tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332541462024-03-08T11:42:31.162+08:00A Journey of FaithA journal about the life and times of a couple (Alex & Joanne) and how their lives revolve around God and Cancer. Joanne (Jo) was initially diagnosed with Stage 2 NPC (aka Nose Cancer) in Feb 2001. Subsequently it spread to her liver (Stage 4) in Feb 2004 and to her spine and lungs(2007).
Jo passed away on 25 June 2007.
My journey continues...
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.comBlogger186125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-71999146715229052982008-06-28T10:00:00.009+08:002008-06-29T22:58:57.901+08:00The First Anniversary is the ToughestTan Soo-Inn is one of the 'angels' that God had brought alongside me this February. Soo-Inn understands grief and loss as he himself had experience the loss of his first wife many years back. Apart from being a warm, sincere and 'real' pastor, Soo-Inn shares 'real' Biblical practical insights. He minces not his words. He tells it like it is and I like that.<br /><br />Thank you for sharing your life.<br />Thank you for your valuable friendship.<br /><br />Importantly too, he's an Arsenal fan! :)<br />__________________________________________________________<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">GRACE@WORK MAIL 26/08<br />[June 27th, 2008 Edition] </span><br /><p><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"></span></p><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The First Anniversary is the Toughest</span></strong><br /><br />I was senior pastor of a growing church. I had just lost my wife to cancer. He was one of my church elders. And he told me "you need to get back on the horse as soon as possible." I believe he had my interests at heart. He was definitely concerned for the welfare of the church. But it was the last thing I needed to hear. His intentions may have been good. But what I heard was "don't grief. Return to normalcy as soon as possible." As H. Norman Wright says: "... people lack an understanding of the process of grief unless they have been through it."[Recovering from the Losses of Life (New York, NY: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1991), p.59.]<br /><br />Bernice and I have walked the journey of major loss. We both lost our first spouses to cancer. Which is why we made sure we were with a friend when he commemorated the first anniversary of his wife's death. We were late for the commemorative dinner. We knew we would be. We were relocating to a new home that very day. All our earthly belongings were in boxes. We were desperately trying to bring order out of chaos. But we knew we had to be with him. The first anniversary can be a killer. Again Wright is helpful. Here he describes the usual journey of grief:<br /><br />[The pain and grief actually intensify at three months and then gradually subside, but not in a steady fashion. They go up and down. Most people don't need a reminder of the first-year anniversary of the loss of a loved one. The intensity of grief comes rushing in with pain that rivals the initial feeling of loss. If anyone attempts to tell you that you should be "over it by now" or "feeling better" at any of these times, you may become quite upset with them. (Recovering from the Losses of Life , 59)]<br /><br />We understand that everyone's journey is unique. Not everyone follows the "usual" pattern. But clearly my friend was going through a hard time. From his blog:<br /><br />[It's been a really tough week for me. Emotionally the roller coaster ride has begun again. Dates and memories are intriguing. The brain is fascinating. How the linkage is made between a date and the trigger of memories is mind boggling. That's exactly what I've been going through...It's come to a point where I wished I didn't have to feel anymore. Wished that I could press the 'fast forward' button or the 'erase' button perhaps.]<br /><br />What do we do with someone going through such anguish? I get asked this very often. What do we do? What do we say? My usual answer is that there is nothing we can do or say. What we need to do is to give people permission to grief. Some things are beyond words. Sometimes all that we can do is to mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15b). Grief is a valley that has to be traversed. There are no short cuts. You cannot wish it away. But you can walk through it to the other side.<br /><br />Mourning with those who mourn is hard work. Mourning is not a feel good experience. Mourning reminds us of our own losses. And our mortality. And our helplessness. Which is why the uninitiated want the grieving person to get over it as soon as possible. It is as much an expression of their own sense of discomfort as it is an expression of concern for the person who is grieving. It also explains why some stay away completely.<br /><br />"Mourning with those who mourn" ought to be a compulsory subject in Life 101. There are few things in life more basic. In the end we all go through major losses. Perhaps the world shies away from the subject because it has no answer to the question of death. It has no hope. But as Paul reminds us, as followers of Jesus Christ, we do grieve, but we do not grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).<br /><br />Jesus Himself shows us how to mourn with those who mourn.<br /><br />[When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept. (John 11: 33-35 TNIV)]<br /><br />Jesus mourned with those who mourned. But Jesus goes on to do something we can't do. He goes on to die on the Cross so that death would no longer be the last word. He then makes us this offer: "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die; ... (John 11:25 TNIV)." We know it is not an empty offer because Jesus rose again from the dead. We commemorate this every Easter. We commemorate this every Sunday.<br /><br />In many ways, it was appropriate that my friend commemorated the first anniversary of his wife's death with a dinner. It brought back memories of the meals they used to share. (The menu consisted of some of her favourite dishes.) It reminded me also of the meal that Jesus shared with his disciples after He rose from the dead (John 21:1-14). And the dinner looked forward to that eschatological banquet in the new heavens and the new earth, where we will once again be reunited with Jesus, and with all who belong to Him.<br /><br />And so I mourn with my friend, but I mourn with hope. I know, and he knows, that his wife is with Jesus. I also know that things should get better now that he has survived one year and reached the first anniversary. Somehow, after going through one cycle of Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, we come to a point where Spring can be experienced again with new hope. So hang on my friend. No, the road will not be easy, but it should begin to get better from here on in.<br /><br />By Tan Soo Inn<br />www.graceatwork.org<br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-69940658756676682392008-06-25T11:45:00.002+08:002008-12-10T02:35:28.693+08:00A Year Gone By...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuh0RZISUf_Iav3cpTCgeDcuKiCciGkXKhdn7AW-fg8shcQLzzBuUeIWbKL_4H_twzp5X_pAqiMWfaAZuUbnuPBjmVaHrl_Utm4N6CKqGrDWI0ige5XefmCX36ZMJtC2p6qZn/s1600-h/clip_image001.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215973724880012418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyuh0RZISUf_Iav3cpTCgeDcuKiCciGkXKhdn7AW-fg8shcQLzzBuUeIWbKL_4H_twzp5X_pAqiMWfaAZuUbnuPBjmVaHrl_Utm4N6CKqGrDWI0ige5XefmCX36ZMJtC2p6qZn/s400/clip_image001.gif" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-43041596304516478992008-06-22T23:56:00.004+08:002008-06-23T00:21:14.946+08:00Feelingless...Thank you my friends and silent supporters for your sojurn and support for me in so many ways.<br /><br />I'm sorry that the blog is so much about my lament these days, it's a wonder it still gets any hits.