability partners can help you discern your motives and behavior, and will keep you from swinging too far in either extreme—avoiding both aggressive pursuit and fearful hiding. But as a general rule, rustling and crackling are subtle activities. Thus it’s helpful to be within hearing range of the hunters.
“It’s okay to be noticed and approached. It doesn’t mean that you’re flirtatious; it might just mean that your biblical femininity is showing,” writes a single man named Jon. “Live for God and don’t be shocked if a guy or two notices you. That said, there are ladies who are overly friendly and try to make their interest known. Some guys eat up the attention and jump right in, other guys find this extremely unappealing. These ladies aren’t rustling leaves but rather letting out the loudest deer calls they can. Their dress, appearance or social prowess is what primarily brings attention, not their godly lives and biblical femininity. For these ladies, I would encourage them to also not be afraid and to trust God that the right guy will notice them. You may find that more men of godly character come out from the bushes when you become less intimidating.”
8. Follow the Leader: Every herd has a leader. Can the hunters tell if you are a good follower in that herd? A woman who is supporting and submitting to the leaders and authorities currently in her life is demonstrating she possesses wifely wisdom. And men do notice how women respect—and speak of—their pastors, bosses, and parents.
“Do you submit to your father’s leadership or are you constantly dishonoring him?” asks Tim. “Do you appreciate what your mom has to offer and teach you about being a woman? Even if your parents aren’t Christians, you are still called to honor them, and God can still use them in a powerful way to speak into your life.”
Finally, if you find that you’re still a bit lost in the woods, here’s a testimony from a man who married his wife after she spent a few years patiently and joyfully “cracking twigs and stirring leaves.” I think the reflections of my friend, Rob McMillen, will be encouraging to many women:
From the time I graduated high school until the time I asked my wife into a courtship when I was 37 (20 years!), I was faithfully praying to God for a wife and pursuing the women that God had placed in my life. Now some may say that I was deaf and blind because in 20 years I should have heard some “cracking and rustling,” but God had Kelly planned for me and I did not meet her until I was 34. It was not that she was a better rustler than all of the other women I knew or more godly, but she was God’s sovereign choice for me. My wife is a great example of a woman who “cracked twigs.” Here are some of the things that she did:
She prayed for a husband in general, she prayed for me to find a wife (even if it was not her!), and she prayed that God would open a way for us to be husband and wife.
She positioned herself to be in the same places I was, but naturally. Places like our small group, church, group outings, etc.
Whenever we spoke, she listened and responded to whatever the topic was with a genuine interest, even though the topic may not have been her “thing.”
She was an encourager. I can think back to time after time where she expressed an appreciation for how I or another guy led in some small way.
It really gave me a sense that she respected leadership even by a sinner like me.
She and her roommate had people over for dinners, movies, and other events. They practiced biblical hospitality and gained skills in tasks that would be a part of married life.
She was generally warm, friendly, and open. She smiled. She asked for prayer when she was struggling and genuinely asked others how she could pray for them.
I think the key thing that I would say is that she responded this way to most, if not all, of the men she interacted with because it is a picture of a godly woman. What made it different in my case is that she positioned herself to do these more in my presence than with any other man and God opened the door to our hearts.
I trust these insights will be received as intended—with much encouragement for the Christian single women of this generation who live as salt and light in an era of great relationship confusion. We serve the Lord of the hunting grounds. May we “crack, stir, and rustle” for His glory, trusting that He will provide all that we need!
Carolyn McCulley works for Sovereign Grace Ministries in church and ministry relations. She is also an author ( Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye? Trusting God with a Hope Deferred) and blogger (solofemininity.blogs.com). Carolyn is also a member of Covenant Life Church where one of her favorite ministries is the single women's discipleship program. She highly recommends the resources for singles from the New Attitude conference and blog.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have not felt freedom in EIGHT MONTHS! Can you imagine? another EIGHT MONTHS of groping in the dark, stubbornly sticking to my old principles. People around me has been really encouraging me, speaking and praying for me in this area of relationships and when they read this you know who you are, I can't thank you enough. You all mean a lot to me. I finally got it sink into my skin!! The Lord loves me and He desires the best, bEST, BEST!! for me!
I will let go, mark these words.. and enjoy the article below :P A highly interesting and worthy read!
Singles Q&A: How Do You Catch His Attention?
Carolyn McCulley
Author & Contributing Writer
Though it was an unusual question, I understood it immediately: “How does a woman appropriately, biblically, humbly, and submissively go about ‘cracking the twigs and stirring the leaves?’ A friend of mine said that it seems like girls end up ‘breaking logs and throwing leaves’ too vigorously at times.”
This woman was not referring to any hiking or forestry activity. She had heard a quote read at a Christian singles conference and she, like several other women, had written me to ask how to apply it. First, some background. The quote read at this conference was from the outstanding book, Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart, by John Ensor:
Brothers, it falls to us to be the initial risk takers in matters of the heart. Headship means being the one to go ahead and ask. It is ours as men to suffer the embarrassment of rejection if need be. It is our role to initiate. Get to it right merrily. We are the hunters. They are the quarry. It is for men to strike out into the forest and look. It is for women to crack the twigs and stir the leaves so we know where to find them.
Ensor wrote this as a humorous touch in an otherwise direct chapter about biblical masculinity. He wasn’t trying to explain anything to women in this chapter—he was addressing the guys and their responsibility to pursue and initiate relationships. Though I searched the rest of the book, there wasn’t any further explanation about this intriguing “twig-cracking” comment.
So I decided to take a poll and directly ask men for some illustrations of attractive “twig-cracking and leaf-rustling” behaviors. What I discovered is that the qualities these men were describing were quite similar to the qualities that the Bible commends for godly wives (see Proverbs 31). That should be no surprise! Here is a quick summary:
1. Smile While You Stir: A cheerful woman is hugely attractive. A self-absorbed, complaining, and moody woman is hard to lead and please. Ask any married man to describe what attracted him to his wife, and among his top qualities will be her smile—hands down. But this is not superficial cheer. It must really be grounded in the next quality. . . .
2. Trust God As You Wait: No man will ever do everything right—not as a boyfriend and not as a husband. The woman who does not expect perfection from fellow human beings, but is learning to put all her trust and faith in her Savior, is much more gracious and patient as “the quarry.” Anxiety, restlessness, and jealous possessiveness will spook the hunters.
