Slow-mo...

I have been meaning to update my blog with quite a number of items and add on a few posts with updates and all...but somehow, just didn't manage to get to it. I finally decided to put my foot down and do it, despite my incredibly heavy eyelids....zzz...

1. Links - I've been meaning to add on to my links...especially the craft ones...and the ones that I frequent. I guess it's not so much for the readers but more for me...it's like my portable list of favorites...if I get internet connection where I'm going...I hope I will...but I guess I'm going to spend my time writing prayer newsletters/updates and emailing. Well, I thought...no harm just putting them up!

2. School - Had my last day in school last Tuesday. It was pretty uneventful to say the least. But I quite liked it. Just leave quietly. I enjoyed my time there. Other than my lovely kids (especially my adorable and very hardworking 1E5) and my wonderful colleagues, what I'll miss most will be my special time at my special corner every morning. Before I left ZSS close to 2 years ago, I started doing my Quiet Time (sing praises, read the Bible, jot down throughts and reflections, pray...) at a quiet corner I found...early in the morning before school started. Sometimes, I had the luxury of spending 30 mins reading, thinking, praying. I won't say it was fantastic ALL the time...but it was really good...to just sit before the Lord and praise Him...setting my heart and mind right with Him before I started work...and that really helped to start my day right...with the right attitude...it was really important to start my day with Him. He taught me much and spoke to me in those times...and this time, when I went back to do relief teaching, I went back to the same place to do the same things... I'm really thankful for that quiet corner...for those precious times in school when I felt sane and calm...and knew that God was with me.

my quiet corner

3. Home-side - Have been spending more time at home...been aware that I ought to...not just sit around, but to actually talk to my parents...that's a lil tough of course...cos being the typical Chinese family, we just don't really talk. Have been hearing mom talking on the phone, happily telling her friends that I've gone back to teaching. Think it must be really confusing for her to explain to people what I am going to do...especially when she can hardly understand it. I've heard her tell people that I'm going Thailand to teach English (which isn't exactly true...but I guess it's the easiest version to tell)...sigh and say she just let me go and do what I please with my life...don't know why I don't have a boyfriend and not likely to get married yet. It's really not easy for them to have to answer all those questions.

I am hoping to spend more quality time with them. I am actually going to Sabah with the whole family...we really haven't had a family holiday for a really really long time! One of my SBC classmates owns a retreat centre there...so I'm asking him to help make arrangements. Dad suggested Japan as well when we were suggesting a family trip...but I thought that would be too expensive...and I think I would be miserable spending so much money there. In the end we settled on Sabah...we're actually going to climb Mt Kinabalu together...so exciting and adventurous right? Super happening...cannot take it siah. *hahahah* I'm pretty psyched for the trip...really looking forward to spending some quality time with my brothers and my folks...praying for opportunity to share the gospel with them...or at least explain to them a lil more clearly what I'm going to do...God, this is for You to work out...I just hope I will be sensitive to Him...what & when & how He wants me to say...

Dad was promoted recently. At dinner table, he mentioned how he was never recognized for his hard work all throughout the 30 years he'd been in the same workplace. He felt that there were times when he worked much harder...but was never promoted or praised. This time, both he and his team were actually given a raise I think...and dad was really pleased that his boss acknowledges their good work. I really take this as a sign of affirmation from the Lord...that He's taking care of my family. Somehow, when I look back and see how dad was so close to being retrenched when I first wanted to quit...and the many close shaves after that when the company went through more restructuring and retrenchment exercises...I can't help but marvel at how God has shown His goodness and faithfulness on me. I'm really really thankful...

more important and exciting updates to come...I'm too tired to continue for now...till the next time!