Blessed....

Wednesday, 28th May 2008

Sometimes, we just have to count the small blessings in our everyday life.

Today was just an ordinary day. I woke up to the thought that I hadn't done anything repro ductive last night(pun intended!). So I immediately grabbed my notes and started reading them.
After about an hour or so....I realized that there was a message on my handphone. It was a message from one of my juniors, telling me how great a friend I am . You know who you are, and I truly believe that you're such a great person and a blessing from God :) Just a simple compliment can really make someone's day! I know that we are brought up in a society whereby we don't freely express our feelings. Somehow, we tend to find it much easier to critize than to compliment someone else. We assume that a person knows their every strength, so therefore they do not need any positive remarks. But you will brighten someones's day and give a person some support and encouragement by just making an encouraging remark to the person! You should try it sometime ;)

Ok, ok, don't misunderstand me. All I'm trying to say is that we shouldn't be selfish in offering compliments or praises to each other, because I truly believe that every one of us needs to hear an encouraging remark once in a while.

(Disclaimer: I'm certainly NOT indicating that I want compliments....I'm just talking about this in general- this applies to everyone!)

Lately, I've been feeling blessed. I am surrounded by such nice people, I don't want to be anywhere else! And I think I'm slowly gaining back confidence in myself to shine for Jesus :)

Praise God for the cell group worship session today! =)


p.s. Do you know that a lot of people die without ever hearing a single praise or positive remark about themselves?

late for pbl

Today(Tuesday) started off in an unusual manner......

My housemates have gone to the canteen for lunch, while me and Yee Xuan(who just dropped by) decided to stay back at home and order McD's for lunch. (It is her absolute favourite food)
She had just finished placing the order via her handphone, when suddenly my handphone rang. It was Elizabeth (whom I love to call Liz), one of my pbl group mates.

'Ailing, are you coming? We are having pbl now'.

My jaws dropped wide open literally.

'What?!' was my reply. I think I sounded really startled over the phone (Liz told me later).

'Yea.....it starts at 12:30, remember?' (It was 12:45pm btw, when she called)

And I wasn't even dressed up to go to uni yet, thinking that pbl was at the normal time of 2pm.

So Yee Xuan immediately called back to cancel the order. I felt guilty because she had not had her lunch yet!

I rushed for my life, and arrived at our pbl room (which was oh so conveniently shifted to another room today) at 1pm.

My groupmates were already done discussing the main learning issue. But the pbl went on as normal, and soon I was joining the flow. Our faci, JP, didn't seem the slightest bit bothered by my turning up so late (Liz must have explained what actually happened).....so all was fine.

Seriously though, it totally escaped my mind that our pbl time for today has been brought forward. According to my pbl groupmates, we did discuss and confirm the time with entire group during the previous pbl session. And I was even nodding along in agreement, they said.

Maybe, I was totally tuned out that time, and nodding was just a reflex movement on my part. Or maybe.. just maybe.....my mind was wandering (as it usually does) far away, thinking of something, or someone? ;) (hah, jk)

Or maybe I did hear it then, but then totally forgot to note it down.

I think it was the 3rd reason mainly. After all, I do tend to forget about something 1 minute later. No....I'm not suffering from amnesia! Or so I hope.... :P

p.s. We started our cheerleading practices! Would blog more about it in a later entry.....

The secret to a fairytale romance...

Today…..in my City Harvest church, Pastor Kevin started preaching a new series of sermons entitled ‘Does Fairytale Relationship Truly Exist?’

The answer is of course no. Every relationship in real life is bound to encounter problems every now and then. But the good news is….we do have the power to overcome them!

Sometimes you come across couples who still seem so happy together even after all these years… And you wonder why is that so? And why many marriages today fall apart and end in divorce?

Now readers, let me let you into a secret about a truly loving relationship/marriage….

Submission. The wife has to learn to submit to her husband in everything. (Just as the church is to submit to Christ). After all, he is the head of the house, the leader of the family.
Well, it is stated in the Bible! Ephesians 5:22
Now, this is something that I am still struggling with. After all, my mum has always been the ‘head of the house’ (even with Uncle David). And this makes me think that it doesn’t have to be the man to lead the household. After all, who would want to submit to a irresponsible, alcoholic, abusive husband?

