With a heart of gratitude ...

I just spoke on Having a heart of gratitude last Sunday. So I best give my thanks for the end of 2008! To say it's been a smooth year is .. welll... a hoot .. but to say it has'nt been a good year would be ungrateful ! So here goes...

Thank you my Ladies for reading through the bible with me . For supporting and cheering me on when I wanted to skip a morning and just be lazy and have some " me time "

Thank you Pat for all the hugs. For faith and kindness too..

Thank you Jen for " walking " days with me and always knowing when to pop up on MSN.

Thank you the young people who in their naivety have kept me from being jaded and old before my time.

Thank you my one and only family in Klang , Irene and Ronnie who remind me that sometimes despite the lack of blood ties..a deeper love can carry us through.

Thank you Jeff and the kids for reminding me how much I am needed and loved by you

Thank you troubles. challenges and difficult people, from you I learnt to count my blessings. It was you who kept me up at night, it was fear that challenged me to overcome. It was bitter people who made friendship sweet and my heart swell with joy that I dont have to wake up to envy, jealousy and hate. For all the lows I encountered this year.. The Lord changed my sorrows into joy..all the more sweet because of the pain. Thank you Lord.

Christmas at the Spring

I have been missing in action for a while and I apologise.. but it has been a very eventful month . Our church organised an event at our local mall where we brought our worship , our singers, our dancers , our band to celebrate Jesus at the Spring Mall in Kuching!

It was a month of character building, determination, courage and as tempraments flared.. it taught us what it really means to keep our hearts right in Christ and bearing the fruits of His holy spirit. I worked with the Youth in our church and I must say I am awfully proud at the way different ones rose to occassion and with big hearts and courage they really took their tasks with great responsibility and determination to produce excellence. I paid I dont know what amount of money for Michelle to ferry kids up and down from daily practices and late night suppers.. secretly glad and willing to pay for the privilege of not having to do it myself !


To Keith my son, I salute you, who despite his insecurities at the drums rose to outdo even his own expectations and in the process breaking one drum set and a pair of drum sticks ! You do your "teacher mentor " James proud I am sure. To my girls Michelle, Karen, Katrina, Rachel, Lydia and Megs for singing in public when only a few months ago they would barely squeak in church ! I appluad you. To Andrea and Amanda who took on the lead and bass guitars like rock stars !

Andrea on lead, Howard on Acoustic and Amanda on bass..cool man!

Katrina, Rachel, Michelle, Lydia and Karen

Amazing..... Grace

Soulful Megan on the keyboards singing in Public !!!!!!

To Ariel and gang .. fiercely determined to bring a new sound and look to Hip-Hop with their original dance creation Their numerous practices, hiccups, personality clashes and ultimate triumph..I take my hat off to you!

Ariel Lo and Team mates, Ivory, Lydia, Lysandra, Ah foong, Joannda, Amanda praying before they perform

To Rachel and her Va Va Voom Latin dancers... who knew Latin could be so Christian cool? Cheers Rach and team for putting on a wonderful show despite the storms and troubles you went through.. one couple down and this girl still got her team to hold together! Bravo !

Rachel and Darren, Michelle and Choon Ho, Shirly and August ??? where is he ??? Karen and Howard.. and our friend Nickson !!!

To our dear Julius who wowed the crowds with his gang of Yo yo spinners! Thank You !

Our excellent Youth Crew who transported all the equipment and managed the sound and were everywhere at all times Thank You !

It was a Christmas I will remember for a long time ......Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am so glad you gave...

Feelings and emotional tatoos..

So I broke the rules of blogging and disappeared for a while.. I have been up to my eyeballs in rehearsals and practises and whatnot for a church thing at a Mall for Christmas. And before I know it.. it's 44 days and counting down!

I read a friend's blog the other day where she talked about different people, their attitudes and stuff.. I've had a very intense two weeks of doing just that.. We have this Christmas outreach at Spring. Different kids are in charge of different things and it's been an interesting week to watch how young people manage their own.

I've had two young people tell me vague stories about how they 'feel' they cant contribute, lot's of pressured arguments and a strange uneasiness that comes when everyone feels they should be getting along but are not. It's interesting this thing called "feelings" .. it seems to be the foundation which every youth live by.. unfortunately feelings change everyday. What happens today can affect your behavior unfortunately feelings of anger, dislike, frustration dont always last forever. So when you react to those feelings based solely on emotions and not thought, you have an emotional tattoo... it's printed and done and even if you try to erase it .. it's nearly impossible to get rid of..so perhaps we should think more, say less.. react later.