start afresh, know God as the God He is. not the God whom we think He is...

31st dec, memorable day of celebration!
Monday, December 31, 2007//

yeah!! 31st dec...i met up with Beixuan at Orchard 330pm, BUT i was late :(
i reached around 3.45pm cos MRT was jam-packed!
so i sms my "tian-xin" and tell her i will be 7mins late...TO MY HORROR, she replied "yy, i tot you forgot about my date! haha"

GOSHHHH. haha, i could feel her "rejection" at that point of time even though she is joking. Cos' i do not like to disappoint and makes ppl feel rejected...cos i had experienced before & it sucked!!
SO FINALLY WE MET!! :)
yea...and our "child-like date" for the last day of 2007 begins.

THEME: Just live like a child, on the last day of 2007...

We walked to Cine & i was thoroughly excited by this 2 great mascot monster!! i wanted to take photo...BUT NO CAMERA :(
they are sooo cute & cool mans....awww...
we played ARCADE at Cine!
exchanged about $8 token!
we played dytona, gun shotting game, the human-soccer table, wanted to play DDR (but decided to save ourself some faces!! haha..), the "ping-pong game" except it's by sliding the "plate" and aim to hit it into the oppponents "lobang" door & finally "spot the diff" game!
I wanted to play the "Red, geen & blue buttons" game, but Cine dun have la!! SO PATHETIC lor..
wanted to play pool, but decided not to :)
u know wat, tian-xin is such a guai gal, from the way she play arcade, i know she hardly come to such places...HAHA, unlike me! 7yrs never play already still have all the "Sei" and "charisma". HAHA.
ANYWAY, tian-xin obviously lost to me for everything..haha...except maybe "spot the difference" game she is better!

SOOO, we were done & i decided to bring her to eat my favourite dessert at HK cafe!
Mango ice snow!!
ice cream & snow!! YESHHHH LA!!
haha...we are SO like little children....easily pacified!
i thanked GOd for this eating time, cos we shared quite a lot & interacting is good :)
that's how relationships were built hur hur?
SO we were utterly cold from the ICE SNOW & decided to go out of Cine! to get some sun!!!

TO my horror...we decided to try NEO-PRINT~~
which prob, we have stopped doing for like 4-7yrs???
GOSH... it was HOW FUN!! haha..i enjoyed it!!
we seriously do not know how to play anymore, & i gotta ask the personel to run here and there to teach us...OMG...*shake head!!*
& worse still, we only chose 3 pics, when we are allowed 4, cos NO TIME!! we were too sloww...
so wasted!! i mean there were so many cuter & more beautiful photos... :(
i was sadddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd.

anyway! below are the photos that we took :)
Thanks Tian-Xin for this little fun acitivity & memorable ornament to keep in my dear wallet...haha.

And then we went to Simei to eat Dinner at the foodcourt & finally to church...
church was good!!
cos i saw my 5favourite and respected TCS actor & actresses.
I so thanked God for them in the acting Marketplace.
To be Light of the world, to testify this God who is faithful & magnificient in their individual life stories.

During Worship, GOd reminded me again... "i love all of you. equally. but i love all of you differently..."

Dearest Beixuan, reali want to thank you for spending time with me today & allowing me to get to build a closer & deeper relationship with you.
Do hope that in the future, we will have more outing for a drink, movie, cycle, go beach enjoy the breeze etc etc.
I will bring you to Gym 1 day! To let you experience :)

CYA SOON!

and ppl...happy 2008.
I truly believe, this year of Sabbath is not only jus resting in the Lord, but also trusting in the Lord to see even greater victory than yr2007.
so that we will come to a deeper realisation that it is reali not about us ourselves.
Unless the Lord builds the house, He labours in Vain...

Lord, i want an intimacy with you this year.

A palsm a day, makes my breafast Tastier...

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
10:36 AM

how high will i rise....?
Friday, December 28, 2007//

Not Quitting when the Going Gets Tough

The Fern and the Bamboo

One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality.... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me.

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. The same in year four.

"Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant.

But just six months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.

"Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.

"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.

"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest, realizing that God will never give up on me. And He will never give up on you.

Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you happiness; bad days give you experiences; both are essential to life.

--Author Unknown

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
8:59 PM

Wat a memorable outing...
//

Today was a busy day, i went for an appt at Paya Lebar for landbanking...but was pretty crappy. The CEO only gave me 15minutes? And briefly mentioned "if i am interested to find out more, i will contact you for more details." & "is it capital protected?"

THAT's All. So i left, in the beginning, i feel a little shortchanged, cos i have never encountered such appt or Person before...but after a while..i realise, i have nothing to lose. Instead, He is the one making the loss to miss out this oppt seriously...