I still have a lot to learn in this matter, but I’ll learn eventually. I don’t know, I just have trouble accepting the fact that men are superior to women. I know though that apostle Paul didn't mean that women are inferior to men when he wrote this letter.
Maybe one day I’ll learn to submit to a man, especially if he is a gentleman. After all, I am the submissive type, who has no problem in following orders and submitting to authority.
Anyways, there can only be one head, or else it’d be a monster! (There cannot be more than one leader, or else trouble looms ahead).

I do know that men have egos, and that’s why we have to submit to them.

But right now, I’m still struggling with this fact.

p.s. Of course, if we read on the passage, the bible also states that husbands should love their wives as they love themselves….

And the winner of AI7 is.....

David

Ok, duh......

But which David? Cook or Archuleta?

American Idol has to be one of the most popular reality TV shows ever. Every week, millions of people tune in to watch the show, and millions vote for their favourite contestant to stay in the show. As revealed in the finale, the winner won by 13 million votes. Imagine the total number of votes received for the finale alone!! If at least half of the money generated from the votes go to helping the needy, wouldn't it be great?

This show has become more like a worldwide phenomenon. It's popular here in Malaysia too!

For the few days leading up to the grand finale, everyone around me have been speculating. Who would win? Cook or Archueta?

It's almost like a jargon- you just go up to a random person and ask them- Cook or Archuleta? And chances are they would actually know what you're talking about.

Personally, I did't really care which David won. But ultimately, I was contented with a Cook win.....simply because I thought he was the most consistent performer of the bunch. He can turn a Mariah Carey song into his own version (have you heard the song on radio?) He is a hard core rocker, but he can sing slow songs as well. Whereas Archuleta sings ballads very well, but seems out of place with faster paced songs.

Many girls fall for Cook because of his mature charm, and other girls fall for Archuleta because of his boyish charm.

Cook actually cried when he was announced as the winner! I think he was totally shocked that he won, lol. It would take quite a while for the fact to sink in. After all, American Idol winners gain instant fame! He's going to have a future full of fame and glory ahead of him. Just ask any other AI winner....especially the winners of season 1 and season 4. ( I do pity Archuleta though- I thought he has a great voice and sings ballads so well. And he has such a humble attitude too. He did so well during the final showdown!)

Anyways, congrats David Cook, for winning American Idol. :) Now let's see whether you can surpass Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson as the most popular and successful American Idol winner. ;) And don't let success get to you, until you forget who you really are. You owe it to your brother, man, after all he was the one who initially went for the audition, you were just there to accompany him. ;)

Cook's reactions when he was announced as the winner

Sandy's birthday

On Saturday, I and a few friends went to MidValley to celebrate Sandy's birthday.

What I like about Sandy is that she always struck me as an outspoken and independent type.

Anyways......we went to attend a movie......The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

As you know....this movie is adapted from the book series by a Christian writer- C.S. Lewis.

All the events and characters in the book/movie actually have a hidden meaning and symbolize something. For example.....the lion Aslan symbolizes Jesus.

Well, I enjoyed the movie...but somehow I enjoyed the first movie......The Lion, The Witch and The Wadrobe better.

But let me tell you this......girls are sure to be drooling over Prince Caspian!!

The 4 children have all grown.... and Lucy isn't that cute anymore :( Edward has grown into a fine young man.

One part that stood out for me was when Lucy was with Aslan alone and Aslan told her that she could see him because she opened up her heart and was willing to see him.

This reminds me that, if I want Jesus to enter my life, I have to open up my heart to receive Him.

After the movie, we went to MidValley's Secret Recipe for lunch.

PBPGINFWMY

Lost already?

If you want to know what this title really means- read on ;)

First let me tell you a simple story.

