At 52

With Eng and Ethan at Ob Khan National Park

Last week, I turned 52. When I think of that number, I cannot help but recall that on the eve of our wedding, Eng consumed several (all thirteen of them!) B52 shot glasses as he attended his stag party at a downtown bar. He had a massive hangover the next day but somehow he managed to show up at church, say his vows, and marry me. I'm grateful for the Lord's grace then, as knowing what I do now, I wouldn't have it any other way.  In spite our differences and the years of hardship in our marriage, I'd still choose Eng and do it all over again, He has definitely changed and come a long way since then! Nowadays, he goes out of his way to serve me and it surprises even me! Yesterday at a staff party, he gave me some delicious banana roti and we weren't even sitting together! Somehow he read my thoughts across the room because I was just then contemplating about getting myself a plate. This is all to say that changed or not, Eng is still my precious birthday gift. Of course if you ask me, I definitely prefer the changed one!

Our two older sons called me from Toronto to greet me (one was late!). While there, I'd already picked out their gift for me. It was the expensive footwear written about two weeks ago. =) I am so glad for that as I wouldn't have been able to afford it!

Our two younger sons gamely woke up (well, one of them grumbled a bit) at six a.m. so together with Eng, we could go to a place I liked and have them bless me. It entailed driving to get there, hiking to the perfect spot, and then having them each pray for me. I enjoyed that gift a LOT!

From there, off they went to soccer while Eng and I had breakfast and a Thai body massage. Aaaahhh, enough said.

At my new office with my new Teaching Assistant, Eli

To end the day and just before Japanese food, we passed by my new office at school. We rearranged the furniture a bit, anointed the room with oil, and prayed. I asked that they pray for me and for the new job that I would do. I'd always known from the time I heard my start date of August 1st that it was my birthday gift from Papa God.  I don't know the specifics of what the Lord has in store for me. Yesterday, I received some of my job training and the question that kept going through my head was, "What on earth had you done?" But, the Lord, knowing I needed encouragement, had at least three people tell me at the staff party that they were pleased that I got the job because it suited me. I don't know where they were coming from. I do thank Papa God for his goodness and kindness. Who else would give me time with my father in Toronto, a serving and devoted husband, four loving sons, a new job with my own office to go with it, plus the encouragement I needed? I am overwhelmed by Your love. Thank you, Lord!

New Beginnings

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;

I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 9:1

Tatay and I at Kew Beach in Toronto

I have lots to share but my plane from Korea to Chiang Mai is about to depart. I was so blessed to be able to spend some time in Toronto. Wanted to give God the glory in all that He had done. On my last day there, a singer friend even spent some time worshiping with me. I always delight in those!!!

Then, she shared that she was joining a choir on a short missions trip. Her apartment would be empty so Eric, who is arriving in Toronto from camp and will be there for 3 weeks, could stay at her place. What a wonderful provision as her place is just several blocks away from where Evan and my father lives! We have such a wonderful Father who can provide easily!

As I continue writing this, I am now in Chiang Mai and obviously jet lagged as I was up at 1:45 a.m. I hope to get a bit more sleep just as soon as I finish this post. This is kind of a disclaimer just in case what I write next don't make a lot of sense. I wish I could write all that transpired in Toronto. I just do know that memories were made and I hope to remember them for a long time to come.

Tatay playing with a game I got him.

As I thought of this post, I honestly didn't know how I could capture everything that happened. I know I would not do a great job, that I'll inevitably not describe what happened well enough, nor remember everything that went on. So I decided to pick the one last act that I asked my father to do for me. On the morning I left, he was eating breakfast. I knelt down in front of him and asked for his blessings. He turned, shifting his body to face me and put both of his hands on my shoulders. I tried hard not to cry and bowed my head as I prepared to hear what he would say. He made no sound but he pressed and released the pressure of his hands on my shoulders and kept them there. I sensed his sadness, his thanksgiving, his wishes for me, his prayers, and most of all, his love. Then he said it was over. He chose to bless me in silence, without saying a word. Thinking about it now, that was best. The Lord could always tell me if He wanted me to know. What's important for me is that I left with him expressing his thanks and love for me even though I heard nothing from his mouth. He is a quiet man and I guess, always will be.

I praise and thank you, Lord. You are so good. You gave me the understanding in my spirit. I look forward to more of the new beginnings and blessings in my life even as I literally meet this new day, August 1st. I love you.

Receiving

Times with our oldest: 22 year old son,
Evan, were precious.

Before I left for Toronto, Eng gave me a gift card with over $300 in it. He said it was given to him but he didn't have a chance to use it all while he was here. There was an expiry date on it which necessitated its immediate use. He also said I should shop and just use it any way I wanted to. Pleased to have money to spend, I determined to shop and use it wisely. For the past three Sundays, Evan and I had gone to the malls after church and used the card for our lunches and for shopping. (Sundays are the days when my siblings visit my father so it is a good time to be out as he has company.)

