Christmas Gifts

Eunice and Isaac love Christmas so much... I guess they do not mind to have another one soon. It's all because they received so many Christmas gifts this year and they could not wait to unwrap all of them. Sometimes they tried to reach over the fence to touch their gifts which were placed under the Christmas tree. (we used a fence to circle around the tree.. just in case...!)

After opening all the gifts, there were chocolate, story books, stationary, belt, coat, drum , piano, stickers, color drawing pens, puzzles, cookies, purse, water bottle, etc...

Flora and I would like to thank all of you and your lovely, thoughtful gifts.

弟弟的答案

今天在公司和太太通電話時，得知孝恩的手指被道門夾到。他喊了一大場，小小的手指又紅又腫。

放エ回家之後，便問候一吓孝恩那一隻手指被夾到。他拿起一隻手指，指着對我說：「係lee隻啊！」跟着我便問他：「駛唔駛Daddy錫返啊？」但他很正經的回答我說：「唔駛啦！天父醫返好，依家無事囉！」跟着他便continue的去玩他的玩具了。

Courage

After meeting with a terminal cancer patient last weekend, Jesus has reminded me again ...what does "Courage" mean to me? I guess when you are facing death, you need a tonne of courage to keep you walking forward every minute. For sure, it is not an easy thing to do. It is because you have to leave all your beloved people/things behind of you and walk alone into a new and unfamiliar territory.

Yes...Jesus. Sometimes, I do forget what Courage means to me, especially when I am facing problems or difficulties. I always try to find an easy way out or just close my eyes and pretend there is nothing happening.

However, I realize "Courage" is what I should ask for daily. Particularly, it is your promise to me, " I can do everything through YOU who gives me strength". (Book of Philippians)

Quote from Wikipedia:

Courage, also known as bravery and fortitude, is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. It can be divided into "physical courage" — in the face of physical pain, hardship, and threat of death — and "moral courage" — in the face of shame, scandal, and discouragement

Merry Christmas!

Once we are close to December, you can hear the Christmas songs from everywhere. Just like " Joy to the world, the Lord is come..." , "Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel...", "Hark the Herald angels sing..."," O little town of Bethleham, how still we see thee lie..." , "Silent night, Holy night..."

Yes, this is a season to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We should be rejoiced but why people are so "afraid" of saying "Merry Christmas" to others. And instead of saying "Merry Christmas", they choose to say "Happy Holiday" or "Season Greeting".

Same old Christmas songs can be heard daily... but why we have to change the way that we greet each other in Christmas time??? Interesting...

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you! =)

A Nail

After getting off work tonight. I found out that there is a nail in my rear end tire. Oh..no! This is the third time within this year. So I tried to look for some places to fix it.

Only Canadian Tire was still opened but they were too busy tonight and could not help me at all...So I went to gas station and pumped up with air and hope for the best for tomorrow.

禱告 I Pray

This is a good song for us to think about our prayer life... Jesus, please listen our daily prayers.

Eunice is blessed..Do you?

Eunice is a shy little girl who loves to cry when her daddy and mommy are not around. However, Jesus knows her need, He always provides her a lot of good and caring teachers for her. Who are willing to hold or carry her for the whole class. Who are willing to sacrifice their lovely clothes for Eunice's tear and running nose. So...Eunice is really blessed by those Preschool teachers, Sunday school teachers and ballet class teacher.

As I recall, I am also blessed by lots of people who care for me so much. Especially those who have helped me to grow in Christ. Although they only appear in my life for a short period of time, but their impacts have been changing me how to see thing differently, how to care others differently and how to love Jesus differently.

I really miss the time that we have spent together. I might not have a chance physically to say "thank you" to you. But deep in my heart... I would like to let you know I am blessed because of you, thank you...my great friend and my great teacher...

Lost my voice

Today is the third day that I lost my voice... May be I talked too much or I got a cold from Isaac. Suddenly I lost my voice since Wednesday night.

