Belonging

Kenneth proposed 4 days ago!!!

So what's different about being engaged? ...

A sense of belonging to someone. Someone I am in love with, someone I am blessed to be loved by, someone I am privileged to be associated with, someone whose ring I am am proud to wear!

Makes me reflect on my sense of belonging to my heavenly Father. He is the most loving, magnificent, infinitely wise being. And I belong to Him!!! Nothing and nobody can ever separate me from His love - neither height nor depth, angels nor demons; neither death nor life or anything else in all creation! WOW!!!

Feeling estatic and blessed beyond words! :)

Furnish Me!

Been finding furniture (window and junk mail!) shopping such a pleasure lately. It is so relaxing. Inspires me. Makes me dream. Concepts, colours, contours, spaces ... I simply cannot wait to have my own space one day to furnish and decorate! Ah ... is this a sign? I must be "growing up" ... what happened to clothing and make-up?!! I suppose you know something is amiss when you only have 10 minutes of browsing time and you opt for House over Review!

Anyway, my parents have built a brand new home and we are all so excited about moving in soon (the headache of moving all our stuff aside ... we have so much stuff!!!). It's been a good bonding time especially for my parents - having a project to work on together. They've worked and saved so hard to build their own dream home - definitely a well served blessing from God! Thank you God! :)

I have decided to purchase a coffee coloured modular chaise as a gift for them! Yay ... I have free reign over my bedroom ... any suggestions?

It's been quite fun thinking of furniture and designing the decor ... most of it still in their conceptual stages still. Not easy to please all 5 residents but been a good exercise in compromise!

Currently Reading Online ...

Women Today Magazine

A superior alternative to Cosmopolitan or Cleo.

Beauty, fashion, relationships, love, sex, food, money, work, health & fitness, wellness & spirit, life stories ... it's all good!

It's 12:20pm and it's a Wednesday - I should really be working and not reading. I am a self-confessed information monster junkie (on topics that interest me)!

The Beauty & Blessing in Family-ness

I celebrated Mother's Day with Kenneth's family on Saturday. We took his mum up to the Dandenongs arboretum and had a picnic there. Aunty Marianne was looking lovely .. perhaps too daintily clad for Kenneth's outdoor and adventurous ambitions! That's what sons are for huh! So besides a freezing mum, the views from the peak of the arboretum where we laid out our picnic were maginificent! The trees in their autumn hues were simply breathtaking and there we so many cute, exquisitely perfect little mushrooms scattered at the foot of the trees akin to a smurf's humble abode I thought! I so felt like pinching them .... but refrained when I remembered most wild varieties are poisonous to touch.

While driving home. we also came across a persimon tree which looked so much like a Christmas tree with orange lightbulbs! The persimon tree sheds all its leaves during the persimon season and so you've got this tree, totally naked (of leaves) save for its rounded orange fruit bobbing off the branches in the wind! We also visited a chestnut farm coz Aunty Marianne is nuts abouts chestnuts ... like the pun? Hehehe ...

On Sunday, Danie and I gave mum her roses while still in our flanels and sweet sleepy eyed (why do mums arise so early?!!). We visited my parents' church that day as my mum was preaching on a passage from Ruth. It was about Ruth's fillial piety to her mother-in-law Naomi and it was an excellent message! She used the most apt stories and Chinese sayings to convey a spiritual truth. Makes it so easy to remember! So proud of mum!!!

My family will be properly celebrating a belated M-Day next weekend when Fel gets back from Port Augusta. We thought we'd do something different and have a leisurely lunch at a winery in the Yarra Valley. My dad has never been to a winery so needless to say he is the one who is hopping up and down and thrilled to bits!

It was such a relaxing weekend with no big agenda to rush to - just time to spend with family and I am growing more and more aware of how preciuous these times are.

God is such an ingenius creator! Imagine first thinking up the whole concept of a family. He could have created Adam, then created Eve.... and then created a second Adam and a second Eve and chosen to multiply ppl that way. Instead God had a higher plan ... his mandate for us is to love one another and to multiply! He designed every human to be part of a family from Day 1. He made us relational beings and having people to relate to no matter what culture we've been birthed into is a basic human need. He designed it such that the father provides protection and leadership, and the mother nurture and comfort within the family.
Dominique (finally) had her 2nd baby on the weekend - what a joy and delight baby Chole is, just by being her! Everyone around her loves her dearly and she hasn't even done anything to earn that love - it is so natural to simply love her! Isn't God good in wiring us to love our young this way?

