My two little ones

My little tomboyish Rebekah Bong


My little cheeky Ezra Bong

Donating blood

Brought Belle to the hospital on Wed 28 Dec 2011. I wanted to donate blood and she wants to observe how it's done. After registering for the Kelas Peneman, we went to the blood bank department. Only one donor was there and it didn't take long for my turn to donate my blood. Showed Belle my Donate Blood Book and told her that I've donated 18 times and hoping to donate more in the future.

She watched the nurse inserted the need into my vein and how the blood flowed down into the bag. Thank God that she did not fainted or scream during the whole process.

Oh ya, the nurses at the Kelas Peneman registration counter and the blood bank thought that I am a Malay. They had to look at my name twice to confirm. Hahaha...the same experience every time I went to the hospital.

Proud parents

One of the best way to honor our parents is to make them proud of us. It can be in the form of our godly character, obedience and even achievements. And this Christmas, I am one of those parents who are proud of their children.

Annabelle, Clarissa and Barnabas participated in the church Christmas Service presentations. They did a sign language presentation which came out well. Furthermore, Annabelle joined the tambourine group and presented a tambourine dance (Shouts For Joy song). It was a proud moment to see my girl dance gracefully on the stage. Now I know how it felt to be a proud parent.

And I'm sure my brother Daniel and Engso Jacklyn would also be proud of their 3 daughters who performed a number of presentations on this Christmas Service. I'm waiting for the days when all my children will up there on the stage to present their dance, drama or presentations to the Lord. I'll be a proud father again then.

Running tight on budget

What have I done wrong these past few months? At the end of every month, it always seems that I have not enough money. There are always some extra expenses to pay for. There is the apartment’s toilet floor to repair. Then there is the photocopy machine that needs major repair. The water heater had to be changed. The car gear box suddenly got jammed and the repair really caused a big dent on my bank account. All these unexpected extra expenses really bite chunks of my monthly income. And I do not have much to spare either.

So for the past few months, I have been juggling my income and my expenses on a thin line. I thank God for the shop landlord who is understanding and kind enough to let me delay my rental payment. It gives me some time to juggle my income and pay the necessary bills first. The utilities bills must be paid on time or else the utilities company will cut off their supply. The staffs’ salary is also on the top priority list. I also thank God that somehow He provided enough for me to clear all my expenses though there is a need to juggle the expenses at the end of every month.

One of the things that I do not like to see every month is the credit card bills. No, my wife and I do not overspend with our credit card. In fact, if I were to check my credit report, I would get a good report. The credit cards are used to pay our house bills and our household groceries bought at the shopping market. It is just that I prefer to pay by cash instead of using credit card unless I do not have cash at hand. If you do not seem to get a hold on your finances, get your free credit score to see where you stand financially.

Then there is the end of the year holiday/festival expenses. I tried not to spend much on this type of expenses but with 5 children, it can be very difficult. Little expenses here and there equals to a big chunk out of my income. Next year would be a harder year especially when the number 6 arrives. I really must discipline myself not to spend unnecessarily on my food. Lord, bless your servant. Thanking You in advance.

Finding freedom or Master

Scottish theologion P.T. Forsyth, "The first duty of every soul is not to find its freedom, but to choose its master."

Reminded me of the story of the kite. A boy made a kite and brought it to the beach. He let it fly and soon the kite was flying high. Every tugging by the boy made the kite fly higher and higher. Then the kite thought that it could go higher if only the string that holds it back is cut loose. The kite snap loose the string and with high anticipation and eagerness wanted to fly higher. But to its dismay, it was swayed by the wind and dive towards the ground.

Everyone of us can achieve greatness and fly higher only if we are attached to our master and do the bidding of our master. Then we can find the freedom to fly higher in the sky. To be free without our master will surely cause our downfall. Many in this world wants to be their own master without realizing that their own capability is very limited. Many in this world wants to be free. Unfortunately the very freedom that they say they have later become a bondage to them.

Choose wisely your Master for the true Master shall set you free.

What is worship?

by John Piper, Desiring God (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 1986), 65-66

The fuel of worship is a true vision of the greatness of God; the fire that makes the fuel burn white-hot is the quickening of the Holy Spirit; the furnace made alive and warm by the flame of truth is our renewed spirit; and the resulting heart of our affections is powerful worship, pushing its way out in confessions, longings, acclamations, tears, songs, shouts, bowed heads, lifted hands and obedient lives.