<br /><br />Its been a really tough week for me. Emotionally the roller coaster ride has begun again. Dates and memories are intriguing. The brain is fascinating. How the linkage is made between a date and the trigger of memories is mind boggling. That's exactly what I've been going through.<br /><br />Today was tough in service.<br />Listened to a testimony of a sister who's husband passed away of cancer recently. Was truly poignant. And my life flashed before me once again. At the end of the service, Pastor Wendy asked to pray for me and a few other brothers joined in too. Thanks CS and David.<br /><br />Preparing for the 'Memorial Dinner' was also difficult.<br />Having to face the photos and managing the stuff for it.<br /><br />But I know it's something I had to do (the dinner), if not for me - only because Jo had wanted to do this a few years back. We never go to do this somehow because she was concerned about the finances even though it was fine.<br /><br />It's come to a point where I wished I didn't have to feel anymore.<br />Wished that I could press the 'fast forward' button or the 'erase' button perhaps.<br /><br />And so I continue to journey this path...<br />The path less travelled, yet knowing that I never travel alone.<br /><br />Again, thank you for listening and reading my ramblings wherever you may be.<br /><br />Do know this.<br /><br />There is always Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ and we certainly can do all things through Him who gives us strength (Phil 4:13)...even in such a circumstance as this.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-91958369240222941952008-06-21T03:15:00.001+08:002008-06-21T03:17:38.303+08:00Tears In Heaven (Our Daily Bread)<div align="center">July 31, 2006<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Tears In Heaven</span></strong><br />READ: Revelation 21:1-8<br /><br />God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. —Revelation 21:4</div><br />In 1991, famed British guitarist Eric Clapton was stricken with grief when his 4-year-old son Conor died as a result of a fall from an apartment window. Looking for an outlet for his grief, Clapton penned perhaps his most poignant ballad: “Tears In Heaven.” It seems that every note weighs heavy with the sense of pain and loss that can be understood only by a parent who has lost a child.<br /><br />Surprisingly, however, Clapton said in a television interview years later, “In a sense, it wasn’t even a sad song. It was a song of belief. When it [says that] there will be no more tears in heaven, I think it’s a song of optimism—of reunion.”<br /><br />The thought of a heavenly reunion is powerful indeed. For everyone who has trusted Jesus Christ for salvation, there is the hope that we will be reunited forever in a place where “God will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying” (Revelation 21:4). And, most of all, it is a place where we will “see His face” and forever be with Christ Himself (22:4).<br /><br />In our times of loss and grief, of tears and sorrow, isn’t it comforting to know that Christ has purchased for us a heavenly home where there will be no more tears! — Bill Crowder<br /><br />What wonders await us in yonder fair land?<br />The face of our Savior, the touch of His hand,<br />No tears and no crying, no sighs or despair,<br />For Jesus is waiting to welcome us there. —Kerr<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#cc33cc;">When God wipes our tears, sorrow will give way to eternal song.</span></em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-2762250457930821902008-06-17T00:07:00.004+08:002008-06-17T00:50:50.913+08:00About Molly<div align="justify">I stumbled upon <a href="http://www.wearewonderwomen.com/blog/">Molly's blog </a>this evening as I was doing a search to see which sites have listed ours on theirs. Interestingly and poignantly I began reading what seemed like a mirror image of our blog. I couldn't help my tears once again...<br /><br />Molly was a young 33 year old...(God Bless her) who passed away on May 29th.<br />She had been suffering from ovarian cancer for nearly 2.5 years and the cancer subsequently spread to her liver. She had near similar symptoms like Jo's because of the spread to the liver - bloatedness, water retention and all. Even the chemo drugs were the same... ah, you can just smell it. She and her husband (Josef) got married in 2007 in the midst of her chemo treatments. What divine love that comes only from the Father.<br /><br />The greatest news of all, is that she's a Christian and she had fought the good fight. I and many others will never understand God's will/plan/reason in this lifetime except that by Faith and experience - He has an amazing plan ahead to come.<br /><br />Women seem to have an incredible threshold for pain and suffering.<br />Reading Molly's blog along with the memories of Jo, I guess it's really the strength of God within them.<br /><br />"Molly, Jo loves food too and I'm sure you both along with many others before you will have that great "feast" in Heaven."<br /><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Josef, you are an inspiration, encouragement and a pillar of strength. </div><div align="justify"><br />May the Lord continue to watch over, protect, calm you and give you Peace that surpasses all understanding.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-64444481554199285842008-06-09T23:51:00.003+08:002008-06-10T00:03:56.847+08:00I Fix My Eyes On YouAnother one of my favs.<br />A song that lifts me up each time the grey clouds come.<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc66cc;"><span style="color:#993399;"><em>I fix my eyes on You<br />The author of my faith<br />Casting aside<br />Every sin and every weight<br />I fix my eyes on You<br />I lay my burdens down<br />Letting the cares<br />Of this world now fade away<br /><br />One thing I ask<br />This one thing I seek<br />That I may dwell in Your house<br />O Lord my King<br />All the days of my life<br />I want to gaze upon Your beauty<br />And seek You in this holy place<br /><br />All the days of my life<br />I want to gaze upon Your beauty<br />And seek You in this holy place</em> </span><br /></span><br />Tommy Walker and Bob Wilson<br />© 2000 Integrity's Praise! Music<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-87487806998843569162008-06-06T23:21:00.010+08:002008-12-10T02:35:28.943+08:00Silence<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo61CMAR0hSpbOPfO5Xd21JWzLK0xcU1aQd6tb5sABBC7TmPJWzw1iekLnRxRKYQO6Rec7JF3M-tVYiYzpXeQMFQEYFenCesXcy4HC2NwBjnz-d30KQhh1P5R093cdwBTm52e5/s1600-h/j0438671.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208800877400607666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo61CMAR0hSpbOPfO5Xd21JWzLK0xcU1aQd6tb5sABBC7TmPJWzw1iekLnRxRKYQO6Rec7JF3M-tVYiYzpXeQMFQEYFenCesXcy4HC2NwBjnz-d30KQhh1P5R093cdwBTm52e5/s400/j0438671.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The silence at night is deafening.<br />Seems sometimes that the walls do talk back.<br /><br />Her clothes just lie there.<br />Once filled with life.<br />Now neatly folded it lies.<br />Still. Lifeless.<br /><br />Still, I keep to my side of the bed,<br />reaching out to you in the midst of nite.<br />But you're not there. </div><div></div><br /><div>Its confusing. </div><div>But you were just there! </div><div> </div><div></div><div><br />The fridge and kitchen.</div><div>Empty it remains too.</div><div>What use is it for me?</div><div>It was your sanctuary for food.</div><div>Your Lemon Drizzle and Tiramisu, do I miss...</div><div></div><div>But it is you, that I miss.</div><div>Humanly indescribable, such pain.</div><div>Oh, if only I could be void of emotion...