Happy Birthday, My Dearest Lil Brother

My Dearest Brother,

Happy Birthday to you.

I sat down today thinking about our 'sibling-ship'. I recall the days of old, before you got your first girlfriend (7 years ago!), when we used to talk about everything under the sun and moon and stars, when we used to be best friends. I miss those days. I recall too the days before you came to the Lord, when you were so shattered when your first girlfriend broke your heart. That you cried and I remember we sat down on the floor of my room, when together we prayed and I committed you so securely into the hands of Him who loves you so very much.

I remember when I asked if you believed in God, if you would say the sinner's prayer with me. And I remember the immense sense of deep joy I felt, when I could see it in your eyes and sensed it in your spirit that you did. And how you did.

Today, I see you grow from strength to strength in Him, in leaps and bounds. And my spirit leaps too, at that thought. Beautiful are your feet for you bring His good news.

Over the years, I see how we have slowly drifted apart primarily as we grow up and lead our own separate lives. And also with your car and active social life, you hardly spend any time at home. I'd admit I resent the way you throw your temper, the way you treat this home like a hotel sometimes, the way you show irritation at so many things. Yet deep down when I reflect upon it, I see how the Lord has already changed you in so many ways and I know He is still doing a great work in you.

So today, I want to celebrate you for the wonderful brother that you are. I truly appreciate how you are just like a good friend to me, a lovely brother-in-Christ. I am refreshed by our morning conversations when you send me to work, when we share about things of Him, when I hear and see how simple yet deep your faith is. When I see how He has altered the way you see and live your life, I am truly heartened, encouraged and grateful. And thank you, for not complaining when I drag you up to give me a lift to work.

Thank you, mostly, for loving an imperfect sister such as me. A couple of days ago, I was feeling really down, when I saw the lil ornament you had given me years ago which says:

"My Sister,
A golden string no one can see has bound us from the start;
My very precious sister;
It's Love that ties our hearts."

I could not help but tear at that. I thank God for giving me a brother and a brother in Christ in you. Siblings sometimes fight to no end, and people are constantly amazed that we are like close friends. Nothing short of one of the largest blessings God has bestowed me with, I would say.

So Happiest of Birthdays, my Dearest Little Brother. I hope you know how much you mean to me.

God bless you with His richest, and Immeasurably More.

In His love,
your lovely sister :)

And now for some memories of the lovely food at Etna @ Upper East Coast

Now, the order is entirely intentional (in my humble preference).

Linguine con Capesante

Flat pasta with scallops in a pink lobster sauce

I say yums! Can't say no to scallops and pink lobster.

Capricciosa
Tomato, mozarella cheese, boiled eggs, cooked ham

I give this a 7. Splatter some cheese and chilli, and it's 7.5
Pity about the crust, could have been harder and crunchier.


Linguine al Granchio e Crema de Aragosta
Flat pasta with crab meat in a pink lobster sauce

Don't ask me why but the sauce somehow tasted different!
I preferred the scallops version.

Etna
Mozzarella cheese, porcini mushrooms, parma ham,
cream cheese, pistachio (from Bronte in Sicily)

You would have thought a pizza named after the restaurant would be its signature dish.
Well, apparently not. It's its worst! (Are they trying to be funny here?)
In the words of my foodie sis expert, "very bland".

Vanilla and Chocolate Gelato

Earnest, but vanilla tastes sour.
Redeemed by the dark chocolate.

Vanilla and Hazelnut covered in Pistachio

Very Kinder Bueno to me. Not too bad!

I would give it an overall 7. Not fantastic, but for the prices (less than 20 per person), what more can you ask?

When joy is spelt F.O.O.D

Food cam-whoring day. So here goes. Not very many words are necessary. ;)

Seriously, did I really consume these in one day?

Beautiful thing is - praise the Lord - I don't care! Am truly grateful, once again, for this freedom to savour food. For He shall set you free, indeed.

Marinara Spaghettini at Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie
Mussels, scallops, squids, prawns
cooked in white wine tomato sauce with chilli and Italian parsley

Great, fresh seafood; and above average pasta.

Nougatine Sweet Crepe
Filled with Nutella (!), salty caramel, caramelized Filo,
Nougatine ice cream (!!), vanilla crème chantilly

Killing me softly with Nougatine.
Not a fan of crepes, but this will so change your mind.

Abalone & Sliced Fish Congee
@ Crystal Jade
Need I say more?


Fried bean curd @ Crystal Jade
Not a tofu fan but this passes the test


Virgin tasting @ The Coffee Connoiseur

Yes, despite having one at the Fish Tank
Not as bad as rumours go, but some others taste better
(only IMHO, of course - can't get rid of the occupational hazard, can I.)


