20210219_Alpha Revisited....Is there more than life to this? Kiss The Rain....

Welcome to Alpha 2021...in COOS

More than 19 years later...on 19/2/21!

I did my first Alpha way back in early 2000s.  Then as facilitators for another 2 -3 rounds.

Helped to do a abridge version of "Jesus Only Way" which was for 5 weeks instead of the 12 weeks Alpha.

Attending this was really a refresher for me this time as I accompanied a friend to this new workshop.  The videos had changed.  some of the topics too.  But I guess the message is still the same.

The first session on 19/2/21 was "Is there more than life to this?"

What a good question to ponder to a new start of the lunar new year of the OX!

The video reminded me of the time when I was in my early 20s when I just started work after graduation from the university.  It was the beginning of my own search for the meaning of life back in 1987/88.  Yes, while I was so thankful to land myself a job as a credit officer in a financial institution, I sank into the routine of "work-sleep- eat- wakeup- eat-work - eat- sleep..." mundane cycle of a person earning her keep and being proud to help to contribute to my parents' family upkeep. 

Yes, that year prompted my start of my search " Is there more than life to this?" Muahaha!

Well, it was during this first job of mine that some of my prayers were answered surprisingly.  I wasn't a believer back then.  Yet I did pray to Jesus one fine night due to one of the credit cases that bothered me.  Jesus answered the next morning!  So I thought to myself " HMM...WOW" WOW! WOW! Really? Really?!

Some months down the road, I followed my brother to his church.  And the rest was HISTORY! HIS-Story about Mui mui mui.....He found me and I was found by HIM! Jesus became the author and perfecter of mui's little journey of faith.

Was it kind of "blind" faith?  Trusting and believing in someone called Jesus Christ? Why Him and not Guanyin or Prophet Mohd or Gautama? No.  I think the faith was not at all blind.  I did seek about the reason for my being here on earth.  I did read up about the rest of the other faiths.  In the end, coupled with my own experience of answered prayers, I knew deep in my heart - there is no other perfect man other than Jesus who came on earth to die for my sins so that I can live an abundant life here while on earth.  Before I get my permanent citizenship in heaven according to His timing, I obtained my VISA to heaven! Approved and stamped by the King of the Nations - Jesus Christ Himself! Oh Yeah !

God Is Love

Have you experienced "Love at First Sight or that little tug in your beating heart?"

Have you ever fall in love with someone? or being infatuated with that person?

My quest for the meaning of life led me to this awesome relationship with Jesus.

I had no regrets.

The New testament of the bible was my first getting to know Him in those letters penned by several of His disciples.  Kind of love letters.

God is Music Maker

God Created music in just 7 notes.  I love music.  And I learned the keyboard only in my 40s and 50s.  Late student.  But I am happy with Covid 19 lockdown as I took up this life time PIANO LESSONS with this young man by the name of Zach Evans.  Under his video and methodlogy, I managed to syn my both hands in playing FINALLY!  I did improve.

Here is my latest learning piece - Part 1 of "KISS THE RAIN" by Yiruma (Korean-British)  A classical piece composed by him in 2003.  It is one of his famous pieces.  Awesome music.

"I hope that my music doesn't separate from your lives.  Instead I want it to be with you always, as if it 's the background music to your lives" - Yiruma

Let us grow in tune to Jesus - the music maker of our life!

Our life with Him as the Great Composer, our lives will be filled with 

 - the different melody - tones of high and low notes, sharps and flats

- the different dynamics of crescendos and forte

- the different rhythms (beats and tempo or sycopation)

- the harmony of chords and progressions

- the texture

- the timbre...

(our lives will never be static.  It will be filled with joys, sorrows, ups and downs, highs and lows.  There will be a season for everything under the sun.  Embrace Life with Him)

Music is sound and silence.

In the beginning, it was God who spoke into the very existence of life.

So rightly quoted by Yiruma, let us not separate the love of our creator God and us. 

Acts 17:28 " For in him we live and move and have our being"

AMEN!

Next time, when you see the falling rain....

Go and Kiss the Rain!

Enjoy!

 

20210207_ ORION spotted again & A "PERFECT" violinist Grand niece with Mui's keyboard!

 

Ha Ha Ha...These are not Orions...they are my pineapple fillings!

Unfortunately, they just looked good.

The crust was a bit HARD! LOL!

Here is the awesome ORION time-lapse captured by a friend!

What an AWESOME Orion!

Was at the pool swimming and star gazing...

Then I saw Orion on 7/2/21 so clearly on the PERFECT clear sky!

It was kind of almost PERFECT...that I remembered enjoying  this "Perfect" piece with my grand-niece on an impromptu duet the day before!

And then , shortly after this performance.....my keyboard died on me for the G key ...

Missing a key makes the music sounds weird!

Not sure if you had this experience before?

Guess, it really reminded me of a PERFECT Creator God who knows...

He never misses a single key...

The 7 perfect keys He made to create a symphony...

and the 7 stars that made up ORION as in Amos 5:8

Oh what a awesome sound and sight to behold!

THank you LORD! You are the AMAZING Lord of the Heaven & Earth!

20210129& 20210204_A Labrador Walk!

 

A beautiful slow walk from Labrador Park to Keppel at Marina on 29 Jan and 4 Feb 2021

It Was such a good experience that the following week we took my siblings and a friend for this same walk!

The only difference? We started a bit earlier and had dinner at Prive@ Marina before heading home!

Saw these 2 cute little clouds.............

So here goes for the sceneries on 4/2/21.....

PRE-CNY Celebration WALK CUM DINNER!

20210125 I WILL SING - mui's keyboard piece! Ps 89

 

Photo taken on 23/1/21...biking past Haw Par Villa

In gratitude to YWHW...18 years on....

