Early Morning Rising

" Give ear to my words, O Lord,

Consider my meditation

Give heed to the voice of my cry

My King and my God, For to You I will pray

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord.

In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up" - Psalm5:1-3

A very apt psalm indeed as I had read in my QT this morning, an early riser like myself... these two days having to open the lab waking up at 5am and opening at 6am.. Thank God work is just a 20min walk away..

This waking hour beats even the Junior college days when I though 545am was bad enough!

Though now I'm feeling really lethargic, boiling water for a nice cuppa coffee, typing and reading my Bible will keepme from slumping over the lab bench...

The clouds that usually woo me were coloured deep red then gradually bursts into orange then fading merging into white...The reward, waking up before its light and then day break as I get ready and as I step out into the last moments of dawn, its truly breath-taking.

What a sight, even in the midst of a metropolitan city, the glory of God's creation... I pray.. though I am still half asleep..taking it in..

Yes Lord you hear my voice in the morning... I will direct it to you..

Today's agenda? Purpose...why do I live? why do I love, give and work. Day in day out, go to work , come back from work , have lunch, shepherd, meet people, shopping, housework, exercise....

I still struggle with this issue regarding my work... its easy, pays well, starts and finishes early leaving the whole afternoon for me to do whatever I want....Yet something is missing... something very essential..

it starts with a "P"... PASSION..... in fact a lot of important things start with P.. Purity, purpose... ok i'm losing the point here.

Is there more to this life? Is it purely earthly, physical needs for food, shelter and clothes that drive us to do what we do..

I think I'm still searching for my niche somewhere... work that I am truly passionate for and believe in.. something that I can give my whole heart to and still make a living..

Where is it hiding????? Is it missions, or the overseas 1 year dietitian free-lance job in UK.

Lord help me that You may be enough... daily light for the step that I am on...

The Competition

OK Mr Brocoli, this one is for you... So you can gain so leverage against my food photos. Don't complain the next time I take pictures of you instead.. I know my food never complains.. =)

New record set: Dave 10, Food 30... give me time..

Food Glorious Food

I'm Obessessed !!!!..... with FOOD!!!

Dave does not approve of me taking pictures of food... He has observed that everytime we go out, I'm always buying some kind of food home.. (groceries that is, look if u want a yummy dinner, I've got to get nice ingredients)

He has observed that even after a very satisfying dinner, I'm still looking at some restaurant menu on the window pane musing to him "Hmmm, maybe we can try here next time.."

He has a terrible phobia of me flashing me out my camera and going WAAAITTT.. *snap*snap* Ok you can eat now

LAST Night.. quite ultimate, we were having a deep conversation about life, I was posing him a question
"Do u think this is all to life, have you thought God will lead you somewhere to do missions, set-up an orphanage, plant a church.. u know like the many stories we've heard.. Or do you think life is just working, making money.. buying food??"
DRATS!~! "BUYING F0od...." ok he almost choked, laughing in his hyperventilating type of laugh that Pet attests to and tries to imitate...
"Haha so you think buying food ranks real high on your list of things in life u need to do.. " urrrr.... lost of words so I resort to violence to strangle him...

Anywayz...since I haven't posted my food pictures for a while.. here they are, but I've attempted to make it more interactive this time.. there's people in the pictures!








Spanish baked eggs with tomato confit, capsicum, oregano and chorizo



Haloumi cheese, pomegranate, watercress, shaved fennel, roast eschallots Pumpkin pancake with confit of duck leg and mixed leaf salad

And of course topped of with fantastic book kitchen coffee..


Book kitchen is my ideal cafe, uses mostly organic and free-range products set in a warehouse like building stocked with heaps of FOOD BOOKS... muhahaa.. chai's pretty good here too. Pet and I checked out Sean Moran's latest book.

Introducing....
Little Stick: Sue Lynus the Skinniest, my food buddy

October was good food month in Sydney and we ventured out one weekday lunch time for the $35 "Let's do lunch" special feature a poshy indian restaurant near darling habour Zaaffran.

