LESSON LEARNED 3: THE CALL TO BE MERCIFUL (PART 1)

Previous lesson learned

Two days before my accident, I just started my personal study/devotion on 1 Samuel.  Little did I know how much this book would strengthen and teach me to be MERCIFUL in the accident situation.  If you have read my blog entry before, being merciful is a characteristic that does not come out naturally for me.  It's one of my weaknesses.

In 1 Samuel 24:6-7, it is written, "[David] said to his men, 'The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.'  With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul.  And Saul left the cave and went his way."  During my study, I learned how much King Saul hated David.  But the Spirit of the Lord had left King Saul and filled David.  As a result, King Saul's effort to chase and kill David was not successful.  

One day, David and his men were hiding in a cave when King Saul came to the cave to rest.  David's men told David that it's a good opportunity to kill King Saul who didn't know that David's in the cave as well.  What did David do instead?  David silently cut King Saul's fabric but spared his life.  When King Saul exited the cave, David showed the piece of fabric he cut from King Saul and declared how close he was to King Saul but decided to spare his life.  King Saul was embarrassed of the goodness David paid back for the bad things King Saul did to him.  To me, David was a person of mercy.


So how do being merciful, the accident, and 1 Samuel relate to each other?


When the car hit me and I finally landed on the street with eyes looking at the driver, a thought came to my mind, "Did you even see me?"  [Say it with an angry voice if you would]  But something's holding my tongue.  The thought never came out of my mouth.  That's when I realized the Holy Spirit was working in me.  It's bad enough to think about it.  But the Holy Spirit prevented me from being a more stumbling block to those who would hear it - especially the driver.


Seconds after that, the thought disappeared from my mind.  The Yanny before the accident would definitely yelled out that phrase and continued to give the angry look until I felt the other party's feeling guilty.  Yep, that was my strength - a merciless woman!  But the Yanny at the accident was well protected by the Holy Spirit.  Even though I was in pain, I was enabled to look at the lady driver without anger or irritation as she's explaining, "I just didn't see her on my right.  I was looking left for the incoming traffic."  I was able to slowly calm down; and her statement didn't bother me.  Man, I don't think myself would be able to do that.  That's the work of the Holy Spirit, Friends.  It's that powerful.

My trip on Mercy St. has been quite bumpy.  This is not the only time my mercy has been tested from the day I prayed to God to teach me this characteristic.  That's a dangerous prayer indeed!  As I write this blog entry, I have experienced many more.  And not all of them received my merciful act.  I still relapsed to how I used to be.  Wow, this is going to be a long journey.  That's why I put "(Part 1)" on my title.  Not sure when (Part 2) will come out.  Not sure how many parts will it come in.  So stick around for more updates on "Mercy St. Under Construction."


To close this blog entry, I want to share with you some pictures of Mercy - my bike.  Some damages don't really show well on camera; so I selected some that do.  And oh, on a side note, I have a tendency to name our vehicles based on the story each one of them shared with me and Marcel.  Marcel's first car was named Happy because he took us on many happy rides before we were in a long distance relationship.  My first car (got it when we started the long distance) was named Skippy because it was green and looked like the Skippy peanut butter jar I liked to snack on in Arizona.  And our shared car right now is Geeky because Marcel got it before he started his first job as an official geek - a software engineer.  

So what story will Mercy tell?  My trip in the Mercy St.  This will be a reminder of how the Holy Spirit won me at the time of accident.

The most expensive damage (~ >60% of total) to replace though it looks small.

Scratched pedal.  Praise the Lord the spring's OK.

One of the major damages that are easily visible on camera.

May this be a blessing! 

Next lesson learned

LESSON LEARNED 2: SAFETY FIRST

Previous lesson learned


When it comes to sharing the road, REMEMBER that safety comes first.  Here are my top 3 lessons learned on safe biking:


1) Wear Appropriate Biking Gears

Before we left for biking that day, Marcel was being very unusual in pushing me to wear my biking jacket and long biking pants.  The one who normally says, "It's cold outside.  Don't forget to wear your jeans and put on your jacket" is me.  Marcel is someone you would spot wearing shorts, flip flops and short sleeve T-shirt in a 40 F.  Season in the US only comes in 1 form - Summer - for Marcel.


However, the day we went biking, it was 75 F outside.  I tried to insist that the jacket's not necessary.  Marcel would not take a NO that day.  He made me wear the jacket and long pants.  So I did.


Guess what?  If I didn't have my jacket and long biking pants on, my skin would be in direct contact with the asphalt resulting in perhaps more severe injuries.  When I returned from ER that night, I saw the scratch marks on my jacket, pants, and helmet.