The first time we went shopping, I tried to buy something for Evan but he wouldn't let me. Even when we did find a great looking $20 shirt on sale, he didn't want it. He said it was too expensive. He said he wanted a shirt from a second hand store. Buying some body scrubs for me, a shop clerk's eyes smiled when we explained our predicament that we were trying to use up all the money in the card. She said she'd have a "great and easy" time using the money we had. My nephew said the same thing. It shouldn't be hard to spend all that money.

So the question was, "Why were we walking back and forth in the mall and having difficulty trying to buy something?" I was in a shoe store and tried on a pair that was on sale for $89.99. I needed a pair, it looked great and it felt good on my feet. Still, I didn't buy it because I couldn't justify spending that kind of money on a pair of footwear! We kept looking and spent just over $100 on our first shopping day.

Times with Tatay, my father, were gifts.

By our third time out, we finally exhausted our funds. I'd spent it on our two lunches, clothing for Eng, Eric, Eli, and Ethan, a book for Evan, and other hygienic items for Evan and I. Proud of ourselves that we got our task accomplished, Evan then took out his gift card. He said it was for $80 from a leather shop that he wouldn't buy anything from. They sold footwear, belts, and wallets. I said I needed a wallet so we went to buy one. On the way there, I talked to Evan about learning how to receive. I told him I wanted to buy him the $20 shirt from our first day out but he wouldn't accept it because of the cost. When we got to the store, I couldn't find a wallet I liked so I started looking at their footwear. Before too long, I found one that had a 50% sale on its tag. It was all leather, it looked good, and it felt great. The price? It was almost $100!

Really? It was the second pair I liked and tried in three weeks and they cost almost the same? Was that a coincidence? Did I need to learn something? (Obviously, the prices of stuff in Toronto went way up while we weren't living here!) Could I receive that as a gift if the giver felt I deserved it? Just like Eng, Evan said I could use the card on anything. So what was my problem? My own words were still fresh on my lips! "You need to learn to receive. How can the Lord give you anything if you won't open your hands to receive it?

Well, I am learning as I am now the owner of a super comfortable, leather pair of sandals. Yesterday, our family friend insisted that she wanted to do my nails: hands and feet! I let her even though it took a long time and she re-did my right hands' fingers at 1:00 a.m.! Last night, Evan and I watched a movie with popcorn and drinks. Our outing cost us $3.00 just for the parking because of a coupon I received.

Our Lord, because of the way He loves, is extravagant, generous, and giving. Even though Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive, there is grace also needed to receive well. May we not miss out on our blessings because of our inability to receive.

Wheels Provision

All glory, honour, power is Yours, amen

All glory, honour, power is Yours, amen.

All glory, honour, power is Yours forever, amen.

From the song “Cannons” by Paul Wickham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_GNVWAo1pY

Richie, our new 1996 Honda City

Last week, I drove home our newest car, a Honda City. =) It was offered to us, to buy, by a missionary friend that used to work here. She had gone back to her home country so she had to sell and get rid of all her stuff. She’d always been a blessing to us. She’d given us generous monetary gifts before but it’s nowhere as big as what she’d given us for our newest car. She is just one of a kind. She’s also an amazing prayer warrior. She’d interceded and prayed for us many, many times already. I know she’ll probably keep doing so in the future. We are amazed by her and praise and thank God for her.

Our 1990 New Wagon Nissan, Black Beauty

A few months ago, I started to pray for Eng to have another car to drive. We’d had Black Beauty since we arrived here in 2004. She’s a two-door Nissan 1990 model. Like her name, her color absorbs all the heat of the sometimes scorching Thai sun. Because of her 23 years of age, her air conditioning no longer works. That would be all right if the windows are open as you drive her but the passenger’s window no longer open. One door can’t be opened from inside, there is no power steering, and the hatch back won’t stay open. She runs so well but bit by bit, her body parts are declaring their resignation. Sometimes, in the middle of the day, you may have showered before getting into her, but when you get to your destination, you’d feel like you’d showered again, in your own sweat!

Eng's snazzy Honda until September

I’d been feeling badly for Eng driving our old car so I prayed for another car for him. (All this time, he’d been letting me drive our other car, Tiger. I wrote about our cars in “The Old and the New” posted on May 21, 2008) The Lord answered my prayer when our friends left for their Home Assignment. Eng asked them if he could look after their car and they agreed for him to use it. It’s a real beauty! When Eng drives that car, he looks like a manager (which he is!) of some important place! It’s the complete opposite of Black Beauty. Only thing is, our friends will be back in September so I knew the snazzy Honda Civic wasn’t the long-term answer.