Publish Post

Beautiful Washington

Contributed by Milford Woods

Washington is really the most beautiful place I’ve ever lived.I moved to Kennewick a long time ago, and never plan on leaving. The Pacific Northwest just has so much to offer, and I am so happy here. I am close to my family, and have a beautiful home. The weather may be really rainy most of the time, but I don’t mind it. It’s not too hot, so that means I can hike and spend a lot of time outdoors, which is awesome. When I’m not outdoors enjoying all of the beautiful scenery, I’m usually at home on the internet. I lean on the internet for most of my communication. I don’t have a home phone line anymore, because I really felt like I was throwing money out the window. I also pay all my bills and read most of my news on online, so having good service is really important. I wanted to check out progress on wireless internet Kennewick, so I went online and checked it out. It’s crazy how many more local places are offering free wireless and how many more providers we have in the area now.

born good or evil

Are we born good or born evil?

We are born separated from God and that separation can only be bridged by God. - Ravi Zacharias

God Who Holds Past - Present – Future

Dr. Helen Roseveare, a missionary to Africa, told about a mother who died at the mission station after giving birth to a premature baby. An incubator was set up to keep the infant alive, but the only available hot water bottle was beyond repair.

During devotions that morning the children were asked to pray for the baby and for her young sister, who were now orphans. One of the girls responded, "Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won't feel so lonely."

That afternoon a large parcel arrived from England. Eagerly the children watched as it was opened. Much to their delight, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to delve deeper, exclaiming, "If God sent that, I'm sure He also sent a doll." And she was right!

Five months earlier, God had led a group of women in England to include both of those items in response to a prayer that had not yet been uttered.

A letter from Jesus

My little child, I love you. (John 15:9)

I have called you by your name, you are mine. (Isaiah 43:1)

Before I formed you, I knew you. And before you were born, I consecrated you. (Jeremiah 1:5)

You did not choose me, I chose you. (John15:16)

Beloved, I wish above all things that you prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers.(3rd John 2)

Because you are precious to me, and honored, I love you. (Isaiah 43:4)

I have loved you with an everlasting love and I will continue my Constant love. (Jeremiah 31:3)

How can I abandon you? My love for you is too strong. (Hosea 11:8)

I love you so much that I hung on the cross at Calvary. I died for you, and if you believe in Me you will have everlasting life (John 3:16)

Can a woman forget her own baby and not love the child she bore? Yet, even should she forget, I will never forget you. I cannot forget you. See, I have graven you in the palm of my hands. (Isaiah 49:15-16)

For I, the Lord your God, am holding you by the right hand. (Isaiah 41:13)

I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD (Matthew 28: 20)

Signboard is up

A few weeks ago, the municipal enforcement officers came and issued me a notice. They gave me a 7 days notice to bring down my old signboard. The reason is that my signboard is old and faded.



Since I was forced to change my shop signboard by the municipal, I decided to change my signboard design. The main deciding factor is durability. The wording 'STARHAWK' is made of stainless steel with a dark blue background.


This is the new signboard put up today. Praying that it will last long as promised by the advertisement company.

The Dog Whisperer

When the show was aired on the TV, I thought that this is just another mundane show. However, what was shown really amazed me. Various problematic dogs were rehabilitated and the owners were taught and trained on how to solve their problems. As a dog owner myself, I learned many lessons from the show. It is indeed a great show for all dog owner to watch and learn.

In the past, I allowed my dogs to stay in the house. This has created many problems especially when they poo and urinated in the house. The house would be smelly and we have to clean up the mess. Of course the work is made much easier with pet odor removal service austin. Those of you who had your pet poo on your carpet would know how difficult to clean and remove the odor from the carpet. If you are at loss on how to go about it, check out pet urine odor removal carpet austin. Who says having a pet is easy. But it is also a joy to have them around.

Now that I've learned many tips and lessons from the Dog Whisperer, I'll definitely try it out on my dogs.