So, it's VERY important to wear the appropriate biking gears when you bike: helmet, biking shirt/jacket (to block wind and keep you warm), pants (the one with gigantic gel pad), and shoes. 


2) Give Other Road Users Benefit of the Doubt

When the lady driver (Ms. R) stopped, I thought she was giving me the right-of-way.  Thus, I started to pedal again.  While in fact, she stopped not because she saw me stopping and getting ready to cross in front of her.  She stopped because she was watching the incoming traffic from her left.  I, on the other hand, was coming from her left.  Since she never saw to her right, she never saw me there.  That's why she pressed the gas as soon as the left traffic's cleared up on her. 

So, it is important to give the other road user benefit of the doubt and safe yourself from all the trouble.  For my situation at the time, the benefit of the doubt would be to assume the driver didn't see me.  With that assumption, I would have avoided the accident by continuing to stop and letting her pass before me first.


3) Have ID and Insurance Card Ready

When the police came, the first thing he asked was my ID.  Of course I didn't have it with me (duhhh!).  I only had my Road ID - a bracelet ID Marcel gave me that contained only my emergency contact and my phone and email.  Not the kind that the police can use to validate my identity.  :-)


Then, when the paramedics were taking me to the hospital, they asked for my Kaiser (health) insurance card.  Of course I didn't have it with me either (duhhh duhhhh!).  Praise the Lord, I have been a very faithful patient of Kaiser.  Thus, they could ring the system with some personal identifications for verification.


So, it is important to have your ID and insurance card ready even when you are not behind the wheel.


Stay tuned for more lessons learned.

May this be a blessing! 

Next lesson learned

LESSON LEARNED 1: THEY SAY I SAY

Final scene from biking accident

Thank you again for sharing our ups and downs from the biking accident.


In the first 2 days of the incident, I met a lot of people.  On my condition, they said:

• Tony the paramedic, "Your biking gears saved you!"
• Dr. Mathieson, "Well, consider yourself lucky!  With that kind of accident, you're very very lucky!"
• Dr. Karry, "This is the best outcome in an unfortunate situation."
• Zhuang Laoshi, "不幸中大幸."  (In the middle of unfortunate situation there's a big fortune or good outcome).
• Glen my boss, "It's gonna get better after it's gone worse."
• Marcel, "I'm glad you're coming home with me."

As you can see, they meant good for me regardless of the different expressions they said.  They were my support system to cope with the situation.  Even though Ms. R (the lady driver) wasn't physically hurt, she must felt awfully uneasy about the situation.  So I just hope that Ms. R also has a wonderful support system around her to help her cope with the situation. 


So what do I say about my condition?  I say, "Am I blessed or what!  Thank youuuuuuuuu, Jesus!"

Well well, what do you say of the situation?  More lessons learned to come!


May this be a blessing! 

Next lesson learned

SCENE 6 (FINAL): SECOND TRIP TO HOSPITAL

Previous scene

The feeling of waking up the next morning was quite a mixed feeling.  Happy for a new day.  But my body wasn't cooperating.  My shoulders were stiff.  Pain in legs and arms increased greatly.  Minor pain in the lower back.  Oh, I could not wait for the doctor's appointment later that afternoon.

Marcel transported me to work and hospital in addition to taking care of all accident-related administrative stuff.  Oh, what a sacrifice he's done for his family!  Thank youuuuuuuu, Jesus, for Marcel.



While waiting for Wanda (my doctor's nurse) to call me in, Marcel and I had the opportunity to chat with Theo and his granddaughter Lydia.  He's a Worship Leader at a Filipino church in Milpitas.  In contrary to majority's belief, Theo isn't a Filipino.  He's African American.  AMAZING HOW GOD CAN USE HIS PASSION!!!  When he found out I'm from Indonesia, he asked, "Wow, you surprised me!  I don't expect an Indonesian to wear the kind of necklace you have [a cross necklace]!"


Yanny, "Yes, I'm glad I found it [my salvation; not the necklace]."


Theo, "Where did you find it?"


Yanny, "Here.  Not at home."


Theo, "I'm glad you came to the U.S. and found it.  And I pray that you will bring it home to your family!"


We continued to have a great chat and exchanged emails in the next 10 minutes.  I even got a kiss from Lydia as she sat on my lap and played with me.  That little 18 months old Lydia surely had made me forgot about my pain!