</div><div><br /><em><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Grief is not a problem to be cured, its a statement. A statement that you love somebody." Barbara Baumgardner in "A Passage Through Grief"</span></em></div><div><em><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></em></div><br /><div><em><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy" </span></em></div><div><em><span style="color:#ff0000;">Psalms 126:5</span></em></div><div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-29517012794083496312008-05-19T23:17:00.006+08:002008-06-07T00:25:21.801+08:00That Time Of Year Again<div align="left">I can't seem to understand how time moves really, you don't see it but you feel it. You can't put a hold on it and you can't stop it yet everyone at one point or another has gone thru the passage of wanting to 'turn' back the clock.<br /><br />It's almost a year now.<br />It's still surreal.<br />But my life has moved on, I guess.<br />For the most part, I've been running, cycling and playing football.<br /><br />The toughest part is that the months of April to June last year were<br />the most trying times of my life. If you refer back to my postings during this<br />period last year, it was just the "valley of the shadow of death" - nothing describes it better than Psalms 23.<br /><br />Every particular day and week in May has memories of Jo. </div><div align="left">The mind has an uncanny way of storing mental data and replaying it at the most appropriate, or rather strange occasions.<br /><br />In the course of this half year, God has often sent 'angels' to walk beside me when I've least expected it. <br /><br />It is out of the crucible of suffering whereby great lessons have been taught, and the lesson for me is that the Grace of God is sufficient for me. God's Grace is the one single factor that keeps me going. That keeps me realising He works in our daily affairs. That He is a Real God.<br /><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-34852434321979307612008-04-08T15:09:00.000+08:002008-12-10T02:35:29.131+08:00I'll Move On<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihldgpV1P6SCNJIUsq8BbT3EuemjHc8Mc7zVyPK6lJpSsv7Phb53oh2DvjUiTwdrzwlkS0ayPfJ9dqJsDkpGbbM_Tvj-AukWuESyCHuyz0FPM3W9QQNmLoEIqOrOoSFTQmN0Co/s1600-h/a_girl_meets_bossa.MainPar.0002.Image%5B1%5D.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187140957056573922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihldgpV1P6SCNJIUsq8BbT3EuemjHc8Mc7zVyPK6lJpSsv7Phb53oh2DvjUiTwdrzwlkS0ayPfJ9dqJsDkpGbbM_Tvj-AukWuESyCHuyz0FPM3W9QQNmLoEIqOrOoSFTQmN0Co/s400/a_girl_meets_bossa.MainPar.0002.Image%5B1%5D.gif" border="0" /></a><br />Was at a friend's place recently for dinner and was introduced to this album sung by local <em>sweet</em> (just see the cover :) crooner - <a href="http://www.miw.com.sg/publish/sg/en/entertainment/music/a_girl_meets_bossa.html">Olivia Ong</a>.<br /><br />A wonderful album. Instantly loved it. I've always loved Jazz. Olivia brings a new style and flavour to her renditions. Along with her, my other all time favs are Steve Tyrell, Harry Connick Jr., Diana Krall and Lisa Ono.<br /><br />"I'll Move On" in particular was so relevant. The lyrics spoke straight to my heart and I've decided to shared it with all of you. Try to get the album if you can.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;"><strong>I'll Move On</strong><br /><br />This road that I'm taking twists and turns<br />My life my chance turning dreams into reality.<br />Down this path faced with so many things<br />Sometimes I feel like giving up and turn away<br /><br />Can't seem to go on<br />And I've been thru' this before<br />Now where am I?<br />Where do I stand?<br />A little lost here.<br />But I'll remember.<br />All those times you've bought me thru'.<br />I'd be a fool to give up cos' the goal is near<br /><br />I'll move on I'll go on.<br />Lord I will take your hand.<br />And you will guide me along.<br />Survive thru' this storm.<br />So I say, come what may.<br />I'll hold on to my hope.<br />Yes, I will walk down this road.<br />And my passion drive will lead me on<br /><br />Here I am Once again caught in the rain.<br />Looking back I've come so far And I want to carry on<br />Take a step at time<br />It's alright.<br />Even thru' this rain, I want to smile again<br /><br />Don't hold back now.<br />And i've been thru' this before.<br />Now where am I?<br />Where do I stand?<br />A little lost here.<br />But I'll remember.<br />All those times you've bought me thru'.<br />I can feel the sun shining down on me<br /><br />Here I am, Here I am.<br />Lord I will take your hand.<br />And you will guide me along.<br />Survive thru' this storm.<br />So I say, come what may.<br />I'll hold on to my hope.<br />Yes, I will walk down this road.<br />And my passion drive will lead me on.<br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-8143670640956281572008-03-20T11:49:00.005+08:002008-03-21T02:09:44.802+08:00"You Are Faithful"A long long time ago today,<br />A man was betrayed and rejected by the ones He loved.<br />That man was beaten, flogged, mocked and spat upon.<br /><br />He was given a crown of thorns.<br />He was nailed to the Cross.<br />He suffered and died for You and Me.<br />That man is Jesus - our Saviour.<br /><br />Let's remember this most important event in history.<br />Following is a wonderful song sung in service this evening that so aptly speaks of God's faithfulness...<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">You Are Faithful (Nan & Dennis Allen)</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">"The harder I fall, the greater Your mercy.<br />The farther I run, the longer Your reach.<br />The darker my way, the brighter Your face shines on me.<br /><br />The deeper my pain, the greater Your healing.<br />The stronger my will, the sweeter Your love.<br />The smaller my prayer, the harder You listen to me.<br /><br />The longer I stay, the better I know You.<br />The more that I know, the clearer I see.<br />Lord You are all, You're all that I ever need.<br /><br />For your arm is long, Your love is deep.<br />Your watchful eye never sleeps.<br />When all others reject me, You never leave me alone.<br /><br />A Father can never deny His own. You are faithful.<br />You are faithful.<br />For You are faithful. </span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-39482787311450170272008-02-29T23:22:00.002+08:002008-12-10T02:35:29.332+08:00Ashley - The Little Girl Who Loved<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAGdHJf0FWKqyHYcD1eP5nt_91Z_DfWNpMn2EoZJEKAX22VWQZvw8XaLOdu_JOYIPq_k9yL_J17krhI3oWOB2XmTdTL28lw7tgNOQwiUfssSyxO81fXTAHB9B5qX49k1ToIzk/s1600-h/ashley.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174287225718201890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAGdHJf0FWKqyHYcD1eP5nt_91Z_DfWNpMn2EoZJEKAX22VWQZvw8XaLOdu_JOYIPq_k9yL_J17krhI3oWOB2XmTdTL28lw7tgNOQwiUfssSyxO81fXTAHB9B5qX49k1ToIzk/s400/ashley.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And so the story continues... Willin had wrapped the book in a nice Christmas themed wrapper.<br /><br />Little did I know that what lay beneath its pages would be so heart warming and sad yet so reminiscent of Jo.<br /><br />You see the book was written by Ms Heng San San, mother of Ashley who had since passed away. Ashley was a bubbly girl, so full of life and energy. She enjoyed the stuff that little kids liked - swimming, running, dancing, skipping... But most of all, she enjoyed FOOD. She liked trying new foods and baking some of them, with mum's help of course.<br /><br />You can read the article in the link above or here in <a href="http://justwoman.asiaone.com/Just+Woman/Motherhood/Stories/Story/A1Story20080111-44613.html">Asiaone</a><br /><br />Went I reached home and read thru the book,<br />I was tearing uncontrollably.<br /><br />My heart was broken because of the loss I had read...and obviously because it was a near mirror reflection of Jo. One was 7, the other 37. Both suffered a great deal and yet rose thru the ordeal because of their deep rooted faith in our Heavenly Father.