Little stick with her pinot and lunch. What was featured on the menu:
Lobster and prawns glazed in a clay oven, mesclun, spiced potato wedges, mint chutney, bettroot raita and mushroom nann Topped off with a Brown Brothers' Pinot Grigio 2005 or James Squire Amber Ale.

Mmm after that we were so stuffed that by 7pm when we wanted to celebrate BB's birthday in newtown we couldn't eat... Sue lyn cannot eat?!?!?!

This week we were planning to venture out to King's Cross to hunt for Little Penang reputated M'sian food place for Har Mee... but me too tired after work so I introduced her to Thai on Wok in Glebe where we had Tom Yum Goong, Yellow curry and Pumpkin with swiss brown mushrooms, snow peas and egg gravy with pork.

Next destination $30 lunch buffet at Marriot hotel.

And not forgetting desserts!
The double bay ice-creamy in the city, we brought Pet there for her birthday.

Its 30 scoops plus toppings.. 5 of us tried to finish it but failed.. ok we ate a hole through it,

Here's terence peeping through.... Better stop bloggin now, Dave thinks I like food more than him..
Tomorrow morning, Grower's markets 85 stalls of food!!! fresh produce, cheese, deli meats and fresh fruit.. Mmm 7am-11am first Saturday of every month..

Coming of Age

AHHH!! I'm 26!!

Its a little late almost a month since but just felt like blogging..

Day before:
The cutest person in the world and the winner of "who to get the door" contest took me out to circular quay at a gorgeous restaurant called the waterfront.. MY PET... The cute cute of the very cute only rivaled by my baby sister Little B =
Following photos are our attempts to "self-take".

Check out the view, the harbour bridge just behind us...




The other way u can see the opera house.




Lunch time special of a starter of vongele+mussels linguini tossd in olive oil, garlic and chili flakes and seafood pie...
How generous it was chock full of fresh fish, salmon pieces, scallops and prawns in a creamy carrot sauce topped with crispy puff pastry shell..












plus we both got a little high on yummy
cocktails



Day itself: went to work ...
My manager was really sweet to gather my colleagues at SUGiRS and went out for thai food in Newtown, then I met up Nin for shepherding in Glebe.

God was really funny that day, I had prepared stuff to go through with Nin that day. BUT we bumped into this guy that I seem to always bump into.. got to chatting .. I was in a funny mood that day with this strange courage to start sharing Christ with him and to challenge him to acknowledge God's goodness. Its funny cos he was hanging around the cafe and I was like " well we're going to do bible study now, you can join us if u like" and guess what he DID!?! ok well I remember at that point to also appreciate the interuptions of the day that God sometimes send our way... in a sense it became a "practical" session where I was able to with Nin work together to share about God with a stranger.. =)

The next part.. my silly man came to look for me, let's call him Mr Brocoli, I'm teasing him about his curly hair that to me seems to have grown out of proportion and desperately needs a trim.

Mr Brocoli and I headed home from Glebe so that I could get changed...



















Getting home he had

put a present on my bed and was trying to hide it.... but I saw it so I opened it, I felt quite funny cos he bought me like shower gel, bath foam and scrub .. I think I was a little disappointed cos I've always had the concept that soap and stuff u get for someone you don't know well as a nice gift.. not for ur girlfriend.. " but then again.. he made a pretty card and wrote some very sweet things inside, so I changed to a dress and we went out.

He asked me
"do you want to go to Leichardt or Newtown? hmmm, we'll just go to Newtown"
My mind was like

"ok,.. I was just there and u know I work uni and Newtown is where I always go..." so I asked "Can we go to Leichardt ?"

HE didn't know how to get there?..

