09/09/09

Many people are getting married today. The number nine in Cantonese is pronounced "kau", which is a homophone for part of the phrase "cheong cheong kau kau", which means "forever". So today is an auspicious day for getting married because your marriage is supposed to last forever!

On the other hand, some people are avoiding this day because 999 is the emergency call number!

It all depends on whether you're a half-cup full or half-cup empty person.

Tough

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.

Gotta get tough first before there's any going to be done.

Need To Soak

It's not enough to splash a little prayer on in the morning or to run through a sprinkler of God's mercy now and then. It's not enough to dabble our spirits in an hour of worship on Sunday or to dash into a drizzle of teaching every month or so. Our souls need to soak in God's presence. It's no luxury, this time we spend in the healing waters of God's grace. It's neither excess nor indulgence to immerse ourselves in communion with our Creator. It's a spiritual necessity if we want to become the people God has created us to be.

- Penelope J. Stokes, Beside A Quiet Stream
(Nashville: J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.), 1999

Ah! We really need a daily soaking in God's presence to prevent dryness, or worse still, burn out.

Holiday Time

We're just arrived home from our Merdeka weekend in KL.

The plan was to leave as early as possible on Saturday morning. When we woke up at 9am I was pretty certain we would be able to make it in time for lunch in KL.

Unfortunately I forgot to factor in 30 mins to set the home computer on download, another 15 mins trying to extricate a stuck CD, 30 mins for breakfast, 15 mins to pump petrol and check tyre pressure and finally, another 30 mins to set the office computer on download. By the time we left it was already 12 noon.

What a waste of holiday time! I could have enjoyed another hour of sleep or gone to the First AG Food and Fun Fair.

Getting Worse

Just when you think things can't get any worse - they do.

BUT we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28) so we shall trust in Him.

The only thing keeping us afloat is knowing that Jesus is in the boat and that He will get us over to the other side. So we say to the tempest, "Peace, be still."

Rainy Days

It's been raining non-stop since yesterday evening, at least 18 hours. The weather is nice and cool but it is no fun having to fiddle with the umbrella and still getting wet in the process.

Thank God it's not high tide or Penang would be flooded.

Too Much Talk

Most of us like to talk, mostly too much and mostly about ourselves. We even carry it over to prayer life as well.

We talk at God more than we talk to God. First we tell him our problems, then we tell him what to do and then we say, "Bye God, I'll leave you to get to work." As if we are God and God is not.

There is also a danger when there is too much talk. We often end up saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Sometimes to the wrong person or at the wrong place. That's how we get ourselves in trouble.


We really ought to learn to shut up or think before we speak.