Recycling - Reuse, Reduce, Refuse

In the beginning, "God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good." (Genesis 1 : 31a, NKJV).  However, "very good" is not a term that can be used to describe earth today.  That is the effect of sin - "Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.  Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field." (Genesis 3 : 17b - 18, NKJV).

Earth will only continue to its final destruction.  John, the beloved disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ prophesied "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away." (Revelation 21 : 1a, NKJV).

Yes, the first earth will soon pass away but its departure should not be hasten.  Thus, the Swallow does her part in being environmental-friendly.  She recycles - by reusing, reducing and refusing.

Reuse - using old stuff in different ways

• cooking oil which needs to be thrown away can be stored in an old plastic bottle then disposed.  A fine way to reuse that plastic bottle, keep your kitchen sink from clogging, use less plastic bags, and make less of a mess.  Just make sure that the used cooking oil has cooled to room temperature.
• line dustbins with plastic bags.  Save money at the same time.
• the Swallow's mom had often cut off the wearable parts from clothes with enough stains to deem them 'unwearable', and reused the wearable parts to fashion a quilt or children's pyjamas.
• wrap unsanitary items with newspapers before disposal.

Reduce - removing clutter from the nest

• don't buy anything on offer unless it is a need.
• must there be another set of cookware, dishware, etc to be used only for guests?
• must a broken item be replaced by the purchase of another?  There may be something in the nest that can be used instead.
• pass on children's toys, books and furniture to newer parents.  The same for old-but-still-in-good-condition clothes.  Young ones grow so quickly.  The Swallow's family was a beneficiary of such goodwill when her young ones were toddlers.
• donate to charity organisations that accepts old-but-still-in-good-condition items.
• sell to shops that buy second-hand items.  Receipts of first-hand purchases may be required.
• reduce the use of disposable items as much as possible.

Refuse - no, thank you!

• say no to extra plastic bags.  Bring along a shopping bag.  The Swallow applauds some departmental stores that have made the move to reward shoppers who bring their own bags, or charge those who chose to use plastic bags.
• politely reject those who wants to pass on their old-but-still-in-good-condition items if there is no need.  Better to refuse honestly, than accept grudgingly and then complaining behind the giver's back!

A New Study

This year, the Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) will be doing an in-depth study on the Book of Acts (also known as The Acts of the Apostles).  Written by the same author of the Gospel of Luke, it has been likened to a sequel, tracing the steps of some disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ - what they did after He returned to Heaven after His death and resurrection.

Isaiah had been a challenging study.  Will the Book of Acts be any different?  The Swallow cannot wait to find out...

Trust

Jeremiah 29 : 11 (NIV)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

TRUST by jadeswallow

My life is part of God's great plan
I need to trust, not understand,
To yield my life, to hold His hand
For He, alone, will help me stand.
Without the sun, there'll be no rain
I won't know joy if I don't know pain.
All through life's cares, the Master knows
The joys, the hopes, and the tomorrows.

He is my Hope, He is my Light
I'll stay the course, as my soul takes flight
With eyes on Him, I'll soar above
The gloom, the pain, with wings of love.
The heart may sigh, and tears may flow,
He's promised hope though ill winds blow.
So I'll look to Him - My All in All
He'll keep me safe, though I may fall.

And as I walk along life's road
He knows my cares, He bears my load
So I must trust My Lord to guide
My way in life - He's by my side!
And yield my life, and hold His hand
For His promises will forever stand
I'll seek to trust, not understand
My life, my part in His great plan.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

The past month has simply flown by.

Getting ready for the trip back to Malaysia, for Christmas, for a new school year, and with the Chinese New Year barely a month away, time has been precious...not rushed, just too precious to use up for simple musings...

But with the relaxing trip back to Malaysia completed, Christmas well-spent in rememberance of the Lord Jesus' great love for mankind shown through his humble birth some two thousand years ago, and supervision on the wrapping of books and packing of bags for the new school year all done, there is time to settle down to a little reflection of the year past.

The year 2011 was a year of learning.  There were lessons on trust in her Heavenly Father's sovereign control while her older young one tested his wings.  There were lessons on patience while waiting for an end to an overwhelming trial.  There were lessons on endurance when trial's end was put off indefinitely.  There were lessons on faith when moving out of her comfort zone.  There were lessons on humility, love and self-control when wronged by others.  There were lessons on faithfulness when faced with difficulties in the Lord's service and in the study of Isaiah.  There were lessons on joy, peace and comfort in the Lord despite more-than-usual ill-health in the family.

