Into 2012…

Into January, so how has 2012 been so far? One world 'Tumultuous'.

But I thank God for His grace, His strength and embrace. Cos without Him, I truly cannot.

There will be some mountains to climb this year, as I am walking through a different season of my life, a new season of faith in Him. After a long and trying time of learning to finally let go, God is calling to step out in new circles and adventures.

It takes faith to walk out again, but this time, it's different, I am not the same person. Faith has rebuilt my heart. I feel the joy of His goodness and I know He is strong enough to carry me through.

If there is a soul resolution that I will make this year, the word will be 'SURRENDER'.

1 Comment by Rachel on January 18, 2012
filed in Christianity, Musings

Welcome 2012!

2012 will be my family's year of the Jubilee.

 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

 

I hope 2012 will be a good one for you too. Happy New Year!

3 Comments by Rachel on January 1, 2012
filed in Uncategorized

A ship, water and loads of ice cream

We took a short cruise to Malaysia the last 2 days and it was tremendous fun for the boy.Apart from the thrill of a stayover on a cruise ship, he had fun with the activities on board the ship, enjoyed ice cream during late hours in the night and was able to stay up late for both nights.

It was a kind of a finale to the end of the school holidays for him, since school is commencing in less then a week. For hb and I, we appreciated the family time we spent together.

No Comments by Rachel on December 30, 2011
filed in Experiences, Family

Redeeming the time

I had an epiphany last night.

While being trapped in the middle of the bed, between the man and boy in my life, and staring at the ceiling in total darkness. It was another night with too much on my mind, and the uncomfortable position of being sandwiched by the 2 boys really did not help to lull me to sleep.

It was a post Christmas + pre-new year night that got me overwhelmed by the thought that the year was ending soon and we were entering into another new year. Throughout the whole year I have been lamenting that time is passing too quickly, my kid is growing up too fast and everyday is the same for me; there is simply not enough time in a day. While I was dwelling about the lost time and how I wish time doesn't go by so quickly, I heard this quiet still voice in my spirit, "I am eternal. I stand outside the confines of time, Why are you lamenting about the time?"

Unlike men, God is eternal and sovereign of time. And He is not confined to the 24 hours in a day, and the certain number of days that He has given us. With God, one day is as a thousand years and thousand years as a day (1 Timothy 1:17; 2 Peter 3:8)

This verse came to my mind as I heard the small quiet voice

Ephesians 5.16: 'Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.'

What do I hear God saying to me here? Does redeeming the time means I should be more efficient, work more quickly, or be better organised? Or does it mean that time spent without a result yield or accomplishing something tangible is wasted time?

The bible teaches that we need to be good stewards of our time given on this earth, however we need to be careful and not fall into a utilitarian mindset where performance and accomplishments is the all-important goal. When we start to have this mindset about time, we lose the capacity to simply enjoy God, people, and the life God has given us.

As I get older, I feel the urgency of time pressing down on me.

Before we go into the new year, I want to take stock of how I can be a good steward of the time that God has given me :

- Stewardship of time means giving God first priority. I cannot be too busy not to spend time in God's word daily, learn to be wise by understanding what God's will is, taking the time for meditation in God's word, time alone with my heavenly Father. Time to rest and renew my mind and strength.

- Stewardship of my time means setting aside time to be with the ones that I love most on this earth. So many of us tend to get caught up in the busy-ness of life, that all encounters with friends and even loved ones are so fleeting. I need to make this commitment to spend the time needed to pause, linger around for a longer while and develop deep relationships with loved ones and friends.

- Stewardship of my time means making use of my gifts and talents. I am still discovering what exactly are my gifts and talents that God has equipped me with. My prayer for this coming year is for the Lord to show me what they are, who will benefit from it (really goes beyond just earning some money or a salary from it) and how I can use them for God's kingdom.

I guess this is not the typical resolution setting post for the new year, but a time where I can take stock of where I am in life and remind myself; who God is, who am I in this life, together with how my relationships and talents should be managed with the time He has given me.

Studying 1 Peter the past few weeks have reminded me that I must understand who I am really as a Christian. I am a child of God and a citizen of heaven who is a sojourner to this earth. Everything in this world is designed to get us to make life in this world our ultimate aim, but I should not live my life simply as an earth dweller who search for his/her meaning and purpose in life from this world alone.

It means adopting and maintaining this new attitude toward my time on earth and what I do with my life. It means surrendering all to God and saying, "You are my God, all my time is in your hands." It is time to redeem my time here and use it to the best that God has ordained it for me.

I will move ahead to the new year with courage and hope, living one day at a time.

I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow and Who holds my hand in this journey

No Comments by Rachel on December 30, 2011
filed in Christianity, Musings
tagged

A Christmas list of handmades

It's been all about handmades this Christmas.

It started with crazily crafting for fund raising for the Children's Hunger Fund. Incidentally, I got an email from the people from the organisation, that a total of USD$835.00 was raised from Singapore! About 40% was raised from our sale of handmades, while the rest were from direct donations online. This is not a huge amount, but I consider it an achievement since Children's Hunger Fund had little or no awareness from this side of our world. This amount roughly translates to 16,700 additional meals for the hungry children! Every little effort to help was indeed significant!

