Positioned For 2008

On the night of 22 December (Saturday), I made a major decision, i.e. to go into the real estate business. To be accurate, I am actually already a property consultant with HSR since November 2005, but have been lying dormant ever since then.

Daniel has recently finished his real estate training at Dennis Wee Group in November and has been doing his property work since the beginning of December. As he has not resigned from teaching yet, I forsee that it will be rather taxing for him to do two jobs simultaneously when school reopens next Wednesday (2 January 2008). Since I do not work for others and I receive no income, I figured that I have nothing to lose if I were to embark on the business first.

After I had made that decision, I could not sleep and I sensed that Abba Father wanted to speak to me. I got up, took my Bible and went to the playroom and prayed (not played). I asked Him to give me a verse in the New Testament to cling on to for my new endeavour. Instead of one, my gracious Abba Father opened my eyes to many, many of His wonderful promises both in the Old and New Testaments. The following verses from His Word encouraged me tremendously and had given me the impetus to go ahead with the real estate business in 2008:

(1)"And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day." Deuteronomy 8:18

(2)Deuteronomy 28:1-14 -> I personalised this chapter on blessings by changing all the 'you' to 'I/me' through a prayer.

(3)"Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favour my righteous cause; and let them say continually, "Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant," and my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long." Psalm 35:27-28 -> God is pleased and glorified when we prosper.

(4)"Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourslef also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret - it only causes harm." Psalm 37:3-8 -> This italicised and embolden portion was Abba's answer to a dream which I had a few days before 22 December. I dreamt that an agent from another real estate company had 'stolen' Daniel's client, who happened to have not signed the exclusive agreement to sell with Daniel yet. Daniel was speechless while I was fuming mad with that unscrupulous agent. Even though such dishonest agents do exist in the industry, I know that I can still rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him to vindicate me and accomplish what concerns me (Psalm 138:8a)!

(5)Colossians 3:16-17

(6)"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me (in my case, the person is Pastor Prince), these do, and the peace of God will be with you." Philippians 4:6-9 -> A few people, whom I shared with regarding Daniel's new endeavour, were not very in favour with his career switch. One person who initially objected rather violently to the switch was my mum, who accused me of instigating Daniel to leave his secured teaching job. She felt that I was not only breaking my husband's iron rice bowl (can it be broken?), but also breaking up the family (specifically happiness, Jia Ting Xing Fu).?

Now, you know how irrational my mum can be when she is mad. As a Christian, my family happiness is centred on Jesus, the solid Rock who does not roll, and nothing else! Today, if your family is happy and wealthy and enjoys every good thing in life, rejoice and give thanks. James 1:17 tells us that "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." However, do not even think that your wealth, your high-paying job, your smarts or anything else is the reason for your family happiness. That is putting your happiness on shaky grounds and to fall from God's grace (unearned, undeserved and unmerited favour).

With my Abba Father's assurance, I know I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!

God's Beloved

Maid In Singapore (2)

My third maid, Joan, who was a Filipino, was a very intelligent and hardworking lady. When she was working in my household, I left the cooking entirely to her. I have always been very good in household chores, but never in cooking. So, my main requirement whenever I engaged a maid was that she MUST be good in cooking. What's the point of getting one who does not even know how to cook and I still have to think of what to feed her or spend money to buy food from outside!!

My mum had been a great help to me in the area of teaching Joan how to prepare Chinese herbal soups and dishes. Joan, who was a fast learner, also learnt how to prepare other Asian dishes from recipe books found at home. For someone like me, who dreads cooking, having Joan was really a God-sent blessing. On the other hand, I trained her in the chores. I remembered telling her very boldly on her first night with us that if she could meet my standard of cleanliness and follow my ways of keeping the house, she could survive anywhere else.!

Joan loved Caleb and Naomi very much and she would spend time playing with and reading to them in spite of the many chores she had to complete. The children still receive postcards or emails from her on their birthdays. Caleb still remembers the times spent with Auntie Joan, though he could vaguely remember her face.

Right now, Joan is working in Canada as a caregiver. As a caregiver, she does not have to do any household chores or cooking. She works only fifteen days a month and earns much more than when she was working in Singapore. I am glad that she has a better and more relaxing work life now and can send more money back home in the Philippines.

