The best (and busiest) time of the year

The best time of the year also means the busiest time of the year! While others are clearing their annual leave, or strolling in the malls doing their Christmas shopping or simply lazing in front of the idiot box, my schedule has been packed ever since Dec rolled along. It’s relentless but oddly there’s no sign of frenzy or the unwelcome eye bags. I guess what I mean to say is that although I’m busy, there’s still time to smell the flowers and appreciate life.

The vital lesson I’ve learnt is to consciously make time for God and the people closest to you. Easier said than done but it’s the only guarantee of staying sane in the maze of the typical urban schedule.                                                                                                     

Here are some updates on what my fingers have been dabbling with:

• Meeting up with people! Friends are home for the holidays. Our home has been coined mamak No.2 and our kitchen has fully utilized to cook up a storm for privilege guests. Terence usually the chef – will share some fabulous recipes soon!  
• Splattered Paint: Year-end events are always lots of fun. We face painted 100 kids at our last event. This weekend we’d be busy dolling up a venue for the birthday of a special one year old.
• Gearing up for the start of Rangers next year. I’d be embarking on some new challenges in hope to gain a greater perspective of what it means to be a servant leader.
• Christmas gifts: Of course I’m not going to tell you what it is! All I can say is that we’ve been creatively ambitious with out gifts this year.
• Getting ready to make our mark in Vietnam – yes! We’re flying again, this time to Hanoi for another backpacking adventure. Can’t wait to roam the streets, experience Christmas the Vietnam style, meet the locals, indulge in the street food and hike in the mountains of Sapa!

2009 is going to be a wild ride! What a journey it has been for 2008. I wouldn't have it otherwise despite the rough edges. I’d be turning a year wiser tomorrow (yay! to the extra wisdom and urgh to the change in numeric) and my journal will yet again be filled with pages of thanksgiving and milestones of life. I’m quite sure I’d dig up my dust filled journal 20 years from now and thank myself for appreciating life in writing.  

Our Christmas tree makes its debut

One of many things I love about Christmas is setting up the tree. There's something warm, magical and fuzzy about it. With Christmas jazzies playing at the background, the entire room just evolves into a big sparkle!

Perhaps it was the memories I grew up when setting up the Christmas tree. Either mom or dad would put the tree together, I would string the lights and then the family would gather around each having one or more tinsel or bauble and we go round hanging it on the tree until the deco box is empty. Every year we'd have a family photo in front of the tree with presents laid all over. 

This year would be slightly different. It's our first Christmas in No.8! Terence and I bought a new tree that fitted perfectly into the empty space in our hall. We both decorated the tree with baubles and lots of tinsels then we added some ribbon around it. 

What a great starts to an even greater Christmas! This year there will be no hustle and bustle or mad mad mad shopping. It'll be a laid back kind of celebration with family and close friends. Above all, as everyday is, this is a celebration of Jesus because He really is the Reason for tis season.

Our lil garden has grown!

Calamintha... hyrangea... calla lily...spiky cactus, our green thumbs has gotten the better of us. Now the porch has an array of natural beauties to greet us.  We had initially thought of transferring our sprouting brinjal plant into another pot, hence we needed more soil. Which brought us to the nursery and instead of coming back with soil we came back with 3 kinds of flowers! Talk about impulsive shopping!

 

The porch is definitely a livelier place with the flowers. It's great to wake up to a burst of colour and teaming life. Might I add, gardening is actually quite therapeutic.

 

 

Don't worry we did not ignore our slow growing brinjal plant. Here's the latest update for those of you who have been asking and wondering - still leafy, new greens popping up occassionally, no signs of fruits yet, stems are quite thin. We're pumping up its growth with fertilizers but being careful not to overdose it! Any tips to make it fruit faster? I'm waiting to make grilled brinjals:)

To end this post, here's a lil insight into a different side of Terence when his green thumbs are busy:

1. He's meticulous even when putting fertiliser, remembering how much each plant needs and when to sprinkle.
   
2. He has greener thumbs than me. That's why I leave the planting to him, I just water and talk to them.
   
3. I'm quite sure he talks to them after I leave for work in the morning... cos they are blooming!

A reminder by the lil sparrows

Last weekend Terence and I went for our jog at Bukit Gasing, we took an alternate route back. Instead of walking through the jungle, we walked on road. On the left were tall retaining walls with PVC pipes sticking out of them. Sparrows flew in and out bobbing their heads as they watched us walk by. In an instant I was reminded of how much He cares for us.