Many children is a blessing

Wifey is pregnant again. This will be our No 6. How do I feel? Don't really know how to describe it. I'm thankful to God for trusting me to handle so many "gifts". I believe that God will provide the means for my wife and I to raise them up. And I also believe that He is able to provide for our needs. He has done that thus far. We are not starving but we are also not able to live a luxurious life.

However, there are times when I'm not so sure that I'm doing okay with taking care of the 5 that He has given me. There are times when I feel so inadequate and hopeless. And I also feel for my wife who has to look after them. So I'm not so sure what it will be like to have 6 children in one house. I can only take each day as it comes, drawing strength from Him to enable me to be who He wants me to be. I pray that I will be a good father who would be successful in raising up godly children.

Friend in Atlanta

Guest post from: Constance Rodgers

We moved to Atlanta six months ago. My husband joined a practice in the Buckhead area. We also were lucky enough to find the perfect starter home for our family. I found out last week that one of my best friends got a job offer at a law firm in Atlanta and is going to take it. I have been helping her look for a house to buy this week. I think that she has narrowed the field down to two that she is trying to decide between. One home has an alarm system and the other doesn’t. I told her that it shouldn’t be a make or breaking point. It is easy to www.atlantahomesecurity.com and get an alarm system. That is what I did when we moved to Atlanta not too long ago. I am pushing the house that is closer to us. If she moves into the house closer to us we will only be about five minutes away. If she picks the other house with traffic she will be about thirty minutes away. I am keeping my fingers crossed that she will be close. I have been wanting a really close friend inAtlanta since we moved here!

Saturday is cleaning day

Since the maid did not return to work, we have to do the house cleaning on our http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifown. It is nice to have a big house and compound but when it is cleaning time, we wished that the house is not so big. Cleaning the whole house and compound can be a daunting task. And it can't be completed in a day unless the whole day is spent just to clean the house. It will be more like spring cleaning.

As such, we allocated certain days for cleaning certain parts of the house. And every Saturday is mopping day. Since this would be our norm until the next maid comes in (which we are not sure whether to employ another maid for the time being) I was wondering where to buy medical scrubs for our own usage. A quick Google search and I found this link http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/ where they sell a whole range of medical scrubs. I think that once I'm good at cleaning my house, I might as well work part-time cleaning other people's house.

Clever decoy

Neighbors had complained to the mayor about the noisy pub on
the corner of 3rd & Lambourne. Seems that the old cronies got
together every Friday & Saturday, played cards, drank beer,
told lies and jokes until 2am Saturday morning, when the pub
had to close.

Officer Redding, parked down the street, was not amused. He
checked his watch, noted it was 01:55, time for the old drunks
to start leaving. If he hadn't been assigned this crap detail
he'd be down at the I-80 truck stop about now having a nice hot
cup of coffee. Redding pulled out a cigarette and was about to
light up when the door of the pub slammed open and an old
geezer stumbled out. Redding put the smoke back in the pack; he
was "on point" now.

The old man stumbled around, fished his car keys out of his
pocket, dropped them a couple of times, finally found them and
weaved down the sidewalk and across the road to his car.

Redding started his engine, watching carefully as the old man
fumbled to unlock his door. Other patrons leaving the pub
seemed a little tipsy, but nothing like the old goat trying to
get into his car. As soon as the old man's car started to pull
away from the curb, Redding was on him like a hound on a bone,
siren, red lights and loudspeaker. Redding wanted these
complaining neighbors to know the city was doing its job.

"Outta the car, old man!" demanded Redding. "But officer, I
haven't had anything to drink!" complained the old boy. "Sure,
you haven't, oldtimer, sure you haven't", replied Redding as he
put the cuffs on the old guy and hauled him downtown.

At the station, the old man blew into the breathalyzer and the
needle didn't move. "What the...you HAVEN'T been drinking, old
timer!"

But that's what I tried to tell you back there, officer!" "Well
then, why were you stumbling all over the place?" asked Redding.
"Well, officer, tonight when we all got to the pub, they
elected me to be the 'designated drunk' when the place closed
down!"

Different perspectives

Ernest Shackleton's recruiting advertisement for his 1912 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition:

"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success."

If Shackleton were advertising in the 2000's:

"Members wanted for adventure trek. Low cost, cool sights, lots fun nights, thrills galore, insurance available. Get your picture in Outdoor magazine."