After few days without talking much, I found out it is very hard and frustrated. Especially you would like others to know what are you thinking or what do you want. I really feel for those who cannot talk. Sometimes it seems to me that we take a lot of "routine" stuff for granted.

So ....thanks God that I can talk and also thanks for the Honey that you created...

又老了

係好耐好耐以前的今天...有一個小生命的誕生。現在的他已身為人父。但他對歲數這傢伙總是不大想提，不是不肯接受現實，而只是不想相信這小伙子真的老了。

p.s. Thank you to all ppl who sent their greetings to this old guy =).

God's answer

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to dance,
a time to mourn and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to heat,
a time for war and a time for peace.

...He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the heart of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes)

失望...

今天晚上收到一個電郵，看完內容之後太令自己失望。太多掙扎和沮喪。甚至有點兒憤怒。若不是負担和承諾，一早就...

天父，難道真的要這樣嗎？

基督徒

若有一天，你偶然碰上一個人，他很好奇地問你：「你們叫自己作基督徒，為甚麼我總找不到基督的影子在你們身上呢？」

如果你是那一個基督徒，你又會如何答他呢？

Feel like an idiot...!

I have done a lot of stupid things today and feel like an idiot. Really have enough for one day....
Sometimes, just wonder why what have happened ... But I am glad that today is almost over soon. And hope for the better start for tomorrow.

聰明智慧

今天晚上突然心血來潮想問詩詩一個問題，「究竟聰明智慧...係邊度嚟架？」

正當詩詩在思想的時侯，在旁玩耍的孝恩漫不經意地回答說：「天父, law。」太太和我也被他這突如其來的答案，弄得大笑一場。怪不得天父會咁喜歡小孩子單純的心。

如您下次在困局中，忘記咗係邊度揾聰明智慧的話。就記住孝恩這個的答案啦!

A Walk

I took a day off today...Weather was so nice. After visiting a Christian bookstore on Kingsway, I decided to take a walk to my next appointment which is with my family doctor.

I cannot recall when was the last walk that I had (after having two kids... car is always our first choice) but it seems to me it was a long long time ago.

During the walk, I saw a lot of "new" things that I missed before. It did really surprised me. So I guess when you really slow down your pace, you will find out a whole new world around you. Just sometimes we are too fast and miss all the interesting details.

From now on I guess ... I should take a walk more often la. Firstly, I would like to see and listen what God really wants to show me through the walk. Secondly, my family doctor told me that my cholesterol level is high enough that I have to do more exercise. =P


p.s.Tonight I really enjoyed the time that I spent with some folks @ i Cafe. Hope that I can do it more often.

美麗的開始...

對我來說「婚禮」是一個又開心又美麗的開始。倆個原本活在不同世界的人，藉著一次機緣的認識，便走在一起。而最終相方願意放下自己，無條件的去接納，尊重及愛護對方。而互相欣賞更是維繫這承諾的一個不可缺少的要素。

願健燎及嘉慧有一個新的開始，互相能拖住大家隻手直至天荒地老,阿們。

A better start....Autumn!

Finally Autumn is here...Leaves start to turn yellow, brown or red. I really missed the Autumn in Guelph. The whole city was decorated with red colour of maple leaves. It looked so beautiful.

Hopefully Autumn will be a better start for me... at least I would not sprain my finger like last week, I would not cut my finger like last week nor I pulled my foot muscle.

Goodbye Summer....Cheers for you... Autumn!

Rex Lewis-Clack

Just came across this story from Yahoo today...

"Rex - A little boy with both a severe disability and a great genius. He is a musical savant. Rex was born blind, with brain damage so severe it looked as though he would never walk, talk, or do much of anything. And yet, he has a musical talent few of us can imagine. 60 minutes Lesley Stahl has been following the amazing story of Rex Lewis-Clack for more than four years."

No wonder when disciples asked Jesus why a man blind from birth (John chapter 9), Jesus replied like that ," Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life..."

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/223/popup/index.php?cl=4157957

Tomato

After a couple of sunny day, tomatoes slowly turn red. They taste so sweet and juicy. Eunice loves them so much.

