Let's pray for her.

Teenager missing from Girls Home
Posted: 01 December 2009 1832 hrs

Missing - Ang Wei Ling

Singapore: A 14-year-old girl has gone missing and the Police are appealing for information on her whereabouts.

The girl named Ang Wei Ling was last seen at Mattar Road at the Andrew and Grace Home. This was on Wednesday, November 18 at about 11.30am.

She is described as plump, tanned and standing 1.5 metres tall.

The teen who sports dark hair, was last seen dressed in a white T-shirt, black and white cardigan, and black shorts.

Anyone with information on the missing girl should call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000.

- CNA

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1021779/1/.html

Fruit of the Spirt

追

My love will get you home

Simple Pleasures that kept me.

Coffee machine in the staffroom. It cost $1 and I wouldnt allow myself to spurge on it when i can get an equally good Nescafe sachet for $0.20. On the last week of the term before the June Holidays, I treated my dearest 2 colleagues and myself a cup each. It kept me awake.


My mini provision box under my table in the staff room. This was what kept me through in April and May when I had to skip lunch almost everyday. It kept my sanity.


Little treats.Big joys. McDonald's breakfast, Jagabee chips, Pringles, Doreamon from colleagues and friends.Their love kept me through April and May. They kept my smile.


I am treasured. Flower from my student. This warmed my heart.


Dear Lord, I am thankful. I am thankful for Your abundant love showered upon me. I am thankful for the wonderful people you have placed in my life ...to cheer me on, to encourage me, to love. Thank You Father.

They are family

A quick update.......

Just came home from a 16-hour work day(with a total of 40mins for my breakfast, lunch and dinner), with every inch of my body and brain totally drained out. With another 16-hour day tomorrow as one of my colleagues is on MC.

Why work so hard? I dont have to.

Yes, i dont have to. In the midst of the crazy deadlines - Individualised Education Plans (IEPs),Outcome Management (OMs), assessments, lesson plans, Site visits, On-job support, Softskills Workshops,Work Experience Program, Softskills Training, Parents - Teachers Conference....... I dont have to.

" You are not earning a CEO pay! "

"Yah, I don't have to."

Indeed, I dont have to. Every physical inch of me seems to be screaming...... I dont have to. I dont have to work so hard. I dont have to deal with heartaches.

Disheartened. Discouraged. I dont have to.

Family-work balance.

I love my family very much. I love my boyfriend very much. I love my friends and my siblings in Christ very much. And yes, i love my students very much.

I dont have to. Why go that extra mile for the students?Why cheer them on when they give up on themselves? Why pull them along when they stop moving forward? Why encourage them when they despair? Why love and get hurt? Why get shouted at and keep silent?

Yes, i do get very very discouraged and disheartened many a times. I dont have to put up with ungratefulness, verbal abuse, physical torment, bad attitudes and even to humble myself just to build relationships. I dont have to.

Then it dawned on me today, Yes, i dont have to. But I want to. Family - work balance? Yes, i want to because my students are family.

Lord, help me, teach me Lord to love them as you loved me. Guide me Lord, as i move along these weeks, help me to do EVERYTHING for your glory. Grant me joy Lord as i move along my way. Lord,bestow me wisdom and patience.

I dreamed a dream

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high,
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid
When dreams were made and used,
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung,
No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hopes apart
As they turn your dreams to shame.

And still I dream he'll come to me
And we will live our lives together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather...

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seems
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.

I've got peace like a river

It's strange how songs reached into our hearts at the most unexpected moments. I was actually humming and skipping out of the school hall when the live band started playing this song for the assembly talk.(too bad I had a meeting and cant stay for the talk ;P) I've learned this song in my primary school days but hearing it in different seasons of my life bought different meanings to the song. Today, it simply reminded me to be joyful, yes, i am learning to be joyful even in my super packed and crazy days ;o)

Create in me a clean heart, O God

Create in me a pure heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Dear Lord, as i start the new school term tomorrow, help me to see and experience You in each and every one of the students.Remove my heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh.Thank You Jesus.



Create in me a clean heart Oh God
and renew a right spirit within me (2x)

Cast me not away from thy presence, o Lord
And take not thy holy spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me

Today I ran two frightful marathons.

"Teacher, only 3mins 55 seconds"

Today, I ran. I ran for lives.

First, a student with muscular dystrophy (from my class) had a miscommunication and was seen climbing up the stairs. My first thought was to get to him as falling off the stairs may mean life and death.I left the rest of the class in the classroom and ran for him.

Second, another student slipped out of the class in the middle of the lesson and ran. Again, i left my class and sprinted after him.Never had I ran so fast down the four storeys, around the corriders - only to arrive just in a split second to get him before he walked into the 'forbidden' fire access stairways which is a complete blindspot from the school. (It is a fire access stairways with doors that claim to block out fires) I would have lost him had he entered the stairways. I thought I had lost myself then when I raised my voice to scold him.