Tiger is a 2006 Toyota Hilux

And then our amazing friend mentioned above took her car to the mechanic to get it tuned up. She asked them how much they’d buy her car and they said 140,000 baht (about $4,500 US). She then turned around and offered to sell it to us for 40,000 baht (about $1,280 US). Realizing the blessing that we were offered, Eng borrowed the money (we are slowly paying that loan) to pay her and that is why we have several cars parked outside. For the first time in our lives, we are in possession of 3 cars (Black Beauty, Tiger, and our newest: Richie – named in honour of our benefactor) and looking after one! We immediately loaned Black Beauty to new missionaries who just arrived. We are on the lookout to see who to give her to. Awed by our generous God, we hope we can be as generous with our wheels.

Thank you, Papa God, for the wonderful ways you’d provided. Praise You!!!

New Steps

In their hearts humans plan their course,

but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9 NIV

Last week, I was a chaperone at Ethan's class field trip.
We stayed at Horizon Village where this shot was taken.

Exactly a month ago on the 20^th, I wrestled with what I thought the Lord was asking me to do. You can read about it on April 28^th’s posting called “God’s Suddenly”. When I found out then what I felt God wanted me to do: take on a new role in the school I taught in; I moved from arguing with the Lord that it wasn’t a good idea, to giving in with constraints, to finally going through the motions of obeying. I talked to friends and attempted to find one who saw the whole process as a big mistake. Surprisingly, no one did! The Lord knew that I needed all the encouragement that I could get and He made sure I got it. In the end, still with my head shaking in puzzlement, I had wondered about where everyone was and why they saw me a certain way and at what they saw. It’s a new concept for me to be seen and affirmed even by those who don’t directly have dealings with me. I don’t understand it. The only way it makes sense to me is because of the Holy Spirit. He’s been telling on me and prompting others to affirm and build me up! It’s the only way to explain what feels like a conspiracy, in a good way.

The field trip involved sleeping overnight in a dorm full
of 6th graders. In spite their squeals, giggles, whispers, and
the occasional loud voice, I fell asleep. It was the
longest, needed sleep I'd had in weeks! 

So exactly a month later at the exact day when He impressed to those two friends to talk to me about taking on the role, just because nothing is impossible with Him, I had my job interview and was offered the job hours later. It’s only been a month so my whole being is still adjusting to the newness of it all. It took me awhile to believe the Lord was serious. It shouldn’t have surprised me that I was offered the job because I knew the Lord wanted me to do it, BUT, I was surprised, anyway!

If you'd like to see hedges of all shapes (dinosaurs,
dolphins, dragons, birds, etc.), you'd want
to go to Horizon Village. You'd be fascinated!  =)

So the Lord’s suddenly is now a reality. I’ll start my new job on August 1^st. I’m so glad because it’ll give me the summer to convince myself that the Lord knows what He’s doing. In spite myself, He will use me and together, we’ll do amazing things! I choose to believe in His ability to use my weaknesses. He will be made strong. YES!

Staff at school hasn’t been told about my new post so I can’t identify it here but I will surely like doing the job. Once I get over my shock, I will probably even love it. =) Thank you, Lord, for this wild ride. Praise You!

Dreams Coming True

Forever, forever

We’ll honour You, forever.

From the song “For the Honour” by Elevation Worship

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-iOpXi_pA0

What a difference a week makes! As soon as the month changed, our situation changed as well. I praise God for the changes that have come about. =) The whole month of February, the weather had actually been anything but usual! It rained quite a bit instead of the typical dry tail end of the cold season. It was actually cool this morning, which although welcome, was puzzling. Change is definitely in the air.

Our lives are definitely changing as well. Eng will embark on another dream of his life. I say another because he’s actually now in China as I write. He went there for a week of meetings. When he turned 50 (he’s now 53), we threw a party for him where we encouraged the guests to give (instead of material gifts) monetary gifts for his dream trip to China. It has been on his “bucket list”, one of the activities he wants to do before going to heaven. He wants to travel there. He hopes to still use the birthday funds to go on a personal trip but the fact that he’s now in China is amazing in itself. The Lord is good. As an aside, he was actually bumped to the Business Class on his flight there! =)

His other dream is to own a restaurant. A pastor from India had actually spoken into his life almost twenty years ago, The prophecy was that Eng would feed many people and not for free. Since he’d always enjoyed cooking, neither of us had forgotten the prophetic word. We both thought it “fit” him and it actually excited him! Furthermore, the pastor who spoke didn't know he loved to cook! All these years, we had wondered about when there would be fulfillment. Last Sunday, Eng was actually given the go ahead from our leadership to be involved in the management of two eating establishments here in Chiang Mai. We are thrilled! It is going to change our lives and we’ll be even busier but it’ll be a great busy! The couple who owns the restaurants will be away for six months so they need someone to manage their businesses in their absence. The Lord had allowed that they connected with Eng a few weeks ago and we’d been praying to know how to proceed. Now that he received his approval, we are certain that this is the Lord’s goodness in allowing him to live out his dream. What a blessing!

