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here’s a set of pictures of friends who’ve left for overseas over the last week!

the last two weeks

it’s been two weeks now, and i haven’t found a way to write about this episode. i’m not sure why. two weeks ago, dad had a heart attack. as a result of that we discovered that there were three blockages in his arteries. the last two weeks were a little ‘iffy’. but praise God, they managed to clear both blockages and he’s now home resting. the next few weeks are important too, to ensure that the stents hold well.

it’s been a series of many emotions. thinking about my mom and all that she has to do. realising that dad still handles most of the practical things – from finances to driving mom for marketing etc. and how now, life has to change drastically for all of us.

the only thing is that i hope dad will also realise that God’s been merciful to him and us, and that his life needs to change much too. that, i’m not too confident about.

i also just want to thank everyone who prayed and who texted and who wanted to visit etc. thanks for caring.

as a result of the last two weeks, i also decided to cancel my hillsong/melbourne trip. i’m a little sad, and there are times when i find myself mentally transporting myself to pitts street, and oxford street, sitting at burgerlicious or bondi, standing outside the arena, arm bands in the air, waiting for the opening, worshipping, listening to the messages. hillsong conference had become my yearly getaway – my yearly re-fuel station.

i’ll also miss hanging out with the Tans. it’s been a year already. so much has changed here. but this friendship means heaps to me.

i guess there’s also a realisation that this may be the last year we get to travel like the ‘old days’. watching musicals, shopping, walking around, eating, eating, eating. laughing. sharing stories. talking about church. meeting people.

but it’s ok.

sometimes you just gotto do what you just gotto do. and i’m glad i can be around to help mom and sort things out with the house and stuff.

and i can’t wait for ‘australia day’. (come back in a few days for the full report!!)

of green tea and ramen

it all happened rather suddenly. angie comes bounding into the office and declares let’s go to Ochacha! i’m like, “what??!?!?!!?” and then with much excitement she attempts to explain. i have no clue. but she is clearly excited. then mervin reinforces. ‘you have to try this’. so i’m like ok, whatever. then i come out and tiffany is there. and she soon realises that i have also agreed to go to O ChaCha! she is beside herself with excitement. she cannot believe that i, too, am going! and that’s how i ended up at OCha Cha!

our drinks – i had a mint freeze. it was not bad!

soon after, edward and dawn came and joined us. the O ChaCha family was growing!

and then as a simple thank you lunch to nic for serving as an intern these past 8 months, we went to this japanese place along the AYE. after three attempts to find the right turn off, we found ourselves stationary on the AYE between two roads, not sure where to go! very exciting! we finally find the place, and nic orders some Ramen. NICE!

useless prayer

Scripture: Proverbs 28:9 (MSG) | God has no use for the prayers of the people who won’t listen to him.

wow.

it’s amazing how often we want God to listen to us. We want God to listen to our prayers. But in actual fact, we have no real desire to listen to Him, or to be committed to what He has to say to us. it’s absolutely fair for God to say our prayers are useless if our expectation is to have God respond to us,when we have no intent on listening or responding to Him.

red

30th June 2009. after 72 km and 10 months of training, he gets his red beret. congrats dude!

when she first arrived, i was 14 years old.
last sunday, she left to go back to sri lanka.

generations

mervin’s heading in. bryant’s crossed the one year mark. sam is heading out. elgin is out!

Signs outside church

1. There was a church that had problems with outsiders parking in its parking lots, so they put up a sign:
CHURCH CAR PARK – FOR MEMBERS ONLY,TRESPASSERS WILL BE BAPTIZED!
That took care of the problem!

2. “No God – No Peace? Know God – Know Peace.”

3. “Free Trip to heaven. Details Inside!”

4. “Try our Sundays. They are better than Baskin-Robbins.”

5. “Searching for a new look? Have your faith lifted here!”

6. An ad for one Church has a picture of two hands holding stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments are inscribed and a headline that reads: “For fast, fast, fast relief, take two tablets.”

7. When the restaurant next to another Church put out a sign with big red letters that said, “Open Sundays,” the church reciprocated with its own message: “We are open on Sundays, too.”

8. “People are like tea bags – you have to put them in hot water before you know how strong they are.”

9. “Fight truth decay – study the Bible daily.”

10. “How will you spend eternity – Smoking or Non-smoking?”

11. “Dusty Bibles lead to Dirty Lives”

12. “Come work for the Lord. The work is hard, the hours are long and the pay is low. But the retirement benefits are out of this world.”

13. “It is unlikely there’ll be a reduction in the wages of sin.”

14. “Do not wait for the hearse to take you to church.”

15. “If you’re headed in the wrong direction, God allows U-turns.”

16. “If you don’t like the way you were born, try being born again.”

17. “Looking at the way some people live, they ought to obtain eternal fire insurance soon.”

18. “This is a ch_ _ ch. What is missing?” —– (U R)

19. “In the dark? Follow the Son.”

20. “Running low on faith? Step in for a fill-up.”

21. “If you can’t sleep, don’t count sheep. Talk to the Shepherd.”

a year and a month

it’s been a year and a month, yet it’s felt like it was yesterday

welcome back!

from anakin to darth

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