" I think we can take a bus from this bus stop.." I finally said.
We went to the bus stop, no more buses...oh no.. " In my mind was .. this fella, never plan"
felt a bit sad but I didn't want to spoil mood though he was aware that I was really quiet.. so I just said why don't we go to Glebe. Though we go there like 10000 times but they have nice restaurants.. then he said we'll go have pizza!!?? PIZZA!!??

The obvious stark difference between guys and girls, perhaps even more pronounced in a crazed foodie like me, he's usually easily satisfied when it comes to food.
hahah it was really funny how guys and girls have difference expectations of things...

I got really quiet cos I felt sad tat he ddin't plan and the birthday dinner ask me to eat pizza, My Dad had called me earlier and asked me to go eat lobster on his credit card!... Oh well I said, maybe not pizza? so we walked deeper and deeper into glebe and I was getting further annoyed that he kept smsing on his phone but kept quiet. Finally reached this al fresco fish shop... looked really casual but I thought not much places left if we kept walking.. so we had a mixed seafood grill & grilled rainbow trout fillet & drinks.. Really value for money cos the rainbow trout +chips+salad only $10!! and the chips were like super yummy and crunchy fat..

Got back to my place, then I thanked him for the night.. he was like " don't u want to party still, its your birthday?"

"Party?you not tired ah? we're home already.. where else do u want to go ? "

" We can go to the roof top to party.." Then he pressed the lift to go to the roof.. this time I was getting suspicious...

" What... "

Then he led me to the roof top..

He had gotten my housemate Pet/Priscilla to help him set up a table on the roof-top with ice-cream+nuts , wine, candles and flowers...

"OH mygosh..." I was stunned.. felt really touched... and very bad for nagging him about not planning.. And he had held out when I was berating him about the importance of planning with all the sarcastic remarks about going to leichardt next time when we "plan" .. no wonder he had asked me what kind of ice cream I liked and how I would rank him on a scale of being romantic.. ( I had said -5 out of 10 by the way), said that a lot of sms from people had high expectations of him that I would be super happy this year cos I had dave to celebrate with me.. I felt so guilty.. But he was so sweet about it... Really thank God for bringing such a patient, caring guy into my life.. its amazing ..

Apparently he had already started asking Pet for advice for wat to do before hand and he had wanted to do dinner on the rooftop as it was one of our favourite places to go pray, look at stars etc but Pet had said a nice restaurant and flowers definitely (spot on for pris) but he felt it was too boring and planned the dessert thing..

He had come over to my place earlier when I was out and wanted to go buy the stuff but Pet offered to help him get them, the smses were all to her tellin her abt the situation and the "Mum" was actually Pet asking what time we'd be back cos she didn't want the ice-cream to melt. Pet told me he was really anxious over the whole thing, planning and what to do.. Feel so blessed..

On th rooftop he asked me again how I would I rank romanticism... 9 I told him, he said sorry tat he didn't plan for me to get angry or disappointed that he'd try harder next time with the present and that he had wanted to get me new bedsheets... but he didn't find any that were nice in my bed size... hah still so patient...

Really thank God for you Mr Brocoli.. =)

Sanctuary

Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary

Pure and Holy

Tried and true

With thanksgiving,
I'll be a living sanctuary for you."

" Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me." - Psalm 51:10

"Direct my steps by Your word,
And let no inquity have dominion over me. " - Psalm 119:133

"Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God." - Psalm 50:23

"I lift my eyes to the hills- From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth" - Psalm 121:1

Heard the best version of this song done by Jaci Valesquez... Made me think a lot in reflection of the verses above.

10th Sept Sunday was the first time I've lead praise and worship in church again after a long time last November being diagnosed with vocal nodules and undergoing 6months worth of therapy... Saturday night I was extra short-tempered, impatient, intolerant, restless... in other words going crazy..

1am: I couldn't sleep, had to go worship God alone.

"He who keeps you will not slumber.." - Psalm 112: 4b

Flashback of my past, the sin, the triumphs, the close encounters with God, starting the women's group, prophecies, the baptisms, deliverances, relationships...
He was there through it all, the darkness before the light, the healing before the serving, the loving before the giving, the waiting before the delivering.....