My appreciation goes out to all the blogging moms friends (you know who u are smiley) who have helped to create the awareness needed for this fund amongst their friends and contacts. As well as fellow crafting friends, Pauline, Lena and Rachel, who spent so much of their time to painstaking make the handmades needed to raise the funds. Thanks once again for your time and effort, ladies!

Despite not being in a celebratory mood during Christmas, I still rejoiced…knowing that we were able to make a difference to someone else's life this year. And how about repeating this for Christmas next year, ladies? 

As for personal handmade gifts, since Christmas presents have all been opened, it now safe for me to post this without spoiling any fun for anyone.

I spent another 2 weeks, post Children's Hunger Fund-raising crafting…to make these items for family, friends and for myself cheeky

Kokeshi dolls on magnets

 

'Houses' – Needle felted on linen zipper pouch

 

'Greetings' – Needle felted + embroidery on a linen zipper pouch

 

'Matryoshkas' : on a cotton zipper pouch for myself!

I made matryoshkas hairclips for my friends' daughters, and each of my friends got a matryoshka brooch in a different shade.

 

'Snap' – Needle felted on a small linen pouch for myself, the self appointed family photographer

I am really enjoying needle-felting, so I will be making a couple more small zipper pouches for my friends, each with a personalised picture on the pouch. 

I hope to be making more handmades in the coming year, possibly considering to peddle them on my personalised etsy shop…will have to depend on how much time I have on hand, just have see how things pan out.

No Comments by Rachel on December 27, 2011
filed in Hand-made, Occasion

Our Christmas

This year's Christmas was a little different.

It started with me totally not in the mood for merry-making, feasting or parties. And the ultimate mood dampener, was this; I found out about 2 years ago from WIKIPEDIA that December 25, wasn't even the actual day that Jesus was born, and the date and symbols used in Christmas (like the Christmas tree) all have pagan origins. Fabulous, All of that, together with the frantic consumerism during Christmas and don't get me started on Santa Claus…

So this year, there was no Christmas tree at home. Which I was rather pleased about anyhow. I used to enjoy putting up the tree and hanging up the ornaments, but hated taking down the tree. So I skipped the hassle and concentrated on the presents.

I thought this comic strip from Calvin & the Hobbes put it ever so aptly.

Christmas is really not about Christmas trees, mistle-toe, Santa Clauses, or even the presents.

However, we still practiced gift-giving during this season, as it is a way to show our love for our family and friends, to demonstrate our appreciation for them in our lives.

I am like the most boring gift giver ever when it comes to Christmas. Generally, I think getting gifts for friends or family is extremely hard. It was worse in the past when I was not able to do any handmades. It got easier getting gifts for the ladies in the gifting list, as almost all the ladies in the list got a handmade. The guys in my list got books, all except hb. There was no present for hb this year, and he did not get me a present either, as the both of us have the same attitude towards the consumerism of Christmas.

Traditionally with my extended family, we celebrate Christmas with a family dinner and gift exchange. Incidentally, Christmas eve is my mom's birthday, so Dec 24 becomes a 'double celebration' of sorts. 

For Kyle, it is an exciting time for him, Despite knowing about the significance of Jesus' birth during Christmas about 2000 years ago. He's like Calvin from 'Calvin and the Hobbes', it is still fundamentally about the presents.

Nonetheless, the more significant memories which I am sure he will always remember about Christmas time, are meeting with his friends (actually, mommy's friends' kids, who has also become his friends).

He thoroughly enjoys their company and talks about playing with them for the next couple of days. Which reminds me that gatherings like these should be organised more often, without needing any specific occasion for a reason to meet up.

What's still the same for us is that, Christmas is all about the love of God for humanity,

It is all about Jesus really. No matter what I think of the commercialism and paganism that surround this holiday season, we cannot deny the love of God that was demonstrated in His coming through Jesus. For we are the reason, that God from Heaven came and live on Earth so men from Earth can make the choice to have eternal life in Heaven.

"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

I am now thinking of a way to make Chinese New Year a bit different for the coming year. Seriously, I have never been a fan of festivities. Maybe I will just have to find somewhere soon where the 3 of us can 'disappear to'…

No Comments by Rachel on December 26, 2011
filed in Family, Musings, Occasion

Another first

Time is passing unbelievably fast. We are into the last 3 weeks of the school holidays and last weeks of 2011. I can hardly believe that we are going into 2012 in less than 3 weeks, and Kyle will be going into K1.

If I had a choice, I wish that my child don't grow up so fast. He is slowly losing his cherubic babyish looks, he lost his baby-smells many months back and is too quickly growing into an often sweaty and not so nice-smelling mischievous boy :(  

He still has his endearing personality, when I told him that I hope that he will not grow up so quickly, he said; 

"Mommy, I tell you something"

"I tell you what. I grow taller but I don't grow older ok, I will still be 4 years old for my next birthday…"

Aww…actually I would prefer that he doesn't grow taller or older, and will always remain my little baby boy.