Unagi flavoured potato chips

Very unique. Very Japanese.
Very Yums; I meant Boomz (now I don't mean to be sarcastic, it is quite an apt word sometimes, don't you think?)

Also you get the very cheap thrill of pouring in the seaweed powder
and shaking it vigorously to your heart's content.

Just Perfect.

xx
claire.

Come Home Running

Without going into too much detail, I must praise Him for His amazing grace.

Never in my life did I think I would get myself into a situation such as this. Suffice to say, I placed myself in a position much like what my earlier post described - a shortchanged place. From the start, he was so clearly wrong. Yet I dabbled into the gray area. Nevermind, Lord, it's too early to tell.

Always trust your gut. Apparently (and I can testify to that) your mind picks up silent signs, body language and what not, that contribute to this idea or feeling you have about someone, commonly known as a gut feel. It is not an unidentifiable or illogical 'feeling'; it's a combination of the subtle signs your body is wired to pick up; stuff you never knew was there, or perhaps you did but unconsciously blocked out.

I treasure His gift of forgiveness. And I am so, so grateful that He has lifted me right out of this. Before it is too late.

It is scary to know that my previous post spoke exactly of what happened a couple of days thereafter. It was as if God knew. Well, not as if. God knew. To be honest, I regret it deeply. It was surreal, and on hindsight, terribly troubling. It was as if I had turned into someone I didn't know, overnight. Hello, stranger, I do not like you.

But I would not change the experience, which I know happened for a reason. he was worldliness personified - good looks (being English, maybe it's a preference for all who look different), interesting personality, same job thus sharing some sort of understanding, affectionate - name what the world looks for, and you have it. Yet he does not have the basic decency in so many things; he does not have the fear and love for Christ or even human beings. Very importantly, he does not respect me (when I say no, I mean no) and I believe all other women previously in my position.

I compromised. I settled. I naively believed in what my best friend so aptly coined 'counterfeit oneness'. The trap that so many women fall for. I who genuinely believe I would never be "so stupid" was taught a lesson. These women are not stupid; they are merely looking for love. But sadly, in all the wrong places.

Coming out of this, I am grateful that He showed me what the world is like. That He has far, far, FAR better Hope and Plans for me. That He loves me. Despite my failure. Despite my stubborn straying. Despite my denial of Him. Despite that I was caught in the middle, "between the altar and the door". He found me, right in the middle.

It is funny. You spend so much time running away from Him. Perhaps out of fear, out of disappointment at what life had dealt you. You run and you run and you don't want to look back. Yet, when you are panting and exhausted and you feel like you could run no more, you find that home seems no further than that doorstep from which eons ago you had stepped out. You find that He is right there, with His arms wide open, whispering to you to please come home.

Oh heart of mine, why must you stray?
From one so fair you run away
And one more time you have to pay
The heaviness of needless shame

Oh heart of mine, come back home
You've been too long out on your own
And He's been there all along
Watching for you down the road

So come home running
His arms are open wide
His name is Jesus
He understands
He is the answer
You are looking for
So come home running
Just as you are

Oh child of God so dearly loved
And ransomed by the Savior's blood
And called by name, Daughter and Son
Wrapped in the robe of righteousness

Whoever, or whatever, you are settling for: it is not worth it. I should know.

xx
claire

How Big is your God?

Uncanny, given that I was waiting to post part deux of my divine encounters with the Lord, that He blew me off my feet (once again) with this message. A bit long, but I needed to hear it.

How big is your God?

Waiting for God’s "Immeasurably More"

Cindi McMenamin

"Lori looked away as she sat across the table from me and told me something she knew I didn't want to hear.

"It's not that bad. I was over-reacting. Besides, it's better to have a little pain with him at times, than to be alone."

Lori was choosing to stay in a dating relationship that was clearly unhealthy and unsafe. I knew God had more in store for Lori. But Lori apparently didn't believe that. And she was settling for far less than she should.

So often we, as women, settle. We think, at times, that it's better to stay with a boyfriend who mistreats us - verbally, emotionally, or physically - than to have no man in our lives at all. We reason that it's better to stay at a job that we hate, than to look and pray for something better. We would rather be around negative people who bring us down than to feel we have no friends at all. And when we settle like that, we are clearly saying to God and others that He is not capable of giving us anything better.

I remember feeling that way, too. I had just met the man of my dreams. But he lived 1,000 miles away. And my on-again, off-again boyfriend of four years lived just across town. That relationship was convenient. It was comfortable (for the most part…except when I was crying my eyes out!). And it was better to be with someone, than to be alone, I remember thinking.