God God God.. I'm desperate for You, I'm lost without You.
Finally KOed to the strains of "Still" by Watermark.

Sunday came and went, the voice held out, the team solid... However I'm still desperate, I'm still greedy for more...

Today I tried to understand You, tried to fathom who You are... shall I try? to fail miserably when I can't seem to obey or live up to be blameless before You...
Yet, to deny Your exsistence or how much you mean to me would be just plain dumb.

You're so real so real its scary sometimes... yet I know my humaness and sin still separates You and me.

Dan Fogelberg - Longer

Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you.
Stronger than any mountain cathedral
Truer than any tree ever grew
Deeper than any forest primeval
I am in love with you.
I'll bring fires in the winters
You'll send showers in the springs
We'll fly through the falls and summers
With love on our wings.
Through the years as the fire starts to mellow
Burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks and the pages start to yellow
I'll be in love with you.
Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you
I am in love with you..

In the depths of a woman's heart there longs for romance, for the vow of undying love and faithfulness. But in through these years of "maturation" have we lost hope for that dream? Marred by stories, circumstances, things that have happened to girlfriends, sisters and other women, are we questioning that there is no such thing as the lyrics written above?

But I know a love and am slowly awakening to it.. Not only to recognize that He has been good and bountiful to my soul, which is His goodness in providence. The next level in the relationship is the wooing, I love romance, the constant repeating of the proclamation that He will love me forever, that I am worth it, that I am beautiful. Women never get tired of hearing that, even so we need to hear it, trust me =)

We've been together since 22nd November 1999, that's like 6 years 6months and 23days. In that time, I realize that You've wooed me with clouds!! (Stasi Eldredge writes that for her its starfish) Thank you my Jesus, the Lover of my soul, Lord dare I say that its just for me.. perhaps that's why I love to take pictures of clouds, as rembrance of ur token of love.

Recently getting to know what it means to love another human being, a son of Adam none the least... that will be a challenge, for he is as fallible and imperfect as me. We hold the same hope, the same faith, the same love in us. Its hard enough to love someone perfect. But to believe in the depths of heart that my eternal Lover will teach me how to love the earthly one.

The One to get the door

Introducing the NEWEST competition ever!!

Who's cuter?????? After much consideration I have arrived at top 3 finalist!

Drumroll please......
Contestant1: Peter Jamie Oliver look-alike

Contestant2: MR BEARDY Rhodes (check out fuzzy green gloves)Contestant3: The "Why you so cute" Xiao Pet mole....

Who will you send to get the door if the prime minister comes visiting??
Vote now!

Accidental Foodie

I'm Back!!!


The crazed Foodie... more pictures of my gluttony and novice food photography

Feature: Dim Sum or Yum cha in Aussie



A piggy look at my sister with the array of food before her heheh...

Above left: 烧猪肉 on pancake Below right:小笼包

Below: Succulent scallop encased in a crispy taro shell

Favourite local fare with Mum as the model... She's my eating partner in Singapore, I'm often the blame for weight gain everytime I go back to Singapore for a visit. =)

Mum and I at Yishun hawker centre. She had kambing soup with kiam chye be (salted vegetables) and rice.

Me nasi lemak!









Other Hawker favourites!


Duck noodles & duck rice

Personal favourite, bak chor mee..

Laksa!

Hor Fun

A day out with Mum and little B for Japanese food




Look at the Bento box, tempura... Little B looks pretty happy with what she's having...


Mumsy and her soba, I got hungry so I started tasting.. hmm
poor little B..

But nothing beats the home-cooked food that mum makes... shes' the queen, steamed white promfret is my personal favourite.. can't really get that here in Sydney .. I'll really have to search far and wide.



The fantastic spread Mum cooked up. Stir fried vegetables, sambal prawns, steamed promfret, chicken soup and TAU YEW bak. Mmmmmmm






Tau yew bak....









