Welcoming Japan's golden week with eager arms.
Today will be the first day of my holiday till next weds!!
And I wil be jetting off to HK~~~
4.30.2009
4.25.2009
The Joy of the Lord is my strength.
"Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is my strength."
This was what my friend said to me.
On a perfectly normal Wednesday afternoon, I received an email from a friend telling me that her father has passed away suddenly.
In a complete shock state ( because she has never mentioned that her father was ill in anyway) we made arrangements to meet that night for dinner.
In reality, her situation mirrored a very real secret fear in me actually. And that is to be away from my family and not be able to be there for them immediately in an emergency situation. To make things worst, my parents is always hidding things from me and only telling me when it is over and settled. While I appreciate their effort in not wanting me to be worried, it is actually making me more worried at times! So people who know my parents, please look out for them.
Back to my friend... I was thinking hard.. How should I comfort her? God please put words into my mouth that will make her feel better and not pass off as just casual remarks.
Yet, contrary to my (not a complete surprise actually) expectation, I was greeted by a smilling friend who was half running to me and apologising for being late. We sat down at our seats in our usual hangout, ( the sushi bar) whenever we have chats. At that point in time, I wasn't sure if it was very KY ( a japanese abbreviation to mean if you are sensitive to what is happening) to ask her about her father. So I started with the, " how are things"? question.
And my friend said this to me. ""Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is my strength."
As she started speaking, my heart really leaped with joy with the amazing things God has done and shown her during the period of time.
I didn't have to comfort her at all because God has already done so and He was even showing her one miracle after another miracle in this difficult period of time. Her conversation with me was not about how sad and lost she is at the loss of her father, whom she is very close to, ( always speaking on the phone with him for hours) but How God has answered their prayers one after another.
I really thank God for this friend.. whom has always been a pillar of support for me all this while in Japan. Someone whom I can be open to 100%, whom I can share with just about anything.
Thanks for reminding me and encouraging me despite your own situation that when everything seems to go the wrong way, the joy of the Lord is OUR strength.
This was what my friend said to me.
On a perfectly normal Wednesday afternoon, I received an email from a friend telling me that her father has passed away suddenly.
In a complete shock state ( because she has never mentioned that her father was ill in anyway) we made arrangements to meet that night for dinner.
In reality, her situation mirrored a very real secret fear in me actually. And that is to be away from my family and not be able to be there for them immediately in an emergency situation. To make things worst, my parents is always hidding things from me and only telling me when it is over and settled. While I appreciate their effort in not wanting me to be worried, it is actually making me more worried at times! So people who know my parents, please look out for them.
Back to my friend... I was thinking hard.. How should I comfort her? God please put words into my mouth that will make her feel better and not pass off as just casual remarks.
Yet, contrary to my (not a complete surprise actually) expectation, I was greeted by a smilling friend who was half running to me and apologising for being late. We sat down at our seats in our usual hangout, ( the sushi bar) whenever we have chats. At that point in time, I wasn't sure if it was very KY ( a japanese abbreviation to mean if you are sensitive to what is happening) to ask her about her father. So I started with the, " how are things"? question.
And my friend said this to me. ""Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is my strength."
As she started speaking, my heart really leaped with joy with the amazing things God has done and shown her during the period of time.
I didn't have to comfort her at all because God has already done so and He was even showing her one miracle after another miracle in this difficult period of time. Her conversation with me was not about how sad and lost she is at the loss of her father, whom she is very close to, ( always speaking on the phone with him for hours) but How God has answered their prayers one after another.
I really thank God for this friend.. whom has always been a pillar of support for me all this while in Japan. Someone whom I can be open to 100%, whom I can share with just about anything.
Thanks for reminding me and encouraging me despite your own situation that when everything seems to go the wrong way, the joy of the Lord is OUR strength.
4.09.2009
Great weekend!!
With the Yoshimuras~~their friends, family and Cuixian!
Thanks to Mr and Mrs Yoshimura ( heeee) who put me up at their house for a night. And baby Yoshimura who was my playmate most of the time!
From light, to clock to aeroplanes and flowers...Oh yes... and tugging at my hair and hp strap.
In fact I played so much with him that I ended up dreaming of him the whole night!
Thank you Grandpa and Grandma Yoshimura who showed so much hospitality and kindness to me! Really enjoyed spending morning outdoors with you all just picnicking under the sakura trees...
I don't have photos of the others yet but let me share Baby and grandma first!
The place we went for Sakura Festival and picnic.
Baby Yoshimura: Humph... taking photos of me without permission again...
More to come soon!!
Found it!
The 8th and last letter left behind by CGS.
In fact it is not a "found it". It is a "discovered it by chance"...
It is amazing how this last letter answers my question as to how many letters CGS left behind for me.
It was almost as if she had read my mind when she wrote this.
It was even more amazing how I actually come to discover this last as from the content of the letter, it seems like she wants me to read this last.
Amazingly...
But it also reminds me how we tend to ignore little things in our life and when we discover them by chance one day, it brings us great joy.
This very last postcard was placed in a place which I have access to almost everyday.....
Where? Let it be a secret kept between CGS and myself. heee
4.01.2009
7 love letters....
From Carol. G.
Fooling around and trying to serenade me while your hubby is away on his round Japan tour????
Found the first letter on my table when I woke up in the morning...
The second in the toilet.
Third in the fridge??( hmmm that's original!)
...
ANd actually only discover the last one just 5 minutes ago!
In fact I am not too sure if I have already found all. But my intuition tells me somehow there are 7 letters all together left by Carol. Erm.. please leave a hint if there are more left undiscovered.
Must really say that 1.5 years flew past just like that.
In retrospect, I must say I really enjoyed these 1.5 years together with her very much!
There were times I was really dead beat after work, going home with a face blacker than coal.
But can't remember anytime Carol ever showed a black face to me.
Thank you for putting up and tolerating me. お疲れ様です！本当に感謝していますよ.
I think you have been putting up with me too much that you had to relieve that stress through grinding your teeth at night... haa
Thanks for sharing your life with me too.
It was a once in a life time experience to know you through staying together too.
So.. save a room for me in US and also in your future apartment!
I will be bringing with me, Kumo chan, xiao tou tou, sachi chan ( will ganbaru to take care of her!) , last but not least, oh-chan and his maguro and katsuo!!
Then we will together gobble a whole cake down together with just 2 forks.
Fooling around and trying to serenade me while your hubby is away on his round Japan tour????
Found the first letter on my table when I woke up in the morning...
The second in the toilet.
Third in the fridge??( hmmm that's original!)
...
ANd actually only discover the last one just 5 minutes ago!
In fact I am not too sure if I have already found all. But my intuition tells me somehow there are 7 letters all together left by Carol. Erm.. please leave a hint if there are more left undiscovered.
Must really say that 1.5 years flew past just like that.
In retrospect, I must say I really enjoyed these 1.5 years together with her very much!
There were times I was really dead beat after work, going home with a face blacker than coal.
But can't remember anytime Carol ever showed a black face to me.
Thank you for putting up and tolerating me. お疲れ様です！本当に感謝していますよ.
I think you have been putting up with me too much that you had to relieve that stress through grinding your teeth at night... haa
Thanks for sharing your life with me too.
It was a once in a life time experience to know you through staying together too.
So.. save a room for me in US and also in your future apartment!
I will be bringing with me, Kumo chan, xiao tou tou, sachi chan ( will ganbaru to take care of her!) , last but not least, oh-chan and his maguro and katsuo!!
Then we will together gobble a whole cake down together with just 2 forks.
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