Christmas eve 2023

Grace and Linda in a video call to Korea chatting with her parents. 


This picture makes me smile when Grace just decides to pull out her phone and make a video call to her parents in Korea.  Although our communication (with her parents) is limited, Grace's dad is very sporting with his little, but expanding vocabulary of English. Apparently its very cold and snowing over there and he's gone to pick up his car from the service shop. That's the kind of spontaneity that technology connectivity  brings to us.

Christmas Dinner was very chilled affair as the boys decided to make their specialty food dishes which they took turns preparing at the kitchen,  meanwhile leaving us lots of time to  talk , and yes.. even a video call to Incheon, korea..
i ❤️ it.
This Christmas we got a coffee machine from Grace and the boys.  Even though we drink coffee everyday this seems a luxury, but it's a thoughtful gift and we are happy to receive their love .. they've pooled together to get us something we probably wouldn't ever buy for ourselves. I guess that's the practical side of Christmas "gifting".
In that sense the gift of Jesus afforded us the gift of forgiveness ie. something we couldn't afford (or produce for ourselves). He came to gift us the forgivesness (by his death) which brings us  'life' . So ya, we kinda  hv a loose analogy here.

But even if there is no gifts,  the gathering of family is already a-gift enough.
In a world that is increasingly polarised and brokenness in so many lives, we are ever more grateful to our family still intact and together.

Going by our new coffee machine, it does seem 2024 is going smell a lot better. (aah.. the smell of fresh ground coffee in the air! ).


Well, here's to wishing you a great and wonderful 2024. May our Lord Jesus' presence continue to bless our going out/ coming in , seek his guidance. Keep our focus on him. 



Peace out and signing off for 2023. 

Mike did this dish. Nice work and doesn't taste too bad either.  Actually it was very good. 

Bryan surprised us with this shrimp oil thingy with bread.  Good! 

Linda's pie of course is outstanding as usual. 

Lil Glenlivet on ice - Jared . 

The face

Not sure how much you heard about the whole episode of 'Passion the musical'. The fact that Jared even showed up to do the work on the tomb was already the first miracle of sorts. (much to our surprise he agreed when karen asked him for help). Wow. 

But prior to that the paper mache boulders which jared suggested to the team to create a 3D effect kept falling off (as told by marlina ) and they had to repeatedly put it up several times over the next few days b4 the day he finally came to do the shading of the 'boulders'. So the exact position of the boulders was already orchestrated even from the beginning.

When he did come along to do the shading , it took him quite awhile to get it right (3 hrs, and 3 cans of spray paint).
He told us he was exasperated as he kept re-doing the work however still didn't look 'quite right'. It was taking  rather long for something quite simple. Later, he (related to us) he said to the Lord, "why is this so difficult ( taking this long) and that HE should make it look 'cool' since the play is about Him".  Anyway, he did a last spray-over and finally satisfied with it he left, but he was standing too close (physically) to the boulders to really 'see' anything other than the immediate shading.

So he was quite surprised when Karen asked him if he knew about 'the face' everyone else was seeing. Apparently, some commented (as some others thought as well ) that artists have this desire/ ability to hide a subject in their work, but this was really not the case, it was NOT intentional.

Anyways,  in the few days after the event both Linda and I, separately on our own came to this conclusion; God was actually showing Jared how He was in the midst of everything he (Jared) was doing, EVEN WHILE he's unaware, God is there. 

God underscored that truth unbeknownst to jared,  He was directing him to do something special, creating a visual 'face' for everyone to see ( which added a further mystique and awe  to the entire production of Passion the Musical. 

The play went very well considering all the actors and singers were in house, a small limited budget, and furthermore,  required a integrated cooperation from all parties involved,  sound lighting, props, costumes, lyrics, sound tracks etc etc.. it was a gutsy move. A faith filled project. 

And God replied beautifully. 

The meticulous planning (kudos to karen n gang), teamwork (always a challenge) , the creative juice required playing by ear every challenge that came along (and I'm sure there were many!!!) . I'm surprised they pulled off a play of this quality in the short 2 months preparation. Starting with zero actors in mind, after many auditions ( all volunteers), ended up with a cast of amateur novices who not just successfully delivered  but punched way above their weight. 

Amazing!!

It was a faith filled project that paid dividends in many ways, from the various casts to the many different teams in the back ground, all were blessed in their own way.