Food glorious food... what am I still doing in Sydney???
Perhaps being away forces the mastery of the skills required to produce such fine cuisine..BUT heeh sorry Little B and lili.. I'm stealing mum for the week..

She's coming this Friday!! Woohoo.. I can't wait..

Dum Dee Dum

Dum Dee Dum

I'm looking through my journal and my ibook while waiting for Johanna, Rena and Honey to come over for dinner.. Just felt like musing..

Musing about God's grace and leading, how close He is and how incredible the Holy Spirit leads us and convicts us of leading a life holy and pleasing to Him. I rejoice because He is in every aspect of my life, concerned about every little detail. Wow.

Watched "Love actually" on Monday. It was described as a feel good movie for Christmas time and yes it makes me feel good and allows me to muse at the writer's different aspects of Love in our world and approaches to Love at different stages, cultures and statuses even!
Love between Husband and wife, between a man and woman speaking two different languages, Love for a sibling, love for a son, Love for a best friend.

Next I LOVE Bridget Jones, maybe cos I relate to her classic statement of which I've mastered imitating,
"But I embarass you and Yes I'll always be a little bit too FAT..."

Her little antics, stupidity, often times foot-in-the mouth statements and yes weight... I can so relate. And yet she finds herself loved by the most dashing, chivalrous, intelligent "he's too good for me" kind of guy.. who loves her 'just as she is.."
Sigh.... That's the girly chick in me. Can't escape that, yes even matured age, post-grad, mummy/careleader me. To have a love who loves you just as you are.. To me, its represented in Christ.. who doesn't mind my silly songs, funny dances, fat legs, chubby face, flabby arms, big mouth.

God defines it best in the famous 1Corinthians13 verse of what Love is, here goes

" Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs, Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. "
- 1Cor13:4-7

The Love of God never fails..
Thank You for protecting me and for the rainbow this afternoon.
Yes the storm has passed.

None but Jesus

Its one of those days today... Murphy's law? If anything can go wrong it will

1) Crazily busy day at work today, had to run like 42 samples which is equivalent to14 runs on the analysis machine = 3-4 hours in the cold room. Kept on air-condition cos they're afraid the machine would overheat and stuff.
Machine stuffed up many times, printer kept chewing up my results, I gave up, may just copy it off the monitor by hand and rerun dodgy samples.

2) Tried to write my CV for this dietitian job at Prince of wales hospital but all I could think about was Timor. Would it then be a half-hearted attempt to try for this job that would require clinical work and geriatric care. COS I had to be itchy hand and check the SITE>> WHY??!
AVI (Australian volunteers international) posted up a new position over the weekend that required a nutrition educator over in Timor for 10months working with malnutrition.. once again a result of warfare used against the timorese. 10months? leaving in May ... God...not another carrot..

3) Supposed to go running today but weather was superly duperly cold... and cos I came back late ate late lunch and was so ravenous by 3pm that I think I've become a glutton. I think I've been insatiable this week... blame it on PMS? my FAT cells are SCREAMING...

3)I need so badly to talk to you today to vent, so tempted but I'll have to go to the throne of grace to boldly ask for mercy and grace in time of need...

I feel bloated...
Argh emotions who needs them anyway. BAH.

" In the chaos, in confusion I know You're sovereign still
In the moment of my weakness, You give me grace to do Your will
When You call I won't delay, this is my song through all my days
All my delight is in You Lord
All of my hope
All of my strength
All my delight is in You Lord, forevermore" - Brooke Fraser: None but Jesus

Ahhh much better... thank God for blogs to open the vent

Purification

Just when u think u're there, something happens to realise you're not all that ready, not all that strong, not all confident .. that there's still so much to learn... Its so sobering when u realise, you're not there yet, that u need God ALL THE TIME...

Had one of those moments.. it was like a slap in the face, sharp, sobering and it woke me up with the pain it inflicted.

