WOWO! This is how Freckles sounds like when she barks in excitement when playing with Orli. It got annoying tonight as I tapped furiously away at my keyboard finishing up my paper. I repeatedly disciplined her, when I finally told her off, "Freckles, STOP barking! Don’t you understand English!!" HAHAHA! Obviously she doesn’t! Occupational hazard! Mine, that is.

In the last 13 weeks I probably turned on the TV like a maximum of 5 times, and out of those times, probably about 2 times I actually sat down and watched a proper program. So much pollution coming through the set: secular views of women, men, teens, marriage.

terry thinks teri should just stick to her car

Bits and Pieces From Covenant bulletin by Ps Kay Kiong

Complete Powerup

For Difficult Circumstances

Steadfastness and endurance means to remain unsuccumbed under difficulties. This has to do with the battle of the mind and belief system rather than persecution and pain. Ignorance is the mother not of devotion but heresy.

Conclusion

We live in an age where we can be unprepared and untrained; indifferent and ungrateful. We forget His redemptive purpose that we might WALK WORTHY of Him. To bear fruit, to know Him, to be strengthened and giving thanks.

I sustained a very bad road rash some 2 weeks ago. Blacked out from the pain. It’s healing nicely now with the care I gave it. Plus anti-biotics from the doc.

The process of tending to the wound didn’t come without pain: cleaning the wound, applying the cream, dressing the wound every other day, exposing it to more pain as I peeled and pasted the dressing over the wound. I had to sacrifice my exercise, not being able to sit comfortably without feeling the acute pain, not being able to walk normally. Felt so incapiciated. I needed to keep the wound dry and out of the sun to speed up healing and minimise scarring. Did it make me fear rollerblading again? Nope. Not at all. It taught me, though, a great lesson in HOW NOT to fall: the precautions I need to take if I still want to continue with the sports. I probably should wear crash pad but I don’t want to look like a Ninja Turtle!

Don’t mistake the pain for suffering. Healing process hurts. The pain is the bad news. The good news is I was healing and am healed. It just takes time lots of common-sense care. Meanwhile the anti-biotic medicine did the job I alone couldn’t do inside my body.

Meanwhile I was facing the frustration of not being able to function normally. Couldn’t sit and get up without feeling the wound being opened. Some days I forgot about the wound and would plan to exercise. It annoyed me majorly to remember I couldn’t, especially on days when I needed to let some steam off. Some parts of wound were superficial cuts while another part the skin was broken to expose the raw flesh. Sometimes it got itchy and not being able to resist the itch, I scratched it. It was a big mistake. It stung with a vengence.

I suppose this contains a parallel to the healing process for our emotional wounds as well. We need to tend to it as much as we in our capacity can with tenderloving care, and leave the healing to complete its process after that. The rest of it leave it to the Holy Spirit to do its work in us. We can’t feel Him working in us but it doesn’t mean He is not working in us. In time, the wound will heal, surely, though slowly. Don’t rush the healing process especially when the wound is deep. Frustration is inevitable. Take your focus off it and channel that energy into something else.

Last tots on this topic. If keeping the wound out of the sun has minimised scarring, does being in the valley help us heal in our emotional wounds?

30 Mar 06 10 a.m.

Authentic. I can PC this word forever. It’s so packed with meaning. On its own, it speaks volumes as it is.

Sometimes I wonder how God sees us, imperfect, unholy, sinful beings. When we make a mistake, or sin, what’s God’s first reaction? He is not quick to judge but quick to forgive and love and embrace us back into His fold.

I don’t look for perfection in people. I’ve learnt over the years to hold back my judgement. I look instead for authenticity. In friends. In a mate. People. I look for that moment of awareness when they realise they are imperfect. And learn from that moment. Teachability, I suppose.

We don’t have to try to be spiritual or holy or assume this pompous holier-than-thou posture. Because we are saved by grace. Not by our own merits. Because at the core of our heart, we are imperfect. What’s important I find is the gravitation of the heart. We need to get real with ourselves first before we can do that with people. See ourselves and people through God’s eyes. Only then can we appreciate His saving grace. For what are we saved? His authenticity for ours. Cleansed in His blood.

You are human.

Saved. By. Grace.

30 Mar 06 9.35 a.m.

It’s Thursday and it’s Japanese Day for my class. I was very stern when I stepped into class because they couldn’t stop talking on the way back from the hall. Dead, fatally so, silence fell into class when I stepped in as 38 pairs of eyes focused intently on my (non)expression. I could turn a man into ice at that point. I greeted them in English and sombrely they returned the greetings, dragging out every word with their seemingly last breath. They knew the verdict that was befalling them. That is until Wan Ting asked, with her ever innocent smiley cheeky face, "But Miss Ho today is Jair-pair-neese Day lei!" I broke out into laughter and greeted them once again and this time in Japanese. The class came alive after that! My 38 darlings! *contented sigh*

Had breakfast with Jo at the lounge to the view of our garden. Ivan made us Mushroom Quiche!! Yummy! I gave him 7.5-8/ 10! It was yummy! The filling was!! Had great conversation with Jo of course! Deep conversation, as always.

Godma popped by and she loved my black cheong sam. She started picking out the lint and fur on my dress. I told her, it’s all over my dress, don’t bother! hahaha! Jo thinks I’ve lost a bit more weight cos the dress looks loose. Or maybe it got stretched! hahaha! Nora, Angie and Mrs Lee loved it too. Told me I should wear it more often. Ladies, it’s $170! And I intend to wear it for all formal functions this year! hahaha! A silk one will set me back $300. My next costume will be a silk sari. An off-white sari will be fabs!