This must have been another black mark on football. The match between France and the Reublic of Ireland was crucial in that it was a playoff to decide which of the two countries would go to the World Cup in 2010. Ireland had played impressively and scored in the first half. France was now desperate. All that it needed was a draw to go through having won the first leg 1-0. As the ball was headed towards the Irish goal mouth, the unthinkable happened. Thiery Henry instinctively stretched out his left hand to stop the ball and then kicking it, only to allow his teammate Galas to head it in. The same scene must have been replayed millions of times over the U Tube, and watched by millions all over the world.

Thiery, being the "gentleman" as he was, admitted after the match that he did handle the ball but he did not do it on purpose. That is the catch or the "escape clause". "I stole, but I did'nt do it on purpose". "I sinned but I did not do it on purpose?"

Why was David described by God as a man after His own heart? Obviously, David did things much worse than just stretching his left hand. He actually used his hand to murder. Here is the difference- David readily confessed and repented. That's the difference.

Would matters have been different if Thiery had quickly run to the referee to tell him he had handled the ball? After all "he didn't do it on purpose." If he had, the whole world and even his fellow French citizens would have been proud of him. Every one would have saluted him. I would vote him as the the best football gentleman and ambassador. Even if France failed to qualify for the World Cup, every French citizen would be able to walk tall. I remember an incident some years ago when Michael Owen ran to the referree to tell him his decision was wrong even though it was decided in his favour. See?

How should I conduct myself as a Christian? Would wearing a wrist band "What would Jesus do" keep me from doing the wrong things "not on purpose?" In the first place, I just wonder if there is really such things as "I sinned but I didn't do it on purpose." The closest to this is probably Adam blaming Eve for offering the fruit to him.

This is the paradox of life. When it is hot and dry, we want rain, when it rains cats and dogs, we want dry weather. Looking out of my bedroom window towards the open field, I see water everywhere. The whole field is almost flooded. I bet a lot of the fish in my ponds would foolishly drift into the flood waters.

Tomorrow, I am supposed to go for my handicap test. I haven't been submitting score cards for ages and I don't have a handicap now. What if I am invited to play at Royal Johor? Tell them I am a pro? After all, I had once demonstrated to Lee Nan Sing and Christopher Lee how to swing the golf club while they were shooting the series "The Scorpio". That was more than 10 years ago. Being a casual golfer - normally playing just 4 or 5 holes each time, I have to stay fit for my test tomorrow. And with the ground being so wet, better don't wear anything light. The ball is not going to run. I have to overclub all the time. Can't be too ambitious-just go for 3 ons and 2 putts on all par 4 holes.

We are going through this book that teaches us about teamwork and leadership. This morning we covered Chapter 6 that speaks about being a catalyst, and Michael Jordan was singled out as a fine example - of someone who demonstrates intuitiveness, initiatives, etc etc. As I put this mirror in front of me, I asked myself, are catalysts made or are they born? Am I the sort who has the drive, the thrust and the zeal? And the chapter tells it like it is - if you don't have it, how can you give? I tried to look for a Michael Jordan in Church and I think I found one. Well, Albert embarked on the Praise Exercise 3 years ago. Now, it has not only spread to various districts in JB, but to so many parts in Malaysia. Every weekday morning, thousands of people (many of them non Christians) throng to their respective grounds to stretch and jump as songs taken from the Bible verses are played over loud speakers. Knowing that the the last exercise is taken from the Lord's Prayer, some scoot off early. But our leaders are smarter - they do the Lord's Prayer in the early part. Ha ha, no running away. Amen , Amen. I believe Albert realised that it was not his efforts alone, but God who has taken delight in what he was doing and moved amongst the people. Hallelujah. As I teach in College, I like to look at myself in that light too. But how do my students perceive me? How do they know that I am not there for the money but just trying to make a difference in their lives? Of the few who are indifferent, what must I do to motivate them, other than telling them each time to "Jia you."