What will come in year 2012?  The Swallow is sure of this - there will be more learning in store for her.

Proverbs 22 : 6 (NKJV)
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

The Swallow is sure that as His child, the Lord God will continue to train her up in the way she should go.  May she stay the course of the training.

Now for some springcleaning...

Just Keep Trusting

Monday, 7 November was a public holiday in Singapore.  In the early morning, a telephone call came.  The Swallow's nephew-in-law was having a fever and if his fever persisted, he would be unable to go to school the next day.  As her sibling-in-law could not take leave off her work, and other means of care arrangement were unobtainable, she sought the Swallow's help.

The Swallow's own sibling was scheduled to arrive from Malaysia that afternoon with her family.  Her sibling's mate was coming to Singapore for a few days for a training session and the rest of the family was tagging along.  Initially, the Swallow had planned to spend more time with her sibling while both mates were at work and her own young ones were at school.  She had looked forward to the extra time with her niece and nephew as they were growing up so quickly.  However, she agreed to care for her nephew-in-law on Tuesday if he had not recovered.

That Monday evening, the Swallow and her family went to the hotel where her sibling's family was staying.  The young ones were very excited to see each other again.  The young-at-heart ones were more controlled in their exuberance, but the joy was there nonetheless.  Her nephew had learnt to walk, and the Swallow whipped out a camera to capture the moments she had missed when he had first started.  There he was, looking into the camera and smiling broadly as the Swallow took many shots of him.  The Swallow also took several shots of her camera-shy niece when she wasn't looking.

Just before leaving for dinner at a restaurant in a nearby shopping complex, the Swallow's nephew suddenly prostrated himself on the carpeted floor.  Putting it down as a case of tiredness after a day's travel, he was removed from the floor, placed into his cot, and given a small bit of grape to chew while the rest of his family got ready.

Then he started vomiting.

Everyone thought he had gagged on the small bit of grape.  The Swallow's sibling cleaned up her young one.  Her sibling's mate called the hotel's housekeeping unit for assistance.  The Swallow and her mate chipped in to help.  The remaining young ones distracted each other.

When all was finally calm, everyone left to meet a relative for dinner.  At the restaurant, the Swallow's nephew threw up again.  Noting the discomfort he was in, the parents decided to bring him to see a doctor.  Due to the public holiday however, the clinic at the shopping complex was closed.  So her nephew followed his mother back to the hotel to rest while her niece remained with her father.

Even with the anxiety over her nephew's well-being, dinner was a relaxed affair.  At the end of the dinner, an order for a takeaway meal was placed for the Swallow's sibling.  Before its arrival though, her sibling-in-law received a call that his young one was still vomiting.  Advised to bring the young one to a well-known children's hospital, he rushed back to the hotel, leaving his other young one with the Swallow's family.  When the Swallow's family returned to the hotel later, they had missed a lift, but coming out of the next lift was the Swallow's sibling, her sibling's mate and her nephew!  The Swallow's sibling was able to receive the takeover meal.  Hugs were shared, words of encouragement were uttered and promises of prayer were made.  It was arranged that the Swallow's niece would stay with her in the meantime.

The Swallow's nephew had caught a stomach flu bug.  He was discharged from the hospital near midnight but by then, the Swallow's sibling had also started vomiting.  Coupled with diarrhoea, she had to visit the adjacent well-known women's hospital.

In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, her niece started vomiting.  The vomiting persisted over the next hour and they wondered what they should do.  Although there were 24-hours clinics near her nest, her niece's passport was with the parents.  Seeking the Lord God in prayer before calling the parents, they sought His wisdom to find the necessary words to communicate the situation to them without raising an alarm.  The Swallow's sibling was then waiting for her own discharge and medication.  Several calls later, it was decided that the Swallow and her mate would bring her niece to a hospital closer to her nest, and her sibling and her sibling's mate would meet them there.  The Swallow's older young one was kept informed on what was happening, and was given needful instructions for staying at home.  Her other young one slept on peacefully.

