As many of you may have read from today's headlines on the Straits Times, Mas Selamat has been captured and detained in Malaysia for interrogation. It brings to mind many unanswered questions as well as realisation of the power of collaboration in working together. What, you might ask, are the correlations? Am I mad? No, of course I'm not mad, at least not yet.
According to the report, Mas Selamat was captured along the outskirts of JB on April 1 following some leads from our ISD, but news of the arrest has not been released by the Malaysian authorities until yesterday. Why is that so? He is after all our wanted man, not Malaysia's! Well, I guess the fact that the Malaysians caught him and not us gives them the right to interrogate Mas Selamat first and decide when they are ready to inform our authorities when they are ready. After all Mas Selamat is a highly dangerous figure and could sabotage not only Singapore but Malaysia as well. A ruthless man trained in military in Afghanistan and head of JI singapore, he must be capable of all terrorist activities. No country he steps foot upon is safe. Isn't he just like Satan, a time bomb that will go off any moment if we don't guard our hearts consistently and be submissive to God at all times? We trust the authorities to keep us safe, just like we trust God to keep us safe. And we have faith in the authorities to one day capture Mas Selamat again, just like we have faith in God to reveal His plans for us one day, according to His will.
It was sheer collaboration between ISD and Malaysian and Indonesian authorities over the past 8 years that landed Mas Selamat in detention three times, this being the fourth. Without this close ties between the countries and willingness to collaborate with one another, we would not be able to keep Mas Selamat under lock and key and hence keeping our countries terrorism-free. Look at the price paid when collaboration was not there the first time round when Mas Selamat was captured and detained in Bintang. He served his sentence and was set free to plan and create more havoc in the region. Had the Indonesian authorities extradite him straight to Singapore after he finished serving his sentence in Indonesia, we would have been able to keep him away earlier, and he would have less chance to get in touch and recruit more JI members in the region. I think this is a true reflection of our lives. We as Christians live a life of collaboration (aka accountability) with one another as well as with God. When we run into a problem, we don't keep mum and try to solve it ourselves. Rather, we should seek the advice of our brothers and sisters and pray hard about it. Somehow the answer will come if we have enough faith.
Some of you may know that for a few years I struggled with the decision of where to send my kids to for primary school education. Mee Toh came at the right/wrong time. I am a person who really emphasises on academic excellence as well as bilingualism, naturally Mee Toh became the ideal choice of school for my kids. Yet I know that it would be a huge spiritual struggle, I don't want them to be exposed to Buddhism at such a young and impressionable age. But I seriously doubted that Edgefield Primary was good enough. After all I only hear positive comments from Dennis + Pauline and Tony + Ling2. Everywhere else I hear negative remarks and how parents gtry ways and means to transfer their kids to Mee Toh. And my Higher Chinese from P1, which was offered only in Mee Toh and not Edgefield. I prayer and prayed and prayed, but nothing happened for over a year. And the time for registering them for P1 was drawing closer day after day. One morning, just as I had finished my QT and prayed, for some strange reason I just flipped through Psalms. And for some strange reason not related to that particular Psalm I was reading, I seemed to hear a voice telling me that Edgefield is the right school, and Higher Chinese should not be a deterring reason to stop me from sending them there. I listened to this sound faithfully and guess what I was rewarded with? Higher Chinese from P1 for this batch onwards!!! To date, I am very happy with the support the school and the teachers have given to my kids, especially during the time when I was acting up and got myself in the hospital. The school counsellor and form teachers saw my kids together as well as separately to explain to them the stress I was undergoing and what I did was wrong, but I did it nevertheless so that I won't take it out on them. They are a lot more sensitive to my roller coaster emotions now than before, and this I have to thank the school for it. And I see the two of them blooming, one in ballet, another academically as well as looking forward to joining soccer as CCA. what else can I ask for?
