Woo Hoo! Here I am standing on one of ancient Great walls built by the MIng dynasty around the 14th to 17th Century! A glimpse of their watchtowers!
Do you know ?
Ezekiel lived around 623BC - 570 BC and the Great Wall was first build around 221BC during the Qin dynasty? But the bulk of the current Great Wall that remained standing was built during the MIng dynasty in the 14th -17th century?
The current MIng Great Wall is about 8,800 KM and has over 25,000 watchtowers?
The purpose of such watchtowers was to prevent invasions from the nomadic tribes to the central plain of China?
The solders used “wolf shit or dung” to burn the “wolf fire” on the beacon tower to make a smoke signal to alert the troops the tnt enemy was coming and the battle was about to start? (Only wolf dung and not any other animal dung! Other dung fires diffused but only wolf dung signals could go straight up? Lol)
Background Info:-
Today is Good Friday.
And I was mulling over some thots over Grace. Hyper Grace. The teachings of a particular pulpit preacher from a rather influential church in Red Dot.
Muisings. I love to muse.
MYOB. Mind your own business Accounting software. ( cos I am an accountant trained by profession?!)
Corporate church and the ecclesiastical meaning of “church” and the so called “members” of the church - personal vs corporate level?
This morning I happened to restart a new book in my QT. The book of Ezekiel.
Watchman and Watchtowers came to my mind. Perhaps I am reminded of my recent trip to Beijing. In awe
Of the majestic Great Wall and its “watchtowers”
Interestingly , Ezekiel in chapter wrote about watchman and warnings twice! Not once but twice!
Eze 3:16-19
Eze 33:7-9
“Ez3: 16 At the end of seven days the word of theLordcame to me:17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for[a]their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.”
Reflections
What is a watchman?
Who can be a watchman ?
When should one MYOB and when should one sound the alarm?
Why is the responsibility of a watchman so highly accountable? ( sounds so scary in those verses?!)
Do I want to be a watchdog?
DOG. Spelt backwards? GOD
Nah! I don’t like to be a watch dog.
I rather let God watch over us! Lol!
He is Omnipresent, Omnipotent. Omniscient.
I love to muse. Not to complain about something. Just a concern not to be misinterpreted as complaint? Neither would it be construed as a warning. ? Who am I but a little child of God in His kingdom of that Grace. To save me , a sinner after all.
Good Friday musings. Glad that My Lord came to die for my sins. To save me!
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Hey! Look at this little baby sunbird in the nest! It was watched so carefully by the parents. From afar at the palm trees! Indeed. He is forever watching over us! We are much more precious than this little sunbird! Yeah!
Another 2 more nests at the car porch area!
They love to come to build their nests under the shelters! Lol! Same place. Same time of the year! Hooray!
Yesterday I rec a sad news about the passing of a customer from Gold Coast. He was only 58. Our last meeting was in Dec 2022 where he came to spore to collect some parts from us. He looked good then. Little did we realize that he was diagnosed in june 23 (bowel Ca) and passed on within 9 Mths Thereafter in mar 24 few days ago. 😢
My sympathies to his wife. Like us, no kids. Thinking about love. Couple love. And whatever relationship love we have on earth. Hearts wounded at times due to unkind words spoken to us or at us or with us. But I am reminded of this Mice song this morning. Decided to record it. Perhaps for myself. A reminder of 1 John4:19. We love because He first love us.
Loving others can be a struggle. Especially those who keep on piercing or poking at others. Or for some, silent treatment. No talk. 😂 well love is tough. Just Rem mice love rice. ❤️
Hello! The clock just past 12 mid nite. And guess I am officially 59! Lol
Woke up this morning as usual. Anything changed? Hmm guess not.
John and I had made this practice of not getting each other any more physical BD gifts for some time now. To us, every day is a new Birth Day! Lol. Our presence is present enough. Loved ones well wishes and blessings are more than enough! ❤️ so thanks guys!!!
But this afternoon, something caught my eyes just outside ST Paul’s church. Saw the gardener cutting and throwing these lovely “Purple Sky flowers” into the dumpster! I was kind of shocked. So I jumped out the car as it was red light to “rescue or salvage” them ! Happily I gathered them to bring back to my sis house! Lol! These FREE flowers brought a smile joy ! 😝 they were pretty amethyst! Chatting with my sister, I know they won’t last even in the little case. It is just pure temporal joy! Shall see how long they last?
Not that we don’t celebrate at all. But we do. A little dinner yes. This year we chose a kinky place called “Kinky!l” at Customs House. Cos I wanted the view to behold! Lol. For the first time , it was a view at the marina bay sands in a air con place! Lol. From light to dusk to a beautiful change of lights. Nice ambience indeed.
What was surprising was that the area was pretty crowded for a tue night! Not sure it was due to the Swift after effect? School holidays? Ramadan? But mainly tourists from the accent. 😂
Anyway , thanks to all your well wishes. Come next year will be eligible for the senior transport card! Lol!
Stood and walk a bit on part of the Great Wall. There were altogether 5 diff accessible points. Baidaling site was too near Beijing and so always crowded. Jing Shan point was more far for day trekkers. So we came to Mutianyu point. Fortunately few people!! It was 70km from Beijing. Quite a view and awe of this MIng built wall. Not the Qin one. And it is not true that this GW can be seen from the moon hor.
Crossing over this rugged mountain to see one of the 13 MIng emperor tombs was quite an eye opener. Yongle emperor was tombed at Changlin. Love the replica of this FC great harmony hall here. Cos we can “step inside” cos we were not able to do that in Beijing site.
Night ended with the piano musical in a modern suburb in Ring 4-5 area. We Didi back to ring 2 hotel that nite. Cab fare is cheap. Rmb37 for quite a distance!
We stayed in this courtyard boutique hotel Manxing near Shichahai when we came back from ski.Just to experience their courtyard !
So there goes the 10 day Beijing ! Food here is better than Xian! 😂
Summary - Beijing is the political, capital, cultural city. Good to go Xian first for their longer history. Cos most buildings in Beijing only in 1300Ad onwards. From MIng to Qing and ROC then PROC! Need a good guide like Kai to explain yes !
After watching Xiao Zhan’s recent drama Dreams or memories where the filming was done at this skating lake at Shichahai back lake- dying to see this place and the Hutong here which is commercialized.
Rickshaw led us to Puxi’s dad residence and also Sun Zhong san home. Lake was half frozen and half melted now since tail end of winter!
Bird nest stadium was huge !
Summer palace - the sad tale of cixi and that emperor!
Acrobat show was an ouch to see them contort and balance
Trying out their Winter Olympics standard ski place. Pretty good. Fortunately we still had a day of snow and a day of sun! Heng! Best of all- can still ski after 5 years of missing it? 😂 and john tried snowboarding again! Paid for another course on day 2! And that guy accompanied me to the top to ski Down. (Else I might not hv gone alone) well it was an interesting lost swop of a ski at the top! Glad the ski boots fit and I still managed to ski safely for that! 😅
First day was the Tiananmen walk to Forbidden city. How glad we came in feb ! Cos from March onwards this place is CLOSED for 2 weeks for their National congress! Heng!
Beijing is built on circles of rings from 1-6
A city of 16k Sq Km vs red dot of only 780sq km!
Their road outside Forbidden City where Mao photo stood is already 100km straight long from East to West!