Friday, March 21, 2014

A feminine analogy on sharing Christ..

Sharing the gospel....is like when our friends see that we suddenly have very much improved complexions and want to know our beauty secrets.

And we tell them that it's this facial product and that facial regime we are using...they are half convinced and then we invite them into our homes so that they can see exactly what we are using and how we go about our daily routine...that they become fully convinced.

So people need to see the transformation and changes in our lives..to sense that unique peace and joy...and to witness the consistency between what we say and what we do.....they will come and ask us about the wonderous God we worship...

in praise of SAHMs..

letters from fans found Dr. Laura Schlessinger 'in praise of stay at home moms"
 
Posting them here for posterity in case I ever doubt my decision in the future..

"I could not have a marriage if I were working, or probably even if I were trying to work part time and raise my toddler. I wouldnt be able to take care of the house the way I do. My husband would not have a warm meal and a warm smile waiting for him at night. And I definitely would not have the energy to be a babe at night.
Although he struggles with his new career, considering how much he loved teaching, I know that he feels a sense of pride and meaning that he is supporting the healthy childhood of our son, he is a champion of the family. Being able to stay at home with our son means that I have the mental capacity and physical energy (however minimal on some days!) to be his WIFE and not just a live-in house keeper.
Not that we don't have difficulties. I have struggled with depression and anxiety throught the process of beoming a mother, as he has in the process of becoming a father and the only wage eamer. I think raising kids in general puts a huge strain on a marriage, maybe more so if both paretns have radically changed their lives so one parent can stay home. All of that considered, though, I truly belived that our commitment to have me stay at home, and the team effort of making that happen, has strengthened our bond and love despite the sacrifices."

"Nine years ago I left a job I loved and was good at. My bosses appreciated me and my work. Many of my former coworkers are still there. I'm sure they think of me (fondly!) from time to time.

But to be honest, I was replaced in a matter of weeks, and I'm certain that whoeevr took my position was equally talented, brillant and resposible. The company got along fine without me all these years.
However, my siblings and I lost our dear mom when she was only forty-seven. I miss her and think of her often. A mother holds a special place in your heart, and no one can take that place. I want to devote my time, energy and talents where they count: creating memories for and with my children; teaching them, learning from them, laughing with them, playing with them, guiding them, loving them... and being loved in return."

God the lover..

Last night during a conversation with a friend, she was telling me about her journey with God and how she sometimes wonder if she truly loves God....in my mind, I panicked for a while and asked God the same question....
His answer came swiftly..."It's ok...just let me love you and accept my love."

Sunday, March 16, 2014

a rose by any other name...

After he gave an especially eloquent answer to some bible study materials we were going through, I gazed at my husband admiringly and exclaimed:
"Sweetie, are you sure you don't want to become a preacher??!"
He seemed just a tad uncomfortable and launched into a rather lengthy reply of how he thought that our gifts and talents as a couple might work together quite well in hospitality and modeling the love of God in our home and sharing the gospel that way...
I looked at him in slight amusement and said, "Don't worry! I didn't pray to be a pastor's wife..I just prayed to marry a pastor's son...."
But who knows what God might have planned........ (So ominous.... ;P we are ALL called to be light and salt of the earth... so even without an official title, we are all commanded to spread the gospel and minister to the hurt...so same same, right??)

Sunday, March 9, 2014

wedding dinner updates..

things to give thanks for..

1. everything for the wedding is on track. We basically have to turn up and enjoy the night. :) ("enjoy" is used rather loosely in this context...) We have the venue and all the arrangements there confirmed, bills are paid in advance so as to enjoy maximum rebates from the credit card companies, the montage is ready and the groom's speech is almost ready too! (awaiting translation from English to Mandarin by one of my friends' husband who works as a Chinese teacher..initially I thought I could do the translation but realized that nope, my Chinese is not powerful enough.....the friend's husband is also a worship leader and very godly man so I thought that he would be able to convey the message of God's grace much more clearly than me..)

2. we have a face painter!!! courtesy of one of my colleagues! He's the pastry chef at my hospital and we were having dinner at the staff canteen one day and got talking about his family and he told me that his wife is actually a face painter and usually does children's faces on sentosa... I only considered getting some entertainment for the children after one of my cousin's husband mentioned that he attended a wedding where the couple marched down the aisle to the minion song and provided the children with alot of entertainment... to be frank, I was rather overwhelmed when I heard that...I have to make sure that I look my best, my husband looks his best, my parents are happy, the wedding helpers are happy and the guests are happy and now the children too?!! *growl*
But ok, it wasn't that bad...and my colleague is blessing me with his wife's art...so that does help ALOT.