I have been a very blessed person, both before and after I became a disciple. Never mind the hardships I had to go through to be what I am today, they were preparations for the me I am today. Looking back, I have been patient and persistent to lead a life of my own desire, and I chose to follow Jesus and carry my cross rather than carry the family traditional burden. My parents and father-in-law have accepted our decision despite the fact that my mum was so against me becoming a Christian and threatened me emotionally for not tending to their needs when I first started going to church regularly on Sundays. Being a stubborn mule who always wanted my own way, I never relented.
Now my patience and persistence have finally paid off, just like ISD's patience and persistence in capturing Mas Selamat. Don't you now think there indeed is a correlation between the two?
Friday, May 8, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Sowing seeds
Feeling so fired up after almost half a year of dry spell. It's just so easy to give up when everyone you attempt to talk to slam in your face that they are not interested in your church or some other earthly reasons. Not even when you share with them the good news of marriage and parenting workshop, for so few are willing to admit that they have a problem with either issue. And the most common excuse is Friday is the most popular evening for tuition and whatever enrichment classes.
Last Sunday brought my father-in-law to the Hokkien service. Brother Kok Yew actually managed to set up a 'friendship-building' cum bible study session with him coming Friday. Glory be to God and thanks to all of you who have been praying with me for so long! Then I managed to invite my children's ex-babysitter to come for the Chinese service this Sunday to celebrate Mother's Day. I'm so thankful to God for this successful invitation for she spends every single Saturday and Sunday going dating with her husband, and this is going to be one special occasion when she leaves him at home (she said he won't be interested in oldies). And when my kids were3 at her place, she would tell them to take their meals and need not say grace, for her family is Taoist and God will not hear the grace they said. What a surprise that she accepted my invitation immediately! Please pray with me that some golden girls will help reach out to her and make her feel at home.
I also tried to invite the grandmother of one of my students but she declined, saying thaat every Sunday she would visit another son. And being Mother's day, she would be busy with her children celebrating for her. Just as I thought it was a case closed, last night my student asked me about Christianity, with many interesting questions like, "Is Satan a devil god?", "Is God alive?", "Is Jesus alive?", "Have you seen Jesus?", "Why are you a Christian even though you are a Chinese?", etc etc etc... I ended up spending part of our lesson telling him a super concised story of both OT and NT and he got really excited about knowing more. I have invited him to Friday's ranger class, fingers crossed he gets permission from his mother to attend class. He is even talking about taking his 12yo sister along, though I explained to him that she would be in another class for Pre-Teens. Nevertheless, he is still very excited at the prospects of attending ranger class, and I'm so fired up! Not KK yet, I don't want to push my luck too far. Ranger class is good enough for a start, I'm sure, for it is a great opportunity for friendship building.
From this experience, I see that God has been really kind to me. Despite the fact that I waivered in my faith of my ability to sow seeds when the going gets tough, God is there creating ever more opportunities for me, just waiting for me to take hold of them and fully exploit them. I feel so fired up now that I want to invite all the aunties in the neighbourhood I know, as well as my own aunts and Adrian's. I'm feeling all fired up again, just like I did when Natalie got baptised and when I brought Auntie Mary to church. Oh Lord, may this fire never waiver and die again, but continue to burn strong for You and to do your course. Amen.
Last Sunday brought my father-in-law to the Hokkien service. Brother Kok Yew actually managed to set up a 'friendship-building' cum bible study session with him coming Friday. Glory be to God and thanks to all of you who have been praying with me for so long! Then I managed to invite my children's ex-babysitter to come for the Chinese service this Sunday to celebrate Mother's Day. I'm so thankful to God for this successful invitation for she spends every single Saturday and Sunday going dating with her husband, and this is going to be one special occasion when she leaves him at home (she said he won't be interested in oldies). And when my kids were3 at her place, she would tell them to take their meals and need not say grace, for her family is Taoist and God will not hear the grace they said. What a surprise that she accepted my invitation immediately! Please pray with me that some golden girls will help reach out to her and make her feel at home.