This song accompanied me throughout my hike last week.  I caught some amazing shotsof trees and the play of sunlight on it. Recorded this one verse and chorus on my ukelele on my first attempt. PTL.

Sent of heaven God s own Son

To purchase and redeem

And reconcile the very ones

Who nailed Him to that tree

Oh that rugged cross

My salvation

Where your love poured out over me

Now my soul cries out hallelujah

Praise and honour unto thee.

The Grace ticket (you want)

Outside the dim sum place
all waiting to get in. 

So yesterday, I needed to go to the bank cos my ATM card was blocked (pls don't ask why!) and I needed to apply for a new one. The moment I entered the bank a sea of ppl greeted me , all are back with a vengeance after the Cny holidays.

Quickly I caught hold of the  bank executive  whizzing past me to get some advise and explained my predicament. He punched out a ticket number (3053) and dutifully told me to wait my turn. I looked at the screen of numbers  on public display and noted my ticket  was at least 30 numbers ahead.

Hmn, do I hv enough time to go for a dim sum brunch?   U bet.

(i had already sent Linda ahead to get a table) 

So off I went to join another crowd of  waiting  ppl all hungry and  wanting to eat  dim sum as well.

Another ticket, another waiting line (this is cny after  all) . But finally after 20 mins, we walked in to a table.

After fully satisfying the inner man, i walked back into the bank at 1pm (1.5hrs later, ) and saw i was still  another 10 numbers ahead.

I decided not to wait, instead headed on home as I had to leave   for an appointment at 2.00pm ( to get to Kota Kemuning at 2.30)

But at 1.40pm with the bank ticket in hand I decided once more
to 'try my luck' at the bank. I knew it was a looong shot as I didn't have time to wait at the bank (even if it was 2 numbers before) , and definitely a no-go if my number got passed.

But being a person who likes to challenge the odds, I just took my chance.

I reached the bank at 1.50pm. As usual, the area around the bank was filled with cars and I didn't bother to find a proper parking.. instead told Linda to just pop into the bank to see the latest '4 digit' on the screen. I found a lil bit of space in betwn the parking boxes and waited  to observe Linda. Almost immediately she rushed out and signaled to come out of the car (which was parked illegally btw! )

Stunned. 

Immediately just as  I entered the bank, and the automated voice called out TIGA KOSONG LIMA. TIGA 

(3. 0. 5. 3 )

Omg omg .. WooHooo!!!! Omg PTL!

I got my card replaced and was out of the bank in 10mins and  on my way at 2pm.

Do you believe in miracles? . Just a few days ago,  I was hearing a message about how God is actively 'working' in our midst, but many times we are oblivious and  we tend to dismiss it as 'coincidence'..
but no.. He is in the 'small things' as well as the big.
We just need to be cognizant and expectant that God's extravagant grace is CONSTANTLY coming at us.. all the time.

I feel so blessed even as I pen this 'mini coincidence' that fell miraculously in my favor. Some will brush it off as a chance of good luck, but to me this is more than luck , it's God way of arranging  things to remind me as a child of God, Papa is always looking out for me.

This kind of 'happenstance' , money oso kenot buy.. Haha.

His supply of Grace and favor is always, .. always  coming at us.

Just be a ready recipient!

Remember that andrew! 

2022

So this year was quite a revelation to me. It began when i finally met up (in February) with my urologist who confirmed that i hv a sizable cyst (4.5x 3.3 x 3.5 cm) in my left kidney.

Actually late last year during my yearly check up, they discovered it  although  the cyst had not changed in size , it now had septations (walls). So now it was no longer a simple cyst. It's called a complex cyst, which is could be more  sinister. So dragging myself, i made appointment with the specialist($) who for a hefty sum told me what i already knew (from my last yearly check up) that there was a cyst, and said to come back 6 months later (Aug) to see what gives (any further changes). So before i left i  had to ask him what if it is malignant.. to which he replied quite non-chalantly "bcos  it is  located deep in the kidney, I'll hv to take off the kidney".


Hmn.. (NO u WON'T '! I thot to myself )

Anyway, i didn't tell wifey his reply.
That was in february.