I think he still can't wait to grow up quickly. He is always asking when he will be able to sit all the rides at Universal Studios, grow taller and stronger so he can hit golf balls much further.

We brought him to the driving range for the first time recently, and he is really enjoying the game and turning out to be quite a natural at the sport. I think his interest for golf plays a huge role in his quick progress in learning how to play golf.

http://www.vimeo.com/33489042

After all of 90 balls and a little blister on his finger (after hitting too many balls and gripping the club a little too hard), he is looking all sweaty, rosy-cheeked and happy from his first experience at the range.

1 Comment by Rachel on December 12, 2011
filed in Experiences, Growing up, Kyle's World
tagged ,

Wake me up when December is over

November was a crazy month for me.

It definitely has to be the crazy crafting behind the fund raising effort that really topped the crazy experience for me. I was almost crafting day and night, only stopping for meals and toilet breaks, and grudgingly going out with hb when he asked indecision

I still will want to do this fund raising next year, but will surely have to plan the crafting schedule way in advance.

So then, what is the 'fruit of my labour'?

Felt Electronic wire holders + keychains (for smart phone users)

 

Felt Double pin badges

Felt pin badges

 

Felt pin brooches

Some of them are available in sets from http://handmadesforcharity.blogspot.com/

Do pop by to view the items for sale before they get sold out.

Amid all the craziness, 2 birthdays were celebrated in November; Nick's and hb's.

As for December, it's more crafting again. All the ladies in my gifting list are all getting handmades from me!! Now it's back to the drawing board for some ideas…

1 Comment by Rachel on December 5, 2011
filed in Family, Hand-made

For the hungry children

On December 3, 2011, I had the priviledge to participate in a joint effort of fund raising for Children's Hunger Fund with 3 talented crafting moms, Pauline of Lil' Handmades who makes beautiful fabric clutches, pouches and wristlets, Lena of Happy Craft Store who creates realistic, drool-worthy felt playfood and Rachel of Scrappin' Love with her lovely paper craft products made with alot of love.

SCAPE park was not the most appropriate place really for an effort like this, when we were the only handmade 'shop' surrounded with stalls selling their used and musky hand clothing, and youths who are still children themselves, who barely gave a thought that their handmade purchase will help some under priviledge children.

Profits that we got that day reached slightly over $100 :(

Despite the lackluster sales, I throughly enjoyed the company of Lena, Rachel and Meredith at the event. Thanks ladies for the great effort!

Previously Pauline and I created this video on myplayschool.net's 'A Mom's World'' channel and featured Lena and Rachel and their creations.

YouTube Preview Image

These two ladies are fabulous moms who truly have a talent for their unique handmades!

Lena, Pauline and I have gathered all our fabric handmades and made them available online on this site http://handmadesforcharity.blogspot.com/

As Christmas is just round the corner, this is a good time that u can help those who are less fortunate and also get gifts for your friends, children and loved ones. Come support us in our bid to help the Children's Hunger Fund and help us spread the word!

1 Comment by Rachel on December 5, 2011
filed in Hand-made

The Ringbearer

He was terrible during the rehearsals.

Refused to walk down the aisle quoting that he was feeling 'moody' that day. Then when he decided to participate in the rehearsal for the bridal party down the aisle, he deliberately walked so slowly and then ran down the aisle, leaving poor Janae the flower girl behind.

Hb and I had to give him a good talking-to after that.

When he realised that he had a really important job; leading the bridal party and passing the rings to the Pastor, he decided to be compliant and follow through, despite having high fever the night before and then nursing a slight fever through the late morning.

Still clowning in front of the camera despite the fever (with flower girl Janae, BIL's niece)

 

Holding on to the ring pillow

 

Leading the bridal party and getting ready for their entrance

 

Ready to roll…

http://www.vimeo.com/32387579

 

Some moments before the walk in;

With Grandpa and Grandma

 

With Nana and Granddad

 

Grandad with the flowergirl and ringbearer

 

Then, during the solemnisation…

 

The ringbearer got really bored and decided to fiddle around with the DSLR,

Striking plenty of poses for his friend Alex, who took his photos

 

Then when it was his turn to use the DLSR…

He took these photos of hb and I, and Alex

 

The ringbearer had a great time at the wedding despite his fever spiking to 39.1 degrees moments before we left for home.

It has been a taxing day for hb and I, not that we had alot to do for the wedding. But rather, we had to ensure his temperature was kept under control and that he got his rest in between the day wedding and the evening dinner.

Doing his 'yam sengs' at the wedding dinner

 

His fever spiked to 39.2 degrees celsius during the tail end of the dinner, hb and I even resorted to using a table napkin soaked in ice cold water to keep his temperature down. He was still really active throughout, so we left early and lethargy only set in when we were in the car on our way home.

The fever did not return last night, thank God for His healing hands on Kyle. He seems to have battled the flu bug and is on his way to recovery this morning.

2 Comments by Rachel on November 20, 2011
filed in Experiences, Family, Occasion

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