I also tried to invite the grandmother of one of my students but she declined, saying thaat every Sunday she would visit another son. And being Mother's day, she would be busy with her children celebrating for her. Just as I thought it was a case closed, last night my student asked me about Christianity, with many interesting questions like, "Is Satan a devil god?", "Is God alive?", "Is Jesus alive?", "Have you seen Jesus?", "Why are you a Christian even though you are a Chinese?", etc etc etc... I ended up spending part of our lesson telling him a super concised story of both OT and NT and he got really excited about knowing more. I have invited him to Friday's ranger class, fingers crossed he gets permission from his mother to attend class. He is even talking about taking his 12yo sister along, though I explained to him that she would be in another class for Pre-Teens. Nevertheless, he is still very excited at the prospects of attending ranger class, and I'm so fired up! Not KK yet, I don't want to push my luck too far. Ranger class is good enough for a start, I'm sure, for it is a great opportunity for friendship building.
From this experience, I see that God has been really kind to me. Despite the fact that I waivered in my faith of my ability to sow seeds when the going gets tough, God is there creating ever more opportunities for me, just waiting for me to take hold of them and fully exploit them. I feel so fired up now that I want to invite all the aunties in the neighbourhood I know, as well as my own aunts and Adrian's. I'm feeling all fired up again, just like I did when Natalie got baptised and when I brought Auntie Mary to church. Oh Lord, may this fire never waiver and die again, but continue to burn strong for You and to do your course. Amen.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
My crown of GLORY
Dear sisters,
I received my crown yesterday, a permanent one. Hmmm, in case you are wondering, yes, you are right...not the crown from heaven but a permanent crown over the temporary one covering one of my upper left set of tooth.
I have been waiting eagerly over the last 2 weeks for this crown. The temporary one (some of you might have noticed but too kind to ask me, was entirely silver in color and supposed to last only 2 weeks). Jenna said it looked like those golden teeth old folks had in the past! I have been particularly conscious of how I looked last 2 weeks. Tried to smile on my right side only, tried to cover my mouth when I smile, tried to smile without showing teeth...and any other ways to smile...you name it)
Anyway, all said, I was very glad to receive my crown, my permanent crown. Now I can smile my original self, real wide and showing the full set of teeth.
Did I share with you the process of getting this crown? My dentist had to first remove the silvery temporary crown followed by cleaning up my broken tooth within. Then with much drilling (that was what I heard), he crowned my broken tooth. As for me, I was praying non-stop. Never had I been more spiritual :
God, give him wisdom!
God, give him skill!
God, give him calmness!
God, I don't want to die.
God, I am willing to pay any amount. Just get him to give me my crown, fast and safe....(Insight: Anyone who struggles with prayer should visit a dentist)
After half an hour, I received my crown at $550.
The crown I am getting is a permanent one. Yet how permanent can it be? Did I tell you that it all started with a tooth that split more than 10 years ago. The first crown was given over 10 years ago, but due to receding gums, it no longer served the purpose. The dentist had that crown removed , stuck a silver temporary crown(that last 2 weeks) and replaced it with the new permanent crown yesterday.
Yet is it really permanent? Maybe it can last another 10 years, God willing. Sisters, as I laid on the reclining chair, preparing to receive my crown yesterday, I thought of another crown, one that will last forever. How much are we willing to pay for this crown?
Aren't we glad, Jesus paid... with His blood.
Thank you, Father! Amen!
love,sk
AsiaOneNews: The day I failed an examination
This message was forwarded to you from AsiaOne (http://www.asiaone.com.sg) by soonkeowtan@gmail.com
Comments from sender:
I feel so touched by this,esp abt PM Lee, what he has gone through. love,sk
Tue, May 05, 2009
AsiaOneNews: The day I failed an examination
Click here for to read the full story.