“I think that women most effectively ‘cracks twigs’ by seeking to glorify our Savior with their lives,” writes a single guy named Kyle. “This is what draws my attention to a woman. The humility that is expressed in a woman who truly fears our God is what is most attractive. However, please understand that I am not advocating that all women become nuns. All that I am saying is that when a girl is not trusting God with her future, this is most usually seen in her interaction with the opposite sex.”
Trusting God for one gift (marriage) is hard if you don’t appreciate the best gift you will ever receive, though. Which is why the third quality is essential for both trust and joy. . . .
3. Grow in Gratitude for the Gospel: Marriage is a tremendous gift. But it pales by far in comparison to the gift of salvation. It is also a gift that is only for this lifetime. It is an important gift, and one that desperately needs to be esteemed more highly in our generation, but it is only a temporary gift. So we need to cultivate our gratitude for the gospel—that outrageous act of mercy in which Christ took the punishment for our sins on the cross and, in the divine exchange, offered us His righteousness so that we could be reconciled to a holy and just God. Gratitude for the gospel should permeate our lives. When we really grasp that we’re walking objects of mercy, it colors everything we say and do. This is how we can “rejoice with those who rejoice” when we have yet to receive marriage—for we have already received something far more miraculous that we desperately needed.
“SMILE! Your joy and satisfaction is not found in another person but resides only in the Lord,” writes a man named Tim. “Trust me when I say that the guy loves to see a woman smile. This does not mean you should wink at him or laugh at all his corny jokes, but let him see your joy in the Lord.”
4. Pray Before, During, and After You Crack Twigs: Proverbs 30:19 says that the way of a man with a maiden is amazing and wonderful, something too profound to be easily understood. So if Scripture says this is a mystery, why should we expect that some formula or method in the latest singles self-help book is going to solve it? When you think about it, it is amazing that two sinners can be drawn to each other (at the same time!) and then make a pledge to stick it out for the rest of their lives. Frankly, the longer I observe the mystery of marriage, the more I am in awe of God’s sovereign ability to bring two people together. So pray for the gift of marriage for yourself and your friends, pray for the single men you know to find a wife, pray for your pastors and your church to help single adults get married, pray that God will conform you as a fruitful helpmate to your future husband, pray for a humble man who listens for God’s voice—and then pray that God speaks your name to him.
5. Encourage the Hunters: It’s hard to be a godly man in a culture that promotes pornography, violence, and self-centered passivity in men. Give some props to the brothers who endeavor to flee sin and temptation to follow Christ. Even without that outside influence, men have to work hard to trust God and risk rejection when they initiate relationships. So be gracious when you’re approached—this man may not be the hunter you wanted to attract, but don’t shoot him down so hard that he flees the woods. Even if you say no, be kind about it and make it easy for him to keep on hunting. In fact, encourage all the nearby hunters. If you see them selflessly serving others, speak up and thank them. If you see them stepping up to lead a group activity (akin to herding cats at times), voice your appreciation. If they serve you by getting rid of some pesky varmints in your neck of the woods, make sure they hear your “well done.” Your general reputation as an encouraging woman may well draw a hunter from the far side of the forest.
6. Refresh the Hunters: Be a hospitable woman. Cultivate your domestic diva and make your “nest” a place that hunters want to be. You don’t have to have a huge house or even your own house. Just make the place you reside a clean, comfortable and attractive place and then invite others in.
“Create group fellowship opportunities,” says a single man named Ricky. “You can both practice hospitality and get to know people better by inviting people over for a meal, or ice cream, or to watch a movie. Don’t feel bad about including ‘certain people’ when appropriate. And build the friendship—don’t throw yourself at him, but it’s okay to ask him good questions and follow up on previous conversations. Let him know that having a conversation with him isn’t horrible and laborious and you wouldn’t mind having another one.”
7. Be in Proximity to the Hunters But Don’t Scare Them Off: This one requires some finesse—you need your friends and family to help you evaluate how you are doing. Your accountability partners can help you discern your motives and behavior, and will keep you from swinging too far in either extreme—avoiding both aggressive pursuit and fearful hiding. But as a general rule, rustling and crackling are subtle activities. Thus it’s helpful to be within hearing range of the hunters.
“It’s okay to be noticed and approached. It doesn’t mean that you’re flirtatious; it might just mean that your biblical femininity is showing,” writes a single man named Jon. “Live for God and don’t be shocked if a guy or two notices you. That said, there are ladies who are overly friendly and try to make their interest known. Some guys eat up the attention and jump right in, other guys find this extremely unappealing. These ladies aren’t rustling leaves but rather letting out the loudest deer calls they can. Their dress, appearance or social prowess is what primarily brings attention, not their godly lives and biblical femininity. For these ladies, I would encourage them to also not be afraid and to trust God that the right guy will notice them. You may find that more men of godly character come out from the bushes when you become less intimidating.”
8. Follow the Leader: Every herd has a leader. Can the hunters tell if you are a good follower in that herd? A woman who is supporting and submitting to the leaders and authorities currently in her life is demonstrating she possesses wifely wisdom. And men do notice how women respect—and speak of—their pastors, bosses, and parents.
“Do you submit to your father’s leadership or are you constantly dishonoring him?” asks Tim. “Do you appreciate what your mom has to offer and teach you about being a woman? Even if your parents aren’t Christians, you are still called to honor them, and God can still use them in a powerful way to speak into your life.”
Finally, if you find that you’re still a bit lost in the woods, here’s a testimony from a man who married his wife after she spent a few years patiently and joyfully “cracking twigs and stirring leaves.” I think the reflections of my friend, Rob McMillen, will be encouraging to many women:
From the time I graduated high school until the time I asked my wife into a courtship when I was 37 (20 years!), I was faithfully praying to God for a wife and pursuing the women that God had placed in my life. Now some may say that I was deaf and blind because in 20 years I should have heard some “cracking and rustling,” but God had Kelly planned for me and I did not meet her until I was 34. It was not that she was a better rustler than all of the other women I knew or more godly, but she was God’s sovereign choice for me. My wife is a great example of a woman who “cracked twigs.” Here are some of the things that she did:
She prayed for a husband in general, she prayed for me to find a wife (even if it was not her!), and she prayed that God would open a way for us to be husband and wife.
She positioned herself to be in the same places I was, but naturally. Places like our small group, church, group outings, etc.
Whenever we spoke, she listened and responded to whatever the topic was with a genuine interest, even though the topic may not have been her “thing.”
She was an encourager. I can think back to time after time where she expressed an appreciation for how I or another guy led in some small way.
