Haiku

Haiku is a three-line Japanese poems of just 17 syllables.

It is a form of literature that captures each moment by expressing all that you feel in short sentences.

Mr Herman van Rompuy, the European Union's new president is fond of writing haiku. He's winning fans in Japan.

There are about two million haiku writers around the world.

Haiku sounds interesting. I might give it a try one day when the creative juices are flowing. It's quite similar to tweeting. Short, sweet and simple. Hmmm...

It's love,

plain and simple.

Cherish.

The Original Wedding Band, as it should be.

It should be Endless.

For the unbroken circle of our feelings for each other.

It should be Smooth.

For the new journey we embark on together.

It should be Pure.

For all the love today and tomorrow.

Above all, it should be a symbol of Love.

Plain and Simple.

~ read this advertisement from a jeweller ~

New Day. New Month. New Blessings.

May today be all you need it to be. May the peace of God and the freshness of the Holy Spirit rest in your thoughts, rule in your dreams tonight, and conquer all your fears.. May God manifest himself today in ways you have never experienced. May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your prayers be answered.. I pray that faith enters a new height for you; I pray that your territory is enlarged. I pray for peace, healing, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, true and undying love for God.

received the above prayer from a very dear friend through email this morning. it's the best way to start a new month. thank you so much, Merle =)

In the Master's Hand

we do what we do

because we understand

who we are

before our Master

we are His servants

we work hard

at what we do

because we want to

please our Master

"Well done, good and faithful servant."

Let Go and Let God

As children bring their broken toys

with tears for us to mend

I brought my broken dreams to God

because He is my friend

But then instead of

leaving Him in peace to work alone

I hung around and tried to help

with ways that were my own

At last

I snatched them back again and cried

"How can You be so slow?"

"My child," He said

"what could I do?

You never did let go."

Lauretta P. Burns 1957

Dr Jim has so kindly shared the author's name with us. Thank you very much, Dr Jim =)

To Remain Quiet?

May 2008

His daughter was born.

September 2008

His father had a major stroke.

Today

His father has not met his daughter yet. They live in different countries. The journey is about 45 minutes by aeroplane or 4 hours by car. Yet he has not brought his daughter to meet his father yet. Each time when he and his family were supposed to make the trip to visit his father, they would come out with some reasons and excuses to postpone the trip. Even his father's caregiver mentioned that his father has not met his younger granddaughter yet.

What should I do?

Mind my own business. Keep quiet about it. Be well-liked by them.

Or... share my feelings with them. Be labelled a very busybody relative.

I'm keeping quiet for the moment. They're planning to make the trip in December. I've a very strong suspicion that the trip will be postponed once again.

Our father has lost the ability to speak and walk due to the stroke...

He could be holding on until he meets his youngest grandchild...

Letter H

Me: I'm feeling hot, humid and hungry.

Child: You're huge and humongous as well.

Me: I'm hug-able too.

HaHa! There goes the cheeky conversation with my kid.

Little Finger

5am

Woke up. Discovered my left little finger was painful. I could have sprained it without knowing. Went about doing my housework carefully; without inflicting any further pain on it.

10:45am

Shared about the sprained little finger with my child before the start of Sunday Service. She massaged it very gently. Told me very confidently that the little finger will be okay at the end of the service. Bless her trusting faith in our Lord.

2pm

The little finger is perfectly fine. Praise our Lord!

Tragic Day

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging [Psalm 46:1-3]

This verse speaks to my heart now.

It was a very shocking day yesterday.

Towering tsunami waves which measured 7.5m in height pounded the remote Pacific islands of Samoa and American Samoa after an 8.0-magnitude undersea quake struck in the early morning. At least 113 people were killed as the massive waves wiped out entire villages and flattened tourist resorts.

Typhoon Ketsana extended its trail of destruction across South-east Asia yesterday, killing at least 85 people in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and unleashing some of the worst floods in a decade, just days after Ketsana killed 246 people in the Philippines.

At 6:15pm an 7.6-magnitude earthquake wrecked Sumatra city in Indonesia. It left more than 1,000 people feared dead.

Strong tremors were felt in Malaysia and Singapore as a result of the earthquake in Indonesia.

Another earthquake measuring 7.0-magnitude had just struck Sumatra at 9:52am today. It's the second major quake in the city in 24 hours. Tremors were again experienced in Malaysia and Singapore.