At the hospital, the Swallow carried her nephew while her sibling, exhausted from her own ailments, crashed out on the hospital seats in the waiting room.  The Swallow's mate and sibling-in-law took turns to stay with her niece in the observation ward.  Over the next few hours, they would feed her blackcurrant juice intermittently and the hospital personnel would observe her response and condition.  When her nephew woke up several hours later, her sibling's mate took care of him while the Swallow joined her mate in the observation ward.

Through it all, at the back of the Swallow's mind was the thought of having to care for her nephew-in-law the next day.  How was she going to cope with a feverish child after a sleepness night?  Would she be able to return home in time to receive him?  She could only cast her anxiety upon her Lord each time the thought came forefront.

Dawn was breaking when they were told that her niece could be discharged.  The Swallow had just called her young one on the phone, waking him from his slumber and delegating him the task of getting his younger sibling ready for school.  The Swallow returned home in time to bring her young one to school.

Her sibling and sibling's young ones stayed with the Swallow's family for the rest of their visit.  Although not a situation she would have wished on anyone, the Swallow was grateful for the extra time with her sibling.  Her sibling's mate had also caught the stomach flu bug, but he was able to carry on with his training session with a little medication.  The Swallow's mate managed to obtain an urgent leave from his work, which gave him a chance to catch up with his sleep.  Although he had caught a cold while moving in an out of the air-conditioned observation ward, he was spared the stomach flu bug.  The Swallow too was spared the stomach flu bug, and when her sibling-in-law called to tell her that her help was no longer required as her nephew-in-law had recovered, she rejoiced and praised her Heavenly Father who knew how much she could endure.  She praised Him for providing  a way of escape for her, for He alone knew what she would have yet to endure over the latter days when her own young ones caught the stomach flu bug as well, and her mate's cold worsen.

How the Swallow, her mate, her young ones, her sibling and her sibling's family went through those days is a real experience of the Lord's grace and faithfulness. He had heard and answered their prayers. He had showered them with His strength to endure the wearying hours. He had sustained them with His comfort and His peace through the anxious times. He had given them wisdom each step of the way.  He had granted them unity of mind and spirit, to come alongside each other and to encourage one another.

Yesterday afternoon, the Swallow received an SMS from her older young one who was in Malaysia on a school trip, and was scheduled to return to Singapore this morning.  He had informed her that he was vomiting.  He had also asked her to pray as he was afraid his condition would aggravate the motion sickness he usually suffers for long journeys.

Her first thought was how far away he was from her.  Her second was how helpless she was, unable to respond to him at his time of need.  Then her eyes were drawn to her young one's photo, and the words inscribed at the bottom, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Psalm 46 : 1 (NIV)".  She could only fall to knees, and pray, "Lord, not my will, but Yours be done.  Lord, not my name but Yours be praised.  We seek Your comfort upon our son.  We know You are with him.  Help him to know it too.  We seek Your help for us to keep trusting You, no matter what happens."

Passing on the bible verse to her young one, she hopes that through this situation, he will also find the reality of the Lord God in his life experiences, and yearn for a closer walk with Him.  For the Swallow, it is yet another glimpse of the wonderful Lord God who has chosen her, and whom she has chosen to call "my Heavenly Father".

I JUST KEEP TRUSTING MY LORD (author unknown)

I just keep trusting my Lord as I walk along
I just keep trusting my Lord and He gives a song
Though the storm clouds darken the sky o'er the heav'nly trail
I just keep trusting my Lord, He will never fail!
He's a faithful friend, such a faithful friend
I can count on Him to the very end
Though the storm clouds darken the sky o'er the heav'nly trail
I just keep trusting my Lord, He will never fail!

I just keep trusting my Lord on the narrow way
I just keep trusting my Lord as He leads each day
Though the road is weary at times and I'm sad and blue
I just keep trusting my Lord, He will see me through!
He's a faithful guide, such a faithful guide
He is always there, walking by my side
Though the road is weary at times and I'm sad and blue
I just keep trusting my Lord, He will see me through!

Anna and Her Act of Kindness

One day, Anna took the MRT to town.  She found a seat in a half-filled train cabin, brought out a book from her bag and settled down for a good read to pass the time.