<br /><br />She too loved to eat and bake. I still remember the Yellow Kitchen-Aid mixer I'd gotten for her in the early days. She was awestruck and so happy. Her favourite recipes were cookies, Tiramisu, cheese cake, lemon and orange drizzle pound cakes.<br /><br />Joanne would in her better days (between chemo treatments) call her girlfriends over to bake or cook in our home. They would try their fav recipes from the ABC's Delicious or BBC's Good Food magazines.<br /><br />Jo loved food and she loved to try new restaurants.<br /><br />I leave you with the backcover write up of the book..<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="color:#cc0000;">“There was once a little girl who loved everything about food.” And thus begins the charming story of Ashley, whose great love for all things associated with<br />food - simple or fancy - offers an amusing peek into her world of innocent<br />single-mindedness.<br /><br />When her ability to enjoy what used to be an integral source of nourishment, comfort and indulgence was gradually diminished, Ashley showed that her irrepressible spirit in the face of a debilitating illness was rooted in an understanding of an even greater love: God’s love for her. Her unequivocal belief in a loving God makes for a tender story that is tinged with longing as well as unparalleled hope.<br /><br />This poignant story of a little girl who loved food and foremost, God, will appeal to readers of all ages as it celebrates what it means to rise above our situations with courage and extraordinary grace.<br /></span></blockquote><br /><br />To buy the book Ashley, priced at $25,email inquiries to: <a href="mailto:bookashley@gmail.com">bookashley@gmail.com</a><br /><br />Proceeds go to the Philippines to fund education programmes for children in poverty.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-20624400055246602682008-01-08T17:00:00.000+08:002008-12-10T02:35:29.640+08:00Dining with Willin @ Relish<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijowdh2SO7w0G6uGL7cCLvSj-XAhejR56b15zy5SRe1HiUKoqPKVK4F8lfOq7tYi3Js_43zfCamxs_UmmF_Ja4gfyHlM_UZ-wLZhxGpnQfioBxasexRB6IKN2VxJrjqJXTmha_/s1600-h/Willin+%40+Relish.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160542323257320450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijowdh2SO7w0G6uGL7cCLvSj-XAhejR56b15zy5SRe1HiUKoqPKVK4F8lfOq7tYi3Js_43zfCamxs_UmmF_Ja4gfyHlM_UZ-wLZhxGpnQfioBxasexRB6IKN2VxJrjqJXTmha_/s320/Willin+%40+Relish.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1juzIbGjRFuA9iWZ4CyP8U44zpoD5QJY4EIEnoXzyXDHD0CXQKElLLIt5jUXGE8N5V9JqASsDkY2naj8X5qjkoN19UMDw1kflfrgxBT9Q6ZZM2YJq6yzg5TuOVA3YRZ5J-CZM/s1600-h/Burger+%40+Relish.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160542327552287762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1juzIbGjRFuA9iWZ4CyP8U44zpoD5QJY4EIEnoXzyXDHD0CXQKElLLIt5jUXGE8N5V9JqASsDkY2naj8X5qjkoN19UMDw1kflfrgxBT9Q6ZZM2YJq6yzg5TuOVA3YRZ5J-CZM/s320/Burger+%40+Relish.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Willin (Chef and owner of Wild Rocket) got in touch with me in December.<br />He mentioned that he had set up a new dining joint at Cluny Court called "<a href="http://www.wildrocket.com.sg/relish.htm">Relish</a>" and wanted to lunch with me there.<br /><br />I was initially surprised and unsure to meet up or not... the last time we met was at Wild Rocket in much happier times (with Jo of course).<br /><br />I thot about it and since it was at Cluny, it was ok.<br /><br />Location was interesting since it was once again off the beaten track. (If you know where the French Embassy and Serene Centre is, you're on the right track) The restaurant was decked simply in white. Clean facades. Nothing elaborate. Friendly staff.<br /><br />A gourmet burger joint! Thats what it was - my fav.<br /><br />The burger shot doesn't do real justice, please follow the link for a real good shot. I had the Grilled Beef Burger with Black Pepper Sauce ($18) and it came topped with a sunny side up. The burger was done very nicely at medium rare with juices oozing and pepper well laden within. It can get a little spicy for you non-spicy eaters. Interesting combo were the Belgian beers that were paired with each item on the menu, they complemented the meals really well. Come to think of it, I can't even recall what Willin had?<br /><br />Apart from catching up, Will actually had a belated Christmas gift prepared. The gift was simple...yet sad, heartwarming and all so God-inspiring.<br /><br />It was a book..<br /><br />about Ashley.<br /><br />Read on...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-87874606968566033372008-01-01T12:58:00.000+08:002008-12-10T02:35:31.644+08:00My Journey Through Grief<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01pD_1MsfwU0DgA6ieY5S_GyGnRvByamV583_qU4Ynuuk5rO5FVzpuCP58ewjCN9nJGKpjTItUMnTib10EW4JPoJJKDENXRJubXPvcbS_gbCJwavtzoF2n6biMpW7Uv7NANnF/s1600-h/j0406679.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150373296472846546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01pD_1MsfwU0DgA6ieY5S_GyGnRvByamV583_qU4Ynuuk5rO5FVzpuCP58ewjCN9nJGKpjTItUMnTib10EW4JPoJJKDENXRJubXPvcbS_gbCJwavtzoF2n6biMpW7Uv7NANnF/s400/j0406679.jpg" border="0" /></a>6 months gone by...<br />6 agonising months.<br />A year I'd like to forget.<br /><br />Nevertheless thank you for your calls, prayers and words of encouragements.<br /><br />That's just the reality of death and the aftermath of it - grieving. Death and grieving is a part of life, another phase in our very temporal existence on earth.<br />Joy and celebrations will return, but not right now for me.<br /><br />I can't change the facts.<br /><br />Some people handle grief by talking while others want to be alone and quiet.<br />Some grow cold and callous.<br />Some weep and stare into blue yonder.<br />Some establish memorials while others stash away anything and everything that reminds them of their loved one.<br />Some become very active, some become totally sedated.<br /><br />Me?<br />I've been praying and talking with God.<br />I've been reading my way through grief.<br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;color:#cc66cc;">- When Life is Changed Forever (Rick Taylor)<br />- Travelling Through Grief (Susan & Robert De Vries)<br />- When Grief Breaks Your Heart (James Moore)<br />- Lives on the Mend (Florence Littauer)</span></em><br />I've been spending time in solitude often.<br /><br />The lessons:<br /><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">1. Life Has Changed Forever.</span><br />When you've spend a good part of your life with someone who's meant everything to you.<br />It can never be the same when that person dies.<br />In that same respect, a part of me died when Joanne died.<br /><br />Part of me and that which was 'mine' was gone...never to return in this lifetime.<br />I would never be the person I was before. How could I?<br />What was considered as "normal" no longer exists.<br />What will eventually occur is when a "new normal" is discovered.<br /><br />Accepting and going along with the changes would not make the pain of loss go away.<br />Until I begin to understand the nature of these changes in my life, I cannot make the most of the life I have yet to live.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">2. Mood Swings.</span><br />Sharp swings.<br />Anger, fear, anxiety, loneliness, guilt, regret, sadness, etc.<br />Swing often.<br />Some days I so desperately need the comfort of friends and on others,<br />I totally detest their presence. Sometimes I feel I'm just losing it.<br />I don't understand it.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">3. Embrace Sorrow.</span><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">"You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?" Psalms 56:8</span></em><br /><br />When words fail, tears flow.<br />Tears have a language of their own, a tongue that needs no interpreter.