Next, Marcel and I were in Doctor Karry's office.  She did a thorough test on me and addressed all the new pain I was experiencing.  Before sending me home, she told me that I cannot and should not bike for the next 8 weeks due to the internal swelling and tissue damage I have.  This, of course, made me so emotional.  I cried in denial.  She asked if I could share what part of her statement that bothered me.  I then shared how special biking is for me and the joy of being able to overcome the childhood trauma.  She assured me that I will be back on biking in no time and the trauma will never haunt me down ever again.  With a prescription, wrist support, and ice pack, I left the hospital and went back to the office.


From the time I left Doctor Karry's office, my pain slowly increased that I could not stretch my right knee or turn my body.  I was like a limping robot :-).  But today, I'm already playing with Jacob.  Praise the Lord!

To close this entry, I am grateful for the best outcome in an unfortunate situation and a new friend.  I believe the opportunity I had to meet and chat with Theo was not a coincidence.  At this time, however, I am still unable to put pieces together.  I look forward to the coming months and years to see what God will unfold before my eyes.


Thank you for sticking around to Marcel and my journey this week.  This scene is the last scene.  If you would like to find out our lessons learned, please check back later.  There were so much that Marcel and I have had a chance to reflect on.  We look forward to sharing the blessing we received from this experience with you.

May this be a blessing! 

First lesson learned

SCENE 5: ARRIVING AT HOME

Previous scene

When we were driving home, I started to feel new pain in both arms.  Instead of going back to the ER, I decided to go home and rest for the night.  I was thinking of seeing my PCP for a follow-up instead of going back to the ER.

By the time we arrived at the apartment door, I was very relaxed and ready to hit the shower and sleep.  However, things took a different turn.  The moment I saw my bike and the condition it was in, I started to cry.  The whole night, I had been retelling the police, paramedics, nurses, and doctor of what happened; and I was alright; I was able to maintain my composure.  But seeing the bike brought a more vivid vision of the accident.  My mind started to replay it second by second.  Fear overwhelmed me.  Tears covered my eyes.  My body was shaking really hard.  Marcel came and hugged me tightly - assuring me that everything's going to be alright.


The trauma from the biking accident I had when I was little started to resurface.  The shaking body was the beginning of my trauma then.  It took me 20 years to overcome that.  I didn't dare to touch or ride a bike those many years after the accident.  Until 2 years ago, Marcel slowly helped me to overcome the trauma.  I started slow and re-learned everything about biking including the basics such as sitting, pedaling, turning, signaling, etc.


I finally fell in love with biking.  Marcel and I finally made biking as our family sports - the one that we both enjoy and can do together.  But the new accident had caused me to slip back to square zero.  I was terrified.


After series of praying and hugging, Marcel sent me to shower.  He then played American Idol that was recorded from the earlier show for me to enjoy.  Though my heart was still pounding hard, it didn't cause my body to shake anymore.  I was really tired by the end of the night.  So I said good night to the experience.


To close this entry blog, I was grateful for being home and a spared life.


Stay tuned for the final scene!  :-)


May this be a blessing!

Last scene

SCENE 4: WITH MARCEL AT ER

Previous scene

Doctor Mathieson told me that I was free to go home.  I guess it didn't dawn on me yet how truly blessed my situation was until seeing Marcel coming into the room.  The moment I saw his panic face, I thought, "Wow, it could have been worse.  I could have been unable to see him right now."  

After the doctor had left the room, Marcel gave me the biggest and tightest hug, "I'm glad you're coming home with me."

At that moment, I invited him to say grace with me.  We prayed our thanksgiving prayer as tears were flowing from our eyes.  I couldn't have asked for a better outcome than this.

We then took care of the administration.  We were assisted by Donna - the bubbliest Admin lady I saw in the hospital that night.  She saw me when the paramedics took me to Room #27.  As I made my way out, she said, "You don't belong in this hospital.  I'm glad you're going home tonight.  You're the healthiest patient I see tonight who were brought in in bed but leaving walking."

With the smile on our faces, Marcel and I made our way home.


To close this blog entry, I just want to give a shout out on how grateful I was to be walking and seeing Marcel again.

Stay tuned for the next scene.  More to come.

May this be a blessing! 

Next scene

SCENE 3: AT ER

Previous scene

OK, so we arrived at Kaiser's ER.  I said, "Thank you for the ride, Zach!"

Zach, "Sorry if it was a bit bumpy.  Tony never agrees to my driving."


Yanny, "Oh, that's alright.  Thank you for taking me here."


As soon as we arrived, I was put in Room #27.  The Nurse came in to check me.  His name is Tien.  He's half Indonesian and half Vietnamese.  To my sadness, he told me that he's never met his dad.  And he believed his dad has died in Indonesia.  I recommended that he should visit Indonesia one of these days to clear out his assumptions and find a closure.  Flying there is so much better now than then, especially with us living near to SFO.  He said he'll think about it.

