Strange winds are blowing ...

We live in extraordinary times ... yes, times when strange winds blow, turning our lives upside down ... but for a moment and then everything becomes calm again, as if nothing happened. Only the strong, the experienced survive the strange storms and live to see the normality of life again.

*****

I couldn't wait any longer. I had to take a dip, a dive into the cool waters. Inhale nitrogen and find my mind at peace within tranquil surroundings of colorful corals and marine life. Except for the sounds of my breathing through the regulator and the beeps from my dive computer, everything else was blissful.

The 3 days, 2 nights trip to Tenggol Island, off Dungun, Trengganu, was my first dive trip since December 2007. Surprisingly, I found myself completely calm about venturing into extreme conditions - after all, we are not built to breathe underwater - not naturally at least. It didn't take long to adjust to the very tight wetsuit and carrying a ton on my shoulders and back while making my way to our tiny boat (about 15-20 feet in length).

Yes, diving is somewhat like riding a bicycle - once you know how to do it, it doesn't take long to get back into it and getting the buoyancy right during the first dive at Turtle Point.

The vibrance of the marine life and corals were amazing too - the nudi branch, turtle, the clowns made famous by Nemo, and schools and schools of fishes ...













(photos courtesy of fellow diver Siew Keng, very talented to have captured these amazing shots for a first timer in underwater photography)




... including the strange wind that blew towards the end of our last dive at Tenggol Island's tanjung Gemuk site. As my buddy and I were surfacing after the last dive, I saw the dive master making frantic hand signals for us to come up quickly. When we got to the surface, I was amazed to see two-meter high waves when it was rather calm about 30 minutes before.

We struggled to stay close to the boat as the waves kept pulling us away. Furthermore the rise and fall of the boat made it difficult to stay too close for fear of being knocked out by the bottom of the boat.

After what seemed like ages (but I am sure was just a few moments) of trying to hang on to the steps, I managed to remove my fins and climb into the boat. It was as if the boat was heaving and ho-ing, wanting to spit out its passengers.

At that time, all but one was on board.

As the boatman maneuvered the boat towards the lone diver drifting in the waters, another huge swell swept past, titling our boat 180 degrees. The group leader, still out in the water, at that point saw the bottom of the boat. We thought the boat would capsize!

Within that split second, I found myself thrown from the seat and sprawled along with the air tanks in the middle of the small boat. Thank God I was thrown further into the boat and not out of the boat and into the waters!

Scrambling to get back onto the seat and clutching to the metal railings of the boat, I checked my nerves ... fairly calm considering the ruckus on the boat. Experience told me to keep my floatation devices on, tank and regulator ready to be used ... just in case I got thrown back into the water and needed to descend to calmer waters below.

The moment the dive leader got onboard, we sped back to the island that was nestled within a cove and protected from the strange winds.

Within moments, the skies were clear and the waters were calm again.

*****

"What was that all about?" I asked the Lord.

"We live in strange times. Upheavels come to sift my people. The righteous and just shall live by faith ... Those who call upon my name shall be saved," the Lord impressed in my heart.

We live in such a time as this ... as evidenced by the happenings in the world - times of uncertainty. It's such a time when the experienced draw on their knowledge and skills to navigate the difficult times and come out stronger or survive the difficult circumstances. Others may not be so fortunate - not able to draw from the skilled, experienced and good fortunes of the stronger ones, and come out of these times in a poorer shape. Distraught. Destroyed.

One thing is certain though. There is a "window of opportunity," this is a time of greater manifestation of God's presence with tangile signs and wonders ... from miracle healings to gold dust on hands. God beckons His people to return into a relationship with Him, and for those who do not know Him, to seek with all their heart, mind and soul in order that they encouter God, our Creator and Maker of the Heavens and the Earth.

Pieces of the jigsaw puzzle ...

It's been so long since I posted an entry on my blog, so much so that it's difficult even to write one now. It's as if my mental energies have been diverted to something else that is so powerful that it has difficulty refocusing on the here and now ... or is this human nature's response to the pressures of post-module assignments that beg the much-needed attention.