So i ended the appt at 1030am.
I have plenty of Time to the next appt at 130pm...
So i decided to go to Toa Payoh HSR to look for Mr.Kelvin Yeow...
To my surprise, there was actually a direct Bus.
I nearly missed the bus...but was lucky to stop it in time...

So i reached HSR around 1120am.
I didnt dare to go to the office...and i decided to sit in KFC to make my final prayer and thoughts....
Finally, i have decided to give it a try.
So i entered into the office...BUT kelvin was not around.
So i approached His PA whom i have met before.
She passed me the form & mentioned, once you are ready, let me know, i will bring you to make the $600 payment for the course for property agent...
haha...interesting i told her "ok, wait. let me think for a while, once i am done, i will let you know..."

All in All...i took about near to 1hr.
FINALLY, i make the Cue & i paid the money.
Yes, i am now a full force Real estate Agent.
Walton international North American Landbanking.
HSR Property Agent for local & overseas End-User property.

I met Huiting, presented to her even though she doesnt have the cash, cos i know she is intersted to learn & she is interested to get her parents to invest too.
Huiting is my church frd btw...

I met Anping & Hongyan (my 2 operator as seen in the photos below..) for dinner at Cafe Cartel at J8.
We had a great time...Anping treated us dinner.
She bought a Samsung MP3 & Hongyan bought her a pretty Headphone...and also got 1 for herself..

But what struck me most today..is when Anping was early to meet me & she mentioned she need to draw money...
So, she drew $50.
And to my horror (or rather surprise)...she donated the $50 to a Blind man who sung very very well & played the electronic keyboard reali well....

gosh. Do you know Anping is from china? She is an operator from STMicroelectronics.
Her mthly Pay is prob $1200??
Maybe plus OT etc etc, she can earn about $1600++ BUT she gotta work VERY HARD.

I was so amazed, stunned, dumb founded & maybe even ashamed.
I definitely donate money pretty regularly...BUT never so much at 1 shot.
Even though i have MANY times richer than her.

Suddenly, i jus feel that her heart is so BIG...while mine is so small...
i jus feel how meaningful & happy her life is....how "rich" she is no matter how much money she has in this material world...

As for me, the supposed richer...seemed to be living as if i am a bankrupt. GOSH.

Anyway, i promised God that watever money that He will bless me in this 3-4mths in HSR (my committment to Kelvin), i will Tithe 10% to church. 10% to Offering.

And hopefully, with the abundance blessing from God, i will pay for a HK trip for Anping & Hongyan...just a blessing for them.

Lord, i have no idea right now.
But to You alone i surrender. I know you will guide me along...
Lord, i Trust in you.

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
7:24 AM

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
7:09 AM

BHUTTO died.
Thursday, December 27, 2007//

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday outside a large gathering of her supporters where a suicide bomber also killed at least 14, doctors and a spokesman for her party said.

Benazir Bhutto greets her supporters at the rally that was hit by a suicide attack.

While Bhutto appeared to have died from bullet wounds, it was not immediately clear if she was shot or if her wounds were caused by bomb shrapnel.

Police warned citizens to stay home as they expected rioting to break out in city streets as a shocked Pakistan absorbed the news of Bhutto's assassination.

Video of the scene just moments before the explosion showed Bhutto stepping into a heavily-guarded vehicle to leave the rally. Video Watch aftermath of the attack. »

Police sources told CNN the bomber, who was riding a motorcycle, blew himself up near Bhutto's vehicle.

Bhutto was rushed to Rawalpindi General Hospital -- less than two miles from the bombing scene -- where doctors pronounced her dead.

Former Pakistan government spokesman Tariq Azim Khan said while it appeared Bhutto was shot, it was unclear if the bullet wounds to her head and neck were caused by a shooting or if it was shrapnel from the bomb. Video Watch Benazir Bhutto obituary. »

Bhutto's husband issued a statement from his home in Dubai saying, "All I can say is we're devastated, it's a total shock."

The number of wounded was not immediately known. However, video of the scene showed ambulances lined up to take many to hospitals.
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The attack came just hours after four supporters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif died when members of another political party opened fire on them at a rally near the Islamabad airport Thursday, Pakistan police said.

Several other members of Sharif's party were wounded, police said.

Bhutto, who led Paksitan from 1988 to 1990 and was the first female prime minister of any Islamic nation, was participating in the parliamentary election set for January 8, hoping for a third term.

A terror attack targeting her motorcade in Karachi killed 136 people on the day she returned to Pakistan after eight years of self-imposed exile. View timeline. »

CNN's Mohsin Naqvi, who was at the scene of both bombings, said Thursday's blast was not as powerful as that October attack.
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Thursday's attacks come less than two weeks after Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf lifted an emergency declaration he said was necessary to secure his country from terrorists.

