Since the Movement Control Order, my parents and I have been eating at home. My mum is the Master Chef. She plans the menu for our breakfast, lunch and dinner every day for the past 59 days (I took charge of the afternoon tea break, which is, a variety of snacks from biscuits to popcorns, peanuts and sunflower seeds). As I have mentioned yesterday, mum bears the weight of our household things so that we are free to do our work.
Eating at home resets my palate. Each dish has been wonderfully prepared by mum. The finely chopped vegetables, the diced carrots, the fragrance of the curry chicken, the nutrients dense vegetable soup… each dish are prepared with love and sweat from the kitchen (the weather gets so hot in the evenings) .
As they say, “health is wealth”, “you are what you eat”. I do crave for pizzas, fries and bubble tea from time to time but homecook meals bring the delight of bringing my family together. Having meals together is our bonding time. We talked about our day, what we did, and what we read from the newspapers. When I was living by myself, I ate in front of the laptop, watching whatever programme I had the mood for that particular day. I do enjoy spending time with my parents at the dining table.
In the prayer our Lord Jesus Christ has taught us, there was a part which goes like this, “give us this day our daily bread”. It means, God will provide for all that we need. We need not worry what we are to eat and drink because God knows what we need (Matthew 6:25-34).
Most of the time, the simple pleasures in life, and things that give us joy, are blessings from God which money can never buy. Let us receive them with a grateful heart.
A quote by C. S. Lewis which I saw on Facebook.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. 26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. 31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. (Proverbs 31: 25-31, NIV)
From my early childhood, you have been a key and central figure in my life.
Since the day I was born, and you watch over the affairs of our household so that we can live in peace, knowing that everything is taken care of. You take care of us so well that your love warm our hearts and lives.
You have made a lot of sacrifices when we were growing up. We are who we are today because of you, mum. We are now adults who are doing well in life because of your love and sacrifices as we were growing up.
From you, mum, I learnt what it means to love. You love us so deeply and unconditionally, yet, you are firm and you discipline us when we were out of control.
You also show us by example of what it means to be a woman after God’s own heart—a woman who loves God, studies His Word diligently and pours her heart out to God in prayers.
My personality is somewhat similar to yours, and we laugh at the same thing. I enjoy hanging out with you so much. I praise the Lord for you. My mum, my rock and my best friend.
If you have read the “About Me” page, I mentioned that the name of this blog came from my buddy, heng dai (meaning “brother” in Cantonese, which is a term to refer to a close guy friend). “Eirene” means “peace”.
Today, I am going to write about “peace”. I was feeling stressful the last couple of days. This morning, my prayer partner from Singapore sent me this verse, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV).
When the Apostle Paul was writing this letter, he was under a house arrest for preaching the Gospel. The Roman Empire had him arrested. The believers in the church in Philippi who supported his missionary work were worried about him (Philippians 1). There was also some disunity among them (Philippians 2) that the Apostle Paul called two women by their names and asked them to get along with each other. False teachings were seeping into this community of faith too (Philippians 3).
Despite all the external pressures and internal issues the Philippi church was facing, Paul ended his letter with the admonition, “rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).
External pressures and internal issues (inside us) can rob us of the peace that is within us—but only if we give them permission to do so. Remember Apostle Paul’s admonition: rejoice in the Lord!
When we feel we can not go any further, when we feel hopeless, lost and tired, there is Someone whom we can turn to—God! And, the best part is this: God can and will do something about it. Apostle Paul reminded the Philippians to pray in every situation, bringing their requests to God and offer prayers of thanksgiving to what He has done.
May be I am anxious because I had not brought the matter which had caused me anxiety to the Lord. I had let stress overwhelmed and took away my joy.
Remember: Having peace does not mean the absence of troubles or difficult times. Having peace means, regardless of the circumstances, we choose to focus our eyes on Jesus Christ, knowing that He is with us and He cares for us. Our circumstances may be overwhelming and it seems more than we can bear, but take heart that God hears all our cries, frustrations and prayers. He will help us and deliver us.
The Apostle Paul ended his letter by urging the believers to rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 4:4). Knowing that God is with us already gives us a reason to rejoice and be glad. Every day, find a quiet place in your house, turn your heart to Him and surrender your anxieties to Him. Ask God to increase your faith in Him. Ask Him to open your eyes to see His goodness and faithfulness. Then, end your session by listing out things that you want to thank God for.
May you experience His deep peace and joy in your life.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are my refuge and shelter. When life is overwhelming, I give thanks to You that I can bring everything to You in prayers. Thank you for Your love and goodness to me. Help me to always focus on Your goodness and greatness, and not just on my circumstances or the problems I am facing. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
One thing which my dad taught us from a young age was to persevere. Persevere when the going gets tough. Persevere when you don’t see any fruits of the labour.
Nicky Gumble tells of the story of British archaeologist Howard Carter. Despite many failed attempts, he preservered and finally unlocked the ancient Egyptian tomb of Tuthankhamun, who reigned from 1352-1343 BC. Carter made this discovery 3, 265 years later, on 26 November 1922, after centuries and centuries of failed attempts by archaeologists and tourists.
Carter discovered the ancient tomb because he persevered.
Similiarly, God also promises that those who seek Him earnestly will find Him. He will reveal Himself to those who persistently seek Him. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11:9-10, NIV).
Seek God as if He is the most precious jewel on earth. And He truly is! What joy it is to have found Him and to know Him. A relationship with Him is the most satisfying thing we can ever have. Seek His kingdom. Seek His righteous. These bring meaning, purposes and sweet joy to our lives!
When I heard that my friend had to submit an essay to critique the work of another person as a part of her homework, I got interested. I told her I wish to see her essay after she had completed it.