 

My mother passed away 14 years ago. Two weeks before her death, she was admitted to Alexandra Hospital for breathing difficulties. On the day of her admission, she struggled for breath and the doctors had no choice but to cut open her throat and inserted the breathing apparatus. Hence forth, her breathing was no longer her own effort but that of the machine. She had endured so much hardship raising 11 children and then the Japanese War, but this must be her most difficult moments. With her vocal cord cut, she was unable to speak. And because she had never gone to school, she couldn't write what was on her mind.

Dad passed away peacefully at home a few days after her admission. We kept it from her until after the funeral. The family gathered together to discuss how to break the news to her. Finally, it was decided that Fei Lin and I would talk to her. Fei Lin did a great job. She told her that dad had been taken to Heaven. There was a lot of church members who came to give us comfort etc. Mum understood and she was pleased.

One day, she started gesturing with her fingers drawing circles in the air. But we didn't know what she wanted. We sent for the maid, and immediately she could tell that mum wanted to eat preserved Assam shaped in circles. When we asked her if this was what she asked for, she knodded. We then assured her that as soon as the tube was removed, we would give that to her. Each day, we saw her getting weaker. She died in the early hours. I was the last one to see her the night before. I kissed her on the cheek before I left.

Indeed there are lessons that I have learned from the this episode. Breathing is so easy if we are healthy. But when our lungs failed, to catch a breath is a luxury. How I have taken so many things for granted. The Bible says "Give Thanks" regardless of the circumstances. In everything give thanks. Live like today could be my last. Then I would really appreciate all that God has blessed me with, and the people around me. Secondly, never had I imagined that just to communicate to your loved ones that she wanted preserved Assam could be such a struggle. Aren't these simple things in life? Shouldn't I be grateful that I could talk and I could write? So why get upset and uptight with minor irritations? I get upset when young people passed me by in church as though I was transparent. Not that I wanted them to bow to me, but a simple "Hello" would have been wonderful. But now I must be thankful that there are young people in church. Appreciate the flowers, the trees and the air. when people are dead, we sent flowers and spoke of all the good things, respectfully. We shake the hands and hug the bereaved family members to comfort them. Question is why wait till the funeral? Is this so difficult to tell my wife that I love her? Is this so difficult to buy her little gifts to let her know how much I appreciate her? Is this so difficult to show more care and love for others? Teach me Lord to cherish everyone in the family, and all my friends.

  

I am not sure if I can call this month an eventful one. But let me highlight some of the interesting events in October.

First, of course everyone in the Cheng Family rejoiced over the wedding of Albert's daughter to a respectable Navy Gentleman (Thank God not the Malaysian Navy). Joy flew back for the occasion and everything went smoothly.

And an interesting FGA Elder from KL (Elder Wong Ah Chiew) came to speak in our Church. I had the pleasure of interpreting for him. The theme of his sermon was taken from Col 3:22 to 24. He was such a hilarious speaker I lost control of myself as I was giggling in the pulpit. This is a just one of his stories. A man found his refrigerator had broken down. So he summoned a repairman to his house. As the man would not be home, he told the tradesman that the key was in th shoe in the show rack. He was to enter the house with the key and after the repair, he would have to lock the door and put back the key to its original position. However, he told the tradesman that there was a huge black dog in the house, the dog would not harm him as long as he just did what he had to do. Also, there was a talking parrot hanging from the ceiling. He was told to ignore whatever the parrot said. So came the tradesman. In the midst of repairing the refrigerator, the parrot bean to speak, and it provoked and irritated him, so much so, he began to talk back and scolded the parrot. In return, the parrot told the dog to get rid of him. The moral of the story is this: that if you allow the devil's lies to affect you, you will eventually be the devil's victim. Do your work faithfully, stay focused, and do what you have to do.

Of course I must congratulate the tainted politician who garnered such a large number of votes in the recent by-election. Hooray, you have won. I have yet to grapple with the reality in Malaysian politics. Never mind that you may be the most corrupt man, but people will still vote for you. Well done you voters. And my sincere apology for not being able to understand your mindset and your blind loyalty. Your votes showed that we are still living in the 20th century. Neighbours laugh at us, but who cares. Right? 

