Footprints

When strolling along the beaches, many people like to take picture of their footprints in the sand.

Perhaps it’s a way to make a statement like “hey, I was here & here’s the proof”;
or maybe it’s just a sheer joy to take pictures of our footprints by the surging waves!

Footprints on the beach are definitely a fun sight to stumble upon. These are the footprints of my sister while we were enjoying the dramatic twilight by the South China Sea.

I delight in this famous poem, “Footprints”, which has brought comfort to many souls.

One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Across the sky flashed scene from his life.
He noticed two sets of footprints in the sand.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him he noticed that many times there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it was at the very lowest times in his life.
He questioned the Lord about it.

“Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.”

The Lord replied, “My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

This poem is an oasis to weary souls; It brings to mind the invitation Jesus gives in Matthew 11:28:

“Come unto me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Years ago, I had the opportunity to pose with the author of Footprints, Margaret Powers, who happens to be the mom of one of my fellow students at Bible college.

Here’s the story behind the poem.

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My Fruity Friend

Yesterday was one of my friends birthday. I have known this friend since our kindergarten years; Let’s just call this friend my fruity friend.

We used to hang out from our elementary years and all the way till now. Apparently there is one thing that keeps pulling our friendship together, and it’s the tropical fruits!

Once during our secondary years, on a super hot day, this friend and I challenged each other to eat a whole gigantic oblong seeded watermelon. We cut the watermelon into halves and see who could finish the fruit first.

Knowing my passion for tropical fruits, a few years ago she and her husband brought me to an orchard to enjoy the varieties of the local fruits. I especially love the sweet honey-flavored rambutans and got to bring a big sack home.

This time when my fruity friend heard that I was going back; her family, during the the peak of the fruit season, stored up containers of fragrant durians, flavorful homegrown mangoes and rambutans in the freezer awaiting me to savor.

Furthermore, she also reserved the half of the longans on the tree for me, and warned her family not to eat the rest of the fruit further until I tasted it. When I arrived at her home, I was amazed to see so many appealing longans dangling on the tree. My friend wasn’t home but I was told that I could eat as many of the fresh fruit as I wanted! I didn’t dare to so I took only a small bundle home.

A few days later when I visited her place again hoping to enjoy more of the fruit, the longans were vanishing from the tree. I was curious and my friend stated that when the family knew I had tried the fruit, they quickly consume the rest in no time!

I regretted not eating more of the hearty longans.

All those tasty fresh fruits definitely enrich our friendship further.  Through her, many of our kindergarten friends were gathered to celebrate her daughter’s wedding and we had a marvelous reunion and rekindled our old friendships.

What a sweety fruity friend I have!

Happy Birthday & cheers to a fruitful friendship!!

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Fabulous February

Before this February comes to an end, I would like to say a quick thank you to my fabulous family and fabulous friends for a Fabulous February.

This year, I went back to celebrate Chinese New Years and other special occasions in Asia; I had so much fun and many memorable times with my family and friends, and I felt so much…

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A Joy-filled Celebration

A joy-filled entry
Using haiku poetry
Celebrating lives

Strolling in the breeze
Along a bloomy downtown
Capturing beauties

Gaze. Breathe. In wonder.
Bumblebees and fair-ladies
Fluttering a’round

Stomach growls, hungry
Craving for tasty ramen
Five flavorful bowls!

Tummy filled, and stuffed
Yet still room for spicy meal
Foodies, buddies, yay!

What’s the occasion?
People-mountain-people-sea
Why such commotion??

It’s Pavlova cake
Gasp! What a celebration
Sparkles ~ Fireworks!

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Lifesaver

We were asked, at the spiritual formation discussion groups, to share a highlight about our earliest glimpse of the Divine at a young age. 

The “divine” not necessarily being the God of the Bible as for some it could be Angels, Santa Claus, Spiderman or any higher being.

As I reflected on the topic, I thought of my log story.

When I was quite young, an auntie from the neighbor and her family invited me to visit their village for a weekend.   Before supper that day, I went to play with a group of happy village kids on a huge floating log by the murky riverside.

Being a city slicker, I was unaware of the danger of the river current.

As we tried to go under the water to the other side of the log, I lost my grip and was almost swept away by the flowing river.

While panicking and struggling under the water in those few seconds, I prayed and cried out in my heart, “God, save me, save me, please!” even though I didn’t know who God Almighty was then.

In no time,  I managed to grip onto the slippery log and quickly got out of the river.

I didn’t tell anyone about my near-death experience that evening but silently cried myself to sleep for hours, in that village far away from home…

Those burning  tears were tears of fear and gratitude, knowing that had it not been for the “unknown” God reaching out to rescue me, I would have drowned.

Years later  I encountered this “unknown” God again; This time He spoke to me personally through Colossians 1:13-14:

“For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Thanks be to the Almighty God who is my forever Life-Saver!

The other day I saw a life-saver in the storage area and decided to hang it up in the Sunday School office as a decoration and also to remind us that Jesus is our Life-Saver.

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