One day, a little girl was sitting in the backseat of a car. Her father was driving in front. The starting point , duration and destination of the journey- we do not need to know.
After some time, the little girl got bored and piped up ‘Dad, are we there yet?’
‘Not yet, dear’ he answered. The girl turned her attention back to the Barbie she was holding in her hands.
Some time later, she got bored again.
‘Dad, are we there yet?’
‘Not yet dear’ her dad answered again.
The girl decided to doze off while her father drove on.
When she woke up and realized that they have yet to reach their destination, she asked
‘Dad, are we there yet?’
‘Not yet dear. Be patient’ was the answer.

The moral of the story is……in life, sometimes we have to learn to be patient.

We live in a fast-paced world. The advance of technology- handphones, the internet, Ipods, Blackberrys....enable us to communicate quickly and efficiently with the rest of the world. Back home, the invention of washing machines and dishwashers enable us to complete our daily household chores much faster as well.

That’s why we, people living in the modern era, have become accustomed to getting things done fast. We want our meals prepared instantly (think instant noodles and fast-food restaurants and microwave food!). We want our bills payed instantly (think online transactions), we want everything done fast! Therefore, we become impatient and frustrated when we have to wait for something. Remember being frustrated when you have to queue up in the canteen or in the bank or when you get stuck in a traffic jam?

We also become impatient when things don’t go as planned in our lives. I tend to get impatient too. One of the questions I always pester my mum about is ‘When am I ever going to graduate? When am I ever going to grow independent and earn my own money?’ And of course…..’When am I ever going to fall in love?’

And she would always reply ‘ You will graduate one day. And you will go out to work and earn your money and fall in love one day’.

And I would always grumble. ‘That day never seems to come soon enough’.

One thing I realize is that I would never be satisfied with my life if I continue on waiting for ‘that day’ to come.
When I graduate and start working, I would be waiting for the day I get promoted to become a Medical Officer, and then a Consultant. I would be waiting impatiently for the day I get to open my own clinic.
And I would be waiting for my wedding day, for my children and then grandchildren to come along.
I would forever be waiting…..and would never lead a fulfilled life.

I know that God is teaching me to be patient and wait on Him. I do everything slow…..from my daily chores, to studying, to my motor skills. I develop very late as well…..both physically and mentally. Therefore, I predict that my Mr.Right is going to come along rather late in my life.

Right now, God is telling me to be patient. He is always saying to me ‘I will do great things through you. I will use you to be a blessing to all those around you...’

I have always wanted to be a blessing to others, and use the gifts that God has give me to serve Him. It’s always my hope that one day- I would be one of the most caring and compassionate doctors ever, because God has given me the ability to care and love others. And I do believe that there is a reason why God has given me the passion for writing and expressing my thoughts through my writing. Because He wants me to use it for His glory! So it’s my hope that one day, I would be able to bless and inspire many people through my writing.

But right now…..I am still merely a medical student. I am still on the way to becoming a doctor. There is still a long winding road ahead of me.

Daily, I ask God……’Am I there yet?’

And He would answer ‘No, dear, but you’ll get there one day’.

God is never in a hurry. He spends our entire lives building and moulding us to be like Him. But His timing is always right.

This brings us to ttitle of my entry today-
‘Please Be Patient- God Is Not Finished With Me Yet’.

David vs David

David Cook
David Archuleta

Hah.

Cook or Archuleta?

Who do you think will win season 7 of American Idol?

I am unique

Today I just want to thank God for the timely reminder that I'm uniquely made in His image.

Time and time again God has reminded me about this- but I forget it soon after.

You see, I always have and still am struggling with myself, my own identity. I am constantly struggling to get to know who I actually am. I am struggling to accept myself for who I am.

I always wish I can be as cheerful and bubbly as *insert name here*, as smart as *insert name here*, as influential as *insert name*, as pretty as *insert name*, as caring and nurturing as *insert name*

And this always eats me up inside. No one can understand. I do not feel like I have anything special about myself, anything special to offer. I am a more quiet, introverted type- not the jolly type (is that wrong?) And that's why people tend to unintentionally brush me aside, because I'm just.....there. Nothing special about me.