<br />I let them flow when they are there.<br />I don't avoid thinking about Jo. I can't, she's always there.<br />I flipped through the albums. I played back the videos we took.<br /><br />Take time to remember.<br /><br />I've learned too that one needs to be willing to talk about their sense of loss and pain.<br />Verbalising it helps instead of keeping it in.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">4. Hypersensitivity.</span><br />Any action, scent, sight, place or activity may trigger a memory and a flood of emotions.<br />This is a daily occurence I've to deal with.<br />It starts or ends with coming back to an empty home.<br />It continues with going to bed in an empty one.<br />I drive off to work and the music plays a familiar tune of ours...that hurts too.<br />We talk about food and ...<br />It continues into Church on Sundays or at small group when we sing her fav "songs".<br />There seems to be no escape.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">5. Time Doesn't Heal, God Does.<br /></span>It's still early days but I know I am gradually moving through the valley of the shadow...<br />I am beginning to see "some" light at the end of the tunnel.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">6. Don't Cheer Me Up Artificially</span><br />Understandably, many people don't know what to say in times such as this.<br />There are no right words.<br /><em>"She's in a better place now"</em><br /><em>"Remember all things work together for good"<br />"She no longer has to suffer"</em><br />These are all well meaning words, but it doesn't change the fact that she is there and I am here! My life has been devastated and I'll need to pick the pieces up and move on.<br /><br />It's usually better to say something like:<br />"I don't understand, but I love you"<br />"I'm here for you" or better still just give a big hug.<br />Be cautious not to tell your friends why they are facing the things they are facing.<br />If the Lord has a revelation for them, he can offer it Himself.<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#ff6600;">"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep" Romans 12:15</span></em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-61772921464761792112007-12-12T02:25:00.000+08:002007-12-12T02:26:47.951+08:00"All is Well" by Cannon H. Scott HollandDeath is just an open door,<br />I have only slipped away<br />into the next room<br /><br />I am I, and you are you.<br />Whatever we were to each other,<br />that we still are.<br /><br />Call me by my old familiar name,<br />speak to me in the easy way<br />which you always used.<br /><br />Put no difference in your tone,<br />wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.<br /><br />Laugh as we always laughed<br />at the little jokes we enjoyed together.<br /><br />Let my name be ever the household word<br />that it always was,<br />let it be spoken without effect,<br />without the trace of a shadow on it.<br /><br />Life means all that it ever meant.<br />It is the same as it ever was;<br />there is unbroken continuity.<br />Why should I be out of mind<br />because I am out of sight?<br /><br />I am waiting for you, for an interval,<br />somewhere very near,<br />Safe and Secure,<br /><br />All is well.<br /><br />(Thanks Maria for sharing this with me...)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-90785270524435872222007-11-30T00:20:00.000+08:002007-11-30T00:22:56.210+08:00Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) - Chris Tomlin<a href="http://%3cdiv/"><object height="335" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/4L2nUdurpg7n191Uy"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/4L2nUdurpg7n191Uy" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="335" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b></a></b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1a4q6_amazing-grace-chris-tomlin_music">"Amazing Grace," Chris Tomlin</a><br /><br />Amazing grace <br />How sweet the sound <br />That saved a wretch like me <br />I once was lost, but now I'm found <br />Was blind, but now I see <br />'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear <br />And grace my fears relieved <br />How precious did that grace appear <br />The hour I first believed <br />My chains are gone <br />I've been set free <br />My God, my Savior has ransomed me <br />And like a flood His mercy reigns <br />Unending love, Amazing grace <br />[ Lyrics provided by www.mp3lyrics.org ] <br /><br />The Lord has promised good to me <br />His word my hope secures <br />He will my shield and portion be <br />As long as life endures <br /><br />The earth shall soon dissolve like snow <br />The sun forbear to shine <br />But God, Who called me here below <br />Will be forever mine <br />Will be forever mine<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-38137622101714090492007-09-27T23:35:00.000+08:002007-09-27T23:37:27.842+08:00The Arms That Won't Let Go (Al Denson)Don't know why it happened<br />It's hard to understand<br />You give someone your heart<br />And then they're gone<br />Searching for a reason<br />We must walk through this season<br />Well don't give up just yet<br />A light is shining up ahead<br /><br />Chorus 1:<br />If you need a pillow for your sorrow<br />If you need a blanket for your soul<br />If you need a place your broken heart can be made whole<br />He'll be your strength to face tomorrow<br />And when the night seems dark and cold<br />Fall into the arms that won't let go<br />Fall in to the arms that won't let go<br /><br />Don't have all the answers<br />Facing tragedy<br />It seems as though the tears will never end<br />But through the dark you'll see Him<br />The one you can believe in<br />He's offering you rest<br />And a place to lay your head<br /><br />Chorus 2:<br />I'll be the pillow for your sorrow<br />I'll be the blanket for your soul<br />I'll be the place your broken heart can be made whole<br />I'll be your strength to face tomorrow<br />And when the night seems dark and cold<br />Fall into the arms that won't let go<br />Fall into the arms that won't let go<br />You can rest here in my arms, I won't let go<br /><br />(C)2001 Al Denson Music.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-40274588745216399162007-09-22T19:34:00.000+08:002008-12-10T02:35:31.830+08:00Happy Birthday Jo...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0I_r_Y9nBN5sWVP5-SSKS6tyemHwVxOLIBgMqaIhzteUiN-hb5J-yySkmzdkgz2Z9aSvpPvQ55PQ34NUsCR5FolwqTYHrfRqtfP56sUgmnJmJ3Xq_pS0BqdEv741HPshGiIan/s1600-h/P1010093.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5113379298476478610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0I_r_Y9nBN5sWVP5-SSKS6tyemHwVxOLIBgMqaIhzteUiN-hb5J-yySkmzdkgz2Z9aSvpPvQ55PQ34NUsCR5FolwqTYHrfRqtfP56sUgmnJmJ3Xq_pS0BqdEv741HPshGiIan/s400/P1010093.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;"><strong>"My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long,"Where is your God?" Psalms 42:3</strong><br /></span><br /><strong><span style="color:#6633ff;">"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" Deuteronomy 33:27</span></strong><br /><br />Its been difficult, very difficult.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Today she would have been 37.</span></strong><br /><br />I would have to once again surprise her with a special place to dine at. Usually it would have been at the Top of the M @ the Mandarin Hotel.<br /><br />Our last birthday celebration was at the Ritz. <br />She always loved the Ritz. It's meant alot to us. We got married there on 11th November 2000, yeah a real interesting number 11/11/00. We took a simple 2 day 1 nite package for a Standard room and got a nice upgrade to a Club Level suite last year. Really nice.<br /><br />She enjoys sitting at the Club Level munching on the different "presentations" that was served every 3-4 hours. Oh she could sit there the whole day.