In my own craft, it takes years of practice and honing the skill and yet I feel I am lacking in so many ways. I welcome constructive criticisms but the biggest critiques usually come from myself.
I get discouraged at times because I am not where I think I should be.
May be if I am gentler with myself, I will learn to appreciate the journey I am on. When I stopped and turned to see the trails I have trotted, I praised God for He is with me. He had given me this privilege to be on this journey.
My encouragement for myself is to look to God. Do my utmost best for Him and let Him work in me: break me, mould me, and stretch me to be His servant which He delights in.
During this lockdown, I appreciate my dad’s garden even more than before.
I go to the garden every morning, enjoying the different species of flowers and plants. It is a restful place to be still and to pray. I enter the house rejuvenated.
Jesus’ invites us to spend time with Him, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31)
Are you surrendering your cares and worries to Him? Are you finding rest in Him? Let’s go to Him for He gives us rest.
Earth Day. The many pictures on social media on this day do remind us that we live in a beautiful world indeed.
Picturesque sunset at Pantai Tusan Bekanu, Miri, Sarawak. Sunset at Sematan Beach, KuchingA rainbow during a road trip Baby birds in my garden Flowers I saw during a holiday
Psalm 146 (New International Version)
1 Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
2 I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 3 Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. 4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. 5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.
6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever. 7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, 8 the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
10 The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Today is the 36th day of the 44 days of Movement Control Order. During MCO, we are to stay at home. No social gatherings, no parties, no group activities, no church small groups, no working out at the gym. We go out only when necessary to get essential items such as groceries or to buy food. This is to flatten the curve so that the virus will be under control.
For the past 36 days, I have been staying at home and enjoying the company of my parents. Below are the things which I have been doing:
1.Rest
Before MCO, I think I was at the edge of burnt-out. I am so grateful to have this break to slow down, to reflect on the meaning of life, read God’s Word, as well as enjoy the garden my dad is tending every day.
2.Read
Now that I have more time, I am reading different genres of books: autobiographies, Christian spirituality, prayer, health, travel, graphic novels and so on. Currently, I am reading “The Meaning of Marriage” by Tim Keller.
I use this app called, Scribd, which offers a 30-day free access to its library of over one million e-books, audio-books and magazines. I am currently reading Dr Jason Fung’s “The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss” and Lori Gottlieb’s “May be You Should Talk to Someone” on this app.
3.Eat Better
Generally, I have been eating better: no fast food, no McDonald’s, no pizzas, no bubble tea (my absolute favourite). My mum cooks the most delicious food and I am so spoiled! But, I also realised that I have also been snacking more than I normally do before MCO. The choice of snacks? Cookies.
Homecooked curry and chicken soup
4.Reconnect with Loved Ones
Good friends do wonders for our souls. This is the time to reconnect with family, old friends, keeping in touch as well as checking in with our closest friends. Zoom sessions with my gal pals are often bring laughters and are very much enjoyed. Zoom, Facebook, WhatsApp, phone calls, etc are wonderful ways to keep in touch.
5.Exercise
Now that activities in a group is not recommended, my best friend + walking buddy sent me a workout video which she follows as a part of her daily workout.
My go-to exercise channel on YouTube is Blogilates.
6.Pick Up New Hobbies
Now is the time to revive my blog. If you look at my older blogs, they were written at the end 2018.
I also aim to enjoy my guitar for 30 minutes every day.
7. Skin Care
Face masks, replenish my face with hydration and vitamins which is suitable for my skin type.
8. Spend Time with My Parents
I live alone. With the MCO, I moved back to live at my parents. I do treasure our bonding time together so much. We worship the Lord and sing praises to God every day. We grew closer as a family.
May it be that we echo the words of Joshua in the Old Testament, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15b, NIV).
These are what I have been doing. Of course, the other waking hours including church ministries, keeping in touch with church members, teaching, which are all done online now.
Going to the supermarket during the Movement Control Order can be quite wearisome.
I made weekly trips to the supermarket. Upon entering, there will be a staff who makes sure each of us is using a face mask, watches us as we line up to wash our hands with hand soap at a sink near the entrance. After that, he will motion us to him, and takes our body temperature.
Once we are inside the supermarket, the shoppers, including myself, are scurrying around with a shopping list, aiming to get what we need while staying a meter away from anyone. It certainly is a different atmosphere than what is used to be. The atmosphere is tense. We don’t smile at each other like we used to do. I don’t see people giving way to one another. We are less gracious than we used to be.
It is a timely opportunity to practice love, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, self-control and love. These will be helpful to ease the fears, frustrations and tension in us and around us.
In the wilderness, God had supplied the Israelites with all that they had needed. He was with them: in a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night to give them light so they could travel by day or night (Exodus 13:21). Their clothes and sandals never worn out (Deuteronomy 29:5).
In the wilderness, they did not have lands to plant vegetables for food. God then provided food for them, manna, which He rained down from Heaven. Manna in Hebrew means “what is it?!”.
“4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.5 On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days” (Exodus 16:4-5).
As time passed, the Israelites were sick of having manna every meal. They began to get upset and frustration got a hold of them. they began to wail, whine and complained that they had lost their appetite because they had (eaten and seen) too much manna.
“4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat!5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” (Numbers 11:4-6)
They were making comparisons with their old life in Egypt. They would rather be working as slaves in Egypt under the cruel task masters and had fish, and other types of food to eat, than being in freedom with God as their loving Provider. Being in the wilderness meant they had to trust God like never before.
They got what they wanted: meat. God sent them quails but it was not without a price.
It is easy for us to whine and complain. It is easy to find things to complain about. May God have mercy on us. May God help us to see His goodness, mercy, providence, forgiveness and love.
Let us cultivate a heart of thanksgiving. What are the things you can give thanks to God for today? Why not list them down and give thanks to God for His mercy and providence?