Then of course, this must be another ludicrous event. The MCA EGM was called, among other things,  to vote on a "No Confidence" vote on the present president. Sorry, his name is not even worthy enough to be mentioned in my blog. After the voting, the "No Confidence" vote was carried, and the audacity of the man - he refused to step down although he had promised earlier that he would do so if the majority did not have faith in him. Hallo, are you sure you are Chinese? If so, why no shame? So this is the sort of politicians we see everywhere here. In fact if you pick up a stone to throw anywhere, you are bound to hit a dishonourable politician.   

Wonderful October. The Germans have had their Oktoberfest, so have we.

On learning that some of my students flunked their Law paper, I volunteered to tutor them although I am no lawyer. But a number of High Court litigation cases that I attended in the past had sharpened my knowledge - so much so that I thought I could teach law better than some of these law lecturers. My advantage lies in my ability to explain in Chinese and an ability to give specific examples of some of the cases that I personally went through.

One of the subjects that I taught was "Misrepresentations". One has to determine if it is a statement of opinion or a statement of facts. So a statement of opinion cannot be a statement of facts, and vice versa.

But someone in the corridors of power has given new meanings to old words. Since he is a man of high standing in the country, I am considering calling the students to tell them that I have been teaching them the wrong things.

As a matter of principle, I don't buy the English dailies as I am of the opinion that they are not fair in their reporting. But I do get to read the tabloid news because "the Sun" is free. On page 4, it was reported that this man said the man who was found guilty of money politics three years ago should be given a second chance. Therefore voters should vote for him. He went on to say that although he was found guilty of money politics by his own party, and suspended for six years (later reduced to three years on appeal), he was never charged in Court and therefore his guilt was a "technicality". Now I realised that I was wrong - that although it was a fact that he was corrupted, he was technically "not corrupted". So does it mean that a statement of facts has now become a statement of opinion? I think that's what it is tentamount to. So supposing that Ah Beng has been stealing money from his family members for the past 22 years, but his family did not have the heart to bring him to the police. Nevertheless, they had a conference, and they decided that Ah Beng would have to be punished by not receiving any pocket money for the next three years. After the three years was up, Ah Beng is now no longer a thief because he has been "punished." After all, his theft was just a technicality because he has never been convicted in the court of law.

The above shows I still don't understand politics. But as the saying goes- "Ignorance is bliss." 

I didn't stand up to acknowledge the applause from the church congregation as the bride on the microphone heaped praises and thanked me. First she thanked me for looking after her while she was in Singapore like her own father - taking care of her, teaching her how to love God, to conduct herself etc etc . Then she thanked me for travelling all the way from JB to attend her wedding in Kuching. In my mind, I must be saying "Hey, who is Uncle Leet?" The event : Wedding in Kuching. The date: 26 September. The bride: Han Yee. I had taken the flight from JB on 25th, stayed in 360 hotel (rather clean and pleasant) and attended the evening's banquet. The restaurant was only a stone's throw away. Naturally all of Han Yee's siblings and parents were there. There were also some from her cell group in Singapore. Food was served from 7.15 pm. People took turns to perform over the Karaok screen and music. The dish that impressed me most was the "Pattaya Mango Fish". It was huge and deep fried,topped with shreds of Mango. Really tasty.

The church wedding at Ching Daw Methodist Church was held the next day. I took a taxi there. Apart from family members, not that many guests. As the choir sang some familiar songs, I noticed that her sister, Han Jie, had a golden voice. We had buffet in the premises and I managed to meet some people. As there was still a bit of time before my departure, her brother-in-law King Fu, offered to give me a lift to the airport. But in the meantime, he drove me to his self-designed house. Very comfortable and his three chidren created some ruckus, like other normal kids. Then he drove me to their parents' house where I was warmly welcomed by her parents. Mother cooked some delicious dishes and I heartily ate before leaving. Then Han Jie handed me a bagful of goodies - pepper and tit bits. She declined any payment. I gratefully accepted it, bid farewell to everyone, and headed for the airport. I was overwhelmed by the kind hospitality of this family.

Now, who is Uncle Leet? What sort of legacy am I leaving behind years after I am gone? What sort of eulogies will my loved ones recite? A man after God's heart? A man who really wanted to please God? A man who lived his life to the full - in helping and blessing others?

Or is there another side of me. Will the real Uncle Leet please stand up. 