During my moments of quietness and intimacy with God this past couple of days, I have felt prompted to pray for families. I believe the family unit is under attack and in dire need of prayer. We need unity in our biological families and unity within our spiritual families (church, LGs etc). The enemy knows that families who are God-fearing and growing in Him together are a force to be reckoned with on earth!!! It is his ultimate agenda to pull that plan apart. I shared this with my Lifegroup on e-mail and challenged us all to be alert and mindful of this. We should be active within our own families to bring healing, reconciliation, understanding, fogiveness, love and encouragement to the people God has divinely chosen and appointed to be in the same family as each one of us!

I want to see my family (both present and future) and the Lifegroup I lead to be known as "the initiators" - to be the FIRST to extend a hand of reconciliation to someone we have an "issue" with, be the FIRST to extend a hand of friendship to a lonely neighbour, be the FIRST to extend kindness to the elderly gent on the train who has no seat, be the FIRST to change the atmosphere and boost the low morale at work!!!

It's amazing how far one's musings on Mother's Day can lead ... God designed Family-ness to drive Happiness!

Hmmmm ... someone watched way too much TV last night! Can I justify it by saying it was all eductaional; ie. I learnt something and wasn't merely entertained? Well ... save for Dancing With the Stars. I suppose that has throughly inspired me to take up ballroom/latin dance again! Just gotta get TESOL outta the way first!

The other program was about amazing medical conditions. It showed a girl suffering from a very rare genetic disease abbreviated to FOP (I cannot remember the full name and if I did I wouldn't know how to spell it!) where her muscles are gradually being calsified over time and so her muscles are turning into bone! How bizarre ... Eventually they will all turn to bone and she will be locked into position and in effect become a human statue. It's such a heart wrenching state to be in. Another story compared 2 girls with opposite conditions - one does not have sweat glands and so cannot sweat and cool down her body automatically when it needs to. The other over-sweats and has dripping wet palms all the time which can be quite an embarrassing condition to live with socially. The last story was about a woman who had been given a common antibiotic by her doctor to treat a sinus problem. Unfortnately she had an adverse reaction to it where her entire body's skin got burnt/peeled off and even the skin in her eyes were peeling off! The photos of her were horrific! Blisters everywhere and her eyes were mucousy green! By a miracle (and prompt and clever medical attention), she was saved and soft new baby skin has grown.

Have just been reminded of how blessed I am to have been born normal with all my faculties intact. Thank you, thank you so much God. I pray that I wouldn't be so ready to take my health for granted. And I pray I wouldn't be so worried about the monor blemishes or imperfections. I should be doing all the things I was born for having been given the ability to climb every mountain!

Welcome to the world pretty baby Chloe! I shall visit your sweet and thoroughly exhausted mummy Dominique and you soon. It's great you're just around the corner!

Alberto & Aristea's wedding on the weekend proved to be a grand affair. We didn't attend the Catholic ceremony but opted to go for the Greek Orthodox one eventhough my uni friend Alb is the Catholic "Italian stallion" (as he usually refers to himself) and his bride Greek. It was very traditional and steeped in symbolism which flew over my head. Very ornate church in South Yarra. It was a good cultural experience. Most weddings I go to tend to be "modern Christian" weddings. Personally I'd have a modern Christian wedding myself but it's great to see how people of other pursuasions do the deed! Had a quick look at Prahran market after the ceremony. Have always wanted to visit. I love markets. My favourite is still the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. A more leisurely visit on another occasion is a must I think!

The ceremony was eons away ... Epping! Ep ... where?!! You say? It was so chilly, wet, rainy and.... I drove! So it was a bit of a frazzle getting there (I had an excellent navigator though ;) . But ... we eventually got there. The food was sumptious - in Italian style we started with antipasto and pasta for entre. Then I had chicken for my main and sticky date pudding and fruit for dessert! The Greek dancing made the atmosphere so festive. Chinese weddings are so boring compared! There's something very family centred and loving about the way men can hop and skip around and dance together rather gracefully I might add. And men can dance with their kiddies too, twirling around in loops.