As he entered my records online, he asked what I go by.  I said, "I go by Yanny."  He then had the biggest smile on his face, "You know, my Indonesian name is Yana."  Hahaha.  It made me smile back at him.  Ah, how I wish I could help him find his dad one day.

Soon after, Doctor Mathieson came in.  After series of tests, she said, "Well, consider yourself lucky!  With that kind of accident, you're very very lucky."

I then said, "I was very well protected and helped, Doctor.  I was blessed!"


As the doctor was finishing up the examination, Marcel finally made it to ER and came into my room.


To close this scene, I am grateful for non life threatening injuries.


Check back later for the next scene.

May this be a blessing!

Next scene

SCENE 2: THE TRIP TO ER

Previous scene

OK, so it was my first trip in an ambulance right.  I was strapped to the bed and pulled inside.  I was accompanied by 2 paramedics: Tony and Zach.  Tony stayed the whole time with me at the back: checking me, filling out paperwork, comforting me, and stabilizing me.  Zach drove the ambulance and informed the hospital that we're coming.  It was quite hectic inside.

My first impression of the ambulance was, "WOW, this car is cool!"  Tony laughed at my statement, "First time?"  U-huh.  The ambulance got me quite excited there!!  :-)

After awhile, I started to calm down a lot and began chatting with Tony.  I remembered asking him, "Do you think I will make it in time for American Idol?"

Tony shook his head and laughed, "Yanny, I think it's on in 5 minutes.  Sorry, I think you have to miss it tonight.  But how do you feel right now?  What is the pain level?"

I said, "Zero."


Tony asked, "No pain?"


I said, "Not that I can feel at this moment."

So he checked me again and said that my adrenaline level was really high.  He explained to me that the adrenaline had numbed my pain.  Once it's gone, I will get really sore and painful.

While Tony was preparing the hospital paperwork, I was keeping myself occupied and singing, "This joy that I have, the world didn't give it to me.  This joy that I have, the world didn't give it to me.  This joy that I have the world didn't give it to me.  The world didn't give it.  The world can't take it away."

Tony then said, "Nervous of the hospital?  Don't be.  The good thing is that you're the healthiest and most cheerful patient I have today.  That's a good thing!"

I smiled and asked him to take a picture of me.  I told him that one of these days, I may need to tell my parents and my husband's of what happened.  If they don't see it and just hear the story, they may be more worried.  So I want to show them a proof that I was alright after all.  So Tony took pictures of me.

It's blurry because of the bumpy trip.

 

I was strapped and covered with a tarp.

I had a great talk with Tony after that: about road biking, my nationality, Bali, Marcel, and the cool ambulance.  Before we knew it, we're there at Kaiser Santa Clara's ER.

To close this blog entry, I'm grateful for friendly paramedics (and a cool ambulance)!  They're like angels God sent to me: to comfort me and make me forget about the pain for a bit.  Thank you, Tony and Zach.  Consider your positive attitude as your ministry to other patients.  They will be as blessed as me I'm sure.  Thank you, Jesus, for sending me your deliverance. 

Stay tuned for the next scene!  I told 'ya I have lots to share.

May this be a blessing! 

Next scene

SCENE 1: THE CAR AND I COLLIDED

Greetings, Everyone!  Hey, I'm glad it's Thursday.  That means Sunday is coming soon - my favorite day of the week because I get to meet lots of friends and kids at Church.  :-)  But this coming Sunday is especially special because it is going to be the Palm Sunday.  That means, Easter is coming - a big celebration of Jesus' sacrifice for you and me :-) 


While waiting for Sunday to come, I have a little update to share with you.  I was in a biking accident 2 days ago.  After work, Marcel and I went biking.  Three feet away from our apartment's entrance, I was hit by a car.  


How did it happen you may ask?  As the car and I were approaching the driveway located next to my apartment's entrance, she stopped; I stopped.  I thought she's making way for me to cross.  But later on we found out that she was actually looking left for the incoming traffic before exiting the driveway and entering the street.  I, on the other hand, was coming from her right.  So she didn't see me stopping.  Three quarters into the front of her car, I saw the car moved.  And *baaammmm*, my bike and I were swept from the left and thrown onto her hood.  We landed on my left arm.

The lady was shocked and braked really hard resulting in my bike and I to be thrown to the other side towards the middle of the street.  Praise the Lord incoming cars were quick to respond; and the traffic was light.  They managed to move to another lane avoiding another collision with me who was unable to move.