Day by day, the weeds across the road and in front of the house are now manageable. The garden is constantly being expanded as more flowers and plants and are planted. The pink Lotus planted in the third pond has had its first bloom few weeks ago. The main problem is the weeds in the surrounding vicinity. They produce huge amounts of seeds. These seeds spread over a wide area as they take advantage of the strong winds. It is impossible for me to uproot all of those weeds - well they are enormous and their roots go down really deep into the ground. And I discovered that the best means of controlling its spread is to cut off the weeds flowers before their seeds mature. They are collected into plastic bags and dumped away by MBJB rubbish trucks. In place, I sow carpet grass seeds so as to saturate the ground. Over time, i can see that things are improving. What was a weed stronghold is finally transformed into a decent garden of sorts. More plants are coming.

The moral of the story is this - that our minds are sowing seeds all the time. The seeds that we sow depend on the inputs that we received. So if we watch horror movies all the time, no price for guessing what we will be thinking most of the time. Or if it is pornography, the output is disastrous. A few weeks ago, a mother pleaded with me to bring her son back. That was on a Sunday before the bilingual service. What happened? She explained that her son, who is now 16, used to be a good boy, attending the youth service diligently and having many church friends. But he completely changed when he started to play computer games. Many of these games involved decapitating heads and violent killings. Consequently, he started to beat up everybody at home, even his little sister of barely 5 years old was nor spared. He skipped schood and the moment he was at home, he was before the computer screen.

If we are inundated with worries about finances, our minds will be saturated with finding ways to make more money. Psalm 1:2 says "His delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night."  The result? "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does he prospers." No secret formula - Delight in God's word and start sowing good seeds. 

Is there any justification in being anxious over the finances of the multi storey car park project? After all, the bank loan has been approved, all that we needed was to sign above the dotted line. But wait a minute. First, we have to pay RM25,000 just in stamp duty. And then the interest on the loans which can run up to hundreds of thousands.

So we asked church members to give, pledge a monthly offering or lend to us interest free. After two weeks, the sum came up to RM2,000,000+. But we need another RM6,000,000.

What should we do? Just go by faith and tell the bank we don't need the loan? Or we say, just go ahead and borrow from the bank.

Now the fundamental issue is this - if God wanted us to build it, sure He will provide and guide us through all the way. I believe God will give us the wisdom to make the final decision within this week. Hallelujah! Glory to our maker-indeed you are sovereign over all.

Meanwhile, seeing how so many brothers and sisters go out in force to sell various foods at the Kopitiam to raise funds for the car park, I believe surely the cup is half-full already. Amen. 

The recent announcement that Malaysia would be participating in next year's formula 1 almost knocked me off my chair. My students asked if the leaders had gone bonkers. I had no answer. Isn't it wonderful? Wow, 1Malaysia, so the whole world can see this country's team  racing against the likes of Hamilton, Button, Raikonen etc. My next question is who will be driving for the team? Ang Moh? Then how can? Not Malaysian leh. Also cannot speak Malaysian language. All disqualified! But then those in the corridors of power will say we must make exception, otherwise, ending last in every race really malu. So here we see the reality-when you want to compete globally, use the best brains and not those morons who bicker every day that how many % must belong to them and that. Those comments are really confusing.

Maniam's son couldn't go to school because he got no money? Ah Beng's daughter couldn't get to university because the family couldn't afford it? No proper roads from Lawas to Ba Kelalan? Ahmad's fishing boat is leaking and couldn't go out to sea today? Why worry? We got Formula 1, what. These are just kuching kurap issues, and the world wouldn't know their plight. They are swept under the carpet. When you see from the top floor of the Petronas Towers, these issues are like tiny ants. Only problem is these tiny ants can create a big ant hill, and one day they will rise up taller than the twin towers to bite them on places that will hurt them most.

Congratulations. You are now on the world map. But why always for the wrong reasons?