As the train stopped at each station, the cabins were quickly filled.  Several stops before her destination, a woman came to stand in front of Anna.  Anna glanced up from her book, and noticing the slight bump on the woman, she stood to give up her seat.

The woman responded with a "I'm not pregnant."

Oops!

Flushed with embarrassment for making the mistake, Anna beat a hasty exit at the next station and continued her journey on another train.

So much for her act of kindness.

Read more of Anna's adventures

• Anna and the Rehearsal
• Anna and the Black Tie Affair

Another Tower?

In the early days, the whole earth had one language and one speech.  Then men decided to build a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens because they wanted to keep themselves from being scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.  But the Lord saw their plans and what they were doing.  He confused their language, caused them to be scattered abroad over the face of all the earth, and the building of the tower with its city ceased.  Its name was called Babel.  (See Genesis 11 : 1 - 9)

Precisely what the people had wanted to avoid.

The Lord Jesus told a parable of a certain rich man who had yielded plentifully.  The rich man had thought to pull down his existing barns and build bigger barns to store his yields, and had praised himself for having done well.  But that night he died.  All his plans came to nought.  (See Luke 12 : 16 - 21)

Precisely what the rich man would have wanted to avoid.

King Nebuchadnezzar, of ancient Babylon, had been warned in a dream of the consequences he would face if he took pride in his works.  A year later, while he was walking in his royal palace, he saw how great Babylon had become, and claimed the glory of it for himself.  He was still speaking when all that had been warned to him was fulfilled.  (See Daniel 4)

Precisely what King Nebuchadnezzar could have avoided.

The Lord God has given the modern world the full canon of Scripture with passages as these, to warn its people of the consequences of worshipping themselves, of being self-sufficient, and of claiming glory which rightfully belongs to the Sovereign Lord.

So many warnings from the pages of God's Word.  Yet looking at current news events, the Swallow wonders whether men have been trying to build more towers of Babel.

Precisely what the modern world should avoid?

Reflections on Isaiah

Today is Sharing Day.

After thirty lessons, the study on the book of Isaiah was completed last week.  For the past few sessions, the BSF teaching leader had been encouraging the women to come forward to share, what they have learnt, on Sharing Day.

The Swallow started the study on Isaiah on a high note.  In her post "The LORD is salvation", she wrote that she was looking forward to the study.  Along the way, however, there were many times when she was tempted to give up the study.  These were the times when she was struggling within herself, when her trust in her Lord was tested again and again, when self reared its ugly head.  These were the times of woe...

Isaiah 5 : 21 (NIV)
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

Someone once said that trials can either bring one to the Lord God, or they can draw one away from Him.  Thanks be to the Lord!  Unwilling as she was to give up on One who has proven Himself trustworthy, she clung to Him in her times of fear, her times of worry, her times of longsuffering.  Through it all, He brought peace and comfort to her soul, ministering to her through His Word in the hours of need.  He reminded her of His faithfulness to His chosen people, their sin notwithstanding.  He reminded her that He was the Sovereign One.  He reminded her of the hope that was before her, when the Lord Jesus will return again to take her back to be with Him in heaven.

Reading the notes helped too...

"There is nothing that prepares a person better for facing times of crisis and tragedy than getting a clear vision of who God is and what His person and works are compared to the frightening issues of the day." - Lesson 5

"How much do you enjoy God Himself apart from His blessings?" - Application question for Lesson 10

"God's people, when facing global or personal crises, were to think in a radically different way from the world around them.  God, who revealed Himself to them, was to be their refuge, and they must humbly trust Him." - Lesson 11

"No one and nothing can thwart Him and His will.  Remember who He is and take courage!  God is sovereign and all powerful while circumstances are temporary and transient; and God is in control of all of them too!" - Lesson 18

"Those who know and trust the true God can look to the future with courage and confidence, not because they see every detail of its landscape, or because they can control it, but because the God of the universe, who cares for them, has it perfectly under His rule." - Lesson 21

"Those who know God pray to God in the awareness of His compassionate character and complete power, remembering His past and present kindness, confessing their unworthiness but asking in confidence for renewal that brings Him honour." - Lesson 29

It is finished.  The study is done.  The Swallow has completed it.  Not through her own strength, but through Him who is her "refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46 : 1, NKJV)

Corned Beef Patties

Crispy on the outside but mushy on the inside, these patties are suitable as party fillers.  Serve them on a bed of lettuce with a chilli dip on the side.

