20250114 Tree Cabling & Bracing Lessons

A walk to Evans Foodcourt after the 3 days of rain! 

The NE monsoon came with a vengeance in the beginning of 2025. Temperature went below 24 degrees because it rained incessantly for 3 days. 

Today 14/1/25 ,finally the sun peeped behind the clouds this morning. A rainbow was also captured by a friend ! From Toa Payoh!

Reflections:

I was fascinated by the cable ties and the poles as I saw the trees this morning !

The concept of trees cabling ( flexible ties) and bracing ( solid poles) to stabalise the growing trees reminded me of “Reliance”.

Spiritually, all of us need to rely or lean on someone for support. The best support is found in our Lord Jesus Christ. People can fail us. But not our Heavenly Father from  above.

Besides this, our spiritual growth too needs cabling and bracing at times. Without them, we may be go slanted! Especially when we are young believers. However as we age, we may at times experience some fractures  or weakness due to sickness. Hence we still need the support. Who is this provider of the strong support? Jesus Christ - is still that still support. To straighten us to grow upright!

Proverbs 4:11 I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straightpaths.

Thank God for cabling and bracing in the trees we see. 

May we become like the trees of righteousness planted by the waters, growing up , being fruitful in all that we do & glorifying our Lord. Amen 

20250110- A new 2025 snow reflection start!

The start of 2025! a snow reflection!

It happened that I heard this Chinese song “The sound of snow falling “ this week sung by a table tennis friend that I decided to sing it out myself!

This song was popularized by the 2018 The Story of Yanxi Palace $45million Chinese drama. The lyrics

And melody were awesome. 

As I was pondering over this song, I just realized that I did not or had not given much thought over if we can actually hear the sound of falling snow! LOL! 

I can hear rains sounds yes! But snow? Light and fluffy - got sound meh? Well it does have sounds! Surprisingly  ! 

I am a hot bodied person. So I love the cold. Oh yes! I love snowwweeee ! I recalled trying my first ski in 1998 in Muju South Korea? It took John and I hours coming down a simple gradual green slope! The body and the legs ached so much the next day!

But having mastered this art of skiing, we had overcome the fears of this downhill skiing. Such that our holidays were usually ski trips following 1998 first ski experience. Practice makes perfect- not that I am a good skier now , but handling the intermediate blue slopes is no longer an issue now. 

I love snow. I love to see snowflakes. I love to play in the snow. I love the sight of the majestic snow covered mountains. I love snow flurries. 

So this is the beginning a a new year 2025. 

And yes , snow has lots of spiritual significance meanings too. So here goes my little snow video reflection. Like my first skiing , I first started journaling in 1998. Something that I learned from YWAM (Youth with a Mission). The art of mind processing as we learn to slow down and pen our reflections. I started with a yearly physical journal but migrated to a Blog in 2010. Inspired by a missionary to India, this blog name “As a Hen Gathers “ Matt 23:37 was birthed in 2010. On the clouds now I walked with my Father. 

Snow- Purity , Hope & Renewal change of seasons. 2025 Here I come!

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20250101- KL revisited 4D3N!

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 On top of Vertigo again for the opening New Year 2025!

Yong Peng

Finished out PB @ Hyprground!

My favourite tennis player  of all time ! yah!

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We drove up to KL on 1/1/25 and back on 4/1/25

It was the cheapest accommodation ever had!

With good central location. Between Twin Towers  and Pavillon!

So this was the New 2025 Note with a start in KL!

With rainbow sighted on 31/12/24, what an awesome timing!

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Video by KP:

Video of the 4D3N KL Escape 2025 by Mui:-

Reflection :-

A good safe journey into the new year with good fellowship and pickleball exercise!

20241231 A rainbow for 2024!

The rainbow 🌈 caught on 31/12/24@ 7:07pm

Johor Bahru

And I did some makeover to their small room on 30/12/24!

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The rainbow video!

 

20241227 Beacon Crossover to 2025

Love this song “Beacon “ by Xiao Zhan

Symbol of Hope!

The significance of Light. 

Lighthouse. 

Beacon of Light 

 

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Coming to the end of 2024 in 3 days

The last Emerald Lake walk this morning on 27/12/24!

An expression in slow motion!

Walk. Jump. Hop.

Hope into 2025!

By His Light!

Amen!

20241220- Fish family -JB Kart/Golf & Pool

This is one of the super speed JB staycation ever

Hosted!

And it was my first time playing POOL!

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Video of Joy!

 

 

20241213 In my Life ( Beatles)!

Reflections of a year coming to an end for 2024!

On 8/12/24 Damascus was liberated after more than 50 years of the father & son Assad tyranny rule.  And revelation of the prisons and torture came to light. 

All of a sudden , Syria (population of 18mio) became a limelight in the news. 

Wars and rumors of wars had been ongoing for thousands of years. So late John Lennon wrote a song “Happy Christmas War is over” in 1971. But wars never end, did they?

Late John Lennon wrote another song “In my life” released in 1965 the year I was born.  60 years passed me by and was musing over this song and doing a little study on Damascus- the capital of Syria which was just liberated. 

Do you know?

1. Damascus is one of the world’s oldest cities?

2. ⁠It is only about 350km NE of Jerusalem, another contentious city?

3. ⁠Saul who became Paul ,was blinded on his way to Damascus? And Paul who was a persecuter of Christians became a staunch disciples of Jesus in Damascus after his sight was restored by Ananias? (Acts 9)A total 180 degrees change!

4. ⁠Damascus was first mentioned in Genesis15 when Abraham rescued Lot from those Mesopotamian kings? And Abraham’s chief servant was from Damascus?

5. ⁠Naaman, a Syrian commander was healed of his leprosy by Elisha ?

6. ⁠That the 2 rivers in Damascus called Abana and Pharpar was mentioned by Naaman in 2 Kings 5:12 as he compared them to River Jordan in his fury of his river dip as ordered for his healing?

7. Syria and Israel had been at war since historical time ? 😂 

So I was watching the epochal Damascus events that happened on 8/12/24. 

Watching a video of this man who exclaimed “My God there is light” after he walked out of that horrible prison due to forced detention by the Assad regime was rather touching. 

Wars are never fun. Imagine more than 600,000 had died in this Syrian civil war. The disposed President Assad and his First Lady British wife looked so handsome and pretty together. But guess that is just the cover of a book. Cannot imagine those atrocities under their leadership. Now gone. Hopefully never to return. 

Well, another 10 over days more to Christmas 2024. Unfortunately, wars and conflicts will continue. The hope lies in  the birth of Jesus Christ. He is the Light of the world. He is the Hope.  If he could turn Saul to a new Paul , perhaps there is hope for the new leader who was once labled as terrorist to also change and move the war torn country forward.  Many are still skeptical based on past Libya experience. Well well, only God knows in the days to come. 

Musings over the coming end of 2024. In my life reflections for the cross over …. 😂

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My little “In my Life”