While there have been lots of articles being circulated in the internet, this particular article makes a lot of sense. Its title is "Paradoxes of Our Time". It goes like this: -

"We have seen more degrees but less common sense

More knowledge but less judgment

Bigger houses and smaller families

More conveiences, but less time

More medicine, but less wellness

We spend recklessly, laugh too little

Drive too fast

Get too angry too easily

Stay up too late

Read too little

Watch too much TV, and pray too seldom

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values

We talk too much, love too little

and lie too often

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life

We have added years to our life, not life to our years

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers

Wider highways but narrower viewpoints

We spend more, but have less

We buy more but enjoy less

We have higher incomes but lower morals"

These are very real observations, and it is about time that I reflect. Like the wise kng who commented:-

"Vanity, all these are vanity"

The only thing that is of value is our love for God. Amen.

Love God more and less miseries

Love others more and less complaining

 

Although, on the outset, it appears as though I am well organised and in control of my routines - Monday and Wednesday, half-day lectures, Thursday, G12 and then English lesson for senior citizens, and other days on the kindergarten, church's finances and the multi storey car park project, attending to the Residential Committee matters, yet something seems to be amiss - like as though I seem to have things yet to be done and yet not knowing what they are. A little muddled up. But nothing serious. It just that it hovers above my head - like a mosquito flying above my head but not attempting to sting me.

Nevertheless, one thing is for sure , i.e. to bless at least one person a day. Whatever, give a lift, give a lunch treat, give some money - bless at least one person a day. And an attitude change - I am now less critical. Hooray! But don't be mistaken. I am still very critical of the incomptups in the Government. It is the church people that I seem to treasure and appreciate. There is a constant voice in my heart to "build up", "build up". With that calling, it is so easy to smile and make others feel that they are appreciated and loved. Always make the first move to greet others. In the past, it would seem as though I "rugi" having to call others first! Learn from Jesus - He always called His disciples first. See?

With the foregoing, I thought I would look more relaxed. But at least to Chloe, that wasn't the case. We met at the pantry while I was washing my hands after the Vernon Falls seminar today. She said I looked so different lately. I asked if it was because now I looked more vibrant. On the contrary, she said I used to look so confident in the past but now... and she couldn't find a suitable word, so I helped her. "You mean, haggard?" She exclaimed "exactly!" Oh dear, probably more wrinkles are now showing, more white hair and a little more hunched. That wasn't really a compliment but at least I have someone who is honest to tell me this! Come to think of it, maybe this is that something that is bothering me. Hey, I am supposed to look more like Christ, but then who knows how He would look like if He were 59 years old!

  

Josline has always been our bubble of Joy. On Monday we drove down to Singapore to catch up on her, nd only to find out later that they planned to come to Malaysia later that day. So Josline spent one night at our place, and she was absolute riot.

The TV downstairs was monopolise by her as she wanted to watch her Bunny's, Hi 5, Vegetales etc. Again I brought her to feed the Koi at the Town Park. And a visit to the Club is a must as she roamed from one end of the slide to the pther, and overturning whatever toys that were available.

She is able to speak well as she is a fast learner. She enjoys spending time with granny in the room as there appears to have so many new stuff that she play with. We said goodbye on Tuesday night.

All this while, I have never doubted that many of our ministers are either incompetent and hypocritic, and/or are ultra bias. Daily as I open the pages of the newspapers, news of our ministers are our food for laughter or anger (if I choose to be angry). Being a commoner, I have no problems having Kamarul to renovate my house, and I tipped his worker Ali RM100 for a job well-done. I have my lawn cut by Sulaiman. But why this commotion up there everyday harping about issues like "Don't question our rights" etc etc? and having the races polarised? I got no quarrels with them. In school, you gave all of them scholarship to study overseas, fine with me. To survive, I went to study and work in Singapore. I made an honest living and now I have some savings. Fine with you too, I suppose?

In the bigger picture, of course I understand that your rhetorics are for your own political survival. you trample all over our heads. Of course, that's politics. That's the way to go - when people are divided, you have the advantage and will be seen by a certain group as champions. But fortunately many are not that easily fooled nowadays.

Take the recent cow head incident in Selangor. This is outright insult and provocation of another race and religion. You went to meet the hooligans (I can't think of a better word after watching them on U Tube) and you sided with them. You know and I know why you did that. When there was an uproar from the public, you switched your tune "Charge them, you say". Should I laugh or should I cry for this nation? One day, you just might be the next PM. I can't imagine what is going to happen.