The full-time learning environment at the National University of Singapore was a breath of fresh air. Having met 44 others from the United States, Denmark, Egypt, Hong Kong, Taiwan, The Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, and Singapore, the wealth of knowledge and a combined hundreds of years of experience makes the learning environment an incredibly rewarding one. This is indeed one of the unique selling propositions of the Executive MBA Program from both the Business Schools of the University of Singapore and the University of California, Los Angeles.

I wrote in my last post ...

While I see and understand, I also sense a burgeoning vision of great expanse that I am humbly aware that I actually don't see clearly and don't understand fully ...

Let me see your vision, dream your dreams
And paint them across the wide canvas of limitless skies
Thy kingdom come. Not my will, but yours be done ...

Pieces of the jigsaw puzzle began to fall into place during my two-week residential segment at the National University of Singapore. I admit there are many, many more pieces that are still making their way to the huge big board but isn't that how God is ... he reveals bits of information at a time and will eventually create a masterpiece of our lives. He doesn't reveal it all at once lest restless souls like mine get bored in the process of fulfilling our destinies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peace for a 1,000-mile journey

Without this, there's not a chance for me to get through this 15-month educational program in a meaningful way. I just knew in my heart that I was where I needed to be at this point in my life. This knowledge gave me the courage and strength to move forward ... No matter how tired I was from all the late nights or early mornings of studying, a certain peace silenced the fears and seeped into the depths of my heart and soul. Along with this, my appreciation for my classmates, lecturers and the topics of study increased with each passing day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Handpicked to be blessed

I loved how he brought like-minded people from all over the world to seek, knock, and find him in the midst of academia. In the midst of discussing our presentations, case studies, and concepts, he seemed to be actively working in our lives to reveal and remind us of who he is - our Father, Brother, and Friend who provides and stands by us to comfort and care for us. It did not matter how trivial or major the issues may be in our lives, he cared for them all just the same. And not to mention, the laughter that never fails to keep us alert and engaged in class.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gifted to be a blessing

Everyone had a role to play. Each bringing his or her gift to the table. Each complementing the other to provide a more complete picture of what we were to learn from the Marketing, Leadership or Economics classes. I loved how he used newfound friends to reaffirm the gifts he has placed in my life. To be reminded that teaching is the ability to identify with the audiece's needs and communicate ideas in a way that helps them understand, appreciate and apply the concepts in their lives.

Just the other day, as mom and I journeyed to my office at the Twin Towers, she reminded me of my daily habits upon returning from primary school many years ago. I would quickly throw off my uniform and don my Tees and Shorts, dash to the green chalk board and begin scribbling the questions from my classes and textbooks. I would then teach my imaginery students, reading out each question, pausing and waiting for student responses. I would discuss the possible answers, and wave my large ruler in the air ... the thought of me doing this just cracks me up ... LOL!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enjoying the journey

And not to mention, the little things that makes the overall new adventure exciting ... the first Spanish wine tasting session ... the first dinner at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant at Riverside ... the first Mojito at the Cuba Libere bar at Clarke Quay ... and many more to come ....

The simplicity of life, people

It takes the Monday Blues to help one appreciate the simplicity of life and people. I must confess, the thought of the long checklist of to-dos and a failing memory can cause undue stress at the beginning of the week.

People come in all shapes and sizes ...
On top of that, we meet all sorts of people in the corporate world. Not everyone is a friend - some are your "friends" because of the seat you are currently in or what you can do for them to help them fulfill their own agendas; others seem to be "lost in space" most times, like me during peak seasons. Thankfully, there are a few good friends, too, who are there for the simple joys of being who they are - a friend, a colleague, and a blessing.

No connectivity = The Simple life!
Connectivity was poor today. As a result, I was not able to stay connected for a few hours ... that too, was stressful.

So what did I decide to do?

Given the current shortage of useable cars at home, Dad agrees to drop me off at the nearest Starbucks after lunch so I can get connected and send along the many emails that piled up over the few hours of non-connectivity.