Disappointed there was no plate breaking!!! C'mon ... was My Big Fat Greek Wedding just a sensationalised version of Greek nuptials?!!

Lots of kissing went on - steps are: Greet object of affection "Buongiorno!", grab said object by both shoulders, kiss object on right cheek, kiss object on left cheek, sit down and eat pasta (no... not really... hehe) ... Alb says this is kissing at its best. Kissing "wog style".

The bride's petite frame was attractively encassed in an pearl coloured Belle-like ball gown. Even her hair was curled and cascaded down her left shoulder in true Belle (from Beauty & the Beast) fashion. Haven't actually seen anyone have their hair llike that for a wedding before. It really suited her!

My colleague noted that since she started working here (about September last year) till now, I have attended so many weddings ... 6 to be exact! Weddings are fun when it's a close friend getting married. Needless to say they are expensive affairs to attend!

After the weekend's festivities, I am back into the real world ... inundated with work, lesson planning for English teaching and preparing Lifegroup material on the Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction?

I just received my THIRD missed call from HIM in 24 hours. Technically it wasn't a missed call - I have refused to pick up my mobile phone the last 2 times and just let my phone ring out.

Ever had a "friend" that only ever called you or invited you out so he can do a hard sell of his product on you?

I thought he got the message when I'd last seen him 2 years ago. Hadn't heard from HIM again until now.

Sheesh ... does he NEVER give up?!!

Needless to say, I am feeling a lil' more than a tad irate!

No I don't want income protection and no I don't need (nor can I afford) life insurance at present! And no I don't need the maternity special!!! And even if circumstances change and I should decide to take any of these mumbo-jumbos on, I would not seek your assistance on it because I prefer to deal with authentic individuals!!!

He was the biggest flirt and seemed so sincere when I'd first met him one summer while working during uni holidays. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting...

Actually the only good thing that's come out of my acquaintance with HIM is that I have an amazing boyfriend with the kindest heart today because of HIM. While on the train home from our last encounter I actually thought to myself "Goodness! If I don't become more proactive in getting to know good quality guys, then only HIS type of fish would be left in the sea!" and totally freaked myself out! Immediately, while still on the train, my fingers were determined to sms the guy who is my boyfriend today to set a time and date to catch a movie together that we'd discussed in passing ... incidentally "Finding Nemo". That turned out to be our first unofficial "date". I kid you not! *chuckles*

What doth flowers speak of to a young lady?

I chanced upon a gal-friend's blog today in which she has an exasperated whinge on having not been the recipient of fresh flowers in a while.

What is it that makes a girl long for flowers? What is it that drives a man to make a frivolous purchase of temporarily lasting flowers or even stop by a meadow and pick some?

Fresh flowers encapsulate life and beauty in its folds. They say "You are beautiful and I appreciate you. Your radiance is reflected in nature. Your essence is frangrant. No gift is too frivolous for my deserving love!"

That's my take on this queer custom we have come to embrace and know in our human relationships anyway.

The last time I received flowers from my "not so secret admirer" was almost exactly a month ago - on 29 March 2006. I still have the little card that came with the bouquet in my work diary! They were a combination of red roses and white oriental lillies - the sweetest (and strongest) smelling flowers I'd ever received! What a romantic gesture to have them delivered to me at work!

The card referred me to:

Matthew 6:27-29
"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

So on top of it all my flowers also shouted out "I know what you're going through and I care!" Am I super blessed and spoilt or what?! I must learn to remember these gestures and times and not take them for granted. :)

So guys out there if you've ever wondered ... giving a girl flowers is definitely still in vogue! Bonus points!!! xxx

John Bevere was the guest speaker at church last Sunday. This whole week, one sentence from what he said has been playing over and over in my mind ...

"The Word of God should not be a law unto you; the Word should be your delight."

Almost every morning this week I have woken up asking myself what my motivation is in reading my Bible and working through my "Read the Bible in a Year" schedule. Has it become a routine law to me? Or do I delight in spending time with God just as a bride cannot wait to be in the presence and arms of her beloved?

How intimate is my relationship with God? Is it more shallow than I'd imagined?

I have not only been challenged but also troubled by this thought ...