While you understand the word "politics," let me teach you a few new words today - "Repentance", "Righteousness", "Justice".

     

30 July was our 32nd wedding anniversary. We had wanted to dine in this new Japanese restaurant at Jusco, but then Joshua said that he and family would be coming to stay for two nights. So on their arrival we went to Beijing 18 instead. The food and service there have always been reliable. We had fruit fish - deep fried fish with a variety of cut fruits displayed like garnishes. We also had prawns done in two ways and other dishes. Joshua paid the bill as he said it was to celebrate Adeline's birthday which was on 31 July.

Josline has been a load of fun. She has a wide vocab and she has memorised all the dances performed at last year's Kindergarten. However, she can be really stubbon. Fei Lin read a lot to her and she still wanted more. Wow, is she going to be a journalist or lawyer in future. She is pretty familiar with the house now - like ringing the door bell, admiring all the flowers and the fish ponds, and touching a stone rabbit perched on the neighbour's wall is a must. Very soon, she will be getting more independent. And then she will want her frends' company more than home. That's life.

Fei Lin went for follow-up with her doc yesterday. She has been given the all-clear to do light exercises. For this she has been going to the Club's Jaccuzzi. The new Myvi SE with much higher, harder seats and being auto does help a lot. It finally arrived last month.

The garden across the road has expanded with new plants being planted. Everyday, it is weeding and more weeding. Persistence pays.

Speaking on Sunday and I am still pondering. Help me God.

I have just completed watching the Korean series called East of Eden. Each episode put me in suspense as the plots began to unfold only to see more plots. In a nutshell, what hit me most was the extent of corruption among the people in internal security and the politicians. How they could arrange to "fix up" innocent people by just some phone calls. That people in the high places are very dangerous people.

That sort of impression hasn't left me as I look at the political situation at home. Teoh Beng Hock, 30, was just a political secretary of a politician. As they said, he wasn't even a suspect. So why was he interrogated for hours and until the wee hours? Apparently no one saw him fall, but then on looking at his body, the back portion of his long pants appears to be missing. Even a kindergarten kid can tell this is a mystery. Or is it? Well, certainly there are many mysterious things happening lately. Two policemen who did not know a Mongolian woman took her to the jungle and shot her in cold blood. Thereafter, they used C4 to blast off her body. Next, immigration records pertaining to her entering the country went missing.

Now a report has been lodged against Lim Guan Eng for staying in a bungalow because his official residence is infested by termites. Will Guan Eng be interrogated too? Many of us are just trying to make an honest living and try not to be involved with "politics". But the foregoing incidents have evoked anxiety amongst ordinary folks like myself. Often, we only whisperred in the coffee shop. But now this is too much. This is really too much. How can I swallow my kopi O?

I look for similarities in Joseph, Daniel and Esther. I take comfort in the fact that God is not ignoring what is going on. In due course, God's hand will be very visible. Amen. 

Fei Lin has gone to see an othopaedic surgeon, and from the MRI scan, it was confirmed that there was hernia on the L4/L5 and L5/S1. She has taken a week's MC, and the past two days, again she rested. But at least, the right leg is less painful now. Praise God for His healing.

We are now waiting for the arrival of the new Myvi SE this week. We have a fantastic system here. In order to assign the old car number plate to the new car, the old car has to be inspected and the new car also has to be inspected. Hey, when all this over, it will cost a bomb. You know and I know why there has to be so many inspections. Regardless of how ridiculous a system is, just follow law lor! Otherwise how to retain our old number?

Got elected to the pro tem committee in our housing estate last month. Went for first meeting on Tuesday, and lo and behold, the new committee elected me to be the chairman. That's crazy I thought. But then, if I could contribute y 2 cents' worth, just do it lah! Considering that there was so much bad blood between the old pro tem committee and the developer in the past, we can all breathe a new new breath of fresh air. Confrontation is louzy and unfruitful. We will work hand in hand to make this place the best residential address in JB.

So far, the new Toyota Vios weekend car is doing fine. In JB, no problem. It has chalked up 3,000 km in two months. Met Josline last night. Haven't seen her for more than a month, and I went gaga on seeing my sweet little granddaughter!