<br /><br />And we did just that.<br />Enjoying the simple pleasures in life...great company, good food and a nice book to read. There was peaceful silence between us. At that time her appetite was gradually decreasing, that's why the bite size presentations was ideal for her.<br /><br />Jo has always been to me - my epitome of "simplicity". <br />She loved food and that was very much it. She didn't need fancy shoes or clothes. She had a very big and generous heart too, giving of whatever she could to the Cancer Society and other charitable organisations.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(Ah its tough writing these, that's why I hate blogging now...the tears just don't stop..)</span></em><br /></div><div></div><div><br />One thing for sure, her celebrations are on an even grander scale...and its a daily affair! Amen.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />From behalf of us all my dearest, we love you and wish you a Happy Birthday...from our hearts.</div><div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-3768320986606365652007-08-02T17:34:00.000+08:002007-08-02T17:38:41.128+08:00Shattered (from Strength for the Journey)<div align="justify">"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18<br /><br />If you had a chance to meet her, you would agree that the name we have affectionately given her really fits. She has a fantastic command of the world around her and a charming personality that makes you want to give her what she wants. And, of course, since “Cate the Great” is one of our grandchildren, my wife Martie and I delight in doing just that. After all, it’s a grandparents’ prerogative!<br /><br />Recently Martie hosted four of our granddaughters for a special weekend tea party. Fancy invitations were sent, lacy décor was purchased, and I was banned from the proceedings. Cate the Great and her mother carefully chose an elegant wardrobe for the occasion, Cate’s favorite “princess” costume.<br /><br />Cate came all the way from her home in Michigan with great anticipation of a regal entrance as “princess of the day” into the cultured society of her fellow cousins. It was to be her finest moment. Until we discovered that the dress had been left behind at her parents. Disaster! Cate’s world, as she knew it, was shattered. All her hopes, dreams, and aspirations to grandeur were left behind with the princess dress. She didn’t feel like Cate the Great anymore.<br /><br />Martie could have launched into a timely exposition of how, in the bigger picture of real life, it was not all that big of a deal and that Cate should stop crying and realize that she would get over it and someday laugh at this little wrinkle in her world. Instead, Martie quickly proceeded to the nearest specialty store with crying Cate in tow to find another princess costume. Martie not only rescued the tea party, but helped rebuild Cate’s shattered little world.<br /><br />We shouldn’t be surprised when God does the same thing for us. He “is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). In His grace, He comes alongside whenever your world becomes shattered—whether it’s shattered by your own fears and anxieties, or by disappointing events beyond your control. He could, of course, lecture you about the bigger picture of eternity and tell you to buck up and move on, but God compassionately comes alongside, allows you free access to His throne room in prayer, and listens to every one of your anxious thoughts (Philippians 4:6-8). Being the perfect Father, He never spoils or pampers, but lovingly offers every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). He is there, right now, waiting to rebuild and restore your broken world.<br /><br /><strong>Your Journey . . .</strong><br /><br />Think of a time when you felt like your world was shattered. Did a friend or family member come alongside to help? Did you look to God for hope and help in the situation? Looking back on it, how is your perspective different now than it was then?<br /><br />Is your life is shattered now? David faced great seasons of devastating disappointments and consistently resolved them with hope in God’s merciful and gracious willingness to be there for Him in times of crisis. Thoughtfully read Psalms 13, 27, 28, and 42, and take them all personally!<br /><br />Do you know someone who is currently experiencing a shattered situation? What can you do to help restore their shattered world today?<br /><br />Put this verse in your head and heart for the next time your life is shattered. “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation” (Psalm 13:5).</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-56123973942430640342007-07-25T01:11:00.000+08:002007-07-25T01:28:17.227+08:00SurrealJust like that<br />A month gone by<br />I still smell you<br />I still feel you<br /><br />It's surreal <br />Surreal to think that<br />All this work and activity going on<br />Doesn't seem to make any bloody sense at all<br /><br />Nothing at all<br /><br />Living?<br />I merely exist<br />My battery keeps running<br />And I keep doing what I do<br />Why?<br /><br />Dreamlike<br /><br />Home?<br />No longer. <br />Just an apartment.<br /><br />Wake up to an empty house<br />Arrive home to an empty house<br /><br />Just don't make no sense no more<br />Just like a butterfly fleeting<br />30 days of agony<br />All seemingly fine<br /><br />Like a dead cactus<br />You can't tell if its dead<br />Till you drop it<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-77999970993997764092007-07-19T11:29:00.001+08:002008-12-10T02:35:32.088+08:0090 Minutes In Heaven<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFJQC8MyXjP9zoo0-zdNBHOc2WhErmmrT3F8PtxOgjL8v9iMLZmkfIZzQKfimRh383YbCbYbFlHsZF8QWoDYI0-ukUYrjYPFXp03D4znlFJuLt-I-HskpXysxMIPgGKNyFXQR/s1600-h/90_minutes_in_heaven[1].jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5088746400725399458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFJQC8MyXjP9zoo0-zdNBHOc2WhErmmrT3F8PtxOgjL8v9iMLZmkfIZzQKfimRh383YbCbYbFlHsZF8QWoDYI0-ukUYrjYPFXp03D4znlFJuLt-I-HskpXysxMIPgGKNyFXQR/s400/90_minutes_in_heaven%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><div><div>Pastor Wendy Watson gave me this book a few weeks back. </div><div></div><div>If there's any book you should read, it's this!<br /></div><div><br />It's been a great source of inspiration, assurance, comfort and encouragement to me.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>You know even as a Christian we sometimes wonder what Heaven is like. And for those in bereavement like me, we desperately long to seek some affirmation/confirmation of where our loved one has gone too...we need so much to hear the reality of Heaven. Since our feet is always firmly planted on earth, the image of and idea of Heaven may seem distant at times.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div>This book has changed all that. </div><div>It's made coping much better. </div><div>It's put a smile on my face.</div><div><br />It's shown me what a glimpse of heaven is like... amazing as Don described.<br /></div><div>Here's a brief excerpt about his experience and the book:<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">In 1989, Don was on his way back from a church conference when an 18-wheeler truck struck his Ford Escort head on. He was killed instantly - pronounced dead by four sets of EMTs (Paramedics)</span></div><span style="color:#ff6600;"><div><br />Shortly after the accident, a pastor from the same conference arrived on the scene and began praying for "the man in the red car." God worked a miracle and sent Don back to his now-broken body. To date, 34 surgical procedures have taken place. He walks only as a result of miraculous and in some cases medically unexplainable circumstances. During the time he was dead, Piper was granted the extreme privilege of glimpsing Heaven itself.