Lessons and a Thank You

These days I've been doing a lot of thinking about effectively passing on lessons of faith to my children. Not just the ones we read about in the Bible, but the ones I am learning myself in every day life. I was praying recently and asking God to help me to share more of my learning moments with my kids. God showed me that I needed to automatically teach them and pass down to them what He was teaching me. Then that night He gave me my first lesson.

It was almost bedtime and I was running late for preparing a batch of chocolate chip cookies for Abi's birthday party the next morning. The kids asked if they could help me make them. I agreed but told them they would not be able to eat any that night because it was nearing bedtime, that they could have some the next day.

They helped contentedly and didn't say a word about eating any that night. After we put the cookie dough together they brushed their teeth and their daddy put them to bed. I started baking the cookies and after about 30 minutes I heard excited whispering coming from the kids' room.

"Mmmmm, it smells so good! I can't wait till tomorrow!"

"Me too! I hope tomorrow comes fast. The cookies are going to taste so yummy!"

I smiled as I thought of how God has blessed me many times in the past, for no reason but to break the rules and show me his love. I felt the need to pass this lesson of love and mercy on to my kids so I prepared for a "midnight picnic".

It was only about 9:30 but late enough to make it fun and exotic for the kids. I got 4 glasses of milk and put 4 of the biggest cookies on a plate and went into their room. I told them that we were going to enjoy our cookies tonight, even if it was late. We sat down and munched away (we kept it a secret from daddy. Somehow it seemed more fun that way). The kids were very grateful and went back to bed with warmed tummies and hearts.

During our trip we were blessed a number of times by people we had just met, our hosts in Singapore and Malaysia especially. Many, many people donated so that we could go and once we were there, a day didn't go by that God didn't bless us in some major way. Not to mention the fact that right before we left for Singapore we found out that I was pregnant, a wonderful blessing in itself.

So many blessings left us feeling like we didn't deserve it. And I suppose we don't. But that's His mercy. His love. He slips us a cookie after bedtime and it tickles Him to watch us enjoy and appreciate it. He's a good God.

Hetee and I would like to say "thank you" again to all of those who gave to make our trip possible. To all of you who prayed, thank you! Thanks again, Mom and Dad for taking care of the kids! We had an unforgettable time. We made friends and we made memories. To our hosts, Steven and Cynthia, Chui-En and Keh Ching: thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts for a most memorable time and for beautiful fellowship in the Lord.

I want to say thanks to my hubby for putting up with my picky nauseated self while we were supposed to be having the "perfect" vacation. For letting me sleep in, for not rolling his eyes when I bought something to eat only to take a bite and lose all appetite for it. For letting me have the window seat on every single flight and for supporting me through all my potty breaks. You're the best, Babe!

Guess What?

(in November)

Happy Birthday Abigail!

Abi's birthday was on the 22nd but since we weren't here we decided to postpone the party till we got back. Her party was fun; full of friends, cake and many, many pink things. Again, I'm lagging behind on the photos...

10 things I love about my Abi Girl:

1. She's patient
2. She's thoughtful and considerate of others' feelings. She almost never says anything mean to anyone.
3. She's quick witted and a little bit sarcastic. This coupled with her little girly-girlness is uber cute!
4. She has the willpower to let her bangs grow. They're to her nose now.
   
5. She has always been a good sleeper.
6. She looks beautiful in a dress and stockings.
7. She's quiet but not a pushover.
8. She's left handed
   
9. She climbs on absolutely everything. She's fidgety; It's impossible for her to sit still with her feet flat on the floor for any amount of time.
   
10. She beats me at Candy Land every time.
    

Tioman Island in Malaysia

We had a chance to go snorkeling along a coral reef; something neither of us had done before. It was so much fun and before we knew it, we had been swimming about the open sea for nearly an hour. That and the heat totally exhausted us but we had a great time. We explored the Marine Park Centre on another part of the Island and there were monkeys! We couldn't get any pics though because they ran back up to the trees when we tried to get close.

(apparently there were more than one)

We stayed at the Paya Beach Resort in one of their deluxe chalets. It was beautiful and very comfortable. I enjoyed a full body massage the first night of our stay and it was soooo nice! Our stay was 2 nights/3 days. We slept during the hottest part of the day and caught up on some much needed rest.

The below picture is of our adorable little friend, Adam. He was visiting the Island with his brother and 3 sisters and mom and dad. They're from New Zealand! We made quick friends with this neat family.

Home, At Last

We made it home last night around 7 o clock, and went straight to my parents' to pick up the kids. To say we missed them would be an understatement. We were all so happy to see each other that we clung rather than hugged. It sure is good to be home. We ate a quick meal at mom's then headed home to open presents. The kids were so excited to get some great toys. =)

Since it's hard to find the time to update you all on our trip in one sit-down, I'll post pics and give you the highlights. It may be a bit sporadic, but I'll try to keep it as organized as possible.

Eating crab at an outdoor restaurant in Singapore

Pastor Melvyn Mak and Hetee (displaying a crab claw for our Mongolian friends to see)

Our hosts, Cynthia and Steven and their 2 sons, outside of an awesome Mexican restaurant. Cynthia and Steven are professional matchmakers and have made many successful matches. They then counsel the couple on into marriage!

Delirious? ministered during the conference by leading the praise and worship. They also held a concert afterward. We got to hang out with them and have our meals together in the VIP lounge...way cool! Did you know that Martin Smith has 6 kids!?

More to come...