At that time, I saw Marcel pedaling as fast as he could towards me.  He unlocked himself from the bike and ran towards me.  When he picked me up from the street, my whole body was shaking; and my legs couldn't be moved.  All I could remember was I kept holding on to my right thigh.  The pain was very severe in that area.  The lady finally came out of the car and offered to call the 911 for us.


Within 5 minutes later, three police cars, an ambulance, and a fire department came to the rescue.  All of us were interrogated.  The paramedics checked on me really quickly and took me to the Emergency Room.  Marcel, however, was left at the scene to take care of the police report and other paperwork.  It was my first trip in an ambulance.

I still have so much to share with you from this experience.  So stay tuned for more "scenes."  To conclude this scene, I am just grateful to be able to move around on my own again.

May this be a blessing. 

Next scene

AREA OF IMPROVEMENT: BEING MERCIFUL

I'm sure you're all familiar with Spiritual Gifts right?  For some who just heard about it the first time, Spiritual Gifts are gifts given to each individual for service and building up the body of Christ.  I took a Spiritual Gifts assessment about 4 years ago.  Hey, it's about time for a little refresher.  So I took 2 assessments several weeks ago.

The results from the two assessments were pretty consistent and accurate for me.  I have 2 gifts that really stood out.  But they are not the reason I'm writing this blog entry.  I'm writing because of one of the gifts I am REALLY weak at - that is being MERCIFUL.

So in my search to finding what it takes to be merciful, I first looked up a dictionary and found several definitions for "mercy":

1. Compassion shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power
2. A blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion
3. Something for which to be thankful

Then, I went to find what the Bible says about it.  I was pondering on Luke 6 as the Bible taught me about some characteristics of a merciful person:

1. Loving one's enemies
2. Doing good to those who hate one without hoping anything in return
3. Blessing those who curse one
4. Praying for those who spitefully use one

Isn't "mercy" a powerful word?  A powerful characteristic that comes with a great responsibility!  It's time for a Christ-likeness check.  This is definitely a MAJOR area I need to work on.  I don't want to be a merciless woman when I grow older.  I don't think my husband and kids (in the future) will appreciate a merciless wife/mommy.  My merciless characteristic is a potential stumbling block to my loved ones and those around me.


So I prayed this verse:

"Therefore [Yanny] be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." -- Luke 6:36

Stay tuned for this work in progress woman.  It's going to be a long ride.  I'm hanging tight, oh, Lord!

Curious to find your Spiritual Gifts?  Need a little refresher?  Check out Team Ministry or Koda Chrome.

May this be a blessing!

MY GRANDCHILD'S ONE MONTH BIRTHDAY

Today is my grandchild's one month birthday.  My Golden Pothos is ONE month.  They were 5 leaves before.  Now they're 7!!!  Yes, you heard it right.  My baby gave birth to 2 new leaves in 28 days.  Yayyyy.  I'm a blessed grandma.

So this morning, we had a quick prayer of thanksgiving in celebration of the birthday.  EVERYONE gathered up as you can see in the family photo below.  Thank you, Jesus, for a healthy grandchild!! 

 The happy crowd!  

Top: Me Ik, Ce Hong, Tobias, my family from Sukabumi, Marcel, and I.

On the board: Jeremiah, Peter, King Solomon, and Paul.

Bottom: Goldie the Adecco trophy, Elianne, Jasmine, Maxie, and Galileo the Owl.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my dear Golden Pothos!

It's worth the celebration, isn't it?  May this be a blessing!

MY GRANDCHILD 26 DAYS LATER

It's 2 days shy from my grandchild's one month birthday.  Let me share with you an exciting update.

Today, the 0.5-cm limb/stem that came out over a week ago has started to unroll its leaf.  Look how much my grandchild has grown!!  I don't know if you can see it clearly from the photo below.  But my grandchild has outgrown the 5 other leaves -- the one old leaf is shown below; the one without the text bubble -- that I picked to start the regeneration.  It's at least 1.5 times bigger.  It still has deep green color and waxy coat over its surface.  I was wowed by it.  I feel like it's been grown from different parents, you know!  So different: bigger and healthier.  I wonder how the second one (the one in the middle) will grow into.

Left: Look at this when it just popped out of the main stem.

Middle: The new leaf grown from my first grandchild.

Right: One of the 5 old leaves that I replanted in December 2009.

I told you it's not hard to grow this Golden Pothos.  Great plant to start overcoming your black thumb nature.  :-)

May this be a blessing!

QUIZ: WHICH TRIBE RECEIVED NO TERRITORIAL INHERITANCE?