Despite all these current natural calamities, our Lord is still in control. He reigns!

Finally, Ris Low does the correct thing. She gives up her Miss Singapore World 2009 crown.

There are some things in life where a criminal record, especially one involving dishonesty, simply wouldn't do. Being a representative of your country at an international event is, I think, one of those things.

I wish her the best now that she is no longer in the public eye :)

A Little Email

"It has been a roller coaster ride today. Received 2 gifts bought with real USD on Pet Society (Facebook) in the morning. So happy! Rejoice! =)))

Cooling weather for Isabelle's outing with her friends. Praise God! =)))

Then received an email addressed to 'ying'. Oh my gosh =S Someone just spelt my name with a 'g' - ying! So ugly. It's not my name. I dislike the name 'ying'. Gonna correct the person.

On the way out for grocery shopping at about noon I saw my things in the open. Someone threw them there. So angry! So furious! Collected them. Put them back into the cabinet. I know who but no proof. This is the third time. I lost some items during the first 2 times. Everyone is on talking terms with me in my neighbourhood. Everyone avoids and ignores her. So who else?! The neighbour whom I had tried sharing God's love with last year. It was a very abusive friendship. I'm avoiding and ignoring her now as advised by my wise friends.

Statement came from the bank. No transactions with Moneybookers. So happy! Do I dare to do online shopping again? HaHa! Very tempted. The items on Pet Society are so cute."

this post is a very informal email which i replied a friend earlier. thought i would just copy and paste it here. i am lazy...

meanwhile we are serving an awesome God. He reigns!

take care =)

Dear Heavenly Father

May the government treasure every citizen especially the poor, the ugly, the stupid and the unhealthy.
May their policies do not bring short-term benefits with long-term problems for the nation...

Amen!



our Pastor prayed for the nation during service this morning...

Protected from the Rain

11:45am
it was very bright and sunny as i entered this downtown 4-storey shopping mall to get my annual discount card a few days ago.

12:30pm
it was very dark and gloomy as i stepped out of the building. did i spend the whole day inside?! i asked myself. i thought it was night. haha! no. it was going to rain very heavily. so i hastened my steps to the subway station quickly.

12:50pm
reached my own place. did the necessary grocery shopping immediately before brisk-walking home. my cashier friends at the checkout counters were so kind to offer their umbrellas to me. it warmed my heart tremendously to be shown love, care and concern in their own special ways. bless them! i've an umbrella in my tiny tote bag ^grin^



our Lord is very good. i wasn't caught in the heavy downpour that afternoon...

Answered Prayer

the Kid has been trying to download a programme onto her laptop since last week. she must use the programme for one of her modules. it was unsuccessful even after many, many tries at home and on campus. her friends tried to help but couldn't download it either. the university office helpdesk tried to download the programme for her but was unsuccessful too.

we were at our wit's end. it is a new laptop. so the fault is not with the laptop. what is the reason then? no one knows.

then one kind senior student said that he would try to download it for her again at 2pm yesterday.

in the morning i texted my friends to pray. lo and behold the Kid managed to download the programme on her own succesfully before 2pm. the Kid addressed my praying partners as "The Praying Aunties Brigade". bless them.

the great joy of an answered prayer immediately! we serve a Living God. Praise Him!

I Stand Amazed in the Presence

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.

Chorus:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior's love for me!

He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone.

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
’Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me.



We sang this hymn in church this morning.
How marvellous!

Surprising Events

Monday
Friend A: Didn't meet you for 7 months. You had put on weight.
Lesson: Try to eat less.

Tuesday
Friend B: You're doing your grocery shopping later than usual today.
Lesson: Try to make my daily routine unpredictable.

Wednesday
Friend C: It's ok. Consider it as a treat from me.
(I gave the fruit seller 50 cents less for my purchase)
Lesson: Must count my coins properly.

Thursday
Friend D: I waved and waved. You didn't see me.
Lesson: Try not to walk blindly.

Friday
Friend E: I didn't give my new mobile number to everyone we know.
Lesson: Must treasure her number. She made my day upon hearing it.



There goes my eventful week so far =)

during my QT yesterday our Lord asked me:

Which is better?

A Christian son-in-law who is so so

or

A non-Christian son-in-law who is a high flyer



i don't know...