CORNED BEEF PATTIES (makes about 15 patties)

Corned Beef Patties

Ingredients

1 can corned beef, about 340g
3 large Russet potatoes, about 600g

1 tsp salt
1 stalk spring onion, finely chopped
5 shallots, finely chopped
2 eggs, about 60 g each
1 cup breadcrumbs
2-3 tbsp cooking oil

Method

1. Cut potatoes into quarters.  Place the potato pieces into a deep pot with enough water to cover them and sprinkle them with salt. Bring the water to a boil, then simmer the potatoes for 15 minutes.  Drain the water.  Cover the pot of potatoes with the pot cover and leave for 10 minutes.
2. Mash the potatoes. Add corned beef, spring onion, shallots, breadcrumbs and eggs.  Mix well.
3. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan.  Form the potato mixture into patties, about the size of a hamburger disk. Fry the patties until they are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side.

Notes

• This can be served as a side dish, with rice or noodles, or use it as a hamburger substitute.
• Goes well with Kimchi.

Handicap

It happened again...

Everyone else had had their turn to share something, anything, that had touched them when they went through their study on the book of Isaiah.  It was to be the Swallow's turn next.  She opened her mouth but the words stucked in her throat.  She tried again but her voice started to wobble.  She tried again.  It did not get any better.  Either each word came out with a choke or her voice broke.

Talking had not been a problem when the Swallow was in primary school.  In fact, several of her teachers had noted in her school report book that she was talkative.  In her secondary school days, if the teachers had not arrived for lessons, she would be found debating with her friends.  She had thrived in her first job in the customer service line as she enjoyed the interaction with customers, bosses and colleagues.  But these were personal encounters with close friends, or one-to-one encounters with newly-met people.  When put in the spotlight, however, there was that occasional slip here and there which gradually activated her retreat mode.

Then she became a stay-at-home-mom.

After spending so many years where most of her conversations were with her young ones, she yearned for more conversations with adults.  By then, however, holding a one-to-one conversation with any adult, other than family or friends in the inner circle, became even more of a mental challenge.  With so much effort needed, it was easier to let others do the talking.  Serving in the Sunday School ministry didn't help either as interactions with other teachers were few and far in between, and again it was easier to be a listener, asking a question here and there to keep the conversation going.

Going to BSF changed the status quo.  At each fellowship session, members were encouraged to open up and share.  Initially, she had looked forward to these sharing sessions as she thought, "More conversations with adults.", but at the first fellowship session, when she had to take her turn to share her thoughts, she realised that her difficulties in speaking out had not diminished.

Half a year back, she was asked to share some tips about teaching young children to some members of her local church.  Having experienced the nerve-shaking situations during the BSF fellowship sessions, she was hesitant to do so.  However, after seeking the Lord in prayer for His guidance, wisdom, and equipping, she heeded the call.  The Lord's power and control over all things were clearly seen as the session went smoothly.  Another call up at a Sunday School event had also gone smoothly, based on her trust and confidence in her Lord.

So at a fellowship session yesterday, she was willing to share if she was called upon to do so.  Due to the high number of attendees and the short time set aside for sharing, the Swallow thought she would be spared this time from sharing aloud.  Although there were many lessons she had learnt at the Lord's feet, she would have preferred to let her fingers do the talking.  Alas, it was not to be.  The group size had shrunk by then as several members had had to leave earlier.  Since it was a smaller group of people and most of them were actually quite well known to her, with a little prayer in her heart for the Lord's help, she opened her mouth to speak...and that's when it happened again.

Was there an inconsistency?  Why didn't her Lord answer her prayer this time, giving her the power again to overcome her fear of public speaking?  Why was she faced with her handicap when glorifying the Lord was what she had hoped to do with her sharing?

Well, let it be said here that in no way was the Lord not in control.  He had allowed the Swallow to say that her study on the book of Isaiah had helped her during her trial with her near relative, as many verses had reminded her of the Lord God's faithfulness to His chosen people even when they were not doing the right thing.  Her breaking voice did keep her from any chance of saying unwise words, and she managed to choke out "God is faithful, God is faithful" before her throat closed up.

Psalm 19 : 14 (NKJV)
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.