youying is a button-nosed angel! :)

We went over to the playground opposite the church after BS and while munching on tapioca chips, we shared... about friends and studies and loads of other random topics. though i haven't really gotten the answers i was looking for to my problems, just saying it out made it all much more easy to bear. at least i don't feel so alone now. thanks yozz!

then there was this little boy who was climbing all over the playground. yozz and i were 'playing' with him. he would peep through the bars and the minute we looked at him and smiled, he would squeal and hide back behind the slide. then when he slid down the tunnel slide, we grinned at him as he emerged at the end, he squealed again and scurried back up! haha.

today has been great! really. thank god for the friends he sends to me...
hope next week would be bearable since i would be missing lots of lessons and test due to competitions! :(

- P E R F E C T I O N -

The Miracle of a Brother's Song
Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way,she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling.
They found out that the new baby was going be a girl, and day after day,night after night, Michael sang to his sister in Mommy's tummy.
He was building a bond of love with his Little sister before he even met her. The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen. In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every five minutes, every three, every minute. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of labor. Would a C-section be required?
Finally, after a long struggle, Michael's little sister was born.But she was in very serious condition. With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St.Mary's Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee. The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatrician had to tell the parents there is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst. Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their house for their new baby but now they found themselves having to plan for a funeral.
Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. I want to sing to her, he kept saying. Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over. Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen decided to take Michael whether they liked it or not.
If he didn't see his sister right then, he may never see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket. The head nurse recognized him as a child and hellowed, "Get that kid out of here now. No children are allowed."
The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line.
"He is not leaving until he sings to his sister" she stated. Then Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. After a moment, he began to sing. In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me " happy when skies are gray." Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond.
The pulse rate began to calm down and become steady. "Keep on singing Michael," encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes. "You never know, dear, How much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away."
As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr. "Keep on singing, sweetheart."
"The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms". Michael's little sister began to relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her.
"Keep on singing, Michael." Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't take my sunshine away..." The next, day...the very next day...the little girl was well enough to go home. Woman's Day Magazine called it The Miracle of a Brother's Song. The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God's love.
NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE. LOVE IS SO INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.
Life is good.

- P E R F E C T I O N -

"The Piano"

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took the small boy to a Paderewski concert.After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her.Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE."When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that her son was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage.

In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit." "Keep playing."Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato.Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience.The audience was mesmerized.

That's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, butthe results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But with the hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful.Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands are playing theconcerto of your life.

i love to listen to the piano.

- P E R F E C T I O N -

yesterday was real enjoyable! i was sitting down reading my book [which made dora call me a bookworm :p] when siew boon came and sat down beside me. then she asked me if i was a christian and i said yes and this started a wonderful conversation of should i say sharing between us!

SB:I go to church and jump jump sing sing and cry cry! like waterfall like that!
S: lol and *grins madly*
SB: there was a 78 year old lady who got baptised spiritually at the back when we were jumping in front! she was like [ reaches hands out to demostrate] ... then i cried!
S: wow...
SB & S: it so amazing right!!! yesyesyes!!

and this went on for quite some time. it really is a joy to share amazing and really comforting blessings with sisters and brothers in christ! a friendship centered at God is really great!! loves!
this sharing of this aspect of our lives really reminded me of God's grace and mercy and blessings! especially since my whole week is really quite packed and i still haven't found time to do quiet time yet, this sharing did a whole lot of good to me!

the week has and is going to be crazy!

monday: leader's invest + badminton
tuesday: leader's invest + CIP
wednesday: badminton + tuition
thursday: lessons + stuff
friday: leader's invest + badminton

oh no!! i seriously need to talk to siew boon more! :)))

God's princess [sarah]

- P E R F E C T I O N -

a darling friend sent me this email quite some time ago and i read it, felt it and then cast it aside. now i see it again on clar's blog and i started to tear..

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She was still groggy from surgery.Her husband, David, held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news.That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forcedDiana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing.At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound nine ounces,they already knew she was perilously premature.Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs."I don't think she's going to make it," he said, as kindly as he could."There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one."Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived.She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.

"No! No!" was all Diana could say.She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away.But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana.Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw', the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger.But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there.At last, when Dana turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a littlegirl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing.As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent.

Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked,"Do you smell that?"Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain."Dana closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?"Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain."Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced,"No, it smells like Him.It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest."Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children.Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along.During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

it really reassures me that God will always be there to hold me and love me even thru' the toughest and hardest and loneliest times in my life. a mere 16 year old couldn't possibly experience so much to really realise how much God means but the few times that i have felt as if all my friends have deserted me, God was there to provide and care for me. God will never leave me nor forsake me. the feeling is one of the most conforting silence and security.

iloveyou jesus.. more than anything

- P E R F E C T I O N -

-frowns-
oh man.. i don't like this at all..
i just don't understand how someone can be so at ease and happy with herself. i can't seem to be able to achieve that.. i really want to but its really difficult. just today, someone said something and that immediately made me doubt my actions and the way i portray myself. i don't think she meant anything deliberately but nevertheless, it did affect me. its tough and pretty impossible to be so happy with oneself that you don't mind what others say. at all.

yet on the other hand, i know that im special just the way i am and the most important person in my life, God, loves me for me. its perfectly normal and acceptable for me to have personal worries and troubles. so why do i feel so insecure??

you know. i read my friends blog and they seem so happy and contented with their lives, each day filled with meaning and purpose. friends keep them company like forever. and smiles are no fewer than the most you can count. does this mean that they have no tears and frowns in their lives?? i don't think so. everyone has her fair share of problems up and down and its just the different way we approach them that determines the outcome and emotions that dawn upon us.

oh yayness!! penning down my thoughts have surely helped me realise the 'solution' to my problem with myself! before this, i asked God why it was that i felt so troubled and worried and i believe that God wrapped his arms and provided me with that security to take away that li'l uneasiness. thank you God!

now at least i'm happier.

- P E R F E C T I O N -

it's my birthday!
then why is it i don't feel as happy as i should be...

it was a really meaningful way of spending this special day. relaxing at East Coast beach with bev then scrumptious lunching with dearest clarice & charlena!

arranged to meet bev at marine parade macs at 10:30. while waiting, i decided to be kiddish and sat with Mr. Ronald Macdonald on the bench! the addictive wind plus Mr. Macdonald made me feel so happy today was my birthday! we went to buy apple strudel before heading to the beach. by the time we reached, it was pretty hot and so we decided to eat our tempting strudel first. the first bite was gorgeous!! the cool cream and apple bits oozzed out and filled our mouths. yumyum! after that we wrote a birthday wish for me in the sand and took loads of memorable pictures! the first time i celebrated my birthday at the beach! [ my ultimate favourite place]char
thanks bev!

lunching with clar and char was awesome! after soo duperly long, i finally met sis again!! we ate at Delifrance and took ages to pick our dishes. by the time we were ready to order, menus were strewn all across the table. but i thought that looked artistic! heh. char order some beef curry with a ball ball bread and clar was feeling all symphathetic for the poor pig! clarice! haha.
shared about our experiences with guys.. memories of primary school.. pro and cons of being in a mixed school.. valentines' day.. i don't really care about the random topics we talked about but i sure miss these times that we get together to just hang out and shared stuff.. thank you so much my dearest sis and sis's bro! it really means so so much to me.

its times that i spend with my friends that makes everythings seem much more special than they actually are. thank you so much.. for making my birthday a real sweet sixteen.

oh! gervais! sent me an birthday greeting via email fom overseas!! thanks for remembering. it sincerely made me happy. =)

love!

- P E R F E C T I O N -

great day spent with clarice!

got to thank God for the awesome time invested in our friendship cos' my mum was a li'l apprehensive bout letting me go and study together. thank you!

we went to macs to study or should i say do our heaps of homework. bleahh. then since she didn't bring her jacket and it was freezing inside, she borrowed mine and then lent it back. heh. i bought 3 hashbrowns!! yummy! crispy outside and soft/chewy inside! clar got hotcakes which i ate for the first time in my entire life! i was spreading that dollar-look-alike butter on my hotcake and we both agreed that it looked like cheese, in the good way of course. smooth, creamy and mmm..

oh! and we gave Mdm Yeo a 'Thank You' GEMS card! she was so enthusiastic about serving her every customer. cute!

it got so cold that we decided to go to the CC and i was squealing across the road! credit goes to clar for leaving me behind. some people just don't know when to quit. the uncles in the CC were literally taking turns to come out and 'choke' us to death. second-hand smokers have a higher risk of getting... i don't know what but its bad!! then after they kept on coming. i got so upset i got up and i think clar got shocked. a little. did you, clar?? then we went back to macs.

finished up. then we walked around heartlandmall 'sensibly' from 3:15 - 4:15. clar got her tution time mixed up. it was supposed to be 5:15. that silly girl! so we had to go to macs and eat an apple pie. deliberately trying to seem busy by talking to hazie on the speaker phone till 4:45. hilarious! we got to get together more often and bond hazie cos' you make me laugh!

it was a really fun day minus all the e maths question which clar and i didn't know how to do! its times like these that we spend with each other that make life seem a little more enjoyable :))

no more homework, at least for tomorrow. yayness!!!

ciao!

- P E R F E C T I O N -

colours fill me with:

white- appreciation for colours. heh.
red- immense contentment
yellow- smiley faces
orange- pleasant laughter
blue- much needed serenity
purple- patience
pink- girly ambitions
green- comfortable silence
silver- glittery desires
twinkles- shiny dancing!

black- uncomfortable headaches
grey & murky brown- bleah

my first random post!

may your life be filled with the many colours that God put there to help you grow.
stronger.
braver.
and happier.

ciao li'l angels!

- P E R F E C T I O N -