Encouragement

George M. Adams observed that "encouragement is oxygen to the soul." If we plan to go on living, we need oxygen; if we plan to go on serving the Lord, we need encouragement.

The times are tough

Almost every day I have to deal with cash. Looking at the sales for the day can be an up and down experience. When the sales are low for the day and expenses are high, it is very difficult to be optimistic. More so when I know that there are huge unpaid bills still in the drawer. Credit cards bills are the ones that came to mind when the sales are low. How and when can I pay all the bills and still have extra money to spend?

No, I am not a shopaholic and I do not make unnecessary purchases at the shopping centers. I use my credit cards to pay for the necessary purchases. It is just that the cost of living has increased, while there has not been a change in income. The amount that I can save every month keeps on getting smaller. I seldom use my credit card to do online purchases as the risks of identity theft are real. For those of you who are not familiar about it or have just received your first credit card, do have a look at this IdentityHawk Commercial. There are also many other companies similar to IdentityHawk that provide identity theft protection.

The times are tough and will definitely get tougher if I become a victim of identity fraud.

Shopaholics should check out their credit score

The Star Online today reported the shocking reasons why most Malaysians are living beyond their means. The report also stated that a good number of Malaysian consumers are shopaholics and having poor management of personal finances. Unnecessary spending at shopping centers resulted in them living beyond their means. This is unfortunate as many are facing the possibility of being declared a bankrupt at the age of 40.

While having credit cards can be very useful and convenient, uncontrolled purchases using credit cards should be avoided totally. Consumers should know their buying power limits and one way is to find out their credit score. With the convenience of internet, they can search for free credit score offer. Such services can make a lot of difference in helping consumers plan their purchases and control their finances.

The habits of uncontrolled spending should be nip at the bud. Children should also be taught on how to control their usages of money. It is the responsibility of the parents to teach their children to value money. The report made a shocking finding that many children did not know where their money came from. Many of the children surveyed thought that their money came free from the ATMs. It reminded me of the phrase, "Money don't grow on trees".

Teaching our children good habits can take time. And time is what most of us believe that we don't have. It is better to spend some time everyday to build good habits in our children than to waste thousands of dollars as the result of bad spending habits in the future.

Would God trust you?

Did a study on Joseph, the "earthly" father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was not as popular as his wife Mary and I have yet to hear any sermon on him preached in the church, except the sermon which I myself preached in Philippine a few years back. After doing some study on him, I found him to be quite an extraordinary guy.

He had to suffer much because of God's plan for this world. Why did I say that? Try to imagine these situations: -

1) How would you feel when your fiance/wife is pregnant and you are sure you are not the father to the child?

2)Then your fiance/wife tells you one out of the world story that she did not have sexual intercourse nor did she used any modern technology to get her herself pregnant but that she is supernaturally being made pregnant.

3)You have to choose either to let your fiance/wife bear the public shame which could cause her to be stoned to death, or to marry her and take in the shame upon yourself.

4)Do you risked your wife's life and the baby in the womb just because you have to register for a census? You and your wife (who is almost due) have to walk or sit on a donkey and travel for a few days to register.

5)How would you feel when people that you don't know come and worship your baby?

6)How would you feel when foreign people come and worship your child and told you that this child would be a King someday?

7)How would you feel when you are told that this child of yours will be the saviour of mankind and that you too will one day bow in worship before him?

8)What would you do if angel visited you and tell you to flee to another place because someone wants to kill the child? And you can't go to the "police" because they are the instrument used by the authority who ordered the killing?

9)How would you feel when your child conveniently stayed back at the place where he wants to be, without informing you and you thought that he is missing. You tried to find him for 3 days without any success.

Despite all that Joseph had to go through, God trusted him to take care of Jesus. Joseph did not abuse Jesus even though Jesus is not his real son. Joseph taught Jesus the trade of carpentry. And Joseph provided an excellent role model of an earthly father to Jesus.

Ayam Masak Kunyit

Wifey decided to cook Ayam Masak Kunyit today. Helped her to pound all the ingredients. This dish is one of the Malays' cuisine, a delicacy that one must try when in Malaysia. Enjoyed the dish very much although I must say that if it is blended with Chili Padi, it would make it even better.


