A Heroine

Read a story about this girl name Joan on Sunday Times (23 Mar 06).
She is suffering from Stage IV cancer yet her indominable fighting spirit & bravery even when staring right in the ugly face of death has touched many if not all whom have read her story.

I believe there is something we all can learn from this remarkable young girl... every now & then, we are complaining about work, money, places to go, to have fun. Yet this girl is fighting for her life & she isn't even complaining.

I'm deeply touched by her entries esp the post Mar 14 '06, it really made me feel her desperation, her fears. Somehow, it reminded me about a part of the bible.

On the night when Jesus was arrested, the usually calm & composed Jesus broke down, cried & pleaded with God not to let him suffer or forsake him. That was the human side of the Lord.

Similarly, the human side of Joan surface in the post despite her strong & brave outlook.
To me, that is true strength...

I'm sure we all could relate to that. But not all are brave enough to let that human side surface...


Joan, you will always be in my prayers. Remain strong, the Lord will fight the battle for you.

Her blog here

The blog her friends setup for her here

A lesson in Grace

As I shuffle through my daily mails.. this particular one is really endearing.

Take a look ya?

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The Story of a Smile
I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology.

The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called "Smile." The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway, so, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.

As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was "smiling". His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance. He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed
Gentleman was his salvation. I held my tears as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, "Coffee is all Miss" because that was all they could afford. If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action.

I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you."

I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, "I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope."

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope."

We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.

We are not church goers, but we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, "Can I share this?"
I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed. In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my husband, son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:

UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.
Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to

LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.

Ever wonder how Ctl+Alt+Del came about...?

Dreams

Been having some really good dreams lately.. Dreamt that by some uncanny luck, I got a sugar mummy who lavish me withs lotsa goodies like my 'Hot' car for the moment.. the Ferrari 360, a lifetime membership of non-stop shopping spree with a limitless credit account!!

Out of nowhere, I was transported into another world..

I imagine myself mixing around the taitais & the so-called high society socialites... Arriving in style in my Jet Black Ferrari 360, escorted by an army of babes in heels & diamonds bigger than my Ferrari's headlights.

A huge crowd gathers around the red carpet, pushing & screaming as I strolled past nonchalantly. ignoring the incessant clicking of cameras & flashes.

Hmm.. wait a Min! This reminds me of the Oscars?!!


Oh well, anyway... being greeted by the host, we were escorted to our luxuriously & lavishly decorated table.

Suddenly.. there is a loud RIIIIIIIINNNNNNG..............!

OMG, a fire?!!



I open my eyes... No, its no fire.. its my damn alarm.



Hope I get to dream part 2 tonite...

Bangkok

Finally.. some time to blog.


Well, alot has been happening since my last post.

I survived a trip to Bangkok during the country's worst protest & anti-singapore sentiments in recent years. It was a good trip in fact, plenty of shopping, (Yes, guys do SHOP!) eating & shopping & eating & shopping & eating & shopping & eating & shopping & eating.. ok, I think you get the idea.


Anyway, i came back with tons of dirt-cheap-but-look-epensive clothes.. 22 to be exact, 1 cool casual jacket in white with green stripes, 1 jeans (coz I seldom have the chance to wear nowadays), 1 3/4 berms, 1 pair of slipper, 1 pair of super stylish office leather shoes, 11 watches (God, I went crazy when I saw those watches!), 1 mummified-dolled photoframe, 1 jail-bird doll key hanger, 2 bags & 4 bags of really yummy 'ikan bilis with sesame' !


The hotel room we were staying at is simply amazing.. its H U G E ! Imagine a king-sized bed + 1 single bed + 1 walk-in wardrope + 1 bathtup + a big toilet + u can actually dance salsa with the remaining spaces! Yes, we did try.. in fact its enough for 4 couples to dance comfortably.. Hahhaa.. now you can ust imagine how insanely big it is..

Oh, almost forgot... the hotel is Baiyoke Sky hotel. Thai's tallest hotel. Pretty cool.. its has 84 storeys.. The view from our 33r flr wasn't too bad either.. but something strange did happen on our 2nd night there.


It was about 9+pm, after a hearty room-service dinner as we were simply too tired after a long hard day of shopping & bargaining. We decided to go for a drink at the bar on the 83rd flr. But in order to get there, we have to go down to the lobby to take another lift up.


As you know, our room is on the 33rd.. we went in, pressed L (Lobby) & the door closed. When it open, strangely we were on the 48th flr. Waited for a few seconds, no one came in so I pressed to close the lift.


Feeling a little uncomfortable, I grabbed touch my cross for a few secs through my shirt & we arrived at the lobby without any event.


However, as we approach the lift that will take us up to the 83rd flr. I felt something is slowly creeping down my chest.

Thinking it was an ant or some insect, I quickly try to feel it. It felt hard.. as it made its way down to my tummy, i flip open my shirt to look at it.


It's my cross!!


Thinking I might have dropped my chain as well, I immediately feel my neck. It's still there! I used my fingers to circle it, thinking there must be a gap or somthing.. there was none!


I look at the crossed, expecting to find a gap or a hole.. in order for it to drop from the chain.. there was NONE!!

The hole that the chain goes through.. its sealed & it still is.
How in the world did the cross removed itself from the chain????





You tell me.





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