Along the way, the car tyre goes flat. Dad gets out of the car and confirms that we have a very flat tyre. There was no doubt we had to stay put and change the tyre.

Skeleton in the closet ...
My heart skipped a beat as this was going to further delay my sending out the emails in my Outbox.

Another confession - I have worked in an automotive company for 2.5 years and am ashamed that I still don't know how to change a flat tyre. I asked Dad if I could be of any earthly use at this point.

He shakes his head.

"I can help you carry the good tyre from the trunk, or you can just tell me what to do with the car jack and I will do it. You have a bad back ... just let me help!" I said.

He shakes his head again. Somehow, Dad exhibits his stubborn streak at the oddest times. He chooses to put his frail five feet 10-inch frame (maybe shorter by 1 inch now!) through the torture of bending down to inspect the flat tyre and fittings for the car jack.

Light drops of rain started falling as we stood along the side of the slopy road just outside the famous Sunrise duck rice shop at Paramount Gardens.

Within seconds, large raindrops pelted on our heads and bare arms. By this time, Dad was working faster while I grabbed an umbrella from the back seat ... and still feeling terribly helpless.

Modern-day Samaritan
Out of the blue, a gentleman came by and said, "Uncle, do you need any help?"

My almost 70-year-old Dad shakes his head and said "No need. I can handle this!"

The gentleman said, "Uncle, it's raining. Better to have two pairs of hands to get the job done faster."

Thankfully, my Dad agreed and the young gentleman took over. Dressed in corporate attire, he rolled up his shirt sleeves, bent down and began unbolting the tyre.

It was raining cats and dogs by then. Dad and I stood under the old golf unbrella, trying to stay dry while also trying to keep the gentleman from getting wet.

Water was gushing down the side of the sloped street. It was obvious the man's leather shoes were pretty much ruined, while Dad and myself were drenched from ankle up.

A young lady comes to the rescue and brings her medium-sized umbrella to provide more coverage but to no avail. Water was coming through our old umbrella with tiny holes.

(We have so many good umbrellas at home. I don't know why we still have an old umbrella sitting in Dad's kinkety-kank Bimmer!)

A good 15 to 20 minutes later, the job was done with the good tyre in place and the bad tyre in the trunk.

... still raining heavily ...

"Thank you so much for helping. I don't know what I would have done otherwise ..." Dad said.

To our suprise, the gentlemen replied, "That's what Christians are supposed to do ... to help one another ..."

And the thought that completed the gentleman's response came to me ...

"If people of faith cannot be the blessing whom God has called them to be, how then will the world know and experience God in our midst!"

I don't even know the gentleman's and lady's names. They were the good Samaritans who parked their light green Proton at the side of the road just so they could give us a helping hand during our time of need. They were a blessing and did not expect a single thing in return. They were like God's angels sent to comfort Dad and me today.


Godliness with contentment is great gain ...
This incident reminds me of how precious and simple life can be ... if only we can be nicer to another, if only we can be gracious with our words and seek to be a blessing to the other without seeking material or worldly gains in return, the world would be a much nicer place to live in.

In celebration of the simple miracles in life, I am contented to just stay home tonight. To enjoy a very simple dinner, and post this entry.

(Photo) Malaysian delicate snacks made of flour, sugar, corn bits and ground peanuts coupled with a wheat cereal drink.

Thank God for reminding me of the things most important in life - to have good relationships with God, with loved ones, and friends; to be obedient to God's purposes and plans, and to do good works so that God's rule and reign on earth can be experienced by peoples.

Thank God for all he has done and all that he is about to do.

A Superhero in the the making ...

Life's been like an emotional roller coaster of late. It's difficult for me to express what it is that I am going through so I have turned to doing what some might call "nonsensical" quizzes to help "lighten" the atmosphere and hopefully alleviate the unfounded fears and sense of disorientation that have been plaguing my otherwise peaceful rest ...

