Thursday, May 29, 2008

I'm dying to write about my china trip. But i feel it'll be better if i had the pictures to come along with it - their all with uncle ban. UNCLLLEEEE BAAAANNNN GIIIVVVEEE UUUSSSS OOONNNNEEEEEE COOOPPPPYYYY SOOOONNNN! (:

oh well, nevermind. i shall post some of my favourite graduation pictures here on my blog. The photos are definitely not new because me in my excitement have not just uploaded it on facebook but on my friendster too.



janan, dani (my favouritest in class) and BF! (:

Anyway, there's this book that i bought from the Christian bookshop during my trip in Philippines.

"Let me be a Woman" by Elizabeth Elliot.

She wrote the book as a gift to her daughter actually, but it was published to encourage other women alike. I'm still in the first few chapters but the book has spoken so much to me already. I'll type out some extracts and hope that you may be encouraged by it as well.

"In order to learn what it means to be a woman, we must start with the One who made her"

From Chapter 4 - "A Daughter, not a Son"

"To understand the meaning of womanhood we have to start with God. If He is indeed the 'Creator of all things visible and invisible" He is certainly in charge of all things, visible and invisible , stupendous and miniscule, magnificent and trivial. God has to be in charge of details if He is going to be in charge of the overall design.
We sometimes hear the expression ' the accident of sex,' as though one's being a man or a woman were a triviality. It is very far from being a triviality. It is our nature. It is the modality under which we live all our lives, it is what you and I are called to be - called by God, this God who is in charge. It is our destiny, planned, ordained, fulfilled by an all-wise, all-powerful, all-loving God."

It's not that i'm not happy to be a woman. I am. So many times i thank God that I am born a girl. But what struck me the most here was that God is in charge of details. Even the minute things that we sometimes see not important. Me being a woman has a purpose, has a reason, it's intertwined with the destiny He has made for me. Nothing happens by chance.

Elizabeth later says,

"If you believe in a God who controls the big things, you have to believe in a God who controls the little things. It is we, of course, to whom things look 'little' or 'big'..."

Recently, while watching an episode of the show "En-bloc" this comment was made by the youngest son right before the announcement/finalization of whether there is to be an en-bloc or not. There was a group of Christians praying at the corner and he asked his mum what were they praying for. When his mum explained to him, he said something like this "You mean to say, that the Lord of all creation will take time from His busy schedule just for an En-bloc?" with a snigger.
It's only a show, i know. But i'm sure that particular thought is not new at all. Yes, the Lord of all Creation will take time off to listen to our prayers. Even if the prayers may be weird, small requests? Why? Because He not only created us, but He loves us with such a love that no one on earth can give or shower us with.


And here comes my favourite chapters.

Chapter 9 - Single Life - A Gift

"What we are is a gift, and like other gifts, chosen by the Giver alone. We are not presented with an array of options. What would you like to be? How tall? What color? What temperament would you prefer? Which parents would you choose as forebears?..."

"But having now spent more than forty-one years single, I have learned that it is indeed a gift. Not one that i would choose. Not one many women would choose. But we do not choose gifts remember? We are given them by a divine Giver who knows the end from the beginning, and wants above all else to give us the gift of Himself. It is within the sphere of circumstances He chooses for us - single, married, widowed- that we recieve Him it is there and nowhere else that He makes himself known to us. It is there we are allowed to serve Him."

Chapter 10 - One Day At A Time

"One lady in her sixties still declares that she does not have what Paul calls the gift of single life. She has lived these sixty years without it for God has assured her, she assures me, that he has a husband for her somewhere. She has only to wait for him to appear. She may be right that God has a husband for her. I think she's wrong in saying she hasn't had the gift of single life. She has had it all her life. God may yet give her the gift of marriage, for many of His gifts may be given for only a part of a lifetime."

"I know of three Christians who had for a short time the gift of healing other people and then it was withdrawn. Why should He not give single life for most of a lifetime and then give marriage? Or may He not give marriage and then, sometimes early in life, widowhood?"

"Single life may be only a stage of a life's journey, but even stage is a gift."

Not that i want to be single all my life laaaaa. Hahahahaha. Only God and my closest friends know ((: hee, But i trust God for the best person for me, at the right time. While waiting and seeking, i shall enjoy my single years while preparing to be the best person in character for him, whoever he is.
HAHAHAHA.
oh dear. i don't know why i'm actually typing that here.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

My Letter To A Certain Someone called Annonymous

27 May 2008
123 Zoo Zoo Lane
Singapore 987654
Tel: 1500-who-are-you

Re: Your Mysterious Identity

Dear Annonymous,
Incase you have forgotten, you have promised me to reveal your identity during/after my graduation day. My graduation day was on Thursday, May 22 2008, but you have yet to tell me who you are. So please tag my tagboard really soon. Please kindly get back to me. Your response (tag) would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your cooperation.