3. We have pre-dinner entertainment!! Prophetic art and blessings from my eldest sister and her friends. Like fortune telling but Christian style!! If you don't already know it, our wedding dinner is a thinly veiled excuse to share the love of God with predominantly my family and pre-believing friends so I was really excited when my sister and friends agreed! Woo hoo!

4. We have cupcakes! Courtesy (but we're still paying him- he's such a gooood negotiator...) of a 16 year old nephew...his uncles are the bosses of the Paradise group so I can safely say that food and catering runs in his blood....he's going to make about 72 cupcakes in assorted flavours, 12 individual cheese cakes and some cute heart shaped waffles...I told him that I needed a really cute dessert table and to feed approximately 80 pax (we have 160 guests BUT I'm guess not everyone will take sweets...)..more like photo opportunity...

5. We have make up artistes!!! One for me, one for my mom! Yay! The one for my mom did a wonderful job for my aunt and I am rather excited at the thought of my mom looking fabulous! Originally my make up artiste is my younger sister but she's been rather stressed out and grouchy of late and I'm not sure if she's going to be able to do a good job on the actual day and not stress me out more in the process...........

6. AND veil!! on loan courtesy of a girlfriend who recently got married! So sweet and generous of her...

other loose ends to tie up:

1. Videography: YAY or NAY. This awaits further discussion with the Keeper. ALL of my girlfriends said 'YES YES, DO IT!" but I'm thinking it's a bit of a waste of money since we already have a wedding photographer and my hubby shares the same sentiment... but after all the other additions, I'm wavering a bit...(especially after a recent fiasco involving paying 80 bucks for a deed poll which I might not use...80 bucks! It can pay for a really nice meal!!)

2. measurements for the wedding cheongsam. My second sister is doing it for me....and basically it was cos the white gown which I intended to wear is a bit tricky to wear without exposing my bust to any body taller than me..for some reason (most probably I hadn't tied it probably) there's a huge gap... and ok, the main reason, you can now see my tummy....I think I've gained about 2 kgs since I got it...but didn't think it would make sure a big difference...and another lame reason is that the tie that I got for my hubby to match the gown was pink and the gown actually has peach, not pink, accents...I had remembered wrongly... :P

My husband's reply to this revelation was: "wouldn't it be easier to get another tie instead of making a cheongsam?"

It would.....but a cheongsam would look very different from the evening gown which I will wear for the march in and it helps to keep another element of surprise for the guests...as Dennis and I will already be mingling with them during the cocktail hour...

yes, the truth is out. I am just vain. :P

why do you talk so much about sex??!

A girlfriend asked me why I'm so open about talking about sex.

The short answer? Because I believe it is a thoughtful and specially designed marriage gift from God and this very exclusive and intimate present strengthens and builds up marriages.

The long answer? Because I do not wish my future kids to learn about sex from Miley Cyrus or her 2025 equivalent. Sex is not dirty, shameful, disgusting or sinful. Inside marriage, it is one of the most beautiful and pleasurable expressions of love. (and yes, God intends and desires us to have pleasure and He is glorified when pleasures draw us to worship Him! Imagine!! What a wonderful Creator that He's wired us this way!!)

BUT!! Sex outside marriage is another matter altogether. No excuses at all and the results are often disastrous....

And of course, we do not need to reveal intimate details of the act of physical intimacy- there are books for that!

In case you are in the market for suitable materials, check out this and this.... :D  (yeah, the Keeper and I have these books and are looking forward to reading them together but that was probably too much information........)

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

we are one..

this morning as a cloud of insecurity set in, I thought I might message the Keeper and ask him what his reaction will be if I gained a few kilos and stayed heavy...I remembered the last time when I asked something similiar, he had (in uncharacteristically undiplomatic fashion) said that he'd exercise with me more....... (not an acceptable answer for any gents reading by the way..)

and then I realized that it's no point asking...'cos the question that I was essentially asking was:

"will you love and accept me......no matter what..??"

and it's not because I know that he loves me unconditionally or he said or done something dramatic but it's the fact that we are already married. We are ONE before God's eyes..and it's a 'till death do us part' convenant....

and maybe God wants us to get married so that we understand the relationship we have with Him more... that in the same sense with Jesus..once we accept Christ, it's a 'His death has ensured that we will never part' convenant and I don't ever have to doubt whether He loves me or accepts me because we are one too.............