I chanced upon several fun quizzes that help you determine your comic superheros while reading an old friend's blog. He's not literally "old" but I best remember him from my very first missions trip to Khon Kean, Thailand, in the mid-90s. He was the leader of the group. I digress ...

Back to the quizzes ... it helps to know that my X-Men Personality is Storm. Controlling the weather (atmokinesis) might be her mutant talent, but it's her sharp wit and loyalty that make her a valuable asset to the X-Men crew. Ororo Munroe, known for her ability to spark lightening storms and command rain and snow, is consumed by her allegiance to Professor X's goal of peacefully coexisting with humans. Storm is one of the oldest and respected members of the X-Men squad, often acting as its second in command.

Then there's the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz and it turns out that my inner superhero is Spider-Man / Catwoman. There's a dark side to you, but you always end up doing the right thing. With great power comes greater responsibility, so don't be fooled by the glitz and get caught in a web of evil.

It helps to day dream a little about the great and mighty things that my superhero personalities can fulfill in this life time!

Perhaps, I could also someday partake of supernatural wonders of such majestic scale. After all didn't the Bible characters Moses part the Red Sea or Joshua the Jordon River? or Daniel who came out of the fiery furnace unscathed or out of the lion's den alive? or Jesus (then Peter ... and then not!) who walked on water?

I believe God has given us the ability to exercise the supernatural in our natural realms, where miracles can and should perhaps be common place for those who know God and seek to fulfill His purposes in a needy world!

It feels like I am going through some kind of transition. It feels like I have just journeyed down a tunnel towards the light that is at the end of the tunnel. It feels like I just got flushed out into the deep blue as if I were a little fish called Nemo or the high-society mouse butler (from Flushed Away). At that point, my senses require a refocusing to adapt to the vastness of the deep blue.

It will take time to orientate myself to this new level or perspective. I would like to be able to see God do greater things in and through my life and see the nations blessed. For isn't this one of the reasons He has called us to partner Him in world missions?

Fulfilling our deepest desires - Impossible?

Many times, we cry Impossible! but with God, all things are surely Possible!

I started reading "Wealth Conundrum" by Ralph Doudera and am finding the insights both revelational and practical. In the chapter titled "Relax and Win," Doudera points out how many people have pre-conceived ideas as to what is spiritual and what is not. In this example, he talks about racing (a subject that sparks my interest!)

To some people, driving a race car doesn't seem like a Christian thing to do, and my dad still doesn't let me talk to him about it, but I want to dispel the notion that my spiritual life and my racing activities are not related. I have learned a lot about my relationship with God by driving race cars.

... Several years ago, I decided to buy a Twin Turbo Porsche. I had the money available, but since they were very rare at that time I had to shop around to find one to use for racing. After I made the decision, I decided to pray about it, thinking my request would just get a rubber stamped for approval because I had the funds available ... Listening carefully to the Still Small Voice within, I was impressed that God said emphatically, NO!

When I asked Him why not, He said I wasn't good enough yet to use a car with that much power (over 400 hp). So I committed to learning to drive the car I had, an M5 BMW. I went to several driving schools ... and worked hard on learning how to drive a medium-powered car.

A year or two later, after I had forgotten all about my dream car, I was in a church worship service and out of nowhere I heard in my heart a message to go and get the Twin Turbo. Sometimes I think that God laughs at all the religious stuff that people do. He just wants a relationship.

I agree with Doudera that God is interested in giving us the desires of our hearts when the time is right. Doudera goes on to say, I try not to miss worship on Sunday mornings because it is the highlight of the week for me. This is when I can best hear directly from God, specifically to me, about the practical areas of my life.

The Porsche I really wanted was a 1997 Twin Turbo-S, the last of the air-cooled lined of turbocharged Porsches that came with 424 horsepower right from the factory. It was a limited edition model that was available by special order. Reservations for these cars had to be placed within a 24-hour period with no advance notice given, and you had to put down a non-refundable deposit of $20,000. I had missed the deadline, and found out that there would be only 180 of them made worldwide, and they were all sold.