We are living in very critical times. The economy is riding on waves, our planet in peril, wars breaking out, terror rising… Really, the uncertainties are countless yet one thing that remains certain is God and His word. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Both Terence and I have been little bumps, whether at work, in ministry or life - but God has never failed (not once) to work a miracle in every situation. The amazing thing is, He just doesn’t turn situations around and allows us the easy way out. Instead He works a miracle in us so that the situation doesn’t take the center stage, instead God does!

While not painting a rosy picture, those miracles didn’t fall out from the sky and into my lap. Admittedly there were moments I complained, questioned and worried unnecessarily. And in the midst of my darkest valley, I learned that the two most important (yet most difficult) things to do were to PRAY and PRAISE.

Those lil sparrows were a great reminder that our lives are in His hands.

Go ahead and read Matthew 6: 25-34... it'll leave you in awe once again! 

Surviving disappointments

Disappointments are hard to swallow, no one looks forward to it much less expects it to lurk around the corner. But that is life - it's filled with ups and downs and we're tested at all pitstops before we make it to the next milestone.

Recently I was dropped with two bombshells by two different people that left me stumped. One of which was a decision to call off a project that I've been working on for the last 5 months. It was my "baby" and I was all pumped up to see it through. Needless to say, my work and hours put in has just gone down the drain. I'm disappointed at the level of commitment shown by my team players. I'm also let down by the promises made that wasn't fulfilled and the inability to persist to the end despite hurdles and barriers. Decision has been made, it's time to move on.

While I'm still surfacing from sudden dip, all is not lost. I've garnered quite a level of respect for my team, but a chunk of it has just been chipped away. What a great reminder to me that man will disappoint but God will never disappoint. And I'm reminded that though the tables may turn and seasons may change - one thing that doesn't is the certainty of God and His promises. That's what keeps me optimistic and hopeful.

It's time to plot a new milestone... 

Life's discoveries

“You learn something new everyday” – I love that phrase because life is all about advancing, adding on and enriching every possible facet. Recently the Rangers leaders spent the long weekend at a retreat in Gopeng. One of the activities we did was the DISC profile. It’s been many years since I completed one of those lengthy 5-pager test – if you’ve completed one, you’d understand what I mean (200 questions and counting).

What I found out about my personality was quite intriguing. I was a S-C-D-I. Here's what it means:

Steadiness: Empathetic & Cooperative. These people tend to be team players and are supportive and helpful to others. They prefer being behind the scene, working in consistent and predictable ways. They are often good listeners and avoid change and conflict.

Conscientiousness: Concerned, Cautious & Correct. These people are often focused on details and quality. They plan ahead, constantly check for accuracy, and what to know "how" and "why".

Dominance: To the point, decisive and bottom line oriented. These people tend to be independent and results driven. They are strong-willed people who enjoy challenges, taking action, and immediate results.

Influence: Optimistic and outgoing. They tend to be highly social and out going. They prefer participating on teams, sharing thoughts, and entertaining and energizing others.

What was more startling was that people saw or expected me to be a D-S-I-C profile. Perhaps it has to do with the role(s) I play in the family, ministry & work and the situations that I’m faced with that forced me to raise the bar. I find it interesting that personality does not hinder you from performing tasks, but it determines HOW you perform the task.

While personality tests are just a gauge for various times and seasons, it is never to limit what we can do or are called to do. I do believe that God has created each one of us uniquely and differently in order to perform tasks specific to us and fit into different roles unique to us. He has made us the way we are for reasons we will stand in awe one day and say “Wow God, You are amazing because You knew me right from the very start – way better than I know myself. I am a better person because You have challenged my weaknesses and stretched my capabilities. I am a blessing only because of who You made me to be."

The important thing is to know who we are in Christ. Recently I shared at the Youth church about understanding who they are. I quoted:

“Until we know who we are in Christ, we will never do great things”

...and the only way to do that is to ask the Creator Himself! After all He intricately wove every cell and fiber of ours in our mummy’s womb, meticulously crafted a blueprint of our years on earth and patiently waited until we recognized Him as Maker.

I’m still on the quest of knowing who I am in Christ – learning something new every day! If you’re not already on this journey, I challenge you to embark on it. The discoveries are priceless.

Toothache tales

I absolutely dread toothaches. They are like unpredictable time bombs that just erupt with no warning whatsoever. I was stricken with swollen gums a few days back. As always visits to the dentist is purely agonizing. From the bitter cold of the clinic to the drilling sounds of 'teeth borer' – everything at a dental clinic is unfriendly and hostile to me.