<br /><br />Don's experience in Heaven gives him a unique insight into eternity and a strong desire to tell others about Christ. His difficult recovery allows him to identify with the heartbroken and crestfallen, ministering to them with the understanding of someone who's been there. His goal is to help bitter people become better, to turn disappointments into divine appointments. He calls it "finding a new normal" and he's made it his life's work. </span><br /><br />And I'd like to imagine as mentioned (in the book) that when I get to Heaven, there would be a welcoming committee awaiting, and as Pastor Wendy said - Jo would obviously be the 1st to run and welcome me...what a beautiful thought and scene...astounding.<br /><br /></div><div>I can't wait to get there...in His time.</div></div></div><br />Note: the book is difficult to find, you can check with <a href="http://www.sksbooks.com/">SKS Books</a> or contact me.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-21355754089420539542007-07-11T13:54:00.000+08:002007-07-11T14:02:24.106+08:00He Makes Me Lie Down (6 July 2007 - Strength for the Journey)<div align="justify"><em><span style="color:#ff6600;">Reading this a few nights ago was comforting. After the previous weeks' hectic activities organised by my ever loving and caring pals and family, I realised I needed time to just be alone with God and be by myself. To rediscover myself, and seek His direction for the future...</span></em></div><div align="justify"><br />“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3<br /><br />A pastor friend of mine was telling another pastor about the long-awaited vacation that he and his family were preparing for. The other pastor immediately replied, “Vacation? I never take a vacation. Satan doesn’t take a vacation and neither do I!”<br /><br />To which my friend wisely retorted, “Well, that’s all right. Satan has never been my example!”<br /><br />In the summer when school is out and the sun is shining, our thoughts turn toward vacation. And that’s a good thing! We were wired with an innate need to take a break from our usual pace and spend some time being refreshed and recharged.<br /><br />But for some reason, we sometimes seem apologetic about taking time off or needing a change of pace for a little while. It may be that our internal understanding of a real “work ethic” demands that we feel a little guilty about time that we’re not being “productive” or “efficient.” Or maybe we are concerned that those projects and clients we have been carefully nurturing along will fall to pieces if we put them on hold for a week or two. Maybe we are distorting Paul’s words to the Ephesians, resisting vacations and working nonstop so that we can “make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16).<br /><br />If that’s your brain strain, then let me put a biblical stop to that train of thought and provide you with three solid, straight-from-Scripture reasons to enjoy a guilt-free, refreshing time away from your usual pace of work this summer.<br /><br />Reason number one: it’s commanded in Scripture. The fourth commandment tells us to “remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8). That means more than just going to church on Sunday. The principle of “Sabbath”—rooted in God’s example through creation of resting on the seventh day—intertwines with the Old Testament law code.<br /><br />There were not only to be days of Sabbath, but week-long festivals scattered throughout the Jewish seasons. In fact, there were Sabbath years in their calendar! God’s loving command was intended to pull His people aside for rest so they would be reminded that all good things come from Him . . . not from their frantic efforts at work.<br /><br />A second reason why it’s a good idea to take a well-deserved break is that your body and spirit need it. I love the picture that David paints for us in Psalm 23 of a shepherd leading his sheep to a place of refreshment and rest. We are finite, fallible, limited creatures, and without rest we’ll find that burnout and exhaustion eventually take their toll. Our ability to be gracious, loving, and patient will be a casualty of our compulsive work habits. Fatigue and weariness will leave us vulnerable to temptation. And most disturbingly, our intimacy with the Lord will suffer as our time with Him becomes perfunctory at best, and nonexistent at worst. All that can be avoided if we allow our Good Shepherd to restore our soul with times of rest in green pastures and with seasons of refreshment beside quiet waters.<br /><br />And just in case we need another reason to put our feet up and relax now and then, remember that Jesus did it! He often withdrew from the crush of the crowds to seasons of prayer and rest. During a storm on the Sea of Galilee He was sound asleep in the boat (Mark 4:38). And we are told that while on a trip from Judea to Galilee “Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well” (John 4:6). There were always more people to heal, more messages to preach, and more places to go, but Jesus displayed the importance of rest.<br /><br />So, whether it’s a weekend of camping, a day at the pool, or a week away with close friends or family members, turn off the cell-phone, close the computer, and get away! There’s no good reason not to!<br /><br /><strong>YOUR JOURNEY…</strong><br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">How has God used previous vacations and times away to refresh and restore your soul?<br />Do you find it hard to schedule time away, and do you feel guilty or fearful on vacations? Take some time to think through why that might be.<br />What plans are in place for you to follow through on God’s instruction about rest and refreshment? It may not be this summer, or even during the fall, but what about within the next six months?</span> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-29523780458241017222007-07-11T00:53:00.000+08:002007-07-11T01:57:05.170+08:00The Week of 25/6<div align="justify">I don't even know where or how to begin, but here goes...<br /><br />The week of 25/6 was undoubtedly crazy.<br />I wasn't really exhausted to think I'd about 8 hrs sleep in 4 days.<br />I stayed at brother's place since my KL relatives were down. It was just like old times when we'd stay up late and chat thru the nite over wine or coffee. Dad bunked over too. It's amazing all of us could squeeze into his comfy home.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Thursday (28/6)</span></strong> was the funeral and we had a nice thanksgiving dinner at <a href="http://www.stomp.com.sg/stfoodiesclub/diningout/124/index.html">Zui Fairprice </a>@ Upper Thomson Road. For those of you who wasn't there. Click the link for the review by ST Foodies Club.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Friday (29/6)</span></strong> - Sea burial @ MSP.<br />We met Ricky (Hosanna Bereavement) at Marina South Pier (MSP), took an orange boat some 15 mins out to sea with Rev Alvin conducting the service. We had a nice bunch of friends with us that day. Thanks for your presence folks! We finished off again with another sumptuous meal @ my dad's and dad-in-law's fav restaurant - <a href="http://www.springcourt.com.sg/">Spring Court Restaurant</a> in Chinatown. Great for it's cantonese cuisine and Peking Duck! <br /><br />In the evening, I hung out with my good buddies - Sam & Alex at a Pub just above the <a href="http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/index.php?entry=/news/changipoint-newftop.txt">Changi Point Ferry Terminal</a> (CPFT), I think it's called the Terminal or something. Really nice ambience...a nice quiet laid back alfresco joint. You can even catch the planes landing at Changi.