Bon apetite

7273

Had a dream a few days ago. Can't really remember what the dream is all about. Must be the aging effect on my brain. Anyway, the only part I remember about the dream is where I saw the number 7273. Then I found myself winning something and was very excited about getting the prize. When I reached the podium, to my surprise I was given a basket of fruits. The organizer told me that they don't have cash so they are giving me the fruits instead. Huh..!

So I woke up remembering the number. And then told my mom to buy the number. I don't know why I want to buy the number. I've never buy numbers before nor do I advocate buying numbers. Someone said that it is against Biblical principle and I agree to that (though I've yet to do a Biblical study on that). And lo and behold, the number came out wrong. The nearest number is 2273. Hahahahaha... padan muka.

The moral of the story is... Don't gamble coz the gambling company is the one that will always win.

She adores me

Never before in my life have I seen any girl who adores me like she did. It was just awesome to look in her eyes and see such deep adoration coming out and finding its way to my eyes. Even my love partner did not have such deep adoration for me (or maybe I've forgotten of the times when she did). She would look at me with her round (or maybe sepet abit) eyes and with the sparkle in her eyes fix her gaze on me for a few seconds before giving me the sweetest smile of joy that melts my heart instantly.

Ah... such blessings from God. Thank you Rebekah for you adoration to daddy.

The Old House

Contributed by Milford Woods

My house is an older one and I’ve spent a lot of time and money fixing it up exactly the way I wanted to. I love the idea of living in something historical and every creak and bump makes me love it more, not less. I like looking online endlessly for things like glass doorknobs and old stained glass windows and I know that the harder I try, the better this place is going to look and the more I can get for it when I sell it. That doesn’t mean I didn’t modernize anything though since I’m from the city and I couldn’t handle some stuff! I got SATELLITESTARinternet.com internet so I could get online all the way out here and installed a high-efficiency shower head, too, so my showers would be pleasant. I put up a fence made of metal rather than wood but I think it’s all just going to add value to the property. I like living here for now though and I have no plans to sell anytime soon!

A Priceless Gift

A Priceless Gift
by Helen Steiner Rice

Friendship is a priceless gift
That can't be bought or sold,
But its value is far greater
Than a mountain made of gold.

For gold is cold and lifeless,
It cannot see nor hear,
And in your times of trouble,
It is powerless to cheer.

It has no ears to listen,
No heart to understand.
It cannot bring you comfort
Or reach out a helping hand.

So when you ask God for a gift,
Be thankful that he sends,
Not diamonds, pearls, or riches,
But the love of a real, true friend.

No licence issued anymore

I wanted to apply for a new internet cafe licence from MBMB Melaka. However, I was informed that the council has freeze the issuing of new internet cafe licence since 2008. Okay, that put a brake on my plans to open up new branch.

However, just over the past 2 months, there are 3 new internet cafes opening near my shop. What's happening? How can they start their business when no licence is issued out by the MBMB? Two possibilities: -

1. They are operating the business illegally, or
2. The officers in MBMB received bribes to issue out the licence.

Grrr...

Does God exist?

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'

'Why do you say that?' asked the customer.

'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back to enter the barbershop again and said to the barber: 'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'

'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'

'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'

'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'

'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'

Buying over another business

I'm excited with the buying over of another internet cafe shop. Another friend agreed to come out half of the amount and also to manage the shop. There are many things that needs to be done to make the shop more attractive to the customers. I guess the next few months, I would be busier trying to manage one shop and helping my partner manage another shop. But it would be exciting to see the progress of the business.

We have many plans to attract more customers to the shop. The previous owner does not offer many services to the public which we intend to make available. We trust God that with more services made available, the business would grow and we would be blessed with additional income. I know we can get financial advice from Missoula, MT wealth management group as to manage our money wisely. We hope to be God's channel of blessings to the needy especially those who are serving God in the rural areas. As for now, we can only do our best knowing that only God can bring success in the business.

Mom knows Everything

Thanks for the guest post by Donn Schroeder.