Then in early april, i paid a visit to my cardiologist (my last visit was  5 yrs ago), as i had developed some  breathing issues. She was simply horrible, lacking in patient concern, left me with more questions then answers. She immediately presumed my  breathing issues was due to the  heart but upon further examination she couldn't conclude it was due to my heart. But instead she 'discovered' my IVS (inter ventricular septum, which divides the heart into the left /right ventricles ) was moderately thickened, which according to her, was due to high bp. She was quite deliberate in insisting i start bp meds. I protested and showed her my daily recorded bp readings ; however she questioned me in a manner which seem to suggest i fabricated  (imagine that!!) these numbers vs the high readings seem in the clinic. To convince me further she said  i have a thicken IVS ( due to high bp condition) .
But since she is the cardiologist (a professional) and according to he EKG results  (echo cardiogram ) my IVS is  thickened so i couldn't argue further. She insisted i begin bp medication immediately.

The medication brought on  the terrible  side effects which left me  dizzy, weak, and quite dismayed. After trying the med for two weeks and showing her my (very) low daily recorded  bp readings , she finally agreed that  my previous high "in-clinic" readings was due  white coat hypertension (clinical hypertension). Which was what i told her in  my first meeting (which she dismissed). She was totally unapolgetic and said flippantly go off the meds, and come back to see her again in 2 weeks. Forget it maam!

I had enough of her.

So i had two health  issues on my mind which weighed heavily on my mind even  while  i continued  my daily exercises and weight training.



Then sometime in June, something strange happened to me as i exited church. I suffered something called a global amensia. I forgot where i was and couldn't remember anything of that day. All i did rmbr was that  i was feeling hungry and that my body needed food. Fortunately i was with church mates (after church, Sunday) , and when they realize i wasn't myself, they took me to the emergency room at the hospital. They ran brain scans etc, but nothing abnormal was detected ( thank God, no signs of any stroke ). That was when the  neurologist first mentioned the term Global Amenesia, which they deemed  harmless (though they cannot explain the reason) and doesnt usually  not repeat itself. But I was warded 2 nights for observation.
Since  i was warded i could utilize my insurance so i requested to see the cardiologist (i wanted a different opinion other than that previous (awful) cardiologist. He took my ekg scans, treadmill results etc, and curiously  he didn't mention anything about a thicken IVS which the earlier cardiologist, from Beacon hosp had  so definitively said it to be so.

Like an experiment, gone wrong?! 

Fistula is the most painful
thing right at the wrist. 

Linda spent 2 nights on the uncomfortable couch w me in the room. Bryan upgraded us to a single room. 

Two weeks after my discharge from hospital, i went for my  follow up; the first appointment was with the neurologist which was  uneventful, except  he did something out of his way. When i showed him my past weeks bp readings, he took the trouble to do both a manual reading concurrently with my home  bp machine (which i brought along with me).

So although my readings were  high at the clinic (as usual), it did confirm  that my bp machine was accurate.
(actually my bp machine read higher on the diastolic number by 7 pts). That was good news because now i know for sure my home readings are accurate bcos most of my bp readings done at home were in the normal range.

Oh joy!! PTL

My visit with the cardiologist was equally stunning ; when he said my ekg readings were normal, i brought out  all the earlier records by the  other  cardiologist. He took time to evaluate the readings which were done by his ekg technician  (unlike my earlier ekg which  done by the failing  cardiologist herself) and concluded they're was nothing wrong in the size of my heart chambers, including the IVS(!!!)

All normal!! Yayyy!  A clean bill is health.

Rejoicing on the way home we stopped at Bumbu Bali for lunch 

On the way home, we stopped by our favorite restaurant to celebrate the good news.



Then in  August, i was to go check my left kidney on status of the cyst.
That day  before i began to pray earnestly even  as a went for my morning hike. With every step i took, i began to declare, 'as Jesus is, so am i in this world (1 John 4:7). 

I felt good.

The next day i went for an ultrasound check by  technician (before seeing the urologist) . The technician took time to record the readings. At the end of the session  she told me to wait as she wanted  to check the readings with the earlier ones (10 months ago). When she came back she said affirmatively that the cyst had shrunk. The cyst has shrunked by 80%.(!!!) 

(fr 4.5x3.3x3.5 to 2.5x 2.1x 2.0)

Oh wow PTL (again!)

Later, the urologist glumly confirmed the technician report. Before i left i had to ask him, if he's ever seen a cyst shrink, or if it was  normal for a cyst to shrink. He just replied, 'no'.

Whoohooo! Jesus did it!



I thank God for his miraculous hand over my life. He has removed the 2 health concerns, and i contnue to hold on to the scripture of 1John4 :17 which declares "as Jesus is so are we in this world.."

Be kind to yourself.

Be kind to yourself.