When the Lord created us, he each gave us gifts that in our uniqueness, no one is able to do as best as we can. I think throughout life, we search out what we love and enjoy doing and we are blessed when we actually find out what it is and live it out. We revel and thrive when we do what we were uniquely created to do. Eng’s been managing a finance office for many years and he worked in a payroll office before that. Although he’s very good with numbers and could do both those jobs, I believe he’ll love this new venture even more. He worked in his uncle's restaurant for many years and had always had a knack for cooking. He even loves to watch cooking shows! While some men watch football games, my husband enjoys watching “Iron Chef”!  =)

We praise the Lord for this gift of a dream to live out. We have such an amazing God. He knows the desires of our hearts and as we delight in Him (and sometimes even when we don’t!), He allows us to get or meet those desires. We praise you, Lord, and thank you! You are so GOOD! How can we not honour, and love you?

SS Amazing Grace

Yet, I am with you always, holding you by your right hand.

I am fully aware of your situation,

and I will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear.

February 27 devotion write-up for “Jesus Calling,” by Sarah Young.

Captain Mintz and his ship-mate, Sandra Bradley,
 on SS Amazing Grace

The title is actually the name for the school’s ship that parents coined for this week’s Staff Appreciation Week. Once a year, they go out of their way to find ways to bless all those who work at the school; from the guards, the maintenance crew, the teachers (the group I belong to), all the way to the administration. We received our ‘luggage’ invitation last week that we would be recipients of some kind of treat all of this week. Monday was a holiday for us so we were invited to rest. On Tuesday, we were treated to a delicious granola breakfast with plain or strawberry flavoured yogurt to go with it. For dessert, we had a choice of cherry or cream filled donuts, or twisted donuts. YUM!

Wednesday, we each received a 15-minute neck massage from professional masseuses. Ahh, it was such a great way to relax our tight and stressed muscles! =) On Thursday, we had baked goods like brownies, cakes, cookies, and squares delivered to the school. We only had to wait for hunger to dictate the eating times. =)

And finally, on Friday, we were treated to a fabulous international cuisine that was catered by a local restaurateur. The delicious lunch fare included mouth-watering ribs, gluten-free chicken barbeque, and sweet and sour fish. That was accompanied by pasta, potatoes, and salad. The parents also brought sushi, dumplings, chips and salsa, and other scrumptious appetizers. Each table was exquisitely set with decorations from that country and an appetizer popularized by its people. Seeing roti on the Pakistan table, I lost no time and quickly sat there. Later, when I bit on that still warm flat bread, I was so glad! I would often need to go to Malaysia to taste roti that good. Not yesterday, it was there to savour slowly. =) The whole message to us was gratefulness for what we do and we could only respond with the same appreciative hearts. Life is so good and we are so blessed to work in the school we do. There were various yummy desserts too hard to choose from but up until then, I’d not seen Pecan Pie served here in Chiang Mai so I chose that. It was delicious!

The Morocco Table

I was already wowed just walking up the stairs leading to the school’s lunch room. When I saw how they literally transformed the whole room so that it became the insides of a cruise ship, I was tickled beyond description. It just spoke volumes to me. There was a real captain (a pilot in real life) and people who posed as various folks found on a ship. There was a pianist who provided the light music and towards the end, even students who provided a song to entertain. It made me wonder how something like that could happen. Who does those things? I could name the actual people because that’s why I decided to write about it, so I could honour those who went out of their way to bless us. But, I know of the one inside them whom I know gave them the ideas and creativity. I know they prayed to know how to bless us and they were obviously helped. It is just the kind of fun splurging that our Papa God will do for us. Thank you, parents, for everything you did to show you appreciated us. We were awed by you, touched, and grateful to be here doing what we do. I’d chosen not to name you so your reward will wait for you in heaven but I honour you with this write-up.

The Italy Table

I have had a really rough and tough week. . For the first time, I couldn't even write because I was so worn down by what I was going through. This week, just receiving as I did helped me to keep paddling so I wouldn’t sink. It was so tempting to just crumple in a heap, or sink in the deep. The fact that God spoke to me very clearly in the devotional I was reading (quoted above) helped me (among other things). Yesterday, I knew I was on the last vestiges of feeling low. I sat and worshiped in the Music Room. I sat still and His amazing grace lifted me up. SS Amazing Grace! I get it! Thank you, Papa God. I receive it and I LOVE you back so much! You are AWESOME!