Thirty-nine years on

Thirty nine years have gone past. Thirty-nine years ago this time a niave 20 year old walked down the ailse with so much hope. Thirty-nine years later this no longer niave woman looks back and smile. Yes smile and shake her head.

So much has happened these past thirty-nine years so much and it has been by God's saving grace that she is still around and b e able to pen her thoughts wanting to say much yet not so much.

Today is a day of a new chapter in many sense of the word. Today she steps out with only two items which means the world to her. Nothing valuable in terms of value but very valuable in terms of sentiment. Two items which are token of love and a heart full of love. Today thirty-nine years later she could still be in love and for this she is very grateful.

Sudden Demise In The Backyard

It was sad. It was inevitable. It numbered No 9 of the victims to be "killed" without much notice in the backyard. Is the victim a pet (cat or dog), a mouse, a bird no no ..... it is a poor helpless tree! Yes a tree and it is tree no 9 to be chopped off!!! No amount of plea could prevent it being hardlessly felled. It did not commit any crime except shedding leaves and habouring red ants. The reason for it having to go was just simple - man has lost the joy of sweeping its fallen leaves. Where are the days when it was a joy, when the tree was being praised for the shade it has given? Nah, all this is forgotten. Man has such short memory..... man is selfish .... utterly heartless. The birds would have missed its branches, there could have been nests on the tree. The forlorn owl hoots are no longer heard .... poor tree, poor birds and also poor ants - all their nests gone too. Man is happy, no more leaves to sweep. The only one consolation is that at least tree's life was spared another two years. Talk of felling tree was already in man's mind two years ago. Pleas not to fell tree because of environmental and ecology aspect tuggged man's conscience but only for a short while. Two years down the road the inconvenience of sweeping tree's leaves took over whatever conscience there was in man's mind. This time pleas fell on deaf ears. Tree had to go. And go it did. Good bye tree, sorry birds, too bad ants. Only man is pleased. Apart from not having leaves to sweep anymore he has won a place in the hall of fame joining the many who has contributed to global warming and de-forestation of the urban kind.

Until You Taste You Do Not Know ....

Yes, until one taste the goodness of God want does not know. I wanted to post this yesterday but was just too busy to do so but it is better late than not doing so.

Yesterday morning I proclaim God's goodness in a text to someone dear, not realising that I would see this manifested half an hour later! I had a thorough bred handsome Alsatian charging at me. I just stood my ground and waited for the inevitable. Incredibly I had that peace within me even though my heart was thumping like a bongo drum. Believe it or not the dog halted in front of me, and looked intently at me - and me at him. (I would rather a big hunk of a handsome man doing that instead of a big strong and healthy dog.) The dog decided that I needed a thorough sniff over; he started from my toes, legs and up to my upper thigh - sniffed and looked, sniffed and looked. It must have been a sight to behold ....

By God's grace the owner of the dog who was on her way out looked at her reflector mirror and must have seen what was happening, rolled the screen of her car down and shouted at the dog.
Reluctantly the dog bidded her call and ran back into the house. Phew ....

I believe my Lord has intervened and I was spared being bitten by the dog who is know for his ferociousness. Someone asked me, did the owner not apologised, well it did not occur to me that this is necessary, I was not bitten by the dog, I know that when an Alsatian attacks it usually leaps at its victim. I was spared, I could not asked for more. I know that my God has protected me I am just very grateful. Yes, until one has "taste" and see how good God is one do not know.

Today is a new day, the first day of my re-birth. Today the sun shines bright - it is a good omen. A promise of growth and vitality. Today I feel confident that all will be well. This is so because I am relying on God's strength to see me through day by day henceforth.

I allowed myself to sink into the miry clay six months ago. By God's mercy I am out of the mess I am in and I know that He will guide me as I take the walk of faith with Him. God promised that He is always with me, He never forsakes me. He also promised that my sins He remembers no more because Jesus has taken it on Himself when He hung on the cross for me. I am righteous in His sight. I am a precious child of God, deeply loved, highly favoured and greatly blessed. I cannot ask for me. Thank You Father for Your love, grace and mercy.

It's Not Just The Genes ...

This thoughts have been buzzing around my head since Sunday. A truth surfaced. It is amazing really.

There is always the talk that it is our genes that determines who we and what we are. There is truth to this but I realised that it is our our environment and more importantly our up bringing and the values imparted and instilled in us in our formative years that determines our character. This truth manifested itself like a sore thumb, there is the eight of them, one was fostered out and this person is so different from the rest. Try as the person would it is hard to blend into the family fold. In this respect this person is again grateful though life with the foster family was not a rosey one!

The Chinese adage that says that it is "the bowl of rice that one eats daily that shapes a person" (i.e. the family from which one grows up with) rings so true.

Still Learning ...

Oops I did not know what happened but before I could type in anything I posted an empty text ... groan. Am still learning the hang of blogging. When I read the blog of other bloggers I just marvel at how good they are. Being a computer illiterate there is so much to learn!
I chanced on one that has no pictures, just thoughts being shared and penned down aah ..
it encourages me and this is the result ... I am making my third (no it is fourth - the third one was just a caption!) attempt at blogging.

The main thought of the day is young Yang Peiyi with the voice of a nightingale. Because she does not have the beauty she was not given the chance of appearing in the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. Pretty Lin Miaoke was given the honour instead. If I can write to her I would tell her this -

"Peiyi Mei Mei, please do not be discouraged, it was your voice that was heard, the world now knows about you and I am sure many like me feels for you. Think about it, viewers around the world and the thousands who graced the ceremony were entertained by your beautiful voice when you sang the song, you may not be in the fore front but your voice and the story behind why you did not get a chance of being on show will forever remained in our heart!"

Such is life, but God is fair the truth prevails.

Aah......

I was not so sure as to what blogging entails. Having read something on this I am cautiously embarking on joining the world of bloggers. Not being very proficient in my command in English is one of my reason for not daring to venture forth the other being self consciousness. Anyway here it goes - my first real posting .....

Today is a glorious day. Having to put up with six consecutive days of inclement weather of endless downpour of rain today we have a day of sunshine. What joy it must have been to one and all especially the housewives who must have been lamenting over the loads of wet laundry.

Last night, yes, late in the night I was amazed to hear two tropical nightingale chirping away. It was as if they were having an exchange of sort. However the thought that came to my mind (and yes I did asked aloud) that they might have been pleading to our good Lord to stop the rain. Imagine my delight to see the sun this morning filling and warming a rather draughty bedroom. A dear friend told me differently though that if one hears an exchange between two of such birds it means that they are discussing an impending demise of a resident in the area (?) Well I am waiting to see how much truth to this belief!

Something strange happened earlier in the evening too. A pigeon was standing lost in the car porch. Our cat was sitting nearby eyeing the bird all ready to spring on it. I tried to shoo the bird away before it ended up in the jaws of our dear cat but to no avail. It came towards to me instead. I was petrified. Having carried kitty into the house, and closing all the windows least the bird decided to fly in I shooed the poor bird to a corner of our front yard. At the back of my mind I was asking myself is that a bird or ...... anyway I am always known to have an over imaginative mind.

Aah..... I started with a one sentence about having a dry mind, perhaps the six days of rain endless rain has soaked me into action - a posting in the world of bloggers ....