the once-in-a-blue-moon family vacation

Looking forward to the family vacation to Melb tmrw! I can't wait to show them where I spent one year of my life, and I can't wait to finally have a taste of living in the city itself, not having to worry about getting home asap. Do pray for us as we travel to and around Melb. The trip will involve us renting a car to drive around too. Thanks for the prayers!

Work this wk was ultra hectic, it was amazing. Once in a while this kinda thing gives me a nice adrenaline rush. But too much can be uber draining. But it's been good this week lah. I thoroughly enjoyed the many, many sessions of caregiver training. A major mission tmrw though - and that is to try my utmost best, together with the rest in the team (MINUS some heartless docs), to halt the unwise, premature d/c of a pt who will be unsafe should he return home at this point. Dear Lord, grant me wisdom and patience as I fight the heartless docs!

gey kiang

I thought it was time to start varying my workout routine since my 30min jogs were no longer causing any muscle aches at all the next day. So I did some stair-climbing last week. I was quite happy with it since it is an activity that I could do even at night after dinner because while I can't jog on a mostly full stomach, I could stairclimb on a mostly full stomach.

BUT! sigh. Gey kiang. Now it seems my old knee injury has been triggered again. I really thought it was a thing of the past as they (the knees) didn't protest one bit even after my past 2 months of regular jogs.

Darnz. I'm off stairs. But I hope I can return to pain-free jogging again. If not........ I'll be very sad! =(

And so I realised something... Does this mean I cannot climb mountains anymore?! Oh dear! =(((

snippets of the week

It must be because I was deprived of mooncakes the last Mid-autumn festival while I was in melb. I've never eaten so much mooncakes in one year as much as this time round. It's like I'm compensating for last yr! Jia lat. But yumz.. how I love mooncakes! :p As per SU tradition, we had a nice cosy time of catching up at fen's place on Wed over mooncakes and lanterns. It'll be a while before it's the full SU again though. oh wellz.

My lil hamster Raisin has finally passed on. I had a hunch that he would die this week lah, so I guess I was more than prepared. So for once, I didn't cry for this pet's death. It's not that I loved him less, but I was already prepared for his passing 1.5yrs ago, so that made it different this time.

A fella with ultra-low pain tolerance was the bane of my life this week. I really felt like going "eh, are you a man or not?!" each time he yelped even before I actually touched him. sheesh!! These patients!

my heart will choose to say

I saw a friend on Sunday in church. He is now much more gaunt than when I last saw him months ago. He looks like what a typical cancer patient would look like. How life can deal you such vastly different cards so suddenly. But thank you for showing me what worship truly is. I am deeply encouraged to see praise, thanksgiving and worship flow out to God, alongside two children who will learn much from their godly father.

Many people think that Christians are a bunch of atas and well-provided-for spoilt brats. That we go to our air-conditioned church buildings week after week to sing atas songs with the latest equipment and instruments. Not to mention how prominent leaders keep entering the news for the wrong reasons. :(

But the church and/or the church building was never meant to be IT alone. Let's face it. As long as it involves any human beings, it's gonna be imperfect, crappy and pathetic. So while testimonies are personal and can be a gd way to tell others about God, the most impt thing is still to point to Jesus. Because while he was human, he was God at the same time. Perfect and sinless, and yet He took on the punishment meant for sinful people (i.e. ALL of us). Lunacy or Love?

Anyway, when I saw this man who has lost what many would think is a lot worshipping and giving thanks despite his circumstances, I was reminded of this song.

Blessed Be Your Name
by Matt Redman

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

I pray that my faith will be one that is dependent solely on what Jesus has done for me on the cross (resulting in thanksgiving come what may), and not focused instead on the blessings that has been generously given to me.