from across the world

Team dinner, good food before work begins tomorrow. I really like the outdoor space this house gives us. We ate... and chat and chatted. I have to admit this, I love to hear them speak korean! Even though I can only understand 'ahn-young-ahsehyo' all that rythm and intonation, sounds like a beautiful mess.

The highlight of the night was definitely killing of the gecko! It was action pack just like the time my youth group was here. The girls screaming and the guys armed with cameras and sticks. Silly creatures, always choosing the wrong time to appear.

Off for the Olympics! ... no, not in Beijing. You'll get what I mean when you check back on the next post. Till then, do pray that the Lord would use us just as He wills, for the glory of His name.

smells like happy

Behold the pancake man. Had to amuse myself today. Oh and as you can see, i did a little playing around here too. Like it? Things are getting busy again with a 3 day VBS for the Shan kids starting this friday, followed by another English Camp for school next week.

You know there are plenty of beautiful things to be seen if you just open your eyes to them.

Blessings friends.

no more the king

Like any normal day, Aragon goes out for his walks in the evening. Lois brought him out today and they were just concluding their walk when they passed a house with 3 offleash dogs. Lois said that everything happened too quickly. I usually hear such accounts on newspapers but I couldn't believe this was happening to my own dear dog!

The 3 dogs ran and charged at Aragon. Our brave fighter could not do anything! Lois yelled, tried to pull them apart, but they sank their teeth into him. 3 against 1? plus Aragon was on a leash which restrained him. like hello, that's not fair! outrageous in fact. Dad and I heard the commotion and ran out. At that time, Lois was trying to carry Aragon away when one of the mad dogs bit her.

Aragon's adrenaline was so pumped he couldn't even drink water when he got home. Lois's wound isn't bad but she was tramatized. Thank God they both are alright now. Bringing Aragon to the vet for a check-up tomorrow. I heard pepper spray works and I'm gonna carry a baseball bat when I bring him out!

too{20} old

it's my birthday

hello twenty, how nice of you to join me.

Thank you, thank you to all of you who made my birthday special. I am so blessed with such sweet friends, new and old. And of course, an amazing family! Surprises left and right. Whether it was a card/parcel in the letter box or passing it through my mom when she was back, an email/e-card, a phone call/sms, comments on facebook, spending the day with me—I had a very blessed 20th birthday, and I can’t wait to see what the Lord has planned for me this next year!

[Things that made my heart grow 20 sizes today]

1. My students somehow found out that it was my birthday and they were so cheeky! I felt like I was in kindergarten celebrating it in class. To tell you the truth, I was wishing to call in sick just because it's my day... I'm glad I did not!

2. I came back home after school and the house was so nicely decorated with hearts all around, I truely feel the love ohhh yeah.

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3. Lulu made me play pass the parcel with mom and dad to relive our childhood. Forfeit: Singing twinkle star, doing star jumps and shouting at the top of my voice wishing myself happy birthday.

4. Having mom back! She returned yesterday late afternoon. Just cooking 2 meals a day the past week is exhuasting. I salute all mama's out there! Having no thoughts of "What should I cook?", "Have I hang the clothes?" feels abosolutely wandaba! What would a birthday be without her.

5. Chilling out at a cafe is love. But since today is my birthday, I got to do something more than just sit with a cup of coffee. I got to be behind the counter! Learned how to make cappuccino and mocha! Made a mess while foaming the milk and got laughed at.

6. meal 1- flown in from S'pore IKEA. Swedish meatballs. woot!

7. CRAB bliss! yesh I got to eat chilli crab at only S$9! First time we ever had crabs over in Thailand. Busy hands. Shells on the table. Squeals of delight. The thrill of finding the most efficient way to extract the largest clumps of sweet, fatty meat. The last time I had these were on my birthday last year too!

8. My lil cousin matthew on skype. "hello! can you see my big nose?" (enlarges his nose and sticks it right into the webcam)

9. my awesome donut 'cake' with sparkle candles that do not want to go out and not forgetting the cake the youths got me on my ultra early celebration 3 plus months ago, haha what memories.

10. a handwritten card with a present from kor and a scrapbooking page lulu did for me. hey i'm not saying the rest of you guy's cards ain't special okay. Each are so precious to me but words from my dear siblings are real treasures cos they're my best friends!

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11. Just an hr before my birthday ends... I receive a sms to go www.lydiashinesforgod.blogspot.com . I'm left speechless, unable to hold back my tears anymore. oh man such a cry baby haha! xoxo

Every hour of today someone reminds me of my age. "Only one life, it will soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last." These words on a poster in my room is a reminder of my time in this world.

face to face

Do we compartmentalize the way we live? Home is home, church is church, and school is school. Is God and faith specifically just for our times of worship and place of worship and His people that we meet? Or that God is more welcome in some areas of your life than others. I don’t have a particular point I want to make here- more like to air whats on my heart, (writing helps clarify my thoughts) since this issue has been coming up with different friends I’ve talked with.

[A barren stage, with a single stool. On this stool sits ANNE, a lady in her early 20s, alone, wearing a plain featureless mask.]

ANNE: "I imagine you'd like to know why I'm wearing a mask. It's really quite simple: its better that way for both of us. I don't have to let you see more of me than is safe, and you don't have to know more about me than you feel comfortable with. As long as I wear this mask, you'll see what you want to. You'll accept me, and I can feel as though I belong."

Masks: a monologue http://christianinrecovery.blogspot.com/2005_08_01_archive.html

Many of us grow up wearing masks everyday. Depending on the occasion, we throw one on to fit the need. Like we’re afraid to let people know the real us. At home, we throw on a mask of contentment so that mom and dad would think everything is okay. That their little girl/boy is doing just fine in this world. At school/work, we may throw on one that we’ve everything in control. At church, a mask of “I have this God stuff in my life together.” And a compromising situation, a mask that shows your girlfriends at school “I am just like you, this church stuff is just for Sundays.”

It has been said that the eyes are the windows to our souls. Unfortunately, with a mask on no one ever gets to see that beautiful soul. We often wear a mask for protection. But who are we really protecting ourselves from? The world or our own selves? When you look at your life and feel that you’re living a lie, when the mask begins to hurt you, then it’s time to take it off because the mask will fail you. All the mask will become prisons of guilt, resentment, self-centeredness and on and on. It may given cause one to lock God out. In addition, you lose your identity, you lose the core you.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again, by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

For us girls, one obvious act/thing I can think about would be our dressing. Does what we wear on Friday nights out with the girlfriends bring a whole different message from what we wear to church on Sunday mornings? Don’t know if you see the link there but I struggled with this at one particular point in my life. For guys, it could be your speech when you’re with your boys. How does our Abba Father feel seeing His dear child seeking the acceptance of mere man and not of Him, the Almighty one who loves us unconditionally?

“Always be yourself because the people who mind don’t matter

and that the people that matter, don’t mind.”

Hang up that mask.

Find peace in becoming the person you were created to be.

tackle it tuesday

Teaching is over. Laundry done. Groceries bought. Meals cooked. Dirty dishes cleaned. To do list for tomorrow is even planned out and I’m entirely poofed! I don’t hate chores, but there needs to be more time in a day! Like 48 hours. I like taking my time, not rushing through things- doing it well. When I have my own house I want a tiny one, too tiny to even get messy!

Mama said that there’d be days like this.