Guess what I was not the only one who shared the same opinion. After my appointment, this middle age guy stared at me blankly as I walked out of the room. His face held a familiar look – the look of fear. His first words to me was not "Hi", instead our conversation snowballed into something like this:

Guy: How was it? Was it painful?
Deb: It's not that painful (only to comfort him). You will be fine.
Guy: Is the dentist gentle?
Deb: Yeah he is (this is true)
Guy: You seem ok
Deb: Nods (Glad I manage to mask my fear. Imagine if I came out all pale, he would have shivered and ran out!)
Guy: I've not been to the dentist for many years. I'm actually scared. (For a middle age man to confess to a stranger that he is scared, that really is something!)
Deb: (Manages a look of comfort) You will be fine. Dentist is nice. Whatever you do, don't move too much even when it is painful!
-end-

Oh I've heard too many horror stories of dental patients. Let's not get into that. For now my gums are healing, swelling has gone down. Terence even bought flowers to brighten my day. The dentist took an x-ray and discovered that both my wisdom teeth were stuck under the gums. Eventually (which means in the near future) I will need to go for surgery to extract the little white rascals. Gives me shudders even thinking about it.

I'm sure I'm not the only person on the planet to go through this. Share your tooth surgery story and provide me some comfort. I'd love to hear about it. Email me or drop me a comment.

Recalling September 11

9/11 as Terence recalls…
Without fail, for the last 7 years - at the same hour... I hear many people asking each other "Hey, do you recall where you were during the Sept 11 incident?"

As for me. Yes, I do, very much. Which is one of the reasons why I’m compelled to write this.

I recall very vividly, the Tuesday of September 11, 2001. It was almost 10pm (Malaysian time) . Somehow I managed to get a glimpse incident unfolding on TV. My first thoughts were “What a really cool movie!”, later I found out that others too shared the same view. But that thought didn’t last for long as my eyes fix on the three red letters ‘C-N-N’ on the TV screen.

The newscaster, Richard Quest (his name entrenched in my memory) said - "Today, will surely be recorded as one of the blackest day for the United States". My mind instantly traveled in rapid speed. Only God could decipher what was going through my mind.

"What's happening? Oh my... Deb! Deb! Oh... “ It triggered what would be a series of worry and turmoil. At that time and very second, Deb was in New York for an internship with Metro Ministries, the largest Sunday School in NYC started by Bill Wilson. Fear gripped me as my mind pranced to comprehend if she was alive or otherwise. My mind just couldn’t register that my best friend (now wife) was in the thick of all this. I tried calling over 10 times but to no avail.

I did not sleep that night. I remember my eyes being swollen from all the tears and constant prayer. The next morning I dragged myself to college, unable to concentrate, I remember staring blankly at the Math lecturer counting down the hours for the lecture to be over. The lecture finally ended and I pulled away from the crowd to attempt another try at reaching Deb in NYC. It failed. Phone lines were cut. I tried again. And again. No avail.
I felt helpless. All I wanted was to hear her voice to know that she's fine and well and of course...alive. But there was no way of getting through.

Finally, at 6pm (Malaysian time) on September 12, I finally got to her. A relief I can only describe in sobs and tears. It’s almost like waiting at the operation theatre or praying for the dead to come alive. The minute I heard her voice, I just broke down.

Till today when we speak about it, not to remember the tragedy but to treasure life even more. Deb tells me that all she could hear when she picked up the phone that morning were sobs and crying. Apparently I had woken her up from bed (6am, NYC time) and she till today it’s her most memorable wake-up call.

It’s been 7 years since. She returned from NYC the Christmas of 2001. It was an unspeakable joy!

Since then we graduated, started our careers and got married.

This is definitely one story we’d tell our children, grand children and hopefully great grandchildren.

I learnt many things out of 9/11. From politics to economics to social standing.
But one of the greatest lessons I learned from this is that unexpected situations elevate you to another level of relationship that transcends time and space. Today I’m married to the same girl I once cried for.

I have no regrets. Period.

9/11 as Deb recalls…
September 11 will always remain significant for me. Not only did Terence’s ‘wake-up call’ jolt me out of sleep, watching the Twin Towers crumble left an indelible mark in my life. CNN has stopped replaying the scenes of the plane hitting the second tower, but images of that unfolding flash across my mind occasionally when I think about September 11.

It was the second day of my internship and we were sitting around a huge meeting table with hot coffee and donuts in for breakfast. Midway through the briefing, we were abruptly interrupted by an urgent request to switch on the TV. We huddled around the box and watched in disbelief. Some gasped, most were silent. “What is happening? Isn’t that our twin towers?” That was the signal when all of us rushed up to the rooftop to see daytime nightmare unfold.