I personally feel that the maids in most Singaporean families lead a more rigid lifestyle whereby they have to adhere to a certain routine every day. They tend to be busier (as compared to those maids who work for 'angmohs') as employers will always certainly make sure that they have things to do all the time (and not skiving). It always puzzles me why some employers do not allow their maids to have a day off every week or, at least, every month even though their families do not have any infants or invalids who require their constant care and attention. For people like us who work (including our dear homemakers), we need to set aside time to rest and re-energise. Even for most working people who already have two days of rest every week, they still complain that it is insufficient. Then think about those maids who do not even have a day off.!

So, rest is important and necessary. Even the Creator of heaven and earth rested on the seventh day after six days of work, what more about us, God's wonderful creation! In our life journey, how well we walk is how well we rest (not just physical rest, but resting in the finished work of Jesus).

Give yourself and the maid a break! : )

God's Beloved

Maid In Sinagpore (1)

For the past five years, I had tried engaging foreign domestic helpers to help with the household chores (tasks which I usually term as unproductive) and cooking. My first two maids were Indonesians and the third one was a Filipino.

When Caleb was slightly more than a year old, I felt that I was economically more productive, and so, I decided to teach under the CDAC Tuition Programme for three hours every Saturday. Thus, I engaged my very first maid, Reni, who was an Indonesian. Her main duties were to keep the house spic and span and cook. Because she was a Christian, she had no problem at all handling pork and its derivatives. However, I did not keep her for long as I felt that there was great communication barrier and I was not prepared to invest time to learn another language. Nowadays, I observe that most Indonesian maids are able to speak better English and some can even speak Mandarin and a little dialect!

When I was expecting Naomi in 2005, I engaged my second Indonesian maid, who was also a Christian. I cannot remember her name now as her stay with us was very short-lived, about two weeks, and we had to send her back to the agency almost immediately when she contracted German measles. Initially, she had a fever, then followed by an outbreak of rashes all over her arms and neck the next day. I quickly brought her to a general practitioner and was advised by him to stay away from her as he suspected that she might be having German measles. I freaked out when I heard that and quickly grabbed hold of Caleb and stood far, far away from her while Daniel settled the medical bill at the counter. For the next two days, I stayed at my mother's home while Daniel handled the administrative matter at the maid agency. He also heeded the doctor's advice to sanitise the entire house with Lysol.!

On hindsight, I realised that I should not have reacted so fearfully and uncompassionately towards the maid's plight as all Singaporeans are immunised against German measles (small pox, chicken pox, tuberculosis, etc.) when they are born. When I visited my gynaecologist the following day, she also told me that if an expectant mother was already immunised against these diseases, then the foetus would, very positively, not contract any one of them.

Anyway, I was relieved that the second maid did not stay as the communication between us was worse than the first! Something like what the Chinese says, "A chick talking to a duck!" (Ji Tong Ya Jiang) In addition to that, she could not cook, not even making a decent 'sunny-side-up' (my favourite).!

In my third trimester in 2005, I was getting very busy with my home tuition and classes at the tuition centre. So, both Daniel and I decided to engage a Filipino maid to take over the chores and cooking. We chose a Filipino as we wanted the maid to be able to communicate well with Caleb, and vice versa. Moreover, the government levy for domestic helpers had decreased from $345 to $200 per month. So, with about the same amount of money that we could previously only engage an Indonesian maid, we could then engage a Filipino maid who could communicate better with every one in the family. Our Abba Father blessed us with a very faithful and competent maid, Joan.

I think it is every employer's (especially the madams) desire to have a maid who excels in chores and cooking (these are the very basics), have a loving heart towards every one (young and old) in the household and has good character. For those of you who are thinking of hiring a maid, you should always commit your future maid to our Abba Father and trust that He will grant you a maid who has all the good qualities that you ask of Him. I used to pray over a list of qualities/traits that I wanted my future husband to possess. And my Abba Father was faithful to grant me a husband, who has most of those traits on the list! : )

God's Beloved

Just For Laughs

I read this fun stuff in one of my church magazines and I found them funny, yet thought-provoking.

Church Signs???

(1) Are you searching for a new look? Have your faith lifted here!

(2) If you are headed in the wrong direction, God allows U-turns.

(3) Do not give up. Moses was once a basket case!

(4) Seven days without prayer makes one weak.

(5) It is unlikely that there will be a reduction in the wages of sin.

(6) If you do not like the way you were born, try being born again.

(7) This is a ch_ _ch. What is missing?

(8) If you cannot sleep, do not attempt to count sheep. Talk to the Shepherd.