Same rules: No peeking the Bible.  No cheating.  No searching.  No asking around.  Leave your answer in the Comment!


Q: According to the Bible, which one of the 12 tribes of Israel that was allotted NO territorial inheritance of their own during the Division of the Land?

a. Joseph
b. Judah
c. Levi
d. Benjamin
e. None of the above (please specify)

A: The Levites were allotted no territorial inheritance.  There were many Bible verses that refer to this.  However, I would like to share the one that is my favorite.  It is from Joshua 18:7, "The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the LORD is their inheritance...."  

Isn't that statement amazing?  This verse taught me not to take my ministry for granted because it is my inheritance.  So precious.  

How about you?  What ministry God has placed in your heart today?  Remember, it is your precious inheritance.  With cheerful heart, serve Him and give thanks today for the grace He has given to make you and I worthy of this inheritance.  AMEN.    

Click here to check out previous Quizes.

QUIZ: HOW MANY TREES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN?

Same rules: No peeking the Bible.  No cheating.  No searching.  No asking around.  Leave your answer in the Comment!


Q: According to the Bible, how many trees were in the MIDDLE of the Garden of Eden?

A: There were 2 trees in the MIDDLE.  The Bible says in Genesis 2:9, "And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground -- trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for good.  In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."

Thank you everyone for participating.  And great job to those who answered it correctly and confidently.


Happy Thursday!

MY OUTDOOR "GARDEN"

Well, the title could be very deceiving. I don't have garden where I live.  Just a VERY sufficient patio to nurture some potted plants I have.  :-)

Until recently, this patio had faithfully housed our bikes and 5 pots of Aloe.  Afraid of accidentally ruined already-oh-so-organized bikes storing system Marcel put in place, I often found it challenging to spend time with my aloe plants in the patio.  Since Aloe are very low maintenance, I used to go and visit them in the patio every other week.  


One day, when Marcel saw that I almost did an acrobatic move -- you know .. the one with one hand holding the water pitcher, one foot half way in the air, the other foot was behind the bikes while the other hand was suspending the whole body against the wall and across the bikes -- to get to my Aloes in the patio, he decided to move the bikes to the storage room.  Awwww, how nice of him huh?  The next thing I knew, the patio's clear.  No bikes.  Just 5 pots of my Aloes.  These Aloes used to be hidden all the way to the far corner so that the bikes could go in and out easily.  Now, I could go in and out the patio easily and spend time with my plants.

Here goes my outdoor "garden" specially created by my one and only hubby Marcel: 

 

 My 5 pots of Aloe and the newly added Cymbidium Orchid.  They don't normally stay at the edges -- just this time for a "family picture."  They normally stay peacefully on the patio's ground.  I also trimmed my Aloes too before this "family picture."  They were a little bit "gondrong" (read: hairy) before that.

 

 My Cymbidium Orchid purchased from a local grower at the Orchid Festival in Vallco Mall.  I got it for $5 only - quite cheap.

With the "garden" specially made by hubby and healthy plants to grow, I never knew that gardening could be this refreshing.  No wonder my mom loves gardening. 

May this be a blessing!

FROM HUBBY TO ME ON THE VALENTINE'S DAY

Marcel and I don't celebrate Valentine's Day.  However, this past Valentine's Day (or the day before rather), the Rustams invited us to go to Interior Plant Design to check out some plants at a discounted rate.  Since I've been really into growing plants, I asked Marcel if I could go with the Rustams.  To my surprise, Marcel answered that he would come along to get me some plants home.  Yayyy.  And THIS means that he's giving up his weekend soccer entertainment for me .. me me me me me.

So ... here goes my Valentine's gift from hubby this year:

 

The tree in the middle was hand-picked by my one and only Marcel.  He made me proud and happy!!!  Why did he choose that tree?  Because it looks manly with the big trunks and sturdy posture!  Now, don't ask me the tree's name.  I forgot it the second the store owner told me its Latin name.  I have a very selective hearing huh?

 

 Helping me add a feminin touch to the tree, the store owner picked Bromeliads for me (a gardening newby) and set them around the pots.

Now, every morning I enjoy waking up to a fresher air in the living room and greeting my plants, "Good morning, Babies!!!  Mommy's up already.  Do you want to eat?"  [Then I open the blind to let the sun light in for their breakfast.]


Ahhhhh, what a gift to enjoy!!!  Thank you, Hubby, for the gift.  Thank you, God, for the blessing of understanding hubby and beautiful plants.

So, if you live in the Bay Area, go and check Interior Design Plant out every second Saturday from 9:00am to 11:00am.