It really gave me a sense that she respected leadership even by a sinner like me.
She and her roommate had people over for dinners, movies, and other events. They practiced biblical hospitality and gained skills in tasks that would be a part of married life.
She was generally warm, friendly, and open. She smiled. She asked for prayer when she was struggling and genuinely asked others how she could pray for them.
I think the key thing that I would say is that she responded this way to most, if not all, of the men she interacted with because it is a picture of a godly woman. What made it different in my case is that she positioned herself to do these more in my presence than with any other man and God opened the door to our hearts.
I trust these insights will be received as intended—with much encouragement for the Christian single women of this generation who live as salt and light in an era of great relationship confusion. We serve the Lord of the hunting grounds. May we “crack, stir, and rustle” for His glory, trusting that He will provide all that we need!
Carolyn McCulley works for Sovereign Grace Ministries in church and ministry relations. She is also an author ( Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye? Trusting God with a Hope Deferred) and blogger (solofemininity.blogs.com). Carolyn is also a member of Covenant Life Church where one of her favorite ministries is the single women's discipleship program. She highly recommends the resources for singles from the New Attitude conference and blog.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
周杰伦 - 不能说的秘密
That's the power of music, went to watch the new Jay Chou movie with the Ballroom dancing gang at Causeway Point two weeks ago. Suffice to say I am deeply moved by the movie...OKay prepare for a session of serious gushing over him again.:P
I simply adore him!! No idolatry here...heheh I can hear Fenn's voice telling me its wrong :P Well, he's not a looker but he's certainly very cool and talented. Love his dance videos, his songs, and he most certainly can write the songs well. Coupled with playing the cello, drums and piano. I am so impressed. There was this "battle scene" where he duelled with the Nanquan Mama guy it was so fantastic. His fingers were so deft and the way he moved them over the keys of the piano, I tell you I am once again mesmerised again. There's this charm with this guy la, in fact I have always loved the weirdest of guys. He has this cute smile that makes me melt.
When he played the rendition of The Swan by Saint-Saens and I heard that Sijia Cello Exam piece is also The Swan i went crazy, grabbing at every chance to play the song with her albeit the very sad melody. I was at a frantic craze to dig out my classical scores also like Fenny and start playing them, not to mention hanging out at Music Essentials trying my best to find the scores.
Not bad for a directorial debut, and I think the plot twist is good. I think I should not spoil it for those who wants to watch it. In some form, I can relate to him a bit, not that I wanna brag, but i think I have great parents, we were not so well off in the past but yet they let me learn violin at the age of 3, something like Jay Chou. I was super hyperactive, I climbed windows and sofas and I made my Mum cry a lot. SO music has its healing power to calm me down. How I wished I could have his fingers to play the piano so well! :D
Well, which guy would play a tune and sing for me? I would be so so touched. Advertisement shout-out here...:P
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Birthday celebrations
8th-9th August 2007
I thank God for You have given me LIFE to the FULL,
When I was born, You ordained it already in my mother's womb,
When You looked down upon me that You have created, You have already had plans...
For me to know YOU, to serve You, to love You.
You are pleased, You cherish me, You watch each of my coming in and going out,
When I was on travelling on the roads You were beside me, You stood behind me in every exam! :D
You watched me sleep, You watch me grow, You watch me cry, You make me laugh!
You made in me, a wonderful vessesl, full of gratitude and thoughts of You...
You grant me sweet people, You grant me difficult people, You grant me friends who are always around me, You grant me people who would put up with my mistakes and quirks. You gave me a loving family with loving parents and sisters.. and my auntie,
You grant me people which I love, for 28 years You never fail to amaze me!
You grant me gifts which I have never known, A church which is a home to me, my caregroups which I was and am still in, family.
If only, I only I have known You earlier, I would not have wandered all those years in the dark.
Your words are sweet as honey to my mouth, Your counsel is gentle.
Your caress is soft and Your voice is encouraging and uplifting.
I thank YOU Lord for the times, You were firm with me, You did not let me get what I always want.
You were that Father that I so eagerly desired, You were that light and love that my heart ever so yearns for.
You know my thoughts before they were formed, You know my heart desires.
I give thanks for You have moulded me in my struggles, You never fail to give Your loving arms in Your loving embrace.
You forgave me each and every time.
Lord, make me more loving, make me more serving and humble, make me less judgemental and make me most importantly, more in love with You! Make me a better shepherd,a better teacher and make me a better wife should that day comes :P Help me! Help me! Help me!
This is my prayer to You ...
Lord, this 28 years is Yours, for many more 28 years to come...It will be spent with You! Amen!
:D
Me at Cafe Cartel Sister's CG - Raffles City
Me with the guys of CC and Poy's CG!
My sisters and my cousins, Zhiyuan, Shiyuan and Cheng Yuan at Village the next day!
Taken with my sheep and shepherds :)
My whole family with my uncle and Mum and Dad :)
I thank God for You have given me LIFE to the FULL,
When I was born, You ordained it already in my mother's womb,
When You looked down upon me that You have created, You have already had plans...
For me to know YOU, to serve You, to love You.
You are pleased, You cherish me, You watch each of my coming in and going out,
When I was on travelling on the roads You were beside me, You stood behind me in every exam! :D
You watched me sleep, You watch me grow, You watch me cry, You make me laugh!
You made in me, a wonderful vessesl, full of gratitude and thoughts of You...
You grant me sweet people, You grant me difficult people, You grant me friends who are always around me, You grant me people who would put up with my mistakes and quirks. You gave me a loving family with loving parents and sisters.. and my auntie,
You grant me people which I love, for 28 years You never fail to amaze me!
You grant me gifts which I have never known, A church which is a home to me, my caregroups which I was and am still in, family.
If only, I only I have known You earlier, I would not have wandered all those years in the dark.
Your words are sweet as honey to my mouth, Your counsel is gentle.
Your caress is soft and Your voice is encouraging and uplifting.
I thank YOU Lord for the times, You were firm with me, You did not let me get what I always want.
You were that Father that I so eagerly desired, You were that light and love that my heart ever so yearns for.
You know my thoughts before they were formed, You know my heart desires.
I give thanks for You have moulded me in my struggles, You never fail to give Your loving arms in Your loving embrace.
You forgave me each and every time.
Lord, make me more loving, make me more serving and humble, make me less judgemental and make me most importantly, more in love with You! Make me a better shepherd,a better teacher and make me a better wife should that day comes :P Help me! Help me! Help me!