Psalm 89:1-4

Your Love, God, is my song,

and I'll sing it!

I'll never quit telling of the story of your love-

how you built the cosmos and everything in it

Psalm 104:33

Oh Let me sing to God, all my life long,

sing hymss to my God as long as I live!

Oh let my song please him,

I'm so pleased to be singing to God!

In 2003, I sang this "I will sing" by Don Moen almost everyday throughout the 33 times of radiation days  that hubby had to undergo. 

Never did I imagine that 18 years later...

I CAN PLAY this song on the KEYBOARD! YEAH!

This song helped me through one of the darkest moments in my life. TQ Lord.

Lord, You seem so far away A million miles or more, it feels today And though I haven't lost my faith I must confess right now That it's hard for me to pray But I don't know what to say And I don't know where to start But as You give the grace With all that's in my heart

I will sing, yes, I will praise, even in my darkest hour Through the sorrow and the pain I will sing, I will praise, lift my hands to honor You Because Your word is true, I will sing

Lord it's hard for me to see all the thoughts And plans You have for me, yes it is But I will put my trust in You Lord we made Your die to set me free Oh thank God You did But I don't know what to say And I don't know where to start But as you give the grace With all that's in my heart

20210123_NUS_Haw Par Biking Down Memory Lane of Raffles Hall

23 Jan 2021 Biking Back to NUS....37 years later...

23/1/2021 Decided to take the bike out from 10am!

Rode to Star Vista, into NUH...into NUS! Revisited the old university grounds!

Overlooking Sheares Hall!

The Good old Central Library! Where I mugged! Red spot books!

Below the Central Library..The Forum!

Where the Jams and dancing floor used to be with the disco lights!

Accountancy Faculty was just next the the Arts & Social Sciences..

Rode into Pasir Panjang Road....Into Haw Par Villa...

Into the Pepsy Road to Bukit Chandu!

Back into Hort Park Alexandra PCN to home!

Leg cramps!

Ouch

Home at 1:50pm

24 km!

20210108- ECC 3 To Everything there is a Season : Walking down Memory Lane of Hall of Balls

Walking down Memory Lane of Hall of Balls

The wise King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiates 3:1

 "To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven"

So came this very first week into the new year of 2021, I decided to look back into my memory lane of the ball games that had "evolved" over the last 17 years!

Wrote this poem reflecting how time passed in a twinkle of an eye

and how the rackets, paddles and balls got SMALLER as years passed by.

There is a time for every activity under the sun

I am greatly inspired to play on beyond 2020 with more fun!

From the 30s to the 40s to the 50s

From the big tennis racket to the medium pickleball and a smaller ping pong paddle

Enter 2021 despite the COVID19 and the smaller number of players we had to settle

I vow to continue to be yellow or white ball chaser

To keep myself healthy-together with all the fellow ball pacers!

The year 2004 while in my 30s was the kick start of the tennis sports

Many wondered why I went to such a court?

Simply because of a rude awakening of a critical illness that my beloved got.

Young men and women we hosted learnt this great outdoor tennis sport

Years went by and one by one each marriages were sealed on the court

Thereafter many ball boys and girls in subsequent years came on board.

Chasing this yellow ball went on and on for more than ten score two

Then came 2017, the tennis was brought to the table too 

So added to this little yellow ball was a another smaller white one too! So cool!

As time went by in 2019, the almost retirement age of 55 soon arrived

A new found sports called the Pickleball was discovered by surprise!

From young players in a bigger court to that of older ones in smaller court

The tik and tok & ping and pong of the sounds of balls still fiercely fought

Who would have imagined that the 60s, 70s 80s and and even a 90 year old can still sport?

Oh what an inspiration to me as I watched the oldies -some hobbled, some still jog

And what great joy to see them serve-  as a reminder that age is just a number and 

"Nothing is impossible" with God.

Yeah Yeah Yeah!

Stay Healthy!

Keep the Sports!

Be actively Engage in whatever sorts!

Tennis!

Outdoor Pickleball at Tanglin Halt

Farewell Ping Pong with Zhu on 6/1/21

20210104_ Walking in the Sunshine! Yeah !

The gift of a new hat for 2021 from sister in law!

And yeah! 4/1/21 - Finally the 2-day incessant rain stopped today!

Background:

Oh what a wet new year 2021! It rained and rained for over 2 days!

Flooded many areas in Red Dot.

Caused landslides in several areas.

Uprooted our Heritage tree at Fort Canning!

So heard this very old 1986 chinese song over the FM radio 95.8 2 days ago.

Thought it was so appropriate to learn this song again!

So with my keyboard, guitar and my bottle of green beans....

I did this jolly happy song recording!

走在阳光里

作词：赵晓君

作曲：陈复明

走在阳光里  身边有个你　你说　好喜欢  这样的天气  能在一起

写在日记里  心里好想你　如果　下著雨  也要等着你　喔～喔～

曾经  一切不在意  的阳光和小雨　为什么不能  再继续美丽

阳光和小雨  都再也不熟悉　只是一张张  飘落的日历

走在阳光里　走在小雨里　偶然　我会想起  从前的天气

Reflections:

I love the cool weather. 22 degrees is great!

But it rained so hard that I had to stay indoors!

After those 2 days - finally I missed the sunshine!!!!

Enough of the raindrops? U Bet! LOL !

Longing to see a rainbow ? LOL

Singing this happy sunshine and rain song reminded me of those worship songs i sang in the past!

The Son Shines indeed! 

It is good to praise the Lord!

Remembering Matt 28. 3 days after Jesus Crucifixion, He met the disciples in Galilee 

V20 " I'll be with you as you do this, day after day, right to the end of age"

What an awesome promise!

走在阳光里  身边有个你

如果　下著雨  也要等着你