Knowing how impossible it would be to find one, I asked a friend who referred me to a dealer in Florida who might know something about the car. I called ... and a sales rep ... laughed when I told him what I wanted.

He said that someone had canceled their order less than an hour before my call, and the sales team had just finished a meeting about it ... they were all on the phones calling their clients ... [the car] would be sold in an hour. I told him it was mine and gave him my charge card number for deposit.

Again, my thoughts are in agreement with Doudera's that this is the way life is supposed to work! God's timing, not my timing. No stress, no worry, no hurry, no guilt. Always being willing to let any deal go without anxiety. Whether it is getting a new car ... or hiring new employees, I am learning to turn over all my decisions - both big and small - to God, and not to get obsessed with getting things I want immediately.

One thing I have learned. When someone tells me that I have to act quickly to buy something or it will be gone, I never buy on those terms.

I believe the same principle applies for life all around - whether it be a job offer, pursuing a new hobby, receiving invitations to get to know some better or marriage proposals for that matter. If God wants me to have it, it will be there after I have a chance to discuss it with Him. If I am all stressed out and in a hurry, I am probably not listening, but acting ahead of Him.

This is a good (and true) picture of what it is like to have a relationship with God. He knows our deepest desires and wants to give us good gifts, even gifts that the traditional mindset may not and cannot associate as a spiritual thing, i.e., racing, diving, dancing, etc.

My experiences indicate that I learn the most about spirituality and Christian living by being in the marketplace and doing activities that I enjoy. Amazing revelations seem to crop up when I am on holiday either diving, climbing mountains, and yes ... even shopping!

May we allow our traditional mindsets to undergo a paradigm shift. May we have the best adventures as we pick up courage to relate to and journey with a true and living God!

Tiny T(h)ots!

Life has taken an interesting turn. I never used to like kids for various reasons:
1. I didn't know how to get along with them
2. I was too busy growing up and pursuing my career.

But miracles do happen along the way, as we grow up and live life. Of late, I have noticed a different side of me that I never knew existed. The few times I have had a chance to relax and just hang out with friends, I have been surrounded by kids. What surprised me was I actually enjoyed hanging out with all of them and I must admit, I especially love these tiny tots!!!

Here's baby Jeevan four weeks after touching down in Malaysia. He has put on weight. He looks more and more like his dad and smiles a lot when surrounded by his cousins and mom's friends.

He is also a very curious baby. Always checking out his surroundings, so much so that he would get distracted and refuse to sleep no matter how tired he was.

He has two gorgeous cousins - Ayesha and Kyren.

Ayesha loves to dress up in pretty dresses and high heels. Her favorite color seems to be pink. She's bright, loving and quite a little lady. She was recently fascinated with the idea of breastfeeding and has enjoyed playing "mom" and "feeding baby." (Oh! And kids being kids, the "baby" feeds from "mom's" elbow ... go figure ... lol)

Baby's other cousin is Kyren, who loves cars, trucks, and anything with wheels. He never seems to tire of watching the cartoon titled "Cars." Infact, I too enjoyed watching "Cars" with him. I was fascinated by the talking porsche and lamborghini!

When Kyren is behind the wheels, you know he's in his element - beaming with cheekiness and oh ... just having a blast!

Kyren is also musically inclined and loves mimicking the hand movements of the drummer during Sunday worship. He has such a great personality coupled with his cheeky ways. He is most likely one who would pray ... Our Father, Who does art in heaven, Harold is His name. Amen. And God the Father would have a good laugh from above!

Both he and his sister Ayesha are such a joy. They are also compassionate kids and I can almost imagine them in this scenario:

A father was at the beach with his children when the two-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore where a seagull lay dead in the sand. "Daddy, what happened to him?" the son asked. "He died and went to Heaven," the Dad replied. The boy thought a moment and then said, "Did God throw him back down?"