My mother told me she had reduced her electricity costs just by going to a website called http://www.texaselectricityproviders.com/txu-energy-texas/Texas/L/Lacy-Lakeview/. I was a little hesitant at first, but once I got going, it saves me a lot of money. She also told me about this great couponing site that saves her a lot of money on groceries… I signed up as well and now all I have to do is print out some sheets before I go shopping each week. Speaking of coupons, have anyone else been watching that extreme coupons show on TLC? Those people on that show save hundreds of dollars every time they shop… I don't know how they do it! I'm thankful my mom-suggestions that really helped me get my budget back on track. I hadn't realized how much extra I was spending each month until she had me look at all my finances and figure out where I could cut back. What is it that they say? Mom always knows best? Given that the whole truth!

Mom is in the hospital

After making kuih chang everyday for more than a week, her body finally succumbed to tiredness and fatigue. Nobody forced her to do the kuih chang but it is out of her love for her children that she persistently and laboriously prepare the kuih daily. She had to sit or squat for a long time while making the kuih chang and thus it affects her abdomen muscles.

When the children went back to their respective homes, it was a little too late for her to catch her rest. She caught fever and lost her appetite. The next day, she complained of stomach ache. The clinic doctor told her that it may be because of bacteria in her stomach and prescribed some medicine for her. That night her condition got worse and she had to endure stomach pain until morning. She was brought to the hospital and after a MRT scan, the specialist said that her appendix burst and they need to operate on her. Now she is recuperating and God willing, she can be home in a few days time.

Sometimes I am amazed at her persistence in doing something for her family that she is willing to risk her health. People who are injured by others can get the service of Austin Personal Injury Lawyer at O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers – 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701 – 512-494-9949 but what would you do in my mother's case. Self "inflicted injuries" because of love for family is a no cause for any legal action. At least not in most countries of this world. Would I do the same for my children when I am in my golden age? Hmmm... .

Don't forget to pray for Mommy

Wifey is having fever due to mastitis. We went to see the doctor and she was given the necessary medications. During lunch time, Annabelle and Clarissa inquired as to what happened to their Mommy. They seems very concerned that their Mommy is not feeling well. I asked Annabelle and Clarissa to look after their brother and sister, and not to trouble their Mommy unnecessarily.

As I was getting ready to go to work, Annabelle reminded me, "Daddy, don't forget to pray for Mommy at work". I'm happy that she is very concerned about her Mommy's health and her trust in God to heal her Mommy.

"Father, heal Michelle and grant her a strong and healthy body. Grant the childlike faith of Annabelle that You are Jehovah Rafar, the God who heals. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen"

Even the Genie doesn't understand women

One day a man was walking along the beach when he found a
bottle, when he opened it up a genie popped out. The genie said
he could have one wish. The man thought about it a while then
told the man that he was afraid of heights and got sea sick,
but really wanted to go to Hawaii so he asked the genie to make
a highway to Hawaii.

"I don't know," said the genie, "that is really difficult. Do you
have another request?"

"Well, I really want to know all about women, you know, how
they tick and why they're the way they are!"

The genie replied: "Will that be two lanes or four?"

Lazy maid

We have read many stories of house maids being lazy. My wife's friends have complained about their maids. The number one problem that most of us maid owner faces is the maid being lazy. When they first started working, the maids would be very hardworking just to impress us. After a few months they started to show their true color. The maid would take naps whenever the employers are not around. The maid would not do the work as diligent as before.

We as parents of small children are quite worried when we have to leave our children with our maid. We wonder what the maid would do to our children. Would she treat our children well if we are not there to watch her. It is because of this fear and uncertainties of their maids, some of the parents thought of home security pima. I too have considered installing multiple security cameras and Direct TV around my house. Then I can watched what happened in my house when I am not there. Would the maid be sleeping? Would the maid be stealing food and other things in the house? Would the maid be watching TV instead of doing her household chores?

Whatever the situation is, we as parents are caught in the middle. We do not like the maid's attitude but we cannot live without the maid's service.

New opportunities for business expansion

An offer was given to buy over one small internet cafe at a very reasonable price. I'm interested to buy it but of course I don't have the capital. As much as possible I tried not to go into debt as taught in the Bible. The exception would be when I know that I can pay the debt on time.

Told a friend about the opportunity and he is very interested to buy it also. Let's see how things work out. Oh Lord, what's your plan for me in this area?