"So here I am again, willing to be opened up and broken like a flower in the rain
Tell me what if I to do, to die and then be raised, to reach beyond the pain
Like the flower in the rain" - Jaci Valequez, flower in the rain

God you're sifting my heart.

" No man is worthy of me who cares more for father or mother than for me; no man is worthy of me who cares more for a son or a daughter; no man is worthy of me who does not take up his cross and walk in my footsteps.
By gaining his life a man will lose it, by losing his life for my sake, he will gain it.."

I want to do what's right.
I want to glorify Him.
I want to be taught.
I want to trust
I want to surrender
and most of all.. I want to be close.

So Satisfied

John Piper wrote
" God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. "

Thought about that... What does this mean? I've always thought about that question... what does it mean to glorify God? What is glory?

Dutch Sheets' intercessory prayer writes that:
"The greek word for glory, doxa involves the concept of recognition. It is that which causes something or someone to be recognized for what it really is. When we read in scripture that humankind is the glory of God (1Cor11:7) , it is telling us God was recognized in humans. Why? So humans could accurately represent Him.. "

Linking back to what John Piper wrote.. Glory i.e means that God is most represented in us when we are most satisfied in Him..

* smile *

Hehe.. I think I've been giving God glory then... its funny how I've been so so so so happy to live my life. It means that I can exalt god by trusting in Him and desiring Him above anything else in my life. And when I live my life in satisfaction in Him it speaks a whole lot louder than words that He is more fulfilling than career, relationship, positions, popularity etc..

Recently I laid upon His altar something very precious to me, after much thought and time in prayer as an offering. Only the best for my God. God asked me to Trust Him.

"Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of Your heart.
Commit Your way to the Lord.
Trust also in him, And He shall bring it to pass. " - Psalm 37: 3-5

He shall bring it to pass. I just have to trust and commit everything I do to Him. O to tame these unruly affections as Elisabeth Elliot puts it. A deep commitment to God. He's making it easier for me by daily speaking to me, its funny how close I feel to God. His Spirit speaking to mine, and me spontaneously praying and talking to Him in the midst of my everyday activities. Hope no one thinks I'm MAD!?! haha do I care? not really I'll say!

I love having little secrets between us... Things that I only share with Jesus and no one else. Secrets that God whispers to me when I pray. The perks of being an intercessor, when u pray for others, God reveals things about praying for urself more effectively too. Its like a VIP card.

His instruction to me this season.

"Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered." - 2 Chronicles 14:7

The land before me is my caregroup. Vineyard. I love them more than I can express. To build the solid foundation in Christ in all of them. If only I could tell them, to share with them this experience of intimacy with God that can't be compared with anything in this world.

NOW for the little things I thank Him for.

For the song HE put in my heart when I was doing my sample analysis on Monday. Spontaneously singing in the machine room while running the samples.

"You mean everything to me, Lord you are so faithful.
Where I want to be is in Your presence.
That's where I belong where Your Spirit's falling on me.
That's where I feel strong where Your grace is upon me.
You've given me a song and now I want to worship in Your presence
And I only want to live for You. Giving You glory in all that I do.." - Parachute Band

For a resolved conflict with a friend and sister.. I thank Him for wisdom and love.

For a silly mood and cutting my fringe ridiculously short!

For my honey from Melbourne. Sue Lee..

This girl has inspired me since day1, I knew her before I came to know Jesus and now as when we've both grown in God in separate cities we still are able to share our lives as openly as before.
She's truly someone I admire, leader of this group called Street life in Melbourne where they go in a team to pick up bread from Bakeries and distribute them in the commission flats. Last year they ran a local version of Operation Christmas child where they linked the giving hearts of their church community to pack shoe boxes of gifts for the children living in commission flats... The impact? wow..
Her passion amazes me.. Everytime I think of her it reminds me of the song "testify to love". Her life is a testimony.


And of course to top it off !!!! I finally got my Keds shoes today!! yay.. =) * beam*
my turquoise floral skimmers