But when no one else, including myself thinks so- God constantly reminds me that I am special. That I am a Child of His and I am specially made in His image. That I am fearfully and wonderfully made, specially crafted in my mother's womb to be who I am today. He gave me special talents and gifts which others do not have. (Like what- I would really like to know)

I still need some time to convince myself of this, although I know there is truth in it.

So right now, I am trying to tell myself- God tells me that I am special in His eyes :)

Happy Mother's Day!!!

On Tuesday, I went for a clinic visit to Nilai. It was an eventful visit- which started off with the van breaking down halfway and the 6 of us stranded on the side of the road for at least half an hour. When we finally arrived at 9:15 am, Sister Mary, the nurse in charge of us, was already freaking out.

Anyways, we followed her to a home visit, for a postnatal followup. And we were given a tour of the clinic.


But the highlight of the clinic visit has to be that......we managed to witness a delivery!! Or at least us girls did.

Actually, patients are not allowed to deliver in a clinic, since there is no equipment provided to handle complications during delivery.

But I guess the mother was already too far along then to be rushed to the hospital?

Anyways, the head nurse, who didn't seem happy about happy to perform a delivery in the clinic at first- went ahead with it.

The mother, from what I gathered, hailed from India. Her husband is a local.


I couldn't see much because we were standing too far away, and there were many nurses surrounding the bed, bustling around to prepare for the delivery. The woman was calling out for her husband throughout her labor, until they finally let him in towards the end.


I was submitting to the fact that we would have to return back to campus without actually seeing the baby being delivered. But all of a sudden, there was a fresh bustle of activity around the room, and the nurses were all screaming to the mother to push. And finally, I saw one of the nurses carrying the newborn baby and placing it on the table, wiping it with a cloth.


It was a little girl. It cried after staying silent for a while. I recall the nurse asking the father.....'Do you want a boy or a girl?' He didn't really reply. And when she removed the cloth to reveal that it was a girl....'Oh it's a girl' he mentioned and just shrugged. I don't know whether it's due to him not minding it being a boy or girl, or him being disappointed.


This was the very first delivery I actually witnessed first hand in my life. I know there would be more to come, but I'm glad I got to witness something like this. It's not often that someone delivers in a government clinic!!


Btw, I learnt that the Maternal and Child health care policy in Malaysia is one of the best in the world, because they actually followup on the mother and Child's health after the delivery.

Don't know how true that is!

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How appropriate the above post is......since tomorrow is a very special day where we celebrate all the mothers around the world.


We do tend to take our mothers for granted most of the time. We expect them to do everything for us, and yet we do so little in return for them. And they never expect anything from us in return!


Remember when we were young, and our mothers cuddled, cradled and cooed and rocked us? And gave us unconditional love? Or how when we were older they chided and scolded us lovingly if we did something wrong? And for some of us, how they always took the effort and time to prepare our favourite dishes? How they taught us to distinguish from right and wrong? How they are always there for us when no one else is?


As for my mother, I always shamelessly tell people that she is the best mother in the world.

She is more like a sister to me. We share practically everything- I even tell her all my deepest secrets (which most people I know wouldn't feel comfortable enough to do). We do have our fair share of quarrels, but of course they don't last long.


I'll tell you why she is a superwoman and a supermother to me:

a) She brought me up single-handedly since young- she was a single mother for the most part. I remember how hard she had to struggle to make ends meet when I was young- first as a secretary, then opening up her own beauty centre. She was so busy then, I remember her even having no choice other than to lock me in the car as she went around handing out flyers on the street. All her success today, was solely from her own sweat and toil.


b) she loves me unconditionally - no matter what I do- whether I scream or argue with her, she would still love me the same the next moment


c) I can tell all my trouble and worries to her- she listens!! She is the only person I can complain to, nag to, and tell all that is bugging my mind- without worrying about being judged.

When I accepted Christ- she didn't even protest at all. I know she is still waiting patiently for the time when I tell her that I have a boyfriend ;)


d) She always puts me first- Like most mother's my mother will always put my needs first before her own. She told me herself, for her, I always come first, her and everyone else second.

She would sacrifice anything so that I am happy.


For that, I'm forever thankful to have a mother like her.