It was my sister who finally burst my unbelieving bubble with the truth.

"If you settle for what you have now, you are denying God the opportunity to bless you with a man who will love you like He intends for you to be loved. Don't break God's heart that way, Cindi. Let Him bless you with His best for you."

My fear to make a change was denying God the opportunity to bless me? God used those words of my sister's to convince me to trust Him and walk out of an unhealthy dating relationship that was slowly drying up my soul. And as I did…God proved Himself true to His Word. God had something far better for me. He was just waiting for me to believe it.

In Ephesians 3:20, we are told that God is "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."

In another translation, that verse reads: "God can do anything you know, far more than you can ask or think or imagine in your wildest dreams…." (The Message).

Now I can imagine quite a bit. I'm sure you can, too. And yet God promises to outdo far more than we can even imagine or dream up. That's pretty spectacular, if you really think about it. That gives us a glimpse of just how big and just how perfect our God is. He is a God who is able to do immeasurably more.

Are you settling for less? Do you know that you can do better in your dating relationship or your job or your present circumstance, but you just don't have the strength to make the change? Or are you holding onto something bearable because you feat God cannot bring you anything better?

Whether it be an unhealthy relationship or a job that is sucking the life out of you, you could be settling for second place when God has first place waiting for you in the wings.

Psalm 84:11 tells us "The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless."

The God who counts the number of hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30), and records your days in a book (Psalm 139:16), and has thoughts of you too numerable to mention (Psalm 139:17-18) wants to blow your expectations out of the water by coming through in a mighty way for you. So let me ask you: How big is your God? You answer that question by what you are willing to accept and what you are unwilling to expect.

Lori ended up trusting that God had immeasurably more for her. She asked some friends to stand by her and hold her accountable, and she gained the strength to walk out of her hurtful relationship. She believed she'd be walking into a realm of loneliness, but she trusted her Lord, anyway. Today she is happy, healthy and blessed beyond reason.

Expect immeasurably more, my friend, when it comes to God's plans and purposes for your life. For you have an immeasurably big God who is waiting for you to believe it."

Encounters So Divine - Part I

You know how it is, you could ask and knock and all you hear is God's "deafening silence". Yet when He speaks, He blows you away, so clearly so unmistakeably you know it could not be any one else. Much less your own imagination.

So here it is, a list of some of my divine encounters. Been meaning to put it down in writing for some time now. It is important to remember that He is faithful, even in the small things. Particularly in the small things.

1. The MRT Incident

It was midnight and I was on my way home. Don't ask me why but I looked around and took the short route - the lift that would bring me straight to the ground level so I don't have to go down an escalator and up another. It looked safe enough. It's always safe enough, in this country. Or so too many erroneously believe.

So I was waiting for the wonderfully creaky lift to move up from the ground level. It took forever. From the reflection, I saw a dark, seemingly dodgy man walk towards me. There was no one else around.

At that moment, the real life story I read some time ago came to mind. If you have not heard, it occurred I believe in the US. A woman - let's call her B for Blessed - walked through a dark alley, past some dodgy men, and reached home safe and sound. But the woman after her was assaulted. B was very curious and decided to ask the police to see if they could find out why from the assailants. And their response was, 'oh she had three huge bodyguards surrounding her.' They were angels! All B did was to utter a prayer to the Lord Most High, and He sent His angels to watch over her. Literally.

So that story appeared in my mind, while That Man walked stealthily towards me. Fear gripped my heart, because seriously he looked terribly iffy. Not a good place to be. Deserted lift with Dodgy Man. So I prayed very hard. And I heard a voice. I wouldn't say it was audible (i.e. if there was anyone else beside me, I don't believe he or she would have heard). But it was loud and clear in my mind.

"Turn around and look at him in the eye." The voice was powerful and commanding. Almost compelling. I stood rooted to the ground and thought: No way am I going to turn around! Are you kidding me? This guy looks dangerous.

Again the voice came. "Turn around and look at him in the eye." At that point, I was pretty certain it was the Lord. What with the story of the angels and the repeated command.

So I obeyed. 'Okay, Lord, I am freaked out, but if this is what You say, I will follow', I whispered to Him.

And I turned around slowly, and looked at Dodgy Man straight in the eye without blinking.

Dodgy Man paused and stopped short in his tracks, looked at me look at him, and Turned Around and Walked Away. Now that was a sure sign that he was up to no good!

Wow, huh? I was blown away. Completely. By God.

So it's 2.30am and I will continue with the next encounter, probably tomorrow.

Hold your breath, because the Lord, He is a living, breathing, caring and loving God. And He will never cease to amaze us with just how much He loves and cares for us.