Yours Sincerely,
Sheela.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

The walk4bibles event yesterday was wonderful. Of course what made it more wonderful was all the beautiful friends who came. (: People whome i have grew up side by side with for years. Some of them ive known since we were toddlers! Haha. Others ive known and played with throughout my primary school years. And not forgeting the rest whome i have met and grew up spiritually with in the youth. (:
Church friends are for life.

Back to the walkathon. HAHA. i can't believe how much fun i had! Especially the part where we HWC + Jane, Timo and Sam were perfecting, or rather trying to perfect our jumpshots! So unglam, but classic moments.
And the tournament - HWC were pretty lazy so we decided to cheer our youth participating instead. Hey! Don't play play okay. Tho' we weren't really participating, we make a good cheer team alright! Just the four of us initially and we were so loud. (:
And i'm proud of our youth. Both our two teams bagged the 1st and 3rd prize respectively.
We need to make a Salem cheer! We are quite competitive, and yet still pleasant and nice.
Haha.
And it's official - Captain's ball is Salem's favourite game. From the adults to the youths, we have intense passion for that game!


bestfriend (:


my strong Deedee! The girls' "hero"!


the guys who went.


the girls who went.


HWC. (:

right after the walk.


some pictures of us trying to "perfect" our jumpshots. hahaha. so unglam laaaahh!


and us resting after all those many many jumps.
pictures courtesy of Dot and her cool camera. (:

Monday, May 12, 2008

Alvin gave the youtube link of this girl's cover of the song - Cry in my heart, on his blog.
Went to view it, and she gave me goosebumps. The song and her voice are both beautiful.
Yes, Alvin, i believe that this is a song of the season. At least, maybe for me. (:


Sunday, May 4, 2008

China from tomorrow until Friday.
It's 4.20pm now and i have yet to pack my bag.
Looking forward to the trip, but NOT to the food. Heard that the food's not yummy. Oh no. I need yummy food.

some random things:
- Janan calls Mr. Bean "Sister Bean" and watermelon "waterlemon".
- Dad made soursop juice the other day so Raj took the jug out of the fridge to get himself some and Janan happened to come into the kitchen at the same time. We usually drink cold drinks secretly, making sure Jan doesn't know since he's not allowed to drink them.

J: "what's that?"
R: "for the plants outside"
J: "ohhhhhhhhhh"

Haha. I absolutely adore my brothers.
Anyway, KK Hospital has accepted me (:
I'll be starting work on the 9th of June.
I've only got a month of holidays left!
Raj has already been giving me a list of things he wants and he never stops!

"Akkkkaaaa... since you're gonna be wooorrrrkkkiinnngggg, can you buy for me _____ ?"
Before i reply him, he smiles and says, "Thank you Akka" while walking away.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Continuing my post on the Philippines trip. I know, it's a late post. it's been one mth already since i got back (:
I'll let the pictures do the talking, occasionally adding in some descriptions.


CAMP.
Day One.
The campsite








our extremely messy room:


candid shot of pearlyn:

auntie pegs with japhet.


teaching the teachers the dance steps we came up with:

the campers wash their own dishes:



little japhet:


baby brem-brem. (Mai's adopted son):

spending time with some of the youth/kids from Maliao:



Day Two.
breakfast. The food during the camp was masarap! (:
kids' ministry led by our team: aunt peggy, aunt jo, pearlyn and i, with dee's help (:
First session with the kids. Subsequent sessions were equally fabulous. You'd loved teaching them because their all so well-behaved and are an energetic bunch.








Unc Lam teaching some of the youth/musicians.



Aunt Esther with the adults


The married couples (Unc Bala's "class")


Uncle Steven took the youth. There are more youth than this. The Philippines church is strong with youths.


Pearlyn and I taught the teachers how to do the arts and crafts later on during the day.



Jane and Joy then brought us out to the "sari-sari" store outside of the campsite during our "free-time".
The many attempts to take a nice picture of the four of us.









Pictured above is the campsite taken from outside: That weird tall tree over there, that's our campsite's (Salem Sanctuary) monument/landmark .


Day Three.

This was the day we (Spore team) went out shopping and the jeepney broke down on the way. Pictures in an earlier post. Another highlight of the day was the Art and Craft with the kids! They loved making the flowers and the angels despite the power cut halfway through the session. Before the session started, we led the kids in dance but this time pulling in Manong Jong to help us and sabo-ing the teachers: Pearl and I made them stand at the front and lead the kids on their own. It was hilarious. Each teacher was doing his/her own actions, not coordinated at all. Haha. As a result the kids were in a mess too. But i had a good time laughing ((:









Day Four

And of course, the last day of camp meant lots and lots of pictures.


the "kids" team: Pearl, Me, Aunt Peggy and Aunt Jo.









Lastly, that's Dad wearing Pearl's shades for fun.

After the camp, i went on to my grandpa's house, staying in Philippines for another 3 days with the family. Aunt Pegs and Pearlyn flew back the next day whereas the rest of the team's flight was on the last day of camp itself. After camp they proceeded on to the airport. Family pictures, another time perhaps.