Today, my friends, let your mothers know how very special they are. Because only mothers would be willing to sacrifice anything they have for you. It's so true.....women are brought up to care for others, but often they neglect to care for themselves. When one of my batchmates shared how her mother almost commited suicide....it was then I realized how underappreciated mothers and women in general feel. People tend to forget the one true strength of women.......they are selfless people who always put others needs before their own.

Tell the special woman/women in your life today how much you love them and care for them!!

Lessons in life

Wow, this blog is becoming like a weekly update....
Well, a lot of stuff happened the last few days, but I was too lazy to update.....

Anyways, this weekend was unexpectedly busy for me. I was initially expecting a rather relaxing weekend, just resting at home and studying.

But no....I ended up sleeping so little- and barely touching my notes!

First off, this weekend is a special weekend in City Harvest KL, the church I attend. Pastor Kong Hee, the founder of City Harvest Singapore (undeniably the largest church in this region) was here to preach a series of sermons. Friday night, 2 services on Saturday, and Sunday morning.
Each service, he would preach a different sermon, so some people actually attended all 4 services!
Church members were asked to invite some friends to come along.
Because he is such a well-known pastor and powerful preacher, many people from other churches also decided to come to listen to his sermons. Many of my batchmates who are from other churches actually turned up too!!

On Friday night, a group of us went. Even housemate Fang Han decided to follow us to church that night, which housemate Rachel and I were thankful for. Yen Bee, our good friend, decided to follow us as well. We went for dinner first nearby. But by the time we arrived, there was a LONG queue outside the church. We ended up sitting in the overflow room, which was unfortunate, because it just doesn't have the same atmosphere as compared to when you're in the actual hall itself. But it's ok- at least we still got to worship God and listen to the powerful sermon.
That night, Pastor Kong preached about learning to let go of shame. There are 3 types of shame- inherited shame (from Adam and Eve), imposed shame (from others) and actual shame (the consequences of your actions). I think this sermon was very relevant to me- since I'm an insecure person who often feels shame of herself. I always think that I'm small, insignificant, not good enough at anything.......so I need to let go of that.

Saturday morning, a group of us went to Sunway Pyramid for an iceskating session. This is the first time I've iceskated here in Malaysia (I've iceskated once in Cardiff). I was rather afraid at first, because I didn't want to fall, and my friends all warned me that it involves plenty of falling.
For the most part, I stayed close to the side rails, as I felt rather insecure. I shuffled literally around the sides of the skating rings several rounds.
Eventually, I learnt to balance myself and walk or rather shuffle around the ring.
But I never really learned the proper technique of skating!

I think this was due to the fact that I was so afraid of falling. My friends all said you have to fall in order to learn to skate, and the more times you fall, the faster you learn.
But I was too afraid to let go!! I kept on grabbing the side rails whenever I felt like I was about to fall- which wasn't often because my balance was ok. I was afraid of fracturing my ankles or knees or backbones if I fall. (My bones are more brittle than normal). So in the end, I didn't learn much in terms of proper skating.

This same theory applies to real life. Sometimes you fall, and then you pick yourself up again, and carry on a stronger person. This is a lifelong learning process.
But most people, including me, are afraid of falling, afraid of failure.

Anyways, after iceskating for about 4 hours, we went for lunch at the Ichiban Japanese restaurant.






This morning, I attended a second service in church. Today, I was lucky enough to get to sit in the packed hall. Many of my batchmates came as well. After the normal praise and worship, Sandy, one of the church choir members gave an amazing rendition of an Indonesian worship song. She wanted to use the gift of singing that God has given her to serve God. A baby dedication service followed, and four babies, including Pastor Kevin's son, were dedicated to God. The babies were being prayed for, that they may grow up in the house of God to be God fearing people and always on fire and having passion to serve God .
And the best thing is a friend/batchmate of mine who attended the service made the decision to accept Christ. You know who you are- if you're reading this- I just want to give you a hug and congratulate you on the most important decision you've made for your life :)

It's amazing how God works in our lives.


p.s. I'll add some photos to this entry after I've uploaded them onto Facebook.