Amen to that!

xx
Claire

Good Enough for Him

I wept today, while crying out to the Lord.
For the past couple of weeks, I felt particularly far from Him.
I could not put my finger on what was causing it (or maybe I can).
My spirit was uneasy.
Prayers were brief, almost not quite sincere.
I felt He was "unfair" in so many ways.

Today, while I worshipped Him with "This Kingdom" (lyrics and music from Geoff Bullock) in the quietness of my room, something in me broke.
I felt Him say again what I need to hear over and over.
"I love you, my child."
He whispered. Quietly, but surely.
And that was enough for me.

Hours later, this message sank deeply within.
It's a message we all need, yet desperately do not seem to know.

So many times we let the world tell us: 'You are not good enough.'
'Not good enough to get good grades.'
'Not good enough to be a good parent.'
'Not good enough to do a good job.'
'Not good enough to be promoted.'
'Not good enough to get married.'
'Not good enough to be desired.'
'Not good enough to have close friends.'
'Not good enough to beat this illness.'
'Not good enough to be loved.'

"You are good enough for Me", says the Lord.

And if you, you, and each and every one of you, are good enough for the Maker of this universe, the God of heaven and earth, the Lord Jesus Christ, at whose Name every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is God, you are Good Enough.

Don't you let anyone tell you otherwise. (Note to self as well)

xx
claire

"We Are All Prophets Now"

I am officially suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Flash Forward! Oh, I need ABC to air Episode 4 like right now (okay, make that the entire season).

© Ron Tom/American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.

For those not in the know, Flash Forward is the newest series premiere rolled out by ABC Channel in the U.S. It tells the story of a global "black-out" for a brief two minute and seventeen seconds, where during this time, human beings see a flash forward or a vision of what they will be doing or what they will become six months on. Some see what they don't like, some see what they don't understand while some others don't see a thing and wonder if they will still be alive. And during that "black-out", there was massive world wide destruction: planes are dunked and cars crashed and humans drowned.

Amazing show. Most of all, it got me thinking. I'd admit that at some points in my journey through life, I'd asked God, "Why can't You just let me know in advance what will happen, so I can stop worrying, stop bothering, stop fearing, stop asking You for a wish that will never come true?"

So in an unexpected way, the show gave me my answer. Or rather, God made it obvious through the brilliance of the novel writer (the original plot came from a book) that we human beings, in our finite (although sometimes we naively believe infinite) state of intelligence and emotional capacity, are not able to comprehend. We are simply not able to deal with this "knowing". We will end up living our lives according to the "future"; frightened to death if it's something we don't wish to see; consumed by what we know and perhaps living each day trying so hard to avoid what is to come.

What if you knew that six months down the road, your marriage will end? When all seems fine and dandy with your spouse at this moment. What if you knew that ten years later, you will die in a car crash? What if you long all your life for a spouse, but twenty years later, you see yourself living and dying alone? What if all your life you longed to get out of poverty, but you know that five years later, you will still be living from hand to mouth, worrying unceasingly where your next meal will come from?

Will you still trust God, that He knows best? Will you still love Him?

It's funny; it's just a show, they say. A sci-fi flick. But I say the Lord speaks through medium you don't expect, through people, events or shows that you don't imagine He ever would. And I feel very satisfied with my prayer answer today. That He has shown me so clearly, through a Very Awesome Show, that He knows best. A Lot Better than we give Him credit for.

In other news: I love cravings. Nah, I mean I love satisfying cravings. Aren't we carnal creatures, all. Here are some of my favourite cravings, when satisfied (of course) as they usually are almost daily. :)

I LOVE Real Coca-Cola.
The Lovely Darling Sits Happily Half-Drunk on My Office Computer.
(Don't be too appalled by the Hello Kitty ornament)


Manhatten Fish Market @ Central Rocks.
Could not resist polishing off all ze fries!

Sure made the Very Lengthy Wait in the car for the Mass Lantern Walk to pass us by, all worth it.
(Seriously though, Mass Lantern Walk in the middle of roads smacked all across Chinatown, on a Saturday night? What were the organisers thinking?)

Hearts and Love to Moi Dark Chocolate. What would I do without you?


The Best Matcha Ice-Cream (that you could get from a supermarket)
Mmm..


Surprisingly Good!
Fresh, fresh, FRESH Sashimi @ the Jap place beside Asian Kitchen at Raffles Place
(Sieve for a Memory Me forgot the name again)

To satisfied cravings!

xx
claire

Mad Typist Me (Without Caffeine)

98 words

Speed test

Check this out! There are just, oh over a couple of thousand people, who type faster than me. And I thought I was a geek. ;)

xx

claire