Bhutto had been critical of what she believed was a lack of effort by Musharraf's government to protect her. E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
7:18 AM

Tuesday, December 25, 2007//

December 25, 2007

The Gift Giver

By Rachel Olsen

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38 (NIV)

Devotion:

This morning I'll watch with joyful anticipation as my family opens the gifts that I've given them. I can't wait to see their faces light up with surprised pleasure and gratefulness. In moments like these I understand why Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35, NIV).

A few years ago my daughter reached an age where she could find the hidden stash of unwrapped presents if she really tried. So I warned her that if she peeked, and I found out about it, I would return those presents to the store and she would not receive them. Sounds a bit harsh I know, but I really wanted her to learn some important lessons: to exercise self-control and delayed gratification, and to respect the act of giving by not robbing me of the pleasure of seeing her open her presents for the first time. I wanted her to know that giving and receiving are irreversibly linked -- and that expressions of thankfulness are part of it.

It's essential for God's children to respect the act of giving as well as receiving - He calls us to live a life of both. I also believe it can help us better understand God's core nature and our relationship with Him. God is a gift-giver! And He always knows the exact perfect gift to give. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17, NIV).

Let's unwrap today some of the awesome gifts He has given us ...

He's given us physical life: "The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7 (NIV)

And eternal life: ""For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 (NIV)

He's given us family: "God sets the lonely in families ..." Psalm 68:6 (NIV)

He's given us wisdom: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5 (NIV)

He's given us peace: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you." John 14:27 (NIV)

He's given us joy: "You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit." 1 Thessalonians 1:6 (NIV)

He's given us rest: "Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.'" Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

He's given us a personal counselor: "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you." John 14:16 (NIV)

He's given us an inheritance: "...you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward." Colossians 3:24 (NIV)

And He's given us freedom: "God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom." 1 Corinthians 1:30 (NIV)

In return for all these glorious gifts, God simply wants us to receive and respond with thankfulness and a heart that is ready to emulate His gracious nature. I can't think of a better day than today to respond with gratefulness and enjoy the act of giving and receiving -- Merry Christmas!

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
9:19 AM

blessed marriage SISTER!! :)
Monday, December 24, 2007//

finally...my STMicroelectronics Si-Jie FU HUIYI JOELLE is married today!!!
24th dec, 2007.
she's reali my one of my rare idol in ST.
with character, with attitude, with stewardness, with humbleness, with teachable heart.
i am always in awe and in respect for her!
too bad...i decided to leave STMicrolectronics to pursue some other plc where God has placed in my heart...
i missed you guys! my colleagues.
Alywin...adriyan...xiaodi...junidar....hewin...fuxing....alex ong....Shien Yew....vady....sim chun....weimin....boon lee....neo....sean.....yih yau...gosh.
getting emotional again...sigh.

huiyi you look reali pretty today! serious. beautifully enchanting. mesmerising.
your hubby looks handsome also lei...haha...didnt know you got such good taste!
ENVY~~~ :)
any good lobang for me??must be christian "AMEN" type ok!! :)

alex ong "weird pek pek" cheating Boon Lee's daughter...SHE IS SO PRETTY!!
and ya, Boss BOon Lee, you reali look great & pretty! :)
serious. haha, if i am a guy, and you are unmarried, i sure go after you too ... :)
HAHA. tell your husband, he is lucky to have you worz!

blessed marriage my dear frd.
Do keep in touch...God bless you, miss you & take care!
ALL THE BEST in watever that you do.... :)
cheers~

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
8:49 AM

my special Christmas EVE morning... :)
//

pastor lawrence came to my hse around 9+am to fetch me to go fishing at CHANGI!!
sarah (my cell sister) & junming (under pastor) are coming along too!!
yesh~~~ my virgin Trial on fishg...exciting worz :)

sarah waiting patiently....on the toopid fish to get hooked~!
look machiam...she is lost in love....in her own world....AWwwww...

pastor and JM packing up, on the way to leave ard 1230pm..

YES! it's a bird! wat kind of bird...i seriously got no-eye-deer!
but, i tot it looks cool...Sapphire always like to see slow navigating birds in the beautiful sky...

our harvest for today!! 5fishes & 2 crabs!! :) yesh la! THANK GOD for this harvest!! :)

i met them at the fishing area. The ang-mo kid is called Kurt. His daddy owns a big company, he's canadian. His mummy is a Russian, not working, at home TAi-TAi...
As for the maid, gosh! She been to US, EUROPE, most of the big states in US...for the past 3-5yrs.. gosh...so envious.
maybe i wouldnt mind being a maid like that...lots of travelling oppt hur hur~!

gosh...i love kids. Esp baby boys..i have a soft spot for them...no idea why..

we hid the 2crabs inside...to prevent them from escaping!!!

cool little sarah & her 2time fishing candid shot! :)

shit...under the BLAZING hot sun...the prawns turned cooked...
like my face..super pain now....SUN BURN LOR... :(
but it's ok!
sapphire loves getting TAN TAN TAN!!!

