date without candles!

My parents planning a family trip to Bangkok- My parents, sis & hubby, Ter & me. ANd i'm reallie looking forward to it! HAd dinner date with my younger sis just now and it kinda brings back sweet memories.

It's been a long time since i last have a chance to spend quality time with my family and sometimes, i do miss the warmth of the traditional Tan family and all the house rules which i used to rebel against:

- No hamsters in the living room. Animals are only allowed in the kitchen.
- Report to dad as long as you don't come home after school.
-No overnight stays at Bf's home or overnight holidays as long as we are not married
-No bermudas to church. No slippers to church. ( i got scolded once when i was young when i wore bermudas for a SAT informal Youth service)
-No spaghetti tops in and out of the house ( my mum is quite strict on this though she's a charismatic at heart) ( my sis used to sneak out with spaghetti top ONLY when mum away. Think i dunno- she always has SPARE sweater in her bag. And once she's within 200m from home, she's in her sweater again even when it's freaking hot) hahaha.so funny.
-No horror movies to be watched
-No horror books in the house. ( i hide my books)
-No wearing of clothes and accessories associated with snakes or dragons.( I used to have a cute dragon t-hirt during my sec days n my dad refuse to let me wear it)
-No TV when we're having dinner

i come from a close-kinted family who talks about everything under the sun. We talk about pastors and their preaching styles, the modesty of dancers in church,which musician my sis is dating, the song leaders in church, which drummer is too rock and of course Spirit filled charismatics and word filled BAptists. haha....:p That's a SENSITIVE issue and i've learnt my lesson not to pursue this matter too much with Mum. There are just certain issues that are to be made firm our stand but not quarrel over the dinner table. Mum is always telling Ter &me that too much word chokes up your brain and makes you a Pharisee. well,well,well.........i shall give no comments.:P


Dad used to drive the whole familyto church and though i've married ,i do miss dad driving us to church and going out lunch with them after church. Miss the malaysia retreats out with dad's cell group and the church so familiar to me. Memories are always sweet. It's been so many years since i left Renewal.(RCC) While we were dating, Ter visits Renewal on Sat and i visit BFC on Sun. It reaches a point whereby we can no longer be in 2 diff church. SOmehow, during a prayer meeting at Renewal, God affirmed me that BFC is where He wants Ter & me to be. I wept that night. I love friends, family at Renewal, but it;s not where God wants me to be. To obey God and take up the cross, to submit and GO.....to leave familiar friends and family. The Lord taught me the lesson of leaving that day. i cried and struggled the first 6 mths in BFC. It was a culture shock.It was just painful. But, somehow,it strengthened the love between Ter & I as we learn to go thru this trial and emotional rollar coaster together as a couple.

Memories are to be cherished deeply. But i guess, for the work of God, how many have left their beloved family and friends for the greater calling of their lives? Leaving will never be easy. But to leave to obey God's calling, that is indeed an honor. To live and to die for God, what more can one ask for?

God seems to be teaching me many lessons of leaving- A wife to leave her parents for a new family unit, a gal to leave her familiar charismatic church and friends for a traditional church with totally foreign alien culture she has never known in her entire life. I remember stories;

- People holding unto certain burden in their lives that restrict them from running this race for God whole-heartedly and effectively.

-People holding on so tight on their lives and refusing God to enter and take control of their loves.

-Parents holding unto their grown-up married kids

-Married kids holding unto their parents

One story touched me though:
God has only one son and He made Him a missionary.

Are you holding unto your kids?
Are we ready to "lose" our kids and give them to the Lord's work in a foreign land?

Well, my struggle continues....how about u? :P

My parents/sis went to Dubai!

My parents and sister went to Dubai last week. Really expensive food I hear, S$150-200 per meal per person AT LEAST! *faints* Well, at least they got a pair of complimentary air tickets and free accommodation with Mabel.

Mmm, I promised Daphne a holiday soon. I wonder what we can afford heh.

Anyway, ceh ceh, here are the photos I uploaded for you on flicker :)

Photos 1 to 68

Photos 69-end

sweetest things

Oh Ya! It's not a bird! Not a plane! Its' "THEM" !!!- The Ngs!! :P

The sweetest couple in BFC invited us over to their house for dinner last Mon, to test out Jan's Thai cuisine. Wow....i luv her Tom Yum soup and home made tea! Jan's reallie a good cook and i bet she put many of us Singapore ladies to shame. I wonder how many of us Singapore ladies can truly cook a decent meal. Josh is truly blessed to marry this young lady! Sometimes, after church, life is so hectic with all the rehearsals,ministry stuff n in-laws visits. And, i truly thank God for the sweet fellowship over the fabulous dinner with Josh & Jan. Always wanted to make time to meet up with them , but, never succeeded. SO i'm glad we had the dinner.