While Brooklyn and the greater NYC is known for its perpetual echoes of sirens and honks, in that moment the city froze to an absolute silence. I often describe it as a silent movie unreeling – not a very pleasant one. I watched the second plane bulldoze into then second tower. The first tower was puffing with smoke and in a matter of seconds the plane was no longer seen leaving the two towers looking like smoking chimneys.

My eyes were fixed on the towers, my mind almost completely blank. While it was silence where I stood, I soon learned that in downtown Manhattan was a complete chaos. In what seem like hours of staring, soon turned into and immediate halt. My heart lodged within me as the unimaginable took place. The tower crumbled down like a sandcastle leaving a cloud of white shiny dust. In that moment I desperately hope that time would turn back because only until then did I realized what had just happened.

The days following 9/11 were a solemn affair. The once pulsating city was in the state of fear. People from all walks of life gathered to console each other; night watches were set up all across the harbour overlooking the fallen towers. People met up in small groups and prayed for hours. Amidst the despair, I felt connected to the people, to New York. Maybe that’s why till this day, NYC has an exclusive place in my heart.

The pictures following are images I've captured, some created and kept to remind me of that season and time in my life.


The World Trade Center prominent from where I was - Battery Park, downtown Manhattan.


Deciding whether or not to go up the World Trade Center for a skyline view of NYC


I'm glad I bought the ticket. This was taken up on the World Trade Center. The view was spectacular. This was approximately a week and a half before 9/11.


Memorials lined the harbour overlooking the fallen towers


God bless America


A page from my scrapbook, dedicated to 9/11. If you look closely the images on the page mirrors those you see on CNN.


Finally, the true heroes of 9/11. Their lives is a testament of courage, hope and strength.

Climbing Gunung Ledang

We’re off again on another outdoor adventure! It’s the long Merdeka weekend and we’re not about to sit on our laurels watching TV all day (boring!) or elbow our way through crowded malls (stressful!) Instead we chose to put our limbs to work by climbing Gunung Ledang (crazy!).

Gunung Ledang stands as the tallest mountain in the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia. It reaches a soaring 4187ft and temperatures at the summit can dip as low as 10c. I’ve made a mental note to bring lots of hot choc sachets and Continental soup! They work like instant tummy warmers!

We’re headed down south to Tangkak, Johor on Friday evening so that we can start climbing at 7am the next day. According to some excerpts found on the net, the climb up to the summit takes approximately 5-6hours. Most people would climb halfway up, stay a night and do the summit and descend the next day. We are hoping against all odds to reach the summit and return to base camp all in a day. That means 10-12 hours of hiking (madness!)

We’ve been hiking Gasing for a month and half to prepare for this. Honestly more training would have been better but our schedule was already sardine pack. Will have to trust that our bodies will rise up to the challenge and conquer the summit. We’re also praying for great weather, no rain and lots of shine.

Till we reach base camp – more stories on Gunung Ledang and the adventurous duo!

Invisible Children

17 August 2008, Sunday – Just as we were about to snug into bed at 11ish, we heard a loud flick. The fan spun to a stop and the entire neighbourhood went pitch black. Our first power cut since we moved in. It was terribly hot and needless to say sleep was impossible. As with all power cuts, the uncertainty of when electricity will come back adds to the discomfort. While tossing and turning and swatting mosquitoes to death, I suddenly remembered a documentary recently watched.



“Invisible Children: Rough Cut” unravels the reality of life in Uganda when night falls. Children wander the streets and wallow in underground basements to escape from brutal killings and kidnaps by rebels who then convert to children soldiers. They live in tremendous fear and a bank of tragic memories having seen their friends, brothers or sisters killed before their very eyes.

As dusk ushers in, these children wrap themselves in tattered blankets and tip toe through the town looking for a safe hiding place. These places are mostly damp basements, underground halls and even hidden rooms next to sewers. They lay their blankets on the ground and then lit their candles to do their homework. Light is minimal and so is space. Sleeping in the dark is a norm and electricity is a luxury.

Back to my power cut experience, I was reminded of how comfortable and thankful I should be instead of wincing in a temporary power cut. While I lay head to rest every night, someone on the other side of the globe is crouched on a wet cold floor nodding to sleep – that is life for them.