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Saturday (30/6)</span></strong> - Oz vs Singapore Football Game @ National Stadium<br />You can catch DD's write up and some really great photos in his <a href="http://danesh.wordpress.com/2007/07/01/a-goodbye-singapore-national-stadium-evening/">blog</a>. We went as a foursome (DD, AC, Colin and myself) thanks to DD's friend who provided the complimentary tickets. Thank you! We had a great time shouting our lungs out at the Singapore team... of course we had to lose 3-0 to the Aussies. But hey, they played a nicer game in the end. There were some pathetic fireworks...outside water was banned and we'd had to endure some 4 hours without it since every conceivable water joint IN the stadium had a line as long as cars returning from the Causeway after a school's hols. We ended up at <a href="http://www.sghamsters.com/ipb/lofiversion/index.php/t4103.html">Barks Cafe</a> in Changi after the game having some drinks and snacks...I was really dog tired literally.<br /><br />I must say that I've experienced an amazing sense of Peace, that which only comes from God. A peace that surpasses all human understanding...<br /><br /></div><blockquote><p align="justify">"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27</p></blockquote><blockquote><p align="justify">The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace. Psalms 29:11</p></blockquote><div align="justify"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-49679421040888909802007-07-10T12:07:00.000+08:002007-07-13T08:46:56.220+08:00It's All About HerIt's always been about her.<br />It's surreal to think that she was just here, and now she's gone.<br />I can't even begin to think about her, or I'll start to tear.<br /><br />She was and will always be everything to me.<br />She was my hopes encompassed.<br />She was what love was all about.<br />She was my reason for being.<br />She was my greatest friend.<br />She made me who I am today.<br /><br />She gave me the opportunity to love, care and serve her unconditionally.<br />She taught me patience when hurriedness was what I was about.<br />She broadened my horizon to the finer side of foods.<br />She displayed true simplicity for a woman of this age.<br />She had a smile that could warm the coldest heart.<br />She had inner strength so great, it was hard to imagine what she went through all these years.<br /><br />Now, all is empty...<br />All is silent.<br />Seemingly cold.<br /><br />Shattered.<br /><br />Not a word.<br />Not a shadow.<br /><br />Two have now become One.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-66971198956426002512007-07-03T09:47:00.000+08:002008-12-10T02:35:33.129+08:00Obituary<div align="center">For those of you who may have missed the obituary that appeared in The Straits Times, 26 June 2007. (Click on the pix for a larger view)</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmgz_ulIRGLTHC38PsCRDpbkH2jMIA3-f5tmbF48jZEK_iD0UtB23-7Im9EDKs1lfJJa0BFrjd8ZfEXAjhmu2E34fVubU2SSGP2Fbv6XtJr2A6klMX6beeRvrN1H_IxUhmjke/s1600-h/Joanne+Kwan+updated.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083523613929575874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmgz_ulIRGLTHC38PsCRDpbkH2jMIA3-f5tmbF48jZEK_iD0UtB23-7Im9EDKs1lfJJa0BFrjd8ZfEXAjhmu2E34fVubU2SSGP2Fbv6XtJr2A6klMX6beeRvrN1H_IxUhmjke/s400/Joanne+Kwan+updated.jpg" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33254146.post-87809140997865501532007-06-25T21:02:00.000+08:002008-12-10T02:35:34.174+08:00Joanne Has Gone To Be With The Lord Today<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQpGXTHKQTE1L1x9tObc5AE5WmB5dEpVTWGEWs3hN140bwRwvVGezUIdp-iQs5kfPzUL9ZEKBXD-VwIG6g0rStEFWKKkqxg_pjAoXcu95LbbvNUasNZRevCoQXNV9YiuJT6lx/s1600-h/Image006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079994476619975058" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQpGXTHKQTE1L1x9tObc5AE5WmB5dEpVTWGEWs3hN140bwRwvVGezUIdp-iQs5kfPzUL9ZEKBXD-VwIG6g0rStEFWKKkqxg_pjAoXcu95LbbvNUasNZRevCoQXNV9YiuJT6lx/s200/Image006.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRjdxha307PYEgfenvsOX7BIgai7rtBaEJA6B4ghZqH3v3hlGZ1tpERnZiW9lnhnUoJwpwU37sYT_FJYIWDjKvzFa6ZLFIY5djfWbtnQQ0qjsVlCGJpCrsQ_ex-OxRaLn5yliw/s1600-h/Image014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079994480914942370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRjdxha307PYEgfenvsOX7BIgai7rtBaEJA6B4ghZqH3v3hlGZ1tpERnZiW9lnhnUoJwpwU37sYT_FJYIWDjKvzFa6ZLFIY5djfWbtnQQ0qjsVlCGJpCrsQ_ex-OxRaLn5yliw/s200/Image014.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbEeOjPQw1vLwQ4033oyblxPjkq_G8j3Sq6rXw3g4bQI0qamt0S9Kv2AAByNbnRw6mc3pSTp-zhFhNKHIQs0yXZZLVNObkjYTH4WOJAaCeL7p8viHZL3muEIxntn7OVWI-8XH/s1600-h/Image041.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079994480914942386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbEeOjPQw1vLwQ4033oyblxPjkq_G8j3Sq6rXw3g4bQI0qamt0S9Kv2AAByNbnRw6mc3pSTp-zhFhNKHIQs0yXZZLVNObkjYTH4WOJAaCeL7p8viHZL3muEIxntn7OVWI-8XH/s200/Image041.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodItnyODMTa1tqo94mZ7CSY4dko-FDGvPgyMmQrLr2pvee7QQnXcaFELEIIuzZiwENwbFO2zjMIoYFD7C-oNxi9rHPqGvvnVcHQssLzT-31xlEC_tbR4ZMfs0kw3_5y7mQt-H/s1600-h/Image066.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079994485209909698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodItnyODMTa1tqo94mZ7CSY4dko-FDGvPgyMmQrLr2pvee7QQnXcaFELEIIuzZiwENwbFO2zjMIoYFD7C-oNxi9rHPqGvvnVcHQssLzT-31xlEC_tbR4ZMfs0kw3_5y7mQt-H/s200/Image066.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqJ2HJfv4u-eXW8JugewMvZWel3LC_9NDW5EtJvJTYDQxXxHG7y3D1VCsQAVkRqcNOAojsb7Xa2KUswm3xREwG9a0_XQTHjHJ4eaq-3wiIwM2IuQv-3Zijt4flg7spV6SdoHW/s1600-h/Image098.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079994489504877010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 144px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 185px" height="185" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqJ2HJfv4u-eXW8JugewMvZWel3LC_9NDW5EtJvJTYDQxXxHG7y3D1VCsQAVkRqcNOAojsb7Xa2KUswm3xREwG9a0_XQTHjHJ4eaq-3wiIwM2IuQv-3Zijt4flg7spV6SdoHW/s200/Image098.jpg" width="150" border="0" /></a><br /><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MTlPNEXhMxkkkoR12auVETkMs2lytHjC9CqrNywIPV6J-AqHLr6FjWJt8OTS8OGUvxN-3JTPjdZCERDKYOGfN_yrpTm_p_vOqoNiZ8szhhIkCarvlxgmv5pe8wjgvUVfqrbL/s1600-h/Image014.jpg"></a></p><br /><div><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkc6p8sJPv5_S-oFKtoqD-ik8eIWoXKkVwJt5ZaoWAICB2x-VwA_WNrzOA6pBnsexVGNXlDMAsxMrNWaA_V-uTrG0Kalg0DlxgLqI-DbChBW9G_fDexmQNjqJ6gbLZIXejcPjX/s1600-h/Image006.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqwE2F-ToYTPZ8Rgsry29JSo05z9b5Tyx5frJM3K_nOx4celi-Sr59H-flnPObOrQLJz4KbI5fStIDDEmSqCidvXbkxLfg4LnGc_Yvm6abZCsdhxaFjY-CE01QvaKeeImg-JV/s1600-h/Image098.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>My dear relatives, friends, ex-colleagues, prayer warriors, and loved ones of<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">Joanne Kwan Foong Kuem,</span></strong><br /><br />please note that she has gone to be with the Lord as of 6:45pm this evening.<br /><br />Wake will be held at: <strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Void Deck, Block 113 Depot Road</span></strong> (Opposite HP Building, Depot Road)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#3366ff;">Nightly Services at 8:00pm</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#3366ff;">Tuesday, 26 June (English)</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#3366ff;">Wednesday, 27 June (English & Mandarin)</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Cortege will leave on:</strong><br /><strong>Thursday, 28 June 2007 @ 3:30pm for Mandai Crematorium Hall 2 for cremation at 4:30pm.</strong><br /></span><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">NO WREATHS PLEASE, ALL DONATIONS TO BE MADE TO WESLEY METHODIST CHURCH, THANK YOU.</span></strong><br /></p><span style="color:#cc33cc;"><br /><br /><blockquote><span style="color:#cc33cc;">"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31<br /></span></blockquote></span><br /><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"></p></span></strong></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14989911153084943240noreply@blogger.com53