Or cut and paste this URL in your browser:
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20090504-139135.html
Copyright © 2007 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn. No. 198402868E. All rights reserved
Comments from sender:
I feel so touched by this,esp abt PM Lee, what he has gone through. love,sk
Tue, May 05, 2009
AsiaOneNews: The day I failed an examination
Click here for to read the full story.
Or cut and paste this URL in your browser:
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20090504-139135.html
Copyright © 2007 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn. No. 198402868E. All rights reserved
Adoption
Dear sis,
How are you? It is great we can keep up w each other in the blog.
I want to share recently we are seriously thinking of adoption. We want to adopt a baby girl fr mainland china. You know, I have a son who is nine yrs old. We have tried few years but not successful. My husbands actually initial me to consider adopting but I feel that I am not ready.
I really think through it, why I want to adopt:
It is a good thing to do as it helps to change a person's life.
It will add joy to the family as we like to have a daughter
My husband is going to work overseas for 12 months. No chances to mk baby.
Financially we are ok to have one more kid.
Sean likes to be a big brother. He will have a companion. And I noticed that he likes to look after other younger kids.
My hubby wants to adopt, I should support him.
We are no longer young …
Surely, we will treat her as our own child.
I want to pray about it seriously. I pray that GOD will guide us if it is GOD will and it will please him.
My hubby & I are really excited about it. We are looking and searching more info about adoption. We knew two agencies are doing adoption from China. We will ask for more info and know more the procedures and costs.
Amen
Wendy
How are you? It is great we can keep up w each other in the blog.
I want to share recently we are seriously thinking of adoption. We want to adopt a baby girl fr mainland china. You know, I have a son who is nine yrs old. We have tried few years but not successful. My husbands actually initial me to consider adopting but I feel that I am not ready.
I really think through it, why I want to adopt:
It is a good thing to do as it helps to change a person's life.
It will add joy to the family as we like to have a daughter
My husband is going to work overseas for 12 months. No chances to mk baby.
Financially we are ok to have one more kid.
Sean likes to be a big brother. He will have a companion. And I noticed that he likes to look after other younger kids.
My hubby wants to adopt, I should support him.
We are no longer young …
Surely, we will treat her as our own child.
I want to pray about it seriously. I pray that GOD will guide us if it is GOD will and it will please him.
My hubby & I are really excited about it. We are looking and searching more info about adoption. We knew two agencies are doing adoption from China. We will ask for more info and know more the procedures and costs.
Amen
Wendy
Struggle...
Feeling vexed the past 2 days. For a few months Adrian has been fighting against extreme fatigue, he has been extremely burnt out at work and at home. Obviously I'm not much of a help with my mood swings going roller coaster every other day. Fortunately he has a reasonably understanding lady boss who treats him like a godson, and her husband definitely adores Adrian. But that is no excuse for Adrian to be late for work almost everyday.
A couple of days ago, Adrian shared with me that his lady boss spoke to him, telling him that if I have insomnia, he should just leave me to do my stuff while he goes to bed. Nothing wrong with the statement, except that I am not the one keeping him up late into the night!!! Truth be it, many a times I don't even get to see him when he comes home late, because I go to bed early, sometimes as early as 9.30pm. Especially weekends, I could sleep from late afternoon to the next day. It is Adrian himself who chooses to sleep late. Sometimes when he feels like taking a cat nap before doing some work, he'd sleep til morning. I feel really upset that he did not have the courage to voice out that it's his problem and not mine, that I am not the one causing him to have late nights and inadequate sleep. As a matter of fact I've been struggling to keep up with his late night habits ever since we got married, until I was diagnosed and put on medication which causes me excessive drowsiness. I sleep on the average 9 to 13 hours a day. If you can do your Maths, I must sleep no later than 11pm, otherwise I won't be able to wake up the next day to cook lunch and pick the kids!