introducing to you JM! the young, cute and kind hearted 20yr old guy. CHRISTIAN! any takers, leave me a msg, i will help you..HAHAHA...leilong leilong~~

sarah with her excited candid shot again~!

pastor teaching sarah how to swing... :)
"instead of giving you a fish...i rather teach you how to fish..."

a little young afraid to go down...how faithless even when the maid is there...
jus like us and God sometimes...even though we know God is there...we still dare not trust, no matter how many times He has been with us....

and finally....side by side...he walks down the step 1 at a time....
God knows how much we can handle each time...He never forces...He never rushes....He is patient to guide us along.

pastor selecting BIG FRESH prawns for his bait!
:)

this is the shop....

i love the sea. beautifully serene.
i love the vastness of the sea horizon. and the blue sky.
GOSH. i like this kind of care-free life....

the scenery at this fishing corner...

they started preparing when we reached the destination to start getting ready to fish!!! :)

THIS IS MY DAY! :)
what s special Christmas Eve....

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
8:08 AM

my sunday morning at changi airport...
Sunday, December 23, 2007//

i was at coffee bean alone...
supposed to do a reflection and alone time with God.
i started writing down the good and bad times that have happened in my journey in this 2007...
become writing down my desire and expectations this 2008.
After all of them, i decided to stop.
Cos i am tired. I have always already been doing that in my mind. ALWAYS.
and i feel that i am jus repeating it again and again. no point already.

So, i jus sat there and enjoy the crowd around me...
did God spoke to me?
to be frank, he didnt. or rather, maybe He did...just that i didnt listen to her carefully enuff...
but what i do know during this morning, is that God knows and understands my desire, my heart condition and my dreams..
i believe that God is a sovereign GOd who knows what i truly need and how much i can receive. Even blessings. He know the season to give....

I am feeling a little tippsy after the 5glass of red wine at the wedding dinner.
To be frank...i am reali hoping to see the day God bless me with this Right Godly Man...to walk in the chapel with him.
Hmmm...it's interesting, i think i have yet to cross path with this young gentleman...or have i?
O Lord...grant me a clearer picture..more pro-activeness even from your side.
Definitely i am not desperate...cos i have ALWAYS enjoy my singlehood :)
to be able to do things without much accountability....or committment...haha...unlike when you are attached!!!!

Lord, grant me favour in every arena of my life.
grant me the ability to prosper accordingly to your blessing.
let this 2008 be an awesome year of trusting and seeing your hands moving in my life.

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
8:44 AM

day in church! Christmas event! :)
//

my dearest Sister Kelly in church! One of my closest frd in NUS ME :)
love her,miss her...and i reali thanked God for her in my life...
to be there to help me, to be a counselor..to always be there to lead in this Godly journey.
Her fervent compassion for the ppl around...her fervent love and desire to serve and know the Lord more...is inspiring.

Sacrificial is her life focus. I salute you dear...

Church celebration today in FCBC...expo hall 10.
Many were saved...PRAISE the Lord!

some performances before sermon...

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
8:39 AM

vady's wedding recap...
//

video playing back the old days of vady and timothy...so sweet....AWwww...

vady and timothy....blessed marriage to you :)
May God continue to shower this lovely relationship with His love, Grace & mercy...

lovely chapel.....i want my wedding dinner to be here too...

lovely scenery with the blue sky.....GOSH. Marrying to the right God-sent Man is going to be so exciting...

lovely Christmas tree outside Raffles city.... the season of Love. Celebration of Love and Life...

lots of camera from table to table....wedding dinner is so mafan...haha...wedding couples never eat at all lor i think...POOR thing...

my ex colleagues in ST...

my ex-Bosses in ST.... KK chew & raymond....
had a good tok with Raymond, & he asked me " are you happy now?" and i mentioned, "yes, i am reali much more happier here than in ST..."
& as usual he mentioned "good, as long as you happy can already. Most imptly is that you are happy. It doesnt matter where you are."

HMMM...reali? is happiness all that is impt? To be frank..i would want to take a pause in this.
I believe besides enjoying and being happy...it must be able to sustain you financially, it must be ethicallt righteous and correct, it must be able to allow God to use you as His vessel in His desired ways....
That, i believe, this will be the God-called place for you to reign...
else, being happy is futile, as it could be only self-satisfying.
else, being rich could be meaningless....as it could be empty at the end of the day...when you have missed out the BIG GOD in your life.
else, being in the limelight could be self-deceiving to prove your significance and popularity...bcos at the end of the day, how many would you call "Frds" around you...?

my dearest Junidar (etch engr) taking photo shooting again....haha...those Aussie trip days.. :)

masking engr Bernard & junidar!! :)
my dearest G4 shift engrs...AWWWWWW...i missed those night shift with you all...

--AbsoluteSApphire8--
8:24 AM