This is my prayer to You ...
Lord, this 28 years is Yours, for many more 28 years to come...It will be spent with You! Amen!
:D
Me at Cafe Cartel Sister's CG - Raffles City
Me with the guys of CC and Poy's CG!
My sisters and my cousins, Zhiyuan, Shiyuan and Cheng Yuan at Village the next day!
Taken with my sheep and shepherds :)
My whole family with my uncle and Mum and Dad :)
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
M.I.L.K.
Our Class, me and Siti Hawalia (my mentor) during Racial Harmony Day
Me and Kuan Bee
My former class 4 Patience girls, Nadrah and Jiahui
Siti's last day - me with the kids
Mainly I Love Kids
Not a cliche term i hope but these children really bring me much joy. I was asked to teach Primary 1 after having taught upper primary for quite some time and recently, I am going through another bad bout of trauma, which will be covered in another post.
As i started to teach the kids, I grew to love them more and more. Very apprehensive the first few weeks, you have kids who would come up to you and tell you that they had just peed in the library or poo pooed in the classroom.
I realised that my tone of voice would grow very high pitch, I talk much slower and certainly find chances to give praises to the kids and reward them with sweets, chocolates and erasers. Patience is another fruit of the spirit which is greatly trained when you teach young children. Their attention span is so short that you have to be really creative to catch their attention. Colours and pictures in your teaching are a must. Not to mention, zim-zam-zapping websites and flash animation.
You would also have to be candid. Your expressions vivid and childlike, your passion burning. The kids get all the vibes from the teacher. If your vibes are negative about the things that you would have to do likely the kids will get it too.
We are actors, we loudly proclaim under our skin, how much fun they would enjoy doing the worksheets or singing the particular song. We jazz up their excitement towards reading a new book or learning new things.
Today, is a very touching day and I feel that I must blog this down. There's this kid in my class with a suspected learning disability and he can't read and write a few months ago,and finally after my mentor's coaching and guidance, a miracle happened and it must be God! He got all his 5 spelling words correct and I stand by it that he was not copying!!! Way to go Syaz! I was so touched by that sight that I nearly cried! Always tell your children to NOT give up trying despite how hard it may seems...he did it and its such a great leap for him! They can do it too!
It's also my first day as a class form teacher. My mentor has left on no pay leave for a year plus. sigh...madness has begun.Been rushing to and fro settling stuff and clearing my "condominium" of marking...:P
This it the job for me. Where i see little lives being changed and impacted. It may not be through me but when they learn and grow I have this tingling sense of excitement that really warms my soul. :)Not saying that there are no tough moments but its through these moments that make me love them more...
Kids, they forget the next moment after you scold them and they never fail to greet you with their sweet voices every morning.. Your heart will just melt...
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Gabriel Ng @ Esplanade
You know what dreams are? You have been marvelling at something for ages and know that its pretty impossible humanly to get tickets to watch someone that you admire for his musical talent and Viola! God comes into the picture and does that's right the impossible for you...:)
After my duty on stage on Sunday, this brother from the family group, Andy, came to me and said "Rachel, you are a violinist right? Do you know Gabriel Ng? I got these free tickets tomorrow but I can't go..."
I was leaping in my heart already!! WOW!! The ticket stub read "HSBC VIP" wow! Esplanade some more...my dream came true! I can really watch him in person!!
Next was me having a hard time asking people to go to the recital with me. Not many people appreciate classical music, asked like a few musios too but all can't make it.
Finally got Irene from Sound to go with me...! I was mermerized by his playing that night.
It's really like a dream, had caviar (my very first time) and white wine during the dinner reception. We saw the President SR Nathan, Irene saw her boss...Just as I was still recovering from the fine wine and dine. I was bought over by the amazing skills and talents in such a young boy of 12!
His fingers are like so deft over the violin and his bowing so fast and skillful that you would not think it comes from such a small frame of a boy.
Some writeup about Gabriel Ng...He was presented the HSBC Youth Excellence Award in 2006,recognition of his rare talent and pursuit of excellence in violin performance. And he was enrolled into Yehude Menuhin School for the Musically gifted in UK which offers on 3 foreign scholarships a year!
In May this year, he emerged first prize winner (intermediate cat)at the Andrea Postacchini Competition in Italy and was also the grand prize winner. :) First Singaporean to accomplish this feat wor...
You see? I can go on and on about him...but piece that touched me the most was his last piece that night, Carmen Fantasy Op. 26 by Pablo Sarasate. It was a mixure of fast and slow melodies and many musical climaxes that were so hard to play!!! The harmonics in the strings were so beautifully executed...wah me gushing and gushing..at the end of the performance. A lot of us gave a standing ovation to which he gave a two-song encore, finishing with Salut D'Amour with his own personal touch .:)
Impossible is nothing! Trust God for His Providence! Thank YOu Lord!! :D
Monday, July 23, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
On Love and Relationships - Janet and Xin Wen's Wedding 30th June
Was part of the 4 "jie3 mei4" gang together with Zhu Zhu on 30th June two saturdays ago.
My nth time being a jie3 mei4 but I am so glad to be part of this really memorable moment. Janet and Xin Wen are our coursemates in NTU Civil and it was like a gathering of all old CEE people.
Come to think of it, a few of us have gone through with the bride her ups and downs in relationships, the wrong ones and of course finally the man of her life. And to be able to go through with your friend this journey is rather significant and at the same time, go through a very important life lesson.
Love and Relationships, something that is constantly talked about by many of us. A few of us are bothered by it, some are driven by it and some others yearn for it.
Love - This word is like a double edged sword, it can bring me much joy and when it is abused, much heartache and pain. Having read books on relationships these past few years and having bad relationships in my student years, I believe that my heart could be very worn and beatened by this thing called love.
Many people asked me, you are nearing 30...why aren't you married, have boyfriend etc? I tell you this question bugs millions of singles EVERYDAY on the face of this earth so I am sincerely praying that one day, that as Bridget Jones puts it in her diary, the "Smug Marrieds" will please leave us alone. Hey married people, I still love you all, just please be more sensitive sometimes la...
It's not hard to find a boyfriend in this world but its definitely harder to find a husband. I got a feeling many people will shoot me for this statement.
