week of goodbyes!

Last Fri-Sent JC best fren Ailin off at T1. She'll b in UK working with hubby. Guess when we meet again, it will be 3 yrs later. When she bide me goodbye at departure, i told her," You better go fast b4 i cry". It was so tough holding back my tears. Hubby grinned n commented that i am a crybaby..... haha.!!!. Goodbye is so tough....i hate goodbyes....:P Wishing her all the best in her career and family! I'm sure when we meet again, there will be much rejoicing! Goodbye to my dearest fren!

Last Sat-Met up with Campus Crusade EA (EAst ASia) Team as our team staff leader XXX n his wife XXX ( names kept confidential to protect the EA ministry) were back In S'pore to deliver their 3rd kid before going back to the mission field. About 5 yrs back when we were in the mission field with this couple with no kids yet. Those days were so memorable. To eat,sleep,play,sow,plant,harvest, minister, memorise verses in Mandarin and pray together as a team for God's work.It was so tiring, dangerous yet so refreshing. Indeed God has been good to them and they have been very faithful to the Lord's work.To be in the mission field with 3 kids, it's certainly not easy.

In Singapore, people struggle with 1 kid. But for them, they had honored the Lord by serving faithfully on the field even with 2 young kids and the newly born. Certainly put many of us to shame who claims that one kid gives us just too much trouble to serve in our homeland. Thru them, i see their confidence in God who protects their kids in a foreign land and gives them the extra grace in bringing up these kids. Bide them goodbye as i wonder when we will see them again after they return to EA for The Lord's work. Been a joy to see them and the newly born! Their kids are juz so adorable! Good time of fellowship with the EA Team too! Been truly blessed!

In His Eyes

They have everything in life.Rich, prettty, successful businesswomen who displayed such efficiency, drive, passion, talent, pride in their work. Yet, when i spoke to them over a simple meal, beneath the bullet proof businesswoman, i saw their vulnerability towards life, marriage, family. It seems that they have no faith nor foundation in life. INDEED, i wonder what is life without God's word as the firm foundation and direction?

I realised then that all along, I've been blinded by what i've seen, by the "so perfect image" people had created for themselves. Does the millionaire need the Lord any less than the pauper? Does the CEO need the Lord any less than the cleaner? Does the smart need the Lord any less than the less smart? As I walked past Raffles Place, that day, beneath the smart jackets and chic dresses worn by the sucessful working class, for some time,i just watched and looked beyond the surface and see vulnerable hearts seeking for love and direction in life.

Have you been blinded by the success of people, just like me? Indeed, may God give us wisdom and discernment to see issues, things and people in HIS EYES and not thru our own deceptive eyes.

Daphne

reflections

Yes. I've tendered my resignation letter last week. Someone offered me a job before i tendered and i rejected the offer.

Crazy. Yes. Most people tink i'm crazy. I tink i am too!:p
But when Moses brought the people of Israel to the waters, did the people too tink that he's crazy? When young David fought Goliath with 3 small stones, was he crazy too? Somehow, ya, by logical sense,it's really crazy.

To raise your rod, stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. <>
Yet, it happened in God's word:

"Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and to their left.." Exodus 14: 21-22

"And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, when the Egyptians were fleeing into it.So the Lord overthrew th Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not as much as one of them remained." Exodus 14: 27-28

For the past 1 month, when i walk from my block, thru the green fields, to the bus stop, i thought to myself : is this what i wanna do for the rest of my life? To spend my whole life slogging for profits and material needs with a crisp of hyprocrisy and materialism in the corporate world. Is this what i wanna pursue -ambition and career at the expense of my family,my husband, frens, and in future my kids. It seems too true to know that one can never serve 2 masters: money or God. Where your heart is, there your treasure is. i asked myself, asked God where my heart is.

i've been tinking for too long to let go of everything and focus on what i should do. Too many worldy things that i can't bear to let go- the materialism of life, the ambitions. I realise that these things crippled my walk with God. It's time to let go. God seems to wake me up suddenly from a dream in my own world. Somehow, in our lives, sometimes, we got cluttered with many things that crippled our walk with God and God just came one day and decide it;s time for spring cleaning. haha....:P It's going to be messy, dirty, PaInful....Yet, when it;s clean,it's going to be a clean vessel for the work of God.

Somehow, it seems God just convicted me: Just do it! Seems very Nike right? <> So one morning, i woke up, asked T to type the letter and submitted it that same day.

In pursuit of material needs and career, i have sacrified time for hubby, sacrficed the domestic support i should give to hubby, sacrificed time to minister and most importantly, sacrified time for God.I've never sacrfice anything in my entire life. Coz i always believe in fighting for ur own rights. And this time round, the Lord taught me self-sacrifice.

Yes. This time round, i've chosen to quit my job! <> To me,it's the first step to bide goodbye to materialism of the corporate world and the hectic schedule. I'm not taking any job in the next one month. Next month will be for God. I've spent enough time working for my boss, It;s time to give this one month for God.

I need to slow down my pace, take time to dwell in God's presence, spend more time ministering to small group people and cook for hubby. He's been falling sick and i really hope to cook some healthy home cooked food for him. SInce i've been so engrossed in my work, i haven't been cooking for him. And he has never complained about his wife not cooking or cleaning up the house as often as she should.He deserves much more healthy food than i can give him now.

