Thank you Lord, no enough

Dear Lord,

This is a thank you note to you which I feel that I did not thank you enough so far...here is the list of reasons why I need to thank you:

I thank you for the peace and stability in Singapore; and please help Thailand to restore peace back into their society and help the poor of Thailand too in their daily lives.

I thank you for all that you have given me, though some of the things I did not pray to you to ask for it - however, you have given them to me and appoint me as the steward. I am so grateful.

I thank you for the little house that we are now staying.

I thank you for the family that we now enjoy, cracking all the jokes each night at the dinner table,

I thank you for the work and career you have given me.

I thank you for the good health you have given me to continue do your will.

I thank you for the wonderful colleagues you have given me at my work place. On this, I pray for the soul of my wonderful colleague, James and also Lillian who is still in ICU coming to 8 months. May you help her in her recovery.

I thank you for the spouse - my pillar of strength, that you have given me.

I thank you for the church at Tampines.

I thank you for little events in my life that thru them I got know you - better.

I, THANK YOU, LORD.

AMEN

AlbertY

A Lesson learnt - April Fool's Joke

Dear All

Yesterday was 1 Apr 10...April Fool's Day.

It started out from a friend's SMS to a group of praying parents. The principal of the school has invited us to dinner on a particular day. My friend said she was going with her sis-in-law, and if anyone is coming, to sms her for the principal's address.

At first, I thought, why was the principal inviting us for dinner? I left it as it is. Later on, it dawned on me that it could be an April Fool's joke. The clues were there. It's for praying parents, and my friend's sis-in-law isn't one. Next was why no reason was given for the dinner gathering, and why no address given. Lastly, why such an important invitation was done by sms through a parent and not a teacher. It turned out I was right.

There were still 2 more parents who had not responded, so I helped my friend along with her joke by trying to evoke an sms respond to the invitation from them. When the last one came in, she lamented that her hubby had met the nun from our school and told her about the invitation! It seemed the April Fool's Joke had been thought to be true, and passed on to 2 other people outside the group! Damage controls all came in. Luckily in this case, not much energy nor time was spent to contact the nun & the hubby to tell them it was only a joke. The negative point was, some parents were a little disappointed as they looked forward to having a casual chat with the principal in a more relaxing atmosphere.

A lesson learnt by the prankster, the disappointed parent and me from this "experience" was how easily, fast and wide news can spread. Some went back to the source to verify info, some didn't and took it for truth and told someone else who then told another person. Doesn't that apply to us in our daily lives? Rumours and white lies can easily spread the same way.

Recently, when Bert & I took out the wash from the washing machine, almost each piece of clothing was covered with tiny torn white tissue paper. I was aghast! I thought the children forgot to empty their pockets of tissue paper. Luckily, instead of opening my mouth to accuse, I paused for a while and asked everyone. Everyone said "not me". I thought, someone is either telling a lie or had forgotten. Then as I retraced my own steps the day before, I realised I was the culprit! I had taken the extra Macdonald's paper napkins after the children had eaten at my mum's place and put the extra 2 napkins into my shorts pocket. I had mentally noted to recycle them for my cooking when I got home. However, I forgot about it and now am faced with the tissue problem.

Bert tried taking it off whilst the clothes were still damp, however it was difficult. So we decided to let it dry first. Next day, even when I flinged the clothes, the tissue paper stubbornly stayed on. I had no choice but scrape off each piece of tissue and threw them into the dustbin. Needless to say, I got so tired, some pieces of tissue missed the dustbin and soon, my floor was littered with tiny pieces of tissue paper! I was exhausted (it was late at night when the kids were already asleep). Bert said, tomorrow then mop the floor. I just couldn't stand it! What if the wind blows and the paper flies into my hall!! It's better to clear it now then suffer a worse consequence. So there I was, mopping the backyard, kitchen and utility room!

Imagine - just 2 tissue paper can cause so much trouble. I remarked to Bert - can you imagine if the 2 tissue paper were a rumour - it's like the tiny pieces of paper told to tens of people. To collect everyone of the repeated rumour back is so difficult. I need to scrape off each individual piece of dried paper which was stubbornly stuck to the clothes (or telling people who still believed the rumour rather than the truth). Some fell on the ground which I have to pick up or else the wind will blow it further (like rumours spreading like wildfire!).

Another lesson learned for me, who tend to be critical in my speech and negative and complaining was, to learned a humbling lesson - when I try to see the splinter in my brother's eye, I did not realise I had a log in mine. I tend to quickly accuse and think that others were at fault and not realising that the person whom I am blaming is actually MYSELF!!! I was at fault for the troubles that I was in!!

If you are still wondering if anyone else fell for the practical joke, the answer is, yes - everyone else fell it it except your friend here who was the only "survivor" who didn't fall for the trick! Yahoo-yee! That doesn't mean I'm that sharp or smart - (I actually believed it in the beginning) it's just that I had time to reflect on it, mulling it over my mind. I think sometimes we have to think things over before reacting. It doesn't mean I'm smart or anything...I guess it comes with age!!! Haha!

Love Theresa