Today the 'Invisible Children Inc.' is a movement to bring peace into Africa. From education to feeding to building safe havens, their effort has been inspirational. Founded by three young American filmmakers (who happen to also be the same people who filmed the documentary), their passion has impacted change in Uganda in more ways than one. If three young men can make a difference, so can you and I.

Here’s a snatch from the website under the title “Who We Are”. I hope it inspires you:

“We are storytellers. We are visionaries, humanitarians, artists, and entrepreneurs. We are individuals part of a generation eager for change and willing to pursue it.”

We got cow spots!

I remember a conversation Sarah and Terence had a long time ago on MSN.

Sarah: Eh, Ter choose one. Cow spots or zebra stripes?
Terence: What are you talking about?
Sarah: Just choose one!
Terence: Cow spots.

The conversation was left hanging and Sarah went offline. When Terence told me about the weird chat he had, I knew Sarah was up to something!

We got the answer last weekend. It came in the shape of a beanbag! Sarah and Nat started this neat project back in March 2008, a month before we got married. They finished the last stitch and filled it with beans on Saturday and hand delivered it to our home.

We love it! The beanbag even has our names on it - "Ter love Deb"! The best thing is, the beanbag fits two:) Thank you both for the really neat gift!

Exercising our green thumbs

We adopted a new hobby last weekend. We visited a nursery in Section 17 thinking of buying a plant for my office space. We ended up with 2 packets of soil, fertilizer, brinjal seeds and a pot of daisy.

There's always a first for everything - this was our first try at gardening. I've heard many stories on gardening, Some people can make flowers bloom, others can care for the plant until it produced fruit. But there are also some people who just didn't seem to grow or maintain a plant, it would simple wither even if they followed all the steps. Green thumbs, it's either you have 'em or not. We've yet to find out!


Our pot of daisy, Caring for this plant is fairly simple. Just water it once every 4 days, sprinkle some fertilizer every week and it'll bloom:)

So many seeds to choose from. We decided on brinjal since the uncle said that it's the easiest to plant.

Getting ready to plant. Terence with the brinjal seeds in his hands. They look exactly like cili seeds. It still baffles me how these seeds will soon sprout roots, leaves and (hopefully) brinjals.

The process of sowing the seeds was fairly easy. Mix two kinds of soils and fill the pot 3/4. Water the soil thoroughly then sprinkle the seeds on top. Water again and embed the seeds onto the surface of the soil. That's it! We need to now water the soil every 2 days and soon we'd see green sprouts! Can't wait to see the first glimpses of life. Till then... more green thumbs stories to come.

Healthy start for the day

There’s always something extra to look forward to when we roll out of bed, have devotion with our Maker and get ready for work. It’s the few minutes we spend having breakfast, chatting up random topics and then going off to work.  

Since good habits are hard to come by, we have recently tried to adopt the habit of eating healthy. I’ve often received comments that I’m a health freak or super health conscious – even from Terence! But I guess I’m making my first convert right under my roof! 

I woke up one morning ready for work wondering if I should cut the dragon fruit for breakfast or bowl of cereal. Much to my surprise breakfast was already prepared. Fresh yoghurt, fruits and digestive biscuits make the best combi. We don’t really have a name for it – but I’d decide on “Healthy Trifle”. We got this recipe from Karen Cheng – get the recipe here.

Little routines

We have finally settled into our home. I say 'finally' because the first week and a half we were still getting use to ‘which switch lights up the dining area and which switch turns on the fan”. After we got that figure out, there was the kitchen cabinets to remember what utensils go where. Moving on from the kitchen to bedroom, we had to determine where each piece of clothing should be placed, agree on the ultimate decision on how the bed should be made, pillows put in place, blanket creased at the seams, sheets pulled until creases disappear etc...

Yes, I like the home clean and in order. Sometimes I consciously tell myself to ignore the fact that the magazines are not stacked neatly on top of each other, or that the countertop doesn’t need to be always free of items (after all a countertop is there for the reason of putting stuff on it!).

Of late I added on a little routine after work. I’d get home, drive park my car in the porch and bolt inside to change into “work” clothes (shorts and tee). Wheez out seconds later to the sound of sweeping in the driveway. What lands in the dustpan are red little berries the size of blueberries and lots of tiny leaves.

You see the tree at the entrance of our house go through multiple seasons of fruiting. And when it does, berries drop like snow, filling the driveway with a tapestry of polka dots. The tree really helps shade the house but unfortunately due to her excessive ability to bear fruit, we’d have to trim it this weekend and possibly even snip off much of her branches. We’d try to make the best of decisions and hopefully strike a balance between keeping some greens and dutiful housekeeping.