The human brain extrapolates incomplete data, all the time.

That s why (in life) we make the mistakes we do. It's called being human.

To err is human, to forgive divine.

Forgive yourself, your missteps,.. often. And sincerely (inspite the personal inconveniences, costs, sorrows, loss,.. forgive yourself, just forgive. You are not God (who has complete knowledge). 

God is, and he's got your back.

(Be kind to yourself) Do not let the devil who goes about like a roaring lion hum  these negative tunes/refrains  to your ears. 

Do not 

Do not let it build a nest in your head. 

❤️

And finally, remember God is able to turn your ashes into beauty. 

#Godspeaksthrumemes #today'sepiphany

The night lessons

This post was written in Jan 2021 in my phone 'notes' section. I forgot to put it in here.

Random picture on my phone 

I'm writing this still in my bed and the sleep still in my eyes. I want to capture the reality and lesson of last night while still fresh in my spirit.
The past few days I've been feeling some despair over my predicament. These feelings come on and off, but in between sleep during the night, was the worst:  'thoughts' of how to deal with xxxx, or preventative (proactive) measures preoccupied my mind.

In the middle of the night, in between sleep is the worst. During those times I could feel the despair in my body even as I tried my best to fall back asleep.

But the mind is engaged to 'solve' the problem.

Then suddenly I rmbr the words of jp, 'your problems shall BE food'  for you to bring you HIGHER , You shall eat them and draw strength from them.

Even as I was pondering  how I was to 'appropriate' this nugget of wisdom, I could literally 'feel' the fear lift.. gone, immediately!

Not exaggerating.

I 'look' for it but  (the fear) it just disappeared.

PTL

Then I realize how cunningingly stealth the enemy is in masquerading these thoughts as our own. And even as we mull on how to "responsibly address these situations"  facing us, we cannot but feel the despair.

The spiritual is more real than we realize.

But God is on our side (literally); the very moment we turn our thoughts to him the whole resources of heaven comes invading against the works of the enemy.

I didn't have to psych myself out of my despair, no it ran away.

Disappeared.

I could feel sleep coming over, I fell asleep literally in the beautiful arms of Jesus.

Are the problems facing us still there? , well, we don't know.
We are so limited and small, better we leave it at the feet of the One who is all wise and powerful. He is able to deal for us.

I'm so grateful for that.

Thank you Jesus

The trash collector

It was a full bag today. 

The most CONSIDERATE LITTERBUG ever.. 

After the 3 day holiday the forest has more than its usual trash from weekend hikers.

Picking up trash can be quite therapeutic, and also one  can  get quite philosophical whilst at  it.

People who are litter bugs hv a 'use and discard' mentality with no consideration at all for fellow humans, animals, or the ruin it brings to the forest environment. 

At best its a thoughtless act, but more likely it is a deed born of selfish desire.. to satisfy a momentary need /pleasure and then subsequently it is discarded 

( plastic water bottles, tissues, carton drinks, sweet wrappers, cigarrette boxes, pepsi / sprite can, yes an occasional beer bottle etc )

It's a use and discard mentality. 

Ironically, in varying degrees we ALL exhibit this behavior. We may not act base and litter indiscriminately, but we do carry that same attitude . 

We "use" whatever to satisfy our desires, and if situation presents we will use it to further our own selfish goals and gains. (be it monetary, personal glamor/attention, or otherwise)

We can observe this human trait in all settings .. in our business relationships, social  relationships, and yes even in  family relationships, esp. during distribution of family wealth etc)

It's who we are.

We can politely masked and rationally justify our actions, but it reflects a deeper issue within.

It really is an indictment on our  fallen nature, the sin nature.

(for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.. Romans 3:23) 

At every level, the Good News (gospel) is relevant and vital. We are a people that need personal redemption, and our great saviour Jesus Christ the eternal 'collecter'.. ie souls of men,.. he is powerful to save.

It's who He is. 

In the coming days ahead, the Bible warns that deeds of man will become more and more wicked, and many others will suffer in the fallout; many will be discarded by the wayside, fearful, hurt, discouraged, abuse or plainly betrayed. 

There is a hope.

Jesus loves picking up thru the trash pile of humanity.

And those who find Him find life.

Jesus bids.. 

"Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
- Matthew 11

So picking up trash ain't so bad. It keeps its looking down (a humble posture), it reminds me we are like precious little discards by the wayside which He picks, and lovingly  restores us  to our destiny and positions as eternal sons of God.