It's easy to like someone, but to determine that person as your life partner and considerably able to lead and guide me spiritually and maturely...woah..that's a mountain to climb...maybe I got scales in my eyes la...ahhah :P
I have told so many people...there's NOTHING wrong with being a single. Being single at this season at this stage of life, I believe hold a great significance in my life, no matter how tough it is...no matter how much tears I have shed over the years sometimes due to the yearning for love and relationships. Hey, me human u know, I have needs too.
God chooses to let us be single at this time, I believe, for His own purpose. Imagine with me, as Paul has so aptly put it in the Bible, the single woman is single-minded about God whereas the married woman is concerned over her husband's affairs in 1 Corinthians 7:34.
I would not be able to serve God at this extend that I am in and enjoying every moment. I would not be able to experience this freedoom of fully being secured in Christ's love and care. I would not be able to have so much time for my family and friends. Not that a relationship will take away all this, but its really in this season of singleness, do I wanna choose to wallow in loneliness and yearning or choose to believe in God for the best?
I am also not saying that serving God draws me away from finding my life partner. It is just that I choose to wait at this point. Ruth waited for Boaz, Jacob waited for Rachel for 14 years, Isaac waited till he's nearly 40 before he married Rebekkah, to wait for the one true love IS bibilical. I put it down as easy as it is but I dun deny that the wait is long arduous and difficult, especially fraud with much uncertainty. Not just to say that I take a back seat in this aspect of my life and I'm okay, I am actively praying for God to prepare me well for marriage, getting to know more people better, prepare to be fully secure in God, and prepare me to really love and cherish someone.
Seeing my friends go through the bad bout of relationship problems was really disheartening. Seeing my pupils' parents filing for divorce just like that every now and then is very destructive on the poor child. You parents have NO idea how much the impact of your decisions to separate has on the poor kid in school. They are hurt, hurting and in pain! The thrill of getting into a relationship has no hold on a person anymore when it boils down to having the ability to maintain and to strengthen a relationship between two people supposedly in love.
Marriage is no game. Waiting brings a considerable amount of pain, but the joy of seeing the Lord work?
Priceless...
Groggy Rac and MZ wakes up to put makeup at 6am in the morning!!
Pretty Jie3 mei4's all ready
Me and the lovely couple!
The Jie3 mei4's final shot! :P
My nth time being a jie3 mei4 but I am so glad to be part of this really memorable moment. Janet and Xin Wen are our coursemates in NTU Civil and it was like a gathering of all old CEE people.
Come to think of it, a few of us have gone through with the bride her ups and downs in relationships, the wrong ones and of course finally the man of her life. And to be able to go through with your friend this journey is rather significant and at the same time, go through a very important life lesson.
Love and Relationships, something that is constantly talked about by many of us. A few of us are bothered by it, some are driven by it and some others yearn for it.
Love - This word is like a double edged sword, it can bring me much joy and when it is abused, much heartache and pain. Having read books on relationships these past few years and having bad relationships in my student years, I believe that my heart could be very worn and beatened by this thing called love.
Many people asked me, you are nearing 30...why aren't you married, have boyfriend etc? I tell you this question bugs millions of singles EVERYDAY on the face of this earth so I am sincerely praying that one day, that as Bridget Jones puts it in her diary, the "Smug Marrieds" will please leave us alone. Hey married people, I still love you all, just please be more sensitive sometimes la...
It's not hard to find a boyfriend in this world but its definitely harder to find a husband. I got a feeling many people will shoot me for this statement.
It's easy to like someone, but to determine that person as your life partner and considerably able to lead and guide me spiritually and maturely...woah..that's a mountain to climb...maybe I got scales in my eyes la...ahhah :P
I have told so many people...there's NOTHING wrong with being a single. Being single at this season at this stage of life, I believe hold a great significance in my life, no matter how tough it is...no matter how much tears I have shed over the years sometimes due to the yearning for love and relationships. Hey, me human u know, I have needs too.
God chooses to let us be single at this time, I believe, for His own purpose. Imagine with me, as Paul has so aptly put it in the Bible, the single woman is single-minded about God whereas the married woman is concerned over her husband's affairs in 1 Corinthians 7:34.
I would not be able to serve God at this extend that I am in and enjoying every moment. I would not be able to experience this freedoom of fully being secured in Christ's love and care. I would not be able to have so much time for my family and friends. Not that a relationship will take away all this, but its really in this season of singleness, do I wanna choose to wallow in loneliness and yearning or choose to believe in God for the best?
I am also not saying that serving God draws me away from finding my life partner. It is just that I choose to wait at this point. Ruth waited for Boaz, Jacob waited for Rachel for 14 years, Isaac waited till he's nearly 40 before he married Rebekkah, to wait for the one true love IS bibilical. I put it down as easy as it is but I dun deny that the wait is long arduous and difficult, especially fraud with much uncertainty. Not just to say that I take a back seat in this aspect of my life and I'm okay, I am actively praying for God to prepare me well for marriage, getting to know more people better, prepare to be fully secure in God, and prepare me to really love and cherish someone.
Seeing my friends go through the bad bout of relationship problems was really disheartening. Seeing my pupils' parents filing for divorce just like that every now and then is very destructive on the poor child. You parents have NO idea how much the impact of your decisions to separate has on the poor kid in school. They are hurt, hurting and in pain! The thrill of getting into a relationship has no hold on a person anymore when it boils down to having the ability to maintain and to strengthen a relationship between two people supposedly in love.
Marriage is no game. Waiting brings a considerable amount of pain, but the joy of seeing the Lord work?
Priceless...
Groggy Rac and MZ wakes up to put makeup at 6am in the morning!!
Pretty Jie3 mei4's all ready
Me and the lovely couple!
The Jie3 mei4's final shot! :P
Thursday, July 05, 2007
她来听我的演唱会 - 2nd July 2007
Finally, took a long awaited break to have lunch and accompany my mum.
A day that God has made so divine, first it was this old lady who came knocking at my door selling pork floss.I never opened the door to door to door salesmen, but something made me open the door to these sweet old lady full of praises to the Lord Jesus in Chinese. She was raising money for her brother and stays just next block. She told me that she believes in the Lord too and I just bought what she was selling me despite my mum's protests.
Then went to Coronation Plaza, my favourite haunt during my secondary school days, am a Nanyang gal mah...:P well had my favourite snack at the Poh Piah stall there, only to realise that its opened by a Christian too! Immediately took the chance to share about the things I do in church with my mum again...the songs we sing la etc.
She agreed to come to see me perform in the upcoming church anniversary!! Praise God! This is like her first, wanting to come and see me perform after me playing for so many years.
I am a performer.