Fei Lin and I have been "Koreanised", having watched the series "Likeable or Not" and "East of Eden". Now we are on "Coffee Prince" Gosh, speaking Korean is quite fun, really. Some how, there is always some nostalgic feeling as we had just visited the various places like Jeju Island, Coffee Prince and the skiing resort at Yong Beong, and Lotte World. Maybe we should go again. But given Fei Lin's condition, we will just take a holiday maybe up to Ipoh.  

Fei Lin has been having this problem for a month now. It is called leg pain as a result of the Scatic nerve being affected by some herniation of the Lumbar 4 and 5 or lower part. Herniation due to deterioration of the spinal disc as a result of ageing. The pain has been excruciating especially at night. In one of the nights at 4 am, after she woke me up to massage her leg, I heard this inner voice to go to the internet to look for "Pain in the Leg". Praise God - so the source of the pain is not the leg, but the lower back. So I got some hot water to sponge the back and it worked miracles. The Scatia nerve runs all the way from the lower part of the spine to the small toe area.

So when this nerve is being nudged at by the slightly enlarged disc, the pain emanates from the thigh and down the calf. This will be just part of the problems cropping up as we grow older. What's next?

As for me, I still have excallent blood pressure - 120/75. Apart from some pain in the sole of the right foot, I could almost do anything. But of course each time I look into the mirror, Mmmmm, more white hair, and the eye bags are drooping even lower, and more wrinkles on the face.

Never mind that, most important of all is we have the joy of the Lord. When we know God is in control, no worries, just close your eyes, and you start to snore!

Dear Josline

Congratulations. you are two today.

It is a joy to watch you grow. Now you are able to speak quite well - like "Don't step on my toes". "I put on the seat belt." And while watching the kindergarten dances, you could follow many of the steps. So when it came to the butterfly, you use a towel as the butterfly wings. When it was the Malay dance, you shouted "Pulang, pulang" for the song "Geylang", and for the Chinese dance, Popo gave you two chop sticks with ribbons tied at the ends, and you were always so excited with the Chinese ribon dance.

Josline, I know you are still too young to read, but I hope that in time to come, you will be able to read this. I want you to know that God, our creator, loves you, and He is going to favour you, blessing you. You are the apple in God's eye.

Every moment of the day, God watches over you because He cares for you. I hope that when you grow up, you will have a wonderful relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I pray that you will come to know Him and accept Him as your Lord and Saviour. So that even when there are so many troubles in this world, and they will get bigger as you grow, you will be able to find peace and joy in God. That you will have the assurance that come what may, God is there for you.

Your Loving Gong Gong

Just about reaching the halfway mark for 2009. And if I compare what I am doing with the "7 Habits of Highly Effective People", then I can understand why so much has been done and yet it appears as though not much has been accomplished.

But let me update first. Yes, I spoke at the Chinese and Bilingual service on the love between Jonathan and David, and how this should be used as example for the saints. Yes, the Church multi storey car park project is crystalising - piling to commence on 8 June. Yes, I celebrated my 59th birthday with Fei Lin and Lee Chia at Kinsahi. Yes, the lectures at Sunway College have progressed relatively well. Yes, lots of time spent on weeding. Yes, Joy arrived from Chengdu last night and spending a week with us. Prior to this she was in Shanghai for 5 days. Yes, I liquidated some shares and made some nice profits thereof. Yes, I just changed my car to a weekend car - a smaller car,Toyota Vios. Yes, Joyce and Han Yee spent a Sunday in JB and I drove them around quite a bit. Yes, I managed to catch up with Josline and seeing her grow, and very soon she will be two years old.

Actually, come to think of it, not bad at all. Not as though I had been idling away - much has been accomplished! Hooray!

 

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No one can stop the clock

Very soon, I will be 59

I am fine

Had my X-ray done

Doctor says no worries have fun

I sleep well and life is easy

But yet I am always too busy

Not enough time - I always claim

But time spent on the internet I cannot blame

A moment there, and a moment here

The clock has no favour or fear

It keeps going round the clock

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