(9) Are you in the dark? Follow the Son.

And our all-time favourite...

(10) Try Jesus. If you do not like Him, the devil will always take you back.

With its sham and drudgery, the world is still a beautiful one to live in, especially when we are surrounded by people who love us and those we love. Look out for the daily blessings, no matter how small or trivial they are, to rejoice over and be thankful for.

"A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken." Proverbs 15:13

"A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones." Proverbs 17:22

God's Beloved

A Loving And Lavished Father (2)

Last Friday, I visited Optic Point (in Jurong East) to have a new pair of spectacles made as the coloured coat of the frame was coming off. For quite a while, I had been assuming that the usual outlet (the one in Jurong Point) that I always patronised had shifted out of the shopping complex. That was what happened to the clinic, Alpha Baby And Child Specialists, of my children's paediatrician, Dr Agnes Tay. The management had increased the rental price and, hence, Dr Tay decided to relocate her clinic to block 135 in Jurong East.

Every year, all the teachers in Daniel's school, Fuhua Secondary School, would be given a $100 Optic Point voucher each on Teachers' Day. I am always the privileged one to take advantage of the discount, though Daniel could have used it for himself as he wears spectacles too.

The optician, a Filipino, checked my current pair of spectacles and then my eyes with an equipment that required me to rest my chin on it. He told me that both my right and left vision had improved! Later, he brought me into a dark room for the 'manual' eye check, where he placed an extremely ugly and nerdy pair of glasses (you bespectacled folks should know what I am referring to) on me. He took a very long time just to determine the final result of my eyes. I observed that he remained extremely patient and polite throughout the check even though the customer (that's me) was getting rather impatient with his super-duper slow service. Nevertheless, I still admired his good and praise-worthy attributes as we really need more of these people in the service industry! Well, I was very, very pleased with the outcome of the check. It turned out that the result of the manual check was better than the one done using the equipment. Both my left (3.00 current, 2.75 equipment, 2.50 manual) and right (3.75 current, 3.50 equipment, 3.25 manual) visions had improved, though the astigmatism of my right eye had doubled! Praise the Lord!!!

When I was back home, I began pondering over this new miracle. I wondered whether the healing took place because of the trickling effects of the prayers for divine healing of yesteryears (read Part 1) or the constant partaking of the Holy Communion and declaring God's Word (Truth) over myself. Well, does it really matter? All I need to know is that my loving Abba Father wants me well and whole.

Before I went to sleep that night, I suddenly recalled that a few months ago, I was experiencing a 'drooping' left eyelid. Let me illustrate. When I opened my eyes, I would notice that my left eyelid looked very funny and different from the right one. Instead of the usual clear and distinct double eyelids that I would see when my eyes were opened, I realised that my left eye was only 4/5 opened, even though I was already attempting to open my eyes wider than normal! My very first thought was, "Is this a sign of aging or am I lacking in sleep??" I was so troubled that I covered my eyes with my hands and prayed. I told Abba Father that my eyes were under His grace and, because I was a daughter of Sarah, my youth was renewed like the eagle's. Sarah was the only woman in the Old Testament with her youth (and beauty) renewed, so much so that two heathen kings wanted her (probably an eighty-something-year-old lady then) for their harems! Read Genesis 12:10-20 and 20:1-18. So, all sisters-in-Christ, be of good cheer as we are all Daughters of Sarah.!

Not only had the wierd looking condition disappeared, my overall vision had also improved over the years. As Christians, we should not accept the world's beliefs that as we age, we will have aches all over our bodies and/or our eyesight deteriorates, etc.. We are under a much better management (GRACE) and have a much higher life than the world's. Go for the zoe (God-kind of, promunced as zo-a) life!

As an earthly mother, I would always think of ways to love and bless my beloved children, Caleb and Naomi. Magnify that love (though mine is imperfect and sometimes conditional) an infinite times over, you will know how much God loves you. And His love is perfect and unconditional! Have you received His love today? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him." Matthew 7:11.