You have no idea how much encouragement I draw from seeing people that I know in the audience seats. To see those familiar faces looking up at me. Besides God with me and His Holy Spirit, what really would uplift me is to see the people I love, people I care about out there..:) Believe me, I would always look out for all of you in the crowd. Sentimental la me...love language being quality time...your presence means a great deal to me.
Been listening to Jacky Cheung...hahah last minute "revision" before going to his concert next Friday ..:P
This is on of my favourites from his songs..
选自:『张学友活出生命 live 演唱会』
曲:梁文福词:黄中岳
她来听我的演唱会
在十七岁的初恋第一次约会
男孩为了她彻夜排队
半年的积蓄买了门票一对
我唱得她心醉我唱得她心碎
三年的感情一封信就要收回
她记得月台汽笛声声在催
播我的歌陪着人们流泪
嘿陪人们流泪
她来听我的演唱会
在二十五岁恋爱是风光明媚
男朋友背着她送人玫瑰
她不听电话夜夜听歌不睡
我唱得她心醉我唱得她心碎
成年人分手后都像无所谓
和朋友一起买醉卡拉ok
唱我的歌陪着画面流泪
嘿陪着流眼泪
我唱得她心醉我唱得她心碎
在三十三岁真爱那么珍贵
年轻的女孩求她让一让位
让男人决定跟谁远走高飞
嘿谁在远走高飞
我唱得她心醉我唱得她心碎
她努力不让自己看来很累
岁月在听我们唱无怨无悔
在掌声里唱到自己流泪
嘿唱到自己流泪
她来听我的演唱会
在四十岁后听歌的女人很美
小孩在问她为什么流泪
身边的男人早已渐渐入睡
她静静听着我们的演唱会
Just added Jacky's MTV..enjoy..:) 1:31am
It would mean the world to me to see you all supporting me...although I am serving on stage, you guys give me strength! heheheh...mel mood again...:)
A day that God has made so divine, first it was this old lady who came knocking at my door selling pork floss.I never opened the door to door to door salesmen, but something made me open the door to these sweet old lady full of praises to the Lord Jesus in Chinese. She was raising money for her brother and stays just next block. She told me that she believes in the Lord too and I just bought what she was selling me despite my mum's protests.
Then went to Coronation Plaza, my favourite haunt during my secondary school days, am a Nanyang gal mah...:P well had my favourite snack at the Poh Piah stall there, only to realise that its opened by a Christian too! Immediately took the chance to share about the things I do in church with my mum again...the songs we sing la etc.
She agreed to come to see me perform in the upcoming church anniversary!! Praise God! This is like her first, wanting to come and see me perform after me playing for so many years.
I am a performer.
You have no idea how much encouragement I draw from seeing people that I know in the audience seats. To see those familiar faces looking up at me. Besides God with me and His Holy Spirit, what really would uplift me is to see the people I love, people I care about out there..:) Believe me, I would always look out for all of you in the crowd. Sentimental la me...love language being quality time...your presence means a great deal to me.
Been listening to Jacky Cheung...hahah last minute "revision" before going to his concert next Friday ..:P
This is on of my favourites from his songs..
选自:『张学友活出生命 live 演唱会』
曲:梁文福词:黄中岳
她来听我的演唱会
在十七岁的初恋第一次约会
男孩为了她彻夜排队
半年的积蓄买了门票一对
我唱得她心醉我唱得她心碎
三年的感情一封信就要收回
她记得月台汽笛声声在催
播我的歌陪着人们流泪
嘿陪人们流泪
她来听我的演唱会
在二十五岁恋爱是风光明媚
男朋友背着她送人玫瑰
她不听电话夜夜听歌不睡
我唱得她心醉我唱得她心碎
成年人分手后都像无所谓
和朋友一起买醉卡拉ok
唱我的歌陪着画面流泪
嘿陪着流眼泪
我唱得她心醉我唱得她心碎
在三十三岁真爱那么珍贵
年轻的女孩求她让一让位
让男人决定跟谁远走高飞
嘿谁在远走高飞
我唱得她心醉我唱得她心碎
她努力不让自己看来很累
岁月在听我们唱无怨无悔
在掌声里唱到自己流泪
嘿唱到自己流泪
她来听我的演唱会
在四十岁后听歌的女人很美
小孩在问她为什么流泪
身边的男人早已渐渐入睡
她静静听着我们的演唱会
Just added Jacky's MTV..enjoy..:) 1:31am
It would mean the world to me to see you all supporting me...although I am serving on stage, you guys give me strength! heheheh...mel mood again...:)
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Church Camp 2007 - Fond Memories and Thanksgiving!
Took a bit more time to blog about Post Church Camp thoughts and recap and reflections cos, its a crazy week after we came back from the camp...was rather exhausted the last few days. Probably from too much playing and activities.
This Church Camp is really different and I really want to THANK GOD first for being able to attend this church camp. Initially, we were uncertain whether our leave from NIE would be approved and hence we prayed and fasted for an opening. Thank God for He intervened or we would not have experienced all the fellowship, fun and certainly the touch from God! :D
Met some of my church camp objectives, God convicted me of being a people helper and a better shepherd for His sheep. I am burdened to teach the Word of God properly so that not just for my sheep, I would get a fresh infusion of the verses from the Bible into my spiritual bank. We need to have an input first from the Word of God before the Holy Spirit can speak to us in any aspect. Something that I learnt from Pastor Simon Eng too, while he was preaching, his heart, mind and soul is constantly communicating with the Holy Spirit and praying for discernment to speak.
I desire to have that kind of discerning spirit too, to be able to speak in spirit and in truth when I mentor people and not just purely sharing from experiences. As I relook into my life, I need to really sit down and pray and repent over the wrong things that I have done, the harsh words uttered and the silly things I created.
Found out also that I am from going through the Worship and Serving Pathway to God! Being able to easily experience God through music and serving. Because of my secondary melancholic personality, I find myself dwelling, easily fall into "worshippy" mood, or the people around me, "Rachel's dreaming again.." :P
Serving Pathway because I find myself unable to say "No" to a lot of things, the more I do, the more i find GOd, a strong tendency this part is tiredness and spiritually dryness.