May this be a blessing!

MY GRANDCHILD 18 DAYS LATER

It's been18 days from the first time my Golden Pothos popped a new stem.  Today, the leaf has grown into its fullest size.  However, it still curls a little bit.  It's not fully flat open yet.  The stem is now becoming the main stem which will (I think) produce another stem from it.

 Look at how healthy the leaf's complexion is.  It is very waxy and has a deep green color compared to the other leaves.

Guess what I found today?  A new tiny limb coming out of it.  Will this be a new stem?

It amazes me how my Golden Pothos has grown.  I'm a proud grandma with a healthy baby grandchild.  I enjoy watching and learning from its growth cycle.  

When I showed my grandchild to my co-worker Nadine, she asked, "Look at that!!  I wonder what makes it grow so quickly?"


Hmmm, not sure really.  I water it once a week only.  No fertilizer; just regular water.  I haven't been touching it (per my Mom's ultimatum).  I think it's because I've been regularly talking to my plants: telling them to grow and being healthy?  I don't know.  Maybe my Golden Pothos' love language is Words of Affirmation like mine.  :-)  Like grandma like grandchild!  Hehehe.

Whatever the reason is, I really enjoy taking care of this plant.  And I highly recommend this plant to anyone who wants to overcome their black thumb nature like me.  It's very easy to maintain.  Maybe when I have enough leaves in my current Golden Pothos, I will offer a chunk of its stem for reproduction by whomever is interested.  I'll keep you posted!

May this be a blessing!

MORE THAN JUST A PICTURE

Take a look at this picture below.  Do you see just a picture of Jesus Christ?  How about you take a look at it more?  The longer you look at it, the more you will see.  It contains the scenes from Christ's life.

Just like how God can use this artist's potential to the full and bless others, He too can use yours.  Are you waiting for God to use your full potential?  Ask today!

May this be a blessing!

QUIZ: WHO BURIED MOSES?

No peeking the Bible.  No cheating.  No searching.  No asking around.  Leave your answer in the Comment!

Q: According to the Bible, who buried Moses?

A: It was the LORD who buried Moses.  In Deuteronomy 34:6, it is written, "And He [the LORD] buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day."

Thank you everyone for participating.  And great job to those who answered it correctly and confidently.


Happy Sunday!

MARCEL GOT SCHMAPPED

Oh, I'm utterly overjoyed today!  Not only that today is my engagement anniversary, but also today we found out that Marcel got Schmapped!!!  :-)


Two weeks ago, Marcel got an email from Schmap Guides Editor that his Ferry Building photo had been shortlisted for inclusion in the 10th edition of Schmap San Francisco Guide.

Click here for more and better resolution photos from Marcel.  And yes, it's taken with a point-and-shoot camera - not an SLR.  [This photo is property of Marcel P.]

Today, we found out that the photo was finally selected; and the Guide just got released.

Click here to check out the photo inclusion in Schmap.  Or click here if you access from iPhone or iPod touch.  [This snapshot is property of Schmap]

Why is this so special to me and Marcel?  Back in December when we were visiting SF, it was raining and foggy on the first day that we couldn't go out much.  The next morning when we got up, the weather was so nice and the sky was so clear.  So we decided to take a walk around and get breakfast.  I remembered looking up to the sky and pondering, "Thank you, Jesus, for letting us get up this morning and enjoy Your gift of the beautiful day!."  As we walked back to the hotel, this was the last photo Marcel took before it started to rain again that afternoon till midnight.  What a blessing we could enjoy and share!

With that, we hope that  people who utilize Schmap to plan their travel can benefit from many beautiful "favorite sights" pictures shared by the previous visitors.  As people say that a picture is worth a thousand words; for us, this picture is worth a thousand blessing!!

May this be a blessing!

WHY MARCH 5 IS SPECIAL TO ME

On this very day four years ago, Marcel's parents asked my parents for my hands in marriage to Marcel.  When the proposal was going on in Indonesia, Marcel and I were actually in 2 different states, settling down and  just a week into our first job out of college.


With intensive trainings to complete at work, savings that VERY SLOWLY grew (you know what I mean ... being independent from parents :o)), and accumulated vacation balance that stayed in 0 days for the longest time that we could ever remember, Marcel and I found it very challenging to meet up and celebrate our new status -- the new milestone in our relationship.


Before we knew it, it's already 5 months into our engagement.  When I checked my mail that day, I received a very thoughtful card from my geeky fiance (then)!  On the card, it listed 10 reasons why we should be together.  However, the #1 was a fill-in-the-blank one.  So Marcel wrote a cute programming code at the back of the card. 