God's Beloved

A Loving And Lavished Father (1)

When I was in primary school, I was diagnosed with scoliosis, a condition where my spine was slightly curved or arched. Before my first pregnancy, I had never suffered from the effects of this back condition. However, I began experiencing chronic lower back pain when I was expecting Caleb, my firstborn, in 2001. The pain was so excruciating that I just could not find the perfect position to sleep at night. My physical condition was further worsened by the "pride of pregnancy", whereby my back was arched backwards in order to support the growing size of the foetus, in my third trimester. My gynaecologist, Dr Dolly Wee, told me that it was very common for expectant mothers to experience some kind of lower back discomfort during pregnancy. She went on to explain that the onslaught of pain would be earlier and more severe in subsequent pregnancies! However, she added that the pain should subside and go away once the baby was delivered.

When I delivered Caleb in March 2002, instead of getting better, my condition became execrable! I felt like my entire backbone was breaking apart! My physical condition hindered me from performing the simplest of tasks, like carrying baby Caleb, bending my back to wash my face and carrying things from one place to another. I felt like an "old lady" at the age of 29! I endured the tormenting pain for about two years and I even thought of seeking medical help.

In February 2004, Daniel and I started attending New Creation Church (NCC) and we were greatly impacted by the anointed sermons of Pastor Joseph Prince. Pastor's teachings are really solid spiritual food that is fit for the spirit, soul and body. I began listening intently to the series of sermon CDs on "How To Receive Divine Healing" and immediately applied what I heard (partaking of the Holy Communion, confessing God's Word, praying and worshipping in the Spirit and giving thanks).

My miraculous healing took place some time in November 2004 and I only discovered the manifestation of my healing when I met a friend, Iris Liew, in a neighbourhood park. She was one of those caring Christians who had prayed earnestly for me. The first thing that she asked was about my back. I realised, to my amazement, that the pain was no longer existing! I started bending and twisting my back effortlessly right before her very eyes. Praise the LORD! I am completely healed after about more than three years of suffering, and now, my back feels as good as new!

In January 2005, I discovered that I was pregnant. According to my gynaecologist, I actually conceived in December 2004, i.e. about a month after I was divinely healed of that chronic back condition. Throughout my second pregnancy, I did not experience any lower back pain at all! My loving Abba Father always knows best and His timing is always perfect.

When I began to comprehend more and more of the depth and intensity of my Father's love for me, and the importance and significance of the LORD's Supper, I experienced a few more miracles. One day, while nursing Caleb at home, I discovered that the benign lump (the size of a grape) in my right breast had disappeared! On another occasion, I visited Optic Point (in Jurong Point) to have a new pair of spectacles made. After the eye check, the optometrist, Dorothy, reported that my left vision had improved and the astigmatism of my right eye had gone down!

My Abba Father is so GOOD!! I had only asked to be healed of my lower back condition, but it gave Him great delight to lavish upon me with many more blessings, which I did not even ask or think. Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now to Him Who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us." I used to depend on other Christians (especially pastors and leaders) to pray for me though there is nothing wrong with asking others for prayer support sometimes. However, I now know that the same power that raised Christ from the dead is residing in me and it is always at my disposal. So, let us ask and think BIG and our loving and lavished Abba Father has to/will exceed our requests!

God's Beloved

Viva Vitamins!

Recently, Naomi has been very eager to request from Daniel or me her daily supply of vitamins (Nutrilite Chewables - Multivitamin and Iron Supplement & Nutrilite Chewable Calcium Magnesium). Since I rarely offer Caleb and Naomi sweets, she treats these supplements as 'sweets'. Caleb, who is usually non-chalant about such stuff, has become slightly more interested in his daily intake of vitamins, thanks to his sister's enthusiasm. Between the two types of supplements, they love the Multivitamin and Iron Supplement more as they enjoy the delicious natural orange flavour. The tablets are naturally sweetened with fructose and one tablet provides substantial amounts of ten vitamins (A, B1, B2, niacin, B6, folic acid, B12, C, D, E) and iron.

The other supplement, Chewable Calcium Magnesium, is chocolate flavoured and one tablet provides 270mg calcium and 50mg magnesium. Calcium plays a vital role in the early years of a child's development as well as maintaining good bone health for adults. Magnesium aids in the metabolism of calcium. Chewing the tablets results in quicker absorption of minerals. Since the children's supplements are also suitable for adult consumption and they taste so much better than mine, I sometimes take them too.!

I am not particularly strict with the children's supplement regimen. Even when I, or the children, forget about it, it does not cause me to fret over their physical well-being. My senior pastor, Pastor Joseph Prince, once preached that we are saved (from eternal separation from God, sicknesses and diseases, poverty and lack, and every other curse) through redemption (what Jesus has already accomplished for us at the cross), not creation (going back to what Adam and Eve ate in the Garden of Eden).