It somehow reminds me of the lies and deceit in Abraham and his descendants, in order to cover their sins and have their way. Well, I suppose this is a coping mechanism of human kind, no one in the right mind in Adrian's situation would tell the boss the truth. I am doing my best to focus on how much he loves the family, what an awesome husband he is, how hard he works to provide for the family, rather than dwell in a little fault of his. I am keeping myself busy praying about how I'm feeling and readingthe Bible about it. Sisters, please pray with me too.
Love you all,
Carol
A couple of days ago, Adrian shared with me that his lady boss spoke to him, telling him that if I have insomnia, he should just leave me to do my stuff while he goes to bed. Nothing wrong with the statement, except that I am not the one keeping him up late into the night!!! Truth be it, many a times I don't even get to see him when he comes home late, because I go to bed early, sometimes as early as 9.30pm. Especially weekends, I could sleep from late afternoon to the next day. It is Adrian himself who chooses to sleep late. Sometimes when he feels like taking a cat nap before doing some work, he'd sleep til morning. I feel really upset that he did not have the courage to voice out that it's his problem and not mine, that I am not the one causing him to have late nights and inadequate sleep. As a matter of fact I've been struggling to keep up with his late night habits ever since we got married, until I was diagnosed and put on medication which causes me excessive drowsiness. I sleep on the average 9 to 13 hours a day. If you can do your Maths, I must sleep no later than 11pm, otherwise I won't be able to wake up the next day to cook lunch and pick the kids!
It somehow reminds me of the lies and deceit in Abraham and his descendants, in order to cover their sins and have their way. Well, I suppose this is a coping mechanism of human kind, no one in the right mind in Adrian's situation would tell the boss the truth. I am doing my best to focus on how much he loves the family, what an awesome husband he is, how hard he works to provide for the family, rather than dwell in a little fault of his. I am keeping myself busy praying about how I'm feeling and readingthe Bible about it. Sisters, please pray with me too.
Love you all,
Carol
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
More Blessings...
Seems like everyone has been very busy. No one has been posting on the blog page. Yeah, it's SA1 time, no wonder. I myself have been laden with students' last minute revisions. Why last minute? Because everyone has been falling ill due to the pressure! One of my P4 boys have been having stomach flu and have been vomiting and leaving school early almost everyday for the past 3.5 weeks! I'm not at all envious of the kids these days... I largely leave my kids alone. They refuse to acknowledge my authority as a teacher and refuse to do any assessments for me. I'm not too worried except for their attitude. After all Nathanial is coping very well and Natalie is not one to be pushed too hard.
Neighbour's Taiwanese wife is 2 months pregnant. Absolutely beat, retching all day and have no energy to take care of her 3yo son or cook for him. Started to provide him with lunch and dinner to take a load off the couple's mind. I feel really blessed that I have the means to help, to be able to help, and that my offer to help is being accepted. Beginning to understand what it means by giving is more fortunate than receiving, 施比受更有福!
Feel also very much blessed that after much praying and 'scheming', finally got Brother Kok Yew to set up the first study with my father-in-law this Friday evening. Really looking forward to Friday approaching. Please pray for us for my father-in-law to be open and receptive to the biblical teachings, so that he may soon join us in God's kingdom.
Love you all,
Carol
Neighbour's Taiwanese wife is 2 months pregnant. Absolutely beat, retching all day and have no energy to take care of her 3yo son or cook for him. Started to provide him with lunch and dinner to take a load off the couple's mind. I feel really blessed that I have the means to help, to be able to help, and that my offer to help is being accepted. Beginning to understand what it means by giving is more fortunate than receiving, 施比受更有福!
Feel also very much blessed that after much praying and 'scheming', finally got Brother Kok Yew to set up the first study with my father-in-law this Friday evening. Really looking forward to Friday approaching. Please pray for us for my father-in-law to be open and receptive to the biblical teachings, so that he may soon join us in God's kingdom.
Love you all,
Carol
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