After six full weeks, it was finally time for baby Jeevan to head home to wintery Chicago. Here he is waiting for mom to say all her goodbyes. He's got this mischievious "taukeh" look and might have been praying ... Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am.

Here's to celebrating children - the little miracles that God has given us. Through them we observe the simplicity of child-like faith, the joys of parenting or of grown ups around little humans.

Busy as a bee, experiencing miracles in life

Photo by Janelle

Life seems to have swooshed right past me this week. If life was at such a pace 24-7, I reckon I would be nearing or past a thousand years old by now. So many experiences, but so little time to capture everything meaningful.

I feel as if several weeks had past rather than just one week since the powerful message I received during Sunday church service. The key thought that I remember so well was about the supernatural becoming natural in the life of a believer, a follower of Christ.

Perhaps life this past week has been a miracle in itself - having accomplished so much in just a mere 7 days! From the hustle and bustle at work to spending time with former secondary school mates to playing with babies and toddlers to participating in "A Quiet Revolution of Hope." The latter is another story altogether, which I will not blog about at this time.

But the truly significant moment in my life this past week has been in the encouragement that came from remembering the powerful, awesome moments when I sensed the workings of the supernatural in my life. My faith was built up as a result of remembering God's miracles.

More than 10 years ago, while I was an undergraduate student in the United States, I shared with three others a small townhouse called College Station. It was Thanksgiving weekend and my housemates all went home. I didn't mind the quietness of the university town called Harrisonburg, as my best friend Kash was visiting.

We did the usual girl thing - we hung out together. We probably walked the quiet malls, ate at my favourite restaurants, and caught up on all the latest gossips and greatest happenings in our lives.

On the last day before Kash departed for home (Taylor's University, Indiana), we got back from what must have been a long day. Tired out, we dropped our bags in my small room. I went downstairs to the kichenette and attempted to cook dinner. Kash remained in the room to pack. Soon after, Kash decides to join me downstairs. She came out of the room and locked the door behind her without realizing that all my keys were in the room.

Locked out, we panicked. All imaginable McGyver methods of unlocking the door were attempted from the use of hair clips to safety pins to tugging at the doorknob. Nothing worked. I remembered calling up the locksmith and was told that it would cost USD60 and more to get the door unlock after 6 pm on a public holiday.

Refusing to spend the money, Kash and I resolved to the only thing we knew to do. We laid our hands on the doorknob and prayed for God to work a miracle in our situation. We said, "In Jesus name, door be opened!" and mumbled a whole lot of other charismatic-type prayers. Nothing happened.

That evening, dinner was a disaster. The curry was tasteless and the noodles were stringy. Few words were exchanged. Our minds raced with thoughts from how we were going to get into the room to how we could possibly sleep through the cold winter's night outside my room and finally to how Kash was going to catch her ride home the next day!

After dinner, Kash went upstairs to use the bathroom, while I washed up. Before long, I heard her calling me. I asked, "Why?" I think she said, "Just come up!"

When I got upstairs, Kash stood outside the bathroom gesturing towards my room. My gaze feel upon the door - opened! The hairs at the back of my neck stood, as Kash described the miracle ...

She had come out of the bathroom and was about to go downstairs when a still, small voice told her to approach the door. As soon as she reached for the doorknob, and before she could comprehend what was happening, the doorknob turned and the door was ajar.

Awe-struck and overwhelmed by the supernatural, I remembered sensing the presence of angels. We knelt down and worshipped God for lack of a more brilliant response.

More than a decade later, I am reminded once again of the power of the Holy Spirit at work through the lives of believers outside the church walls. When we walk by faith in God and obey his biddings in our lives, we move into a whole new realm - what felt like "heaven on earth" back then can still be experienced today.

Miracles are a manifestation of the Kingdom of God on earth. And what of our response? To turn away from the old mindset and embrace the new life that is waiting to be explored. Let thy kingdom come, let thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Many miracles have since been experienced. Kash and her newborn miracle were just here in Malaysia.

Kash, if by chance you are reading this, do leave a comment or two on what you remember and make of this supernatural incident in your life.