CC had actually challenged me to surrender the aspect that I hold dear in my heart to God and expect God to speak. This decision to surrender ALL to Jesus does not come easy...especially something that happened on the 2nd day of Church Camp, all the way to the extra day at Melaka, things that I saw, things that I felt...my emotions meter are fluctuating to an all time "high". To give to God something and simply pick it up again is a sure sign of lack of faith and fear of the uncertain. I decided there and then that I have a CHOICE. I can choose to be happy, joyful , trusting or simply, holding back tightly from God, worried and fearful. The key to anything and everything in life simply falls onto the foundation of the Word of God, read this in a book on 5 Love Languages By Dr. Gary Chapman,
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Luke 6:38
I chose the former. Thank God that I did!Give it all to Jesus!
What a great differece it really made, the release, the lifting of burden from my shoulders. I was laughing more, I was having so much fun that I felt like a child in GOd's presence again, laughing myself silly, really a huge transition from the teary faced girl one year ago at Riveria Bay Resort, Melaka too.
This is a wonderful Camp, I din fall asleep during the teachings, the programming and food was superb! All the late night sharing and rehearsals for praise and worship sessions, and who could forget the Cendol and chicken rice balls? hehe..San Shu Gong products rocks!!
Thanks Camp Comm! Expecting God to move much more again! :D
Back to School - Our CG from the Theme Night, spot Ah lians and Ah Bengs?
Praise and worship session
Guys from our CG NG6-B3 playing in front of the static display
Sweet demure Peikey!
Extra day at Melaka! Outside Geographer's Bar at Jonker's Street! :D ALl 10 of us! :P
This Church Camp is really different and I really want to THANK GOD first for being able to attend this church camp. Initially, we were uncertain whether our leave from NIE would be approved and hence we prayed and fasted for an opening. Thank God for He intervened or we would not have experienced all the fellowship, fun and certainly the touch from God! :D
Met some of my church camp objectives, God convicted me of being a people helper and a better shepherd for His sheep. I am burdened to teach the Word of God properly so that not just for my sheep, I would get a fresh infusion of the verses from the Bible into my spiritual bank. We need to have an input first from the Word of God before the Holy Spirit can speak to us in any aspect. Something that I learnt from Pastor Simon Eng too, while he was preaching, his heart, mind and soul is constantly communicating with the Holy Spirit and praying for discernment to speak.
I desire to have that kind of discerning spirit too, to be able to speak in spirit and in truth when I mentor people and not just purely sharing from experiences. As I relook into my life, I need to really sit down and pray and repent over the wrong things that I have done, the harsh words uttered and the silly things I created.
Found out also that I am from going through the Worship and Serving Pathway to God! Being able to easily experience God through music and serving. Because of my secondary melancholic personality, I find myself dwelling, easily fall into "worshippy" mood, or the people around me, "Rachel's dreaming again.." :P
Serving Pathway because I find myself unable to say "No" to a lot of things, the more I do, the more i find GOd, a strong tendency this part is tiredness and spiritually dryness.
CC had actually challenged me to surrender the aspect that I hold dear in my heart to God and expect God to speak. This decision to surrender ALL to Jesus does not come easy...especially something that happened on the 2nd day of Church Camp, all the way to the extra day at Melaka, things that I saw, things that I felt...my emotions meter are fluctuating to an all time "high". To give to God something and simply pick it up again is a sure sign of lack of faith and fear of the uncertain. I decided there and then that I have a CHOICE. I can choose to be happy, joyful , trusting or simply, holding back tightly from God, worried and fearful. The key to anything and everything in life simply falls onto the foundation of the Word of God, read this in a book on 5 Love Languages By Dr. Gary Chapman,
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Luke 6:38
I chose the former. Thank God that I did!Give it all to Jesus!
What a great differece it really made, the release, the lifting of burden from my shoulders. I was laughing more, I was having so much fun that I felt like a child in GOd's presence again, laughing myself silly, really a huge transition from the teary faced girl one year ago at Riveria Bay Resort, Melaka too.
This is a wonderful Camp, I din fall asleep during the teachings, the programming and food was superb! All the late night sharing and rehearsals for praise and worship sessions, and who could forget the Cendol and chicken rice balls? hehe..San Shu Gong products rocks!!
Thanks Camp Comm! Expecting God to move much more again! :D
Back to School - Our CG from the Theme Night, spot Ah lians and Ah Bengs?
Praise and worship session
Guys from our CG NG6-B3 playing in front of the static display
Sweet demure Peikey!
Extra day at Melaka! Outside Geographer's Bar at Jonker's Street! :D ALl 10 of us! :P
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Muay Thai, Chatuchak, MBK, Thailand!!! :D
ME sending the group first on the 7th June!
RAW crab found in our Papaya Salad yeeks!
Beautiful embroidered bags at Chatuchak!
Hope Bangkok Church Service with Brother Pan who helped us translate Thai to English
Throngs of people at the bus stop outside Chatuchak
Really wanted a break and I have been planning to go on this trip with Mingzhu since last year! Amidst the terrorist attacks, violence and bombings, this trip has been postponed at least a few times before we finally set off on the 7th June.
Then who is to know that I can't take leave because of my NIE induction, I flew off alone on the 8th June to meet them in Bangkok. Excitement welled up within me, Shopping queen genes a'tingling within me...it is like a shopper's paradise.
Went immediately for dinner after the 4 kind souls who come and pick me up at the airport and who's to know that the very first meal that I took had a RAW CRAB tossed into the papaya salad? YEEEKS!
So we the odd group, Mr D, Zhu Zhu, YC, me and Law forming a small tour group, trudging the streets of Bangkok. Language was certainly a barrier, and it was rather frustrating at times when we tried to pronounce the Thai places in English and we were met with weird expressions hahaha.. You really gotta pronounce the Thai names really accurately before they understand where you wanna go.
Hailing taxis is another adventure, whereby you get on the taxi and demand specifically that they turn on the meter otherwise you will be in for a rude shock when u pay the fare.
The Thai people are rather gentle and Thai Food is generally very spicy, but we were surprised at how well kept the Thai people are...the places of interest are always clean, even the eating places by the roadside stalls.
Thai Massage was good but not without much pain and cracking of my bones by my massuese who made sure i felt the pain when she rested her whole body weight on me, OUCH! But it was good value for money, 200 baht for 1 hour!! The weather was scorching hot especially at Chatuchak the weekend market where temperatures outdoor go as high as 36 degrees! The shop were located very close to one another and we had difficulty breathing and walking! But really lots and lots to buy...See the pics where all my purchases were made.