一種感覺

近日這種感覺常常在我的心裏徘徊:「在我心靈，有一希望，就是返到造物主身旁...」;「As the deer panteth for the water,So my soul longeth after you...」

Toshiba Laptop

Flora and I would like to have a laptop for a long time. Because of our tight budget, we cannot really afford an expensive one. So we always delay about this thought.

Recently we feel that urge again and decide to look for one in this Labour day weekend. After browsing all the flyers, we found out even $400 you can buy a new laptop. Well, it is a good news for us.

After asking advise from my brother, we noticed that those are the lower end ones and he recommended us to get something better and would last a bit longer. For something better... it means a higher price tag.

So we ended up buying a more expensive Toshiba A200-AH3. It is already on sale and is sold for $600. We totally understand... we can't ask for too much for whatever prices that we paid (we cannot even think about those are costing $1000+ ). So just hope that it works fine and allows us to do our works.

Anyway, we are still thankful whatever we have bought.

Trip to Emergency!

It was a tough week for us. Isaac has a running nose and coughing for so long (especially during night time). We tried all the counter top cough and cold medicines but none of them worked on him. So Flora and I decided to bring him to see our family doctor(before this Labor day long weekend). However, she was on her vacation. Then we tried to go to the walk in clinic yesterday but they were also closed. So we decided to try Burnaby hospital children care clinic (usually the line up is mucher shorter) But we found out that they changed their policy since July1, you must have a doctor's referral. What a luck... we made several calls to ask for help but it ended up with a empty hand. Then we drove home and hoped Isaac would become better.

Unfortunately, he became worse and started to have "wheezing" sound. We had no choice but had to bring him to Vancouver children hospital emergency room. After we arrived, they brought him to the resting room and gave him some Ventolin to breathe in. We stayed there for two and half hours and Isaac was discharged. Eunice and Isaac were totally exhausted when we arrived home at around 11 pm.

The whole night Flora and I could not sleep at all. It is beacuse Isaac was not getting any better after we came back from ER. The wheezing sound came back and same as the cough. Around 3 am this morning, we had to get him inhale the Ventolin. But his situation did not improve and he could not sleep. So at 7 am, we woke up Eunice and brought Isaac to emergency room again.

Once we arrived, he was sent to the room directly and the doctor increased the Ventolin dosage and also gave him some other steroid medicine to take. Doctor said that Isaac had a lung and bronchi virus infection (may be caught it from Flora). Since I am a asthma patient, my children will have a higher chance to have asthma as well (their lungs are more sensitive than others kid).

After another 5 hours stay, Isaac's condition has been under control. (Doctor told us that it is still to early to tell whether Isaac will develop asthma or not... All in God's hand). Once again, we could go home. Isaac has to inhale Ventolin every 4 hours but he does not like it at all. He still has little bit wheezing sound right now. Hopefully, it will be stopping soon when he is getting better. If not, we might have to visit the ER again.. tonight.

God ! Please bless this little one. Amen.

借口

「借口」是一種好洗好用的工具。只要你把它說得「天花亂墜」和「大條道理」的話，我想沒有人真的敢去challenge你。

「都是個天唔好...落雨嗎!要不然我一定早起做運動的。」

「今日在公司太忙，弄到倦到飛起，否則我一定会做靈修的。明天啦!應該無咁忙，一定可以做番double」

「近排無心情去教會，費事影响大家啦！遲D會番架，天父已經明白哂」

「戒煙？唉! 你唔明白架啦！總之... 」

「我唔係想遲到架... 你知道我住到無雷公咁遠，我又無車，巴士服務又差！You know.. I try my best already！」

「老師!我D功課被我隻狗食咗，所以今日..」

你是否是個使用借ロ的常客呢？如果上天今日就收番你這「工具」，你想你應該會立刻做D乜嘢先呢？

西雅圖之旅(三)