Sometimes i wonder. We spend so much time on our corporate work, yet how much time do we spend on God' work and ministering to His people. WHo is our master? Our corporate boss or God? It's sad to see people motivated and bz for career, yet laid back for God's work. May the Lord open the eyes of His people to see His lost sheep without a shepherdand be burdened for His work.

Wish me all the best! Pray for me as i spend the next one month resting in God. Pray for Terence and i as the Lord continues to lead and prepare us for some major changes in our lives. May His will be done in our lives for His glory.

My darlin's birthday

Today is a very important day. It's Daphne's birthday!!! (I won't say her age, you gotta ask her yourself haha)

Ok let me warm up my supa suave soprano voice with a happy burpday tune.... NOT!!!! :P

Anyway, being the bargain-hunter that I am, I scoured the ENTIRE internet for good food with nice ambience and a reasonable price. And lo and behold, after 3 clicks, I found my trusty UOB Dining Rewards referring to a nice Thai buffet.

It just happened that my Dad's car was available, so I zipped down to grab the flowers









































Nice eh? =)

Then I picked Daphne up from her office. She was ravishing, as usual. Heh, God's so good to me. Hehe. Here's us at the restaurant, Beads Restaurant and Lounge at Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel.



































Looks yummy eh? I think I ate too much hehe.


Well, on reflection, it's been a wonderful 7th birthday I've celebrated with Daphne. It's always so wonderful to see someone you love adoring the flowers you give her. (Though we guys can NEVER understand why these plants are so 'powerful') ^o^

As each birthday passes, as we grow together with God's leading, we know that He has a wonderful plan ahead for our lives.

Little steps, tiny steps
For man, taken like a doe
Moving forward in the plan
From the God who loves us so

Seeing not the path ahead
beyond our myopic sight
But trusting in the vision
of the Master only wise

Lights the road
Clears the way
Seeks our good
If only we'd obey

So we go forth in faith
Lean on His breast
Knowing that He goes before us
On His perfect will, we rest

Free food! (Overdue but nice)

Ever forgot to eat your lunch before? Been there, done that.

Ever ate leftover food before? 2 days old maybe, but how about 2 weeks late? =)

Well, when we were digging up old vouchers for shopping 'exercise', we found a "Free Dinner for 2 @ Silver Shell Cafe @ Rasa Sentosa Shangri-la" voucher. And it had already expired for a week! Anyway, my brilliant wife swiftly executed a "we'll come this weekend so it's expired but never mind right?" manouvre and got us our customer rights. (After multiple personnel referrals, and finally someone gave us a reservation. But never give name, so un-pro!)

I also swiftly procured us the use of dad-in-law's car for the night. Normally, they would be driving off to their cell group on Friday nights, but thank God they had cell-group at their house, so we could use the car that night. Off we went, to the land of free-makan!


Here's what the food looks like. Not bad stuff since it would have cost us $95 if not for my darlin's super marketing-trained haggling-for-overdue-freebies skillz =)

At The MaRkEt!

Yes!Let's going MARKETING today! YiPeE!

" Everything is marketing and marketing is everything!"-that's something i remember from one of the NTU marketing lecturers.

A good product will never be known to be good if it is not MARKETED! U have a good engineer to design the product, but What's the point? Ultimately, u need a GOOD marketer to market it out! You need not ONLY be good, you must be good in MARKETING Yourself out. When you have learnt to smoke without being known to smoke, you have succeeded in marketing. That's the power of marketing!! hahaha......

So, Here's the NTu Biz Galz who "smoked" thru marketing school with me!

Pics at my chijmes wedding, christmas party @ Tania's place and Tania's ROM @ merchant court!

My FiRst CaKe!

Introducing my buddies/ comrades from NTU Biz marketing, there's:

Tania: the smart one. all time well-groomed, well dressed vainpot, most sacrificial and tolerant of us all ! Ex-stewardess. Currently the best wife one can ever find who can give up everything for her hubby!

Weini: my roomie in hall who updates us on who comes with full makeup to the 8.30 morning lecture with that long skirt you wear to the beach and whois dating who in hall and who broke up ! Currently the straightforward stubborn wife who is a clean freak!

Lilian: IT geek! The logical, diligent, diplomatic one whom u will never see in skirts and dresses. Most decent of us all! Gives decent advice.

Sydney: Sarcastic teacher with the big heart for the kids in school. Most perservering of us all! Emotionally strong!

Marianne: The Political one.Most ambitious of us all to climb up the corporate leader. The friend who cleans up your mess during breakup or anything and gives good advice. She's the strategist!

and me Daphne: I'm the "rebellious" stubborn " can't make-up my mind" gal yet knows deep down in her heart what she really wants, just refusing to admit it.



Th gals bought a Swensons COokies and Cream cake-my first cake of the yr, and celebrated an early birthday for me. WHen they sung the song, myheart just melted...:P It's jusz thosekind of fuzzy feeling and u feel as if you are on top of the mountain. So touched.

I love the simple,cosy setting away from the orchard crowd where we juz laz around at Weini'splace and chat till past midnite. There's not many frens i call buddies and they are really the buddies i can say who knows me and loves me! And we can shoot each other down sarcastically and no one takes it to heart. Though we are so diff, generally, we are all quite crazy, sarcastic and frank.And we are just ourselves with each other. It's certainly a birthday i'll remember! i love simple gatherings!

Thanks for everything gals. Love you lots!

Hugs, daphne.....
Ter sleeping like a log now....gotta join him! :P