Nice signboard

After 4 years under the sun, my cybercafe signboard has worn out. The pictures and wordings can't be read. I've been wanting to look for an Advertising Agency that can replace the signboard with a reasonable price. The only factor that is holding me back is lack of money. It cost me about $1800 to install the signboard four years ago.

There's one shop that has an attractive signboard. They use glowing lights around the wordings. However, it only look beautiful at night when the lighting is on. It was something new that I have never seen it being done elsewhere. I called up the owner of the shop to ask for the contact of the Advertising Agency that did their signboard but he has yet to return my call. I guess I have to look around for any Advertising Agency that can do the same signboard for my shop.

How to increase sales?

It has been a while since the maintaining mentality crept in. Since all the profits are just enough to support the family, there's nothing much to spend on the business. So, the best thing to do for the business is to maintain and hoping that the customers would be happy with what we have to offer.

If there's extra profit to spend on the business, there are many things I want to change. The signboard is in desperate need of change. That would cost about $2K. Another unit of air-conditioner could keep all the customers cool and cozy wherever they are seated. And of course the floor can be upgraded. Many thoughts came to mind. I've seen the trade show flooring and the trade show carpet. I'm still trying to figure out which is the best upgrade for the floor. Cost and durability are two main factors to be considered. Maybe a few of my company logo mats to greet the customers would create a nice atmosphere. I was thinking of using logo canopy outside my shop but that would not be appropriate for the time being.

Praying that once God bless me with more profits, all the above changes can be done. Then, once the place is more elegant and conducive for the customers, they would come again and again and my sales would increase and increase.

Am I Kicking Out My Tenant Again

From the day I started renting my apartments until today, I have not get any tenants that do not give me any problem or any that stay through the contract period. Either they leave earlier or I kick them out.

At present, both my tenants have been late in paying the rentals. One of them can't even pay the full amount of the electricity bills till I have to cut the supply. I have been giving in to them for the past 2-3 months. One of my tenant's father even called me to tell me to stop harassing his daughter for rent! I smsed once to asked for payment. The tenant gave a date. On that particular date, I did not received the promised payment so I called. Right after that phone call, the father of the tenant called me. I doubt he understands the meaning of "harassing". If my wife were to talk to him, I'm sure she will kick his daughter out from the apartment that instance.

This month will be their last chance. If they are late again next month, I'll tell them to look for other apartment. Then I will have to go through the hassle again to look for furniture cleaning tips, floor tile cleaning machine austin and best home carpet cleaners austin to make the apartment clean again before I put it up again for rent.

I am really praying hard that we will get a good tenant next.

It is not fair at all

Recently, there was a story of a house owner who was slapped with a fine of $3K by the electric company for stealing electricity. Unfortunately for him, he does not do it. It is his tenant who did it. His tenant is an employee of the electric company so he knows the dirty trick to steal electricity. The owner who had to pay the outstanding electricity bill of $5K when the tenant left the house had to fork out another $16K to repair the house before he can rent it out again. He thought that his ordeal is over until he received the fine for something that he does not do. It is just not fair at all.

I too have been cheated by my tenants before. I had to pay $2.5K for the outstanding electricity bill. It is just not fair. In situations like these, I wished that I have good Compensation Lawyers that can fight for my case. Why should I have to come out my hard earn money to pay for other people's usage? Or in the case of the house owner, why should he pay the fine when the electric company failed to take action after numerous reports being made by the house owner.It is not fair at all.

Protecting our children

I read with a shock about the latest tragedy on a seven year old boy in Arau, Perlis. He was tied up with a rope and repeatedly assaulted by the school teacher. He died two days later in the hospital. What on earth is happening to the school system in this country? Disciplining a child is a must but it must never cross the boundary of abuse. We hear of cases of kidnapping, molestation, rape and various kinds of abuses on our children reported in the paper almost daily. The world is getting worst everyday.

We need to protect our children from evil people. Yet, we also need to protect our children from our own ignorance. Many times, our children would suffer from our lack of knowledge about the danger or side effects of the medicine we give them. One good example is Topamax. While it is generally prescribed by the doctors to prevent migraine headaches to both children and adult, it can also cause cleft lip or cleft palate – birth defects that occur when the lip or palate fail to completely fuse together. It is our responsibility as parents to ensure that we are being informed thoroughly of any kind of medicine the doctor wants to prescribed to us and to our children. Most of the medicines would have side effects.