待過海關時攝

第三天我們去了Pacific Science Center。這個Science Center 給我想像之中大，而且也有很多嘢玩和睇。在看3D IMAX之時，Eunice and Isaac 全程在closed their eyes.. 恐龍展覽和蝴蝶館是值得一看。待Eunice and Isaac are bigger, they will love this center more. 在麥當勞午飯後，便開車回溫哥華。途中我們更停在出名的Seattle Premium Outlet shopping. 大慨五點左右離開，但到達邊境時已經有很長的車龍，等了整整兩小時才能過關。我們餓得要死般。

西雅圖之旅(二)

Seattle view from the crusie ship







Selling flowers -Very Cheap






Selling fresh sea food



Selling fresh fruits and Vegetables

Seattle Aquarium





Group picture






Sea otter and Isaac


Under water view










Space Needle










我們住在Best Western Inn which is very closed to Space Needle (two Blocks)。但是我們沒有上上面參觀，因為頗為expensive。第二天我們吃過早餐之後，便出發去Seattle Aquarium 。這Aquarium是建築在海旁。但是它的面積比Vancouver Aquarium還小。雖然它有它的突色，但是我們還是喜歡Vancouver的Aquarium。After touring Aquarium, 我們去了Seattle很有名的Pike Place Market逛一逛。Eunice and Isaac were so tired to walk...Flora和我便成了他們的呠呠車。午飯後，便去了坐Argosy Cruises - Seattle Harbor Tour 。在這一個小時的航程裏，導遊会介紹了Seattle Pier 的History and some famous buildings and structures。回酒店時，我們選擇坐Monorail，以為Eunice会好開心。怎知她在行去乘坐的途中，已經熟睡在我的肩膊上。

西雅圖之旅(一)

Swimming penguin

Another favorite one - Giraffe









Eunice and Hippo hands

Eunice and Isaac favorite animal - Elephant

Seattle City pass ($39.5) includes : Seattle Aquarium; Argosy Cruises - Seattle Harbor Tour; The Museum of Flight ; Pacific Science Center; Woodland Park Zoo

自從詩詩和恩恩出世之後，我們一家人也未去過旅行。所以Flora和我很期望這個trip的來臨 - 三日兩夜的西雅圖之旅。星期二大清早上(7:30)，我們便駕車向目的地進發。經過兩個半小時的車程，便安全到達第一個"景點"- Woodland Park Zoo。到達時天陰有微雨，但微雨只last了一陣。我們在Zoo裏逗留了差不多兩個多小時。因Eunice and Isaac were so hungry and tired，我們只好離開去吃午膳和回酒店休息。在這次旅行，因我們購買了Seattle City pass，所以省了不少的入場費。只可惜沒有足夠時間去參觀The Museum of Flight。What a waste!

Isaac..so funny!

After my trip to Saskatchewan, Isaac has changed. Every morning when he wakes up, he asks Flora," where's daddy?" When I tell him that I have to go to church or work right now. He replies, " No, work ! No church! stay home!"

He starts to talk more and more which makes us laugh a lot everyday.

Zucchini ...Yummy

Beside potatoes, we also planted some zucchinis and tomatoes this year. Because of the good weather, the zucchini plants grow bigger and bigger. So far we have harvested seven zucchinis. On Monday, Flora used some of them to stir fry with beef. They tasted so fresh and yummy.

Do not judge...too early!

When I was on the little jazz flight last Friday (from Regina to Calgary), there was a tall , huge and masculine man sitting beside. His long air and tattoo on his arm could tell me who was he. He might be someone with "background" or he might be someone has a "special" job or he might be a biker who rides on those noisy motorcycles around the city. My eyes did not want to have any eye contact with ...just in case...

After the flight attendant served us the drink, he pulled out a book from his backpack. I did not pay attention to what kind of book he was reading. I guessed... it should be a heavy metal rock music book or something related to motorcycle or WWF.

When the flight almost arrived Calgary, I took a peek at the window (he was sitting on the window seat) to see how did Calgary look like. Then I found out that he was reading a book which is called "An empowering vision of the gospel -Water into wine". Suddenly... I had a weired feeling within my heart. Most of the time we tend to look at the outside circumstance to judge as something or someone but does it fair ?