3mins 55seconds. That was the amount of time i took down the stairways,up the stairways, along the corridors,plus a scolding.

Both marathons in less than an hour.


Lord, thank you for giving a healthy body and a healthy pair of legs. Thank you for your timely intervention. The consequences could have been disastrous. Thank you Father for watching over us today.Help me Lord, grant me wisdom. PLease Lord, continue to watch over us.In Jesus' most precious name, Amen.

He hears and answers our prayers

"Dear Lord, give us a taxi," I uttered simply.
"Huh, like that also can? Here wouldn't have taxis loh."

We were drenched in the heavy rain, on a small side road.

Shortly, "Uncle, Kitchener Road,"

In this very simple providence of a taxi, He revealed His glory. He hears us, and He answers our cries.

Dear girl, coincidence you may say, but I pray that in this little episode, you will come to understand and experience that He hears us when we turn to Him. He hears and answers our prayers.

Just for today, I once again wish ......

I have since grown up to know that fairies, brownies, elves and gnomes dont exist. However, today, i wish i could believe in them again. I wish to have the simple innocence and faith again. I wish to believe that even as i am writing this, pixies are dancing around the bonfire, that Noel, the Know-All Gnome is still tending the garden. Today, just for today, i wish to be in fairyland - to have that child-like belief and trust that the tooth fairy does exist - to have that eagerness and anticipation that on a chilly night like today, i can spot one of them on the window still. I wish that as i fall asleep tonight, my soft toys will protect me. I dont often use this word, 'wish' anymore. But just for today, i once again wish.....



i recalled my tutor's words many many years ago - 'However, you must also remember that you are living in a real world. You have to work hard, in fact very hard to be successful.'

One Thing Have I Desired

It's Psalm 27:4 (not quite verbatim)

One thing have I desired of the Lord
That will I seek after
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life

To behold the beauty
The beauty of the Lord
To inquire in His temple
The temple of the Lord

Sometimes When We Touch - Dan Hill

Grow

I heard Him again today when He spoke to me through a friend who gave me this bookmark. Indeed Lord, even when things get tough, help me to grow and bear fruits.

'Then you should be alright ;)'

My heart skipped a beat when I received this sms. Simple words that dugged right into my ugly and selfish heart.

It all began like this - I was in the midst of making a tough decision - to give up my room and my bed for a night or so. To give it up for a family unrelated to me.

This is my bargain with God -

"Yes Lord, I am willing to share my room.I have a mattress, they can sleep on the floor. I can give them pillows and comforters."

"Is this the best hospility you can give to this family in distress?"

"Ok.They can sleep on my bed. I can sleep on the floor with the comforters"

"Is this the best you can offer?"

"Yes Lord, where else do you want me to sleep?"

"My child, I want you to give up your room."

Meanwhile,I called my parents and sister. I received the anticipated response,"Yes, they can come over for the night."
But I didnt expect the second half, "Yes you can move over to our rooms to sleep for the night." - with an answer like that, that means two rooms - I can choose to sleep either with my parents or my sister.

"But Lord, I am tired. I haven't been sleeping well the past few nights. I needed a rest. They can find alternative. You knew I was looking for a good night rest tonight. It will be such a warm and cozy night with my soft toys."

"Child, I have given you a beautiful room. Would you offer it to Me for a night?"

"But God....." I sulked.

Still refusing to give in, I solicited help from various sources....calling whichever numbers I thought would offer a glimpse of hope.

Finally, a friend replied, " It shouldn't be a problem. But what's your last resort if I couldnt take them in?"

"If you really can't, then I would give up my room for them."

"Ok. You're ok ya?"

"No No. I am not ok. I will miss my soft toys and my bed." I replied, with all seriousness.

Then it came the message:Oh ok. Then you should be alright ;)

Alright I shall be.

I thought I was nice. Afterall, I know many who aren't even willing to open their houses to people.
But He has a different standard. Just when I thought I was ok, He challenged me a little beyond my comfort zone.

Dear Lord, here, use my room and my bed. This is my love to You. Yes Lord, alright I shall be with You.
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace i its various forms. - 1 Peter 4:9-10

Heartaches

Many years ago while i was still a student doing my Industrial Attachment as a social worker in a Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWO), I once said I would leave the social service sector straight away if ever my heart turns cold or indifferent towards the clients.

Many times, God in His gentle manner reminded me of this committment. When a social worker friend visited me in Cambodia after I was there for a year and a half, I poured out my heart, sharing that my heart was cold and I needed a rest desperately. I confidently said I would not return to a social service agency for at least the next few years.

Rested I did.
Returned to a VWO I did.

Today, a colleague reminded me,"Siew Lee, you need to learn to let go and take things easy.You must not pent up your emotions. You must ventilate out, else you will become crazy."

A week ago, I received yet another heartbreaking disappointment.

Sad I was.
Confused I was.
Disappointed I was.

Yet, I am thankful. Yes Lord, it shows I am only human. Yes Lord, it shows i am only but Your servant, placed in where You desire.