To me, they have a humble simple cosy home. No fanciful wallpaper nor designer furniture nor famous artist's works. Nothing fanciful as perceived by the world, yet to me, they have everything ever in this world ---- A home built on firm foundation of God's love and word, a home filled with wonderful meangingful memories of sweet fellowship with bethren, a home filled abundantly with God's love and blessings. This is worth far more than the riches of this world.

What good it is to have gained the whole world yet forfeit one's soul? Reminds me of King Solomon who had everything in the world- wealth and wisdom, yet in Ecclesiastes ( a bk in the bible) , he wrote about his mental journey thru life and explains how everything he tried, tasted or tested was meaningless, meaningless, meaningless.......

At the end of the book, he concluded : " Now all has been heard, here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man"- Ecc 12: 13

I remember many yrs back, when i started working in the corporate world, The Lord impressed this verse upon my heart:

"I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift or to the battle to the strong, nor does the food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favour to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.

Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare,so men ar trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them." Ecc 9: 11

" Whoever loves money never has money enough:
Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningful" Ecc 5: 10

" The sleep of a labourer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep." Ecc 5: 12

As many gets caught in the rat race in pusuit of weath and riches, I pray that The Lord will raise up labourers after His own heart and preserve the hearts of His people to stay focused on His work.

-daphne waiting for pizza delivery....

Bintan Marriage Retreat

The cameras on the ladies. TIRING! Perhaps, we should jusz have ONE official photographer! :P

The guyz as usual trying to act cool!
The ladies dear to my heart...

Weifang, Betty & i went for massage on the last day! SHIOk!

While Weifang was soaked in some herbal steambath, Betty & i relaxed i the bubbling jacuzzi. Followed by aromatic coffee or javanese scrub, balinese massage with our chosen essential oils. Ended off with the super sweet-smelling Milk Wrap! Truly pampering!

I really enjoy the days spent together canoeing, candlelight dinners, ferry rides, marriage seminars and OF COURSE.....the test we had to take at the end of the retreat! haha... Was blessed by the older ladies who shared their stories with us, the younger ladies and also the seminar lessons which truly taught us many blibical concepts about marriage.

i thought it's a good idea to have it every yr for good fellowship and bonding between frens and couples.

7th DatiNg AnNiversary

Can't believe it! It's been 7 yrs since i said "Yes" to be his gf! n i'm now his wife!

Seems like juz yesterday when we first met in NTU Hall 10. And he's kinda the serious, nerdy guy i never expect to date!:P haha.....but somehow God converges our paths. Truly, God works in ways we never expect.

Though we r no longer That Young n he's already a working adult, in my eyes, i still remember him as that first yr guy whom i walked with from hall 10 to 2 and then back to hall 10, under the moonlight, enjoying NTU night breeze, chatting, sharing our lives with each other.It was reallie sweet. We wasn't earning anything then, but life was simple and happy.


Somehow, thru the yrs, our relationship has moved from the young innocent lovey stage to a more mature relationship. Looking back at these 7 yrs, God has been very good to us, bringing us thru our conflicting characters,diff family culture, different church doctrines etc......Without God, perhaps we wouldn't have gone so far and would have just given up along the way.

Anyway, here' some pics at Himawari Jap Place @ Neil Rd. Buffet spread with free flow sashimi & shabu shabu. Sashimi is fresh <>and i love the super good quality shabu beef and sauce! Other dishes include fried Oyster, tempura, handroll etc....It's a super small authentic cosy jap place, recommended for those who like to stay away from the orchard crowd n just hibernate in a quiet place where the whole world can't find you!

DaPNnezzz

sun & moon

After Church Anniversary rehearsal, we went to:
Sun and Moon Restaurant
Wheelock Place

Belated celebration of Lishan's B'day! Treated the couple to dinner!


















But before that.....

While the guys do the tough job to transport the electric piano back to church, we gals were happily shopping at serangoon plaza with the beauty expert, Miss Diana Koh! :P and of course posing at MRT! since we were so free!

haha!

Fun day hanging out with the folks!

Military Efficiency: Singapore style

Got my reservist call up this year, for 2 weeks, starting on Children's day. Anyway I decided to defer it, cos super tired, and if I go away 2 weeks, my work sure pile up like Westin Stamford height. (yar I like to exaggerate)

So come the day, I spent alot of time doing much 'productive' stuff. Let's see:
800am Reached the Polyclinic - 30 mins of waiting
830am Saw the doc
845am Started waiting at the dispensary - 45 mins of waiting
930am Finally got my medicine and drove off to camp
1015am Reached Sungei Gedong camp
1030am Waited for 'more people to arrive' so we could Report Sick together - 30mins of waiting
1100am Reached medical centre
1130am Saw the MO - 30mins of waiting
1140am Started waiting for my deferment to be processed
1230am Had lunch. Still waiting at Manpower office.
200pm Still waiting
400pm Tired of waiting
530pm My medical docket arrives from Medical Centre. I finally leave camp - 6h of waiting

Congrats, Terence, you just spent 8 hours waiting. Why didn't I bring a book to read????
:P