Many sincere Christians are still depending on eating a certain diet and/or clocking hours of exercise to be healthy. I am not implying that we should, therefore, be irresponsible with what we consume or how we mind our bodies, the temple of the Holy Spirit. If you enjoy eating only fruits and vegetables and eating them raw, then, by all means, eat! And if you enjoy exercising (some people like sweating it out) and spending hours in the gym, then exercise! However, do not do these things out of fear or in order to be healthy, especially if you are a Christian. As a Christian, I am whole and healthy today because I believe Jesus has taken upon Himself every curse of sicknesses at the cross. Isaiah 53:5 says,"...and by His stripes we are healed." Jesus' beatings (not mine) have given me both the forgiveness of sins and divine health and wholeness. Nothing that I do can add to or subtract from Jesus' finished work. What a complete and perfect sacrifice!

Vitamins, healthful food, exercise, etc. are excellent, but Jesus' redemptive work at the cross surpasses them all! Daniel and I often remind ourselves and the children, through the partaking of the Holy Communion, that we are blessed (spirit, soul and body) simply because Jesus has borne all our curses, and our trust is in the LORD!

God's Beloved

My Current Status

In a twinkling of an eye, 2007 is coming to an end. Looking back, I wonder whether I have achieved what I had set out to do at the beginning of the year. Some of you may know that, besides tutoring, I am also involved in direct selling. I have initially hoped to be more involved in the latter, but due to the demands of homemaking, I have put it on hold.

On the home front, I have to admit that with two little children to look after and without a maid, it has been a daily challenge to put things in order. However, I thank my heavenly Father that because of the abundance of grace that has been made available to me, I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!

I had the privilege of homeschooling Caleb, my five-year old firstborn, in June and July after I had withdrawn him from Arise Kindergarten. From this homeschooling experience, I have learnt that Caleb can learn exceedingly fast when taught one-to-one. Within a daily session of about one and a half to two hours, I was able to teach him English, Chinese, Mathematics and Science! And because he had so much time at home, he would take the initiative to find things to do himself, like doing his mental arithmetic sums, practising the piano and reading. Academically and cognitively, homeschooling is superb for him. However, being a lively and sociable boy, Caleb missed playing with his friends. The situation was aggravated when mommy always prefers to stay at home! Hence, there were little opportunities for him to play with other children his age and, more importantly, to expend his boundless energy. Despite this, Caleb still prefers homeschooling to learning in school as he likes mommy to be his teacher! I have placed Caleb in Gracefields Kindergarten in August and he has been looking forward to going to school since. After all, we are social beings and we need one another. I feel this is the best arrangement for Caleb. Of course, I still continue to teach him after he returns from school.

Naomi, my precious two-year old, is doing very well physically, socially and cognitively. She started walking when she was almost eleven months. So, you can imagine what this agile little lassie is capable of doing now! Armed with the ability to speak in complete sentences most of the time, Naomi is communicating very well with every one in the household. She even squabbles with and reprimands his older brother sometimes! I am glad that because Caleb cultivated the good habit of reading when he was younger, Naomi, wanting to imitate her older brother, would naturally pick a book rather than a toy whenever she goes into the playroom. She enjoys being read to. Sometimes, when I am really busy with the chores or cooking, I would task Caleb to read to his younger sister instead. I have always felt that reading is a very important skill to learning and we, parents, can give our children the gift of reading. It is my earnest prayer to Abba Father that Naomi will be able to recognise and read all the English words, couplets, phrases and sentences of the GD Baby Enhanced Reading Kits (Volumes One and Two) before her third birthday in September 2008. : )

Both Caleb (K2) and Naomi (Pre-Nursery) will be studying at Gracefields Kindergarten next year. As Naomi will only be two years and four months old in January, both Daniel and I have decided that I should drive the children to and from school daily, while he takes the mrt to school. Caleb was over the moon when he heard the news! I thank my loving Abba Father and supportive husband that I have the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom to witness first-hand the joyful and sad moments, growth and development of my beloved children. These moments are too precious to be missed.!

I encourage all stay-at-home moms out there to persevere and constantly entrust your little ones (or big ones) to our faithful and loving Father in prayer, knowing that your labour of love to your children is not in vain. Abba Father will definitely see you through! A salute to you all for heeding this noble call to motherhood (homemaking), a path less travelled!

God's Beloved