 

I'm sure he put a lot of thoughts into it (because many believe that programmers are not creative :o) although I disagree after I got this card from Marcel).  He basically stated that our birthdays comprised our engagement date ("3-5" for "March 5th")

 

 On August 12, 2006, we finally met; and he officially proposed (using props from Ko Yohan's wedding skit hahaha)

May this be a blessing!

CAROL SIM IN MY SALVATION STORY

Two weeks ago as I pondered on the One Month to Live challenge, God brought to me some thoughts that made me more so grateful for what He's done.


The challenge was to think about and thank the people that you have taken from granted.  About that same time, Pastor Lawrence Fung came to speak in our English Service.  He gave an illustration about buying a car.  Would you prefer to buy a car based on what the salesman "advertises" to you OR what your friend has told you about his/her experience with the car?  For most, it would be based on the friend's testimony about the car because it's the real life experience.  No sugar coat.  Then, Pastor Lawrence stated that we too can share the GOOD NEWS based on our experience with it.

For the next 3 days, something kept coming in to my thoughts.  As I reflected, I asked, "So God, you want me to think about people who had brought me into Salvation?"  Hmmm.  OK.

The next thing I knew, I was emailing my best friend Carol who is now back in Singapore.  In July 2005, Carol invited me to start a Bible Study together.  Without much hesitation, I accepted her invitation.  When I asked Carol in the email why she invited me back then, I was left in awe and full gratitude with her answer.  Carol mentioned that her initial intention was to witness to my other friend.  Since I introduced Carol to my friend, Carol thought she might as well invited me so that my friend would feel more comfortable and that Carol and I could build a stronger personal relationship outside of class.  At the end, it's only me and Carol.  My other friend never joined us for the Bible Study leaving Carol very disappointed. 

Then came September 2005.  I was invited to join another Bible Study by Deborah Lock -- an activist at the Church I was attending at the time.  She had been noticing me in the midst of the Caucasian crowd at the church (of course :o)) and decided to start a Bible Study with me on the Church's behalf.  At the end of the Study session on September 5, 2005, Deb extended the invitation for me to join the Heavenly family :-).  By then, I had been constantly exposed to what God had done in Carol's life.  Carol never stopped sharing her personal experience with God through the Bible Study with me.  As a result, when Deb extended the invitation, I wasn't that surprised or shocked anymore.  I knew and had heard the amazing things God had done for my dear friend Carol.  I wanted to be in that position too.


So I accepted the greatest gift that night of September 5, 2005.  The gift that no man could take away from me.  I prayed the Salvation prayer that night and felt the burden lifted from my shoulder as God took my sins away one by one.  From that day on, I have been a crooked pencil that God has been using to make a beautiful story in His book.


Just like the illustration about the car buying experience, I think God had sent Carol to my side to be that friend who shared the testimony on how the GOOD NEWS changed her.  Little did Carol know that God had used her to minister to me (even though her intention was to my other friend).  So for my One Month to Live challenge, I am grateful for Carol -- one of the people who had led me into my Salvation.  

My life hasn't been the same since September 2005.  It's been quite a ride.  And two weeks ago I just started to see the pattern of how God has been using this crooked pencil that I am.  For that, I am also grateful for the strangers and people that I've overlooked whom God have allowed to cross my path and bring about another blessing!  I was once overlooked; but now I'm found.  A blessing that came unexpectedly and unplanned in human's eyes.


How about you?  Who do you need to thank today?


May this be a blessing!

MY GRANDCHILD 10 DAYS LATER

Ten days ago, on a Friday morning, I found a baby stem growing out of my Golden Pothos.  Since then, the baby stem has been growing steadily and healthily.  Thank youuuu, Jesus! 

I shared with my mom about my newly developed confindence in gardening and how proud I have been with my plants.  Of course she's happy for me and said, "You know, when I was younger and just started to garden, I got so excited when I saw a leaf or flower coming out of it.  Then I started to touch it.  Later, the new one died.  You know, it's still so fragile.  It's too young.  It's still trying to develop.  Just like a baby, you know, their head bone isn't completely developed until later.  So you shouldn't be touching their head.  Oh talking about baby, when are you having a REAL baby with Marcel?"

Yanny, "Hmmm, so Mom, no touching the new leaf then?" [Trying to stay in the gardening topic; She is good in slipping the baby thing in]

Mommy, "Yeah, no!"

So this is what my grandchild has grown into in the past 10 days.

The stem now has a leaf that slowly unrolls to open

May this be a blessing!  Happy March!