A weekend of good lessons...

First of all, this is an overview of my weekend...

Was kinda unwell throughout the weekend...with recurrent bad headaches, running nose, etc. I napped quite a lot and kept out of the sun...

While it was a busy weekend for me (church stuff, worship practice, 2 revival/healing services by Pst. Suubi, etc), it was also an EATING weekend ~ to top up all the feasts I've had this week @_@ ~ (Just stayed away from the stuff that could break my voice). Ah, I feel like a glutton already...I promised myself that I'll eat simpler, healthier fare this week, to give a break to my poor stomach...

One good thing... the roundness of my cheeks have been restored! ~ with a little more colour. No more sunken, gaunt cheeks... and scarily skinny neck...hehe. Well of course, I put on 2 kg over the weekend. Oh well. No worries... :P

Of course, as a cha boh, I jumped when I first saw the weighing-scales. Ben comforted me over my initial distress and mourning by saying that I was much plumper when he first met me anyway...and it didn't stop him from loving me then @_@' so hehee... it's OK now. It's really OK.

Picnic food... :P I haven't eaten this for ages... probably since I left kindergarten. They used to serve stuff like that for break time...

A nice Saturday evening... so we decided to spend some time strolling and chilling on a public beach ~ behind Tjg. Bungah Beach Hotel...

Woweee!!!We sat down on a powder-soft patch of sand to do our favourite activity ~ watching people :P ... of course while enjoying the evening's cool breeze, the sparkling horizon as the sun set, and the warm scent of the ocean.(I looked so aunty...)

Then a man with his 3 dogs and 2 helpers walked past... Above: The man, one helper, one terrier and one Dobermann Pinscher... ~ Good-looking dogs!:D ~ The uncle didn't mind us snapping photos at his wonder dogs. In fact, he was quite proud that we liked his dogs :) Aww.

*Wrooooooooof!!!* Wait up! *Huff, puff, huff, puff*

The other helper with another Dobermann...

Went and watched people fishing on the rocks...Ben, who just went fishing that morning with his uncle (I didn't go coz I was too tired), promised to bring me on another fishing trip someday...

Look at the gorgeous rocks fringing the scene...and the blue sea...

Anyways....

It has been a good weekend of learning. I learnt alot, mostly from spending alot of time with the people around me...

Pastor's Suubi's healing/prayer/revival service in church on Friday and Saturday nights were amazing. He's from Kenya/Uganda btw. He spoke to us about praying for revival for our land, and brought us a prophetic word from God - both for our church and for certain individuals God had wanted to touch. All in all, I was very inspired to fast and pray for revival... not to mention encouraged by Pastor Suubi - may God bless His servant for being faithful to His call.

I think the biggest blessing and provision of the year is Ben's parents coming to know the Lord and devote their lives to Him. A year and half ago, we would have never imagined that such a beautiful, new season would come... but God did do a miracle and answer our prayers. It is so refreshing to watch them cast off their 'old selves', put on the 'new selves' and live new lives filled with joy and light. I'd rather be poor than to be denied this privilege of watching God work in yielded lives such as these! It is beautiful. Can't be described by mere words.

Ben's mum for instance, really encourages me (and sometimes puts me to shame with her passion). She is so hungry for God's Word - that despite her lack of fluency in English, she delights in reading her copy of the Bible aided by a Hokkien audio Bible. (She's spending so much less time watching the telly too!) Then she meditates on His Word day and night like the man in Psalms 1, delights in His ways and makes changes to her lifestyle - because she doesn't want to compromise anymore. Now, she's fervently learning to pray. It brings me much wonder to watch her grow, knowing that the understanding of God's Word for a simple woman like Aunty Wong, can only come from Him alone and through her childlike faith in God. Even more humbling it is for me to see her eyes shining with newfound joy and her face glowing with radiance... knowing that she has found peace, is enjoying her relationship with God...and is so blessed by the truth that sets one free! Truly reminds me of the hymn that goes, "Trust and obey, there is no other way... to be happy in Jesus - is to trust and obey."

The Wongs have indeed been amazing family, friends and even 'foster parents' to me, who've always given their best to serve and bless me in every way possible. I feel so honoured being able to watch God working in the family.

I also learnt alot from some of my dear friends, what it means to serve others out of love - a living act of a dead self. My desire and resolution for the year ahead is therefore to strive to serve others more diligently and cheerfully.

Just spent a good 30 minutes yakking on the phone with Ai Hua... may we all finish our assignments for the 5th December dateline. Gambatteh!!!!