Free and Easy trips are exhilirating when you get to plan, where you go, there was once, we spent 1 hour plus travelling to the place to catch Muay Thai, Thai Kickboxing only to realise that the tickets cost 75 bucks! *gasp* and its actually a rather grand affair held in a kickboxing stadium! In the end, we contributed our dough back into the Thai economy through shopping at MBK, Mahboonkong, and Platinum Fashion Mall, Suan Lum Night Market. The guys really can shop, give you all a hint, I am NOT the biggest spender...:P *whisper, whisper* It's a guy!! :D
Finally also got a chance to see Hope Bangkok! Woah, a string orchestra, throngs of people dressed in yellow to commemorate the king's 40th year of reign, all excited and cheering, that they surrounded us with gifts, flowers and chocolates~~We had the privilege to meet with Pan and a Thai sister Nikki who came to our hotel to fetch us and even treat us to lunch! Pan was so nice that he even translated the service which was entirely in Thai for us!! :D Must get a chance to catch up with him! :D
Really blessed by this trip, like a weekend trip but not without much fun, trudging the streets of Bangkok in the middle of the night....supper and fun...Thank God for this short getaway! :D
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Melancholy mood
Been watching serials of “金三顺“ The very popular Korean Drama two years back and I really loved her monologues in the show! This following phrase is from a scene at a bus-stop where she was very upset over her boyfriend's "disappearance" for many months.
尽情的去爱吧，就当作不曾受过伤。。。
-------------------------------------
尽情的跳舞吧，就当作没人看见
尽情的去爱吧，就当作不曾受过伤
尽情的去唱歌吧，就当作没人听得见
尽情的工作吧，就当作你不需要钱
尽情的生活吧，就当作今天是生命的最后一天。。。
Seize each day while it lasts, make the best of what counts, how big are you in this universe and how big is your problem? God is the greatest of them all and He is above and over all! Set eternity in perspective...:)
尽情的去爱吧，就当作不曾受过伤。。。
-------------------------------------
尽情的跳舞吧，就当作没人看见
尽情的去爱吧，就当作不曾受过伤
尽情的去唱歌吧，就当作没人听得见
尽情的工作吧，就当作你不需要钱
尽情的生活吧，就当作今天是生命的最后一天。。。
Seize each day while it lasts, make the best of what counts, how big are you in this universe and how big is your problem? God is the greatest of them all and He is above and over all! Set eternity in perspective...:)
Friday, May 18, 2007
Taking a step back...5 views
5 people have told me their views...these people are close to me and also friends who have seen me and known me...some for years...some barely know me...5 told me to choose otherwise, 5 have told me they prefer the other choice, 5 have told me its more suitable for me...am taking a step back, helps me to think clearly and with better perspective...head too messed up to think...now...
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Touched to tears!
I was watching this show on Arts Central by this young musical genius of Singapore 12- year old Gabriel Ng who was given sponsorship to study in the prestigious Yehudi Mehunin School for the Musically gifted. He was playing "Salut D'Amour" on the TV and I actually cried! I shed tears! So moving to me was his performance and he really communicates with the audience when he plays! Look out for this boy, a world class musician hopeful....
Monday, May 14, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
Felt absolutely like a star!! :D
Absolutely felt so pampered and like a star today! Today's the last day of my teaching Practicum at Edgefield Primary School and the last day I would be seeing my darlings from Primary 4 Patience. Look what they gave me! As I went around to check their corrections one last time in class, the kids secretly stuffed letters, chocolates, bookmarks, in the little tray of stationery that I bring about. When I went back to my seat in the class, a very pleasant surprise!I had to do relief so my time with them was short-lived. Who to guess that a bunch of them waited for me outside the school staff room to pass me a HUGE handmade card from all of them! So very very sweet and touched! I got a few more girls who asked me to sign my signature for them! so farnie right? Bryan pushed me a beautiful handmade butterfly and Wendy and Nadrah passed me some lovely cards, Jing Xuan a photo frame! Wah...must tell them not to give me any gifts during Teachers' Day!
As I read the words on the card....awwwwww...feel like crying! This is certainly where God places me, this is what I want to see and do for God!
:)
Monday, May 07, 2007
"Holy Spirit, Source of Gladness" - hymn by Paul Gerhardt
Let that love which knows no measure
Now in quickening showers descend,
Bringing us the richest treasures
Man can wish or God can send;
Hear our earnest supplication,
Every struggling heart release;
Rest upon this congregation,
Spirit of untroubled peace.
Friday, May 04, 2007
It's Composition Marking Day! - Cleared 35 books in 15 mins!
This is an absolutely CRAZY day! We had to clear so much work and marking that, can you imagine I don't even have much time to go to the washroom?
My red pen did not even stop waving around the books and worksheets and exercises and exercises and worksheets and books...you get the idea.
Rushed through my marking like crazy...guess as teachers in training , have begun to have a sharper eye for grammar, spelling mistakes, calculation mistakes...even able to memorise the answer key to mark the books...
Bulldozed my way through the English Revision right after their English Composition paper...cleared two worksheets within 15 minutes and flew back down to the Staff room at 1245pm....grabbed poor all Jabin,
"Help, HELP, HELP!! Help me clear marking!" Dismissal is at 1pm...steady right?
Thank God for the last few practices in the Maths Workbook are rather straight forward answers and quite fast to mark...furiously clearing and marking till 110pm...there! 35 books times 8 pages...you do the Maths...
Dun wanna get rap from the pupils' parents as it is the weekend and exams next week...
Thank God for Jabin! Thank God for finishing marking!
Back to the SA1 Composition Marking now....phew! Phew! Phew! need ... to... breathe!
My red pen did not even stop waving around the books and worksheets and exercises and exercises and worksheets and books...you get the idea.
Rushed through my marking like crazy...guess as teachers in training , have begun to have a sharper eye for grammar, spelling mistakes, calculation mistakes...even able to memorise the answer key to mark the books...
Bulldozed my way through the English Revision right after their English Composition paper...cleared two worksheets within 15 minutes and flew back down to the Staff room at 1245pm....grabbed poor all Jabin,
"Help, HELP, HELP!! Help me clear marking!" Dismissal is at 1pm...steady right?
Thank God for the last few practices in the Maths Workbook are rather straight forward answers and quite fast to mark...furiously clearing and marking till 110pm...there! 35 books times 8 pages...you do the Maths...
Dun wanna get rap from the pupils' parents as it is the weekend and exams next week...
Thank God for Jabin! Thank God for finishing marking!
Back to the SA1 Composition Marking now....phew! Phew! Phew! need ... to... breathe!
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