If any of your children are suffering because of such negligence by the doctors, one option is to go for Topamax lawsuit. Check out O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers – 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701 – 512-494-9949 or any other lawyers that you know can help.

The world is no longer safe for our children. We as parents must take up our responsibilities to ensure their safety, directly or indirectly.

A big batch of chicken salad

Guest post written by Betty Slagle

I have a really big lunch that the women in missions at church is hosting for members after church on Sunday morning. That means that I need to take at least one dish with me to it, so I've been going through some of my cookbooks looking for stuff. But when it comes to those lunches, anything that's supposed to be hot kind of gets lukewarm by the time that people actually eat it.

So I thought that for once I would actually fix something that keeps cold instead. I went online to figure something out to fix and when I was doing that I came across some info about satellite internet packages and after I read a little more info I decided to sign up for one of them for my home service.

I decided to make a big batch of homemade chicken salad to keep in the fridge during teh church service and a platter of different kinds of bread and crackers so that people can get stuff to put their chicken salad on.

Back to the old days - the slingshots

When I was still young, I used to play with slingshot. We don't have the money to buy the ready made slingshot so we make our own slingshot. That was fun. The best branch that is suitable for the slingshot frame is the guava tree branches. We can always find a "Y" shape branches that can be used for the slingshot frame. We then would go and find unused bicycle tire tube and cut it into long strips to be used as the band. As for the holder of the stone, we would find any suitable leather (mostly from old worn out or torn shoes). It was fun making our own slingshots, something that we can be proud of and treasure so much.

We would then practice shooting with our slingshots. I pitied the chickens, buffalo, squirrels, dogs and also the trees that became our target practice. We would play till late evening and get hands dirtied picking up the stones from the ground as our ammunition. I don't remember our parents being hysterical when they see us dirty. We can just go to the well and give ourselves a good body cleansing scrubs. Our scrub set is not the modern type of scrubs as most of it are from nature or whatever that we can use to scrub our body. Now, you can find medical nursing scrubs that are sold in the pharmacies or even online.

Now that I have my own children and they are big enough to use a slingshot, I decided I would make our own slingshots. Thank God that there are still a few guava trees at the back of our house compound. Instead of using unused tire tube for the band, I decided to just use the rubber band. Managed to find an old shoe and cut off the leather for our slingshot stone holder.

The first slingshot are ready made slingshot bought from the shop. The other three slingshots are made by yours truly for the children to play.

Okay, now it is time to use the slingshots to shoot at the stray dogs hanging around the house. Adios.

Too nice also dangerous

A fellow was very much in love with a beautiful girl. One day she told him that the next day was her birthday. He told her he would send her a bouquet of roses... one for each year of her life.

That evening he called the local florist and ordered twenty-one roses with instructions that they be delivered first thing the next morning.

As the florist was preparing the order, he decided that since the young man was such a good customer, he would put an extra dozen roses in the bouquet.

The fellow never did find out what made the young girl so angry with him.

Daddy's Empty Chair

From Cybersalt Digest

A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.

"I guess you were expecting me, he said.

'No, who are you?" said the father.

The minister told him his name and then remarked, "I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up."

"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man.

"Would you mind closing the door?"

Puzzled, the minister shut the door.

"I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head. I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me, 'Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest. Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I will be with you always'. Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now.'"

"So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful though If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey....Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church.

Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon.

"Did he die in peace?" he asked.

"Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange about his death.
Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?"

The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we could all go like that."

Fish Project 2 - turn tortoise

Went again to the paddy field trench at 3pm. It was hot, too hot that I decided to go home and wait till it is evening. Brought Belle and Barnabas to the shop to buy fish net. The good quality scoop net cost about RM35 while the not so good cost only RM22. Since I wont be able to go fishing most of the time, I decided that the not so good scoop would suffice.

By the time we reached home, it was cloudy and we are able to go to the paddy field trench again. Now it is not only Belle and Barnabas who followed, but Clarissa, Phoebe and Shannelle also followed. They are really excited especially Belle. I think Belle wants to go into the muddy water again.

Unfortunately the water is still too much for my aging body to scoop all out. Thank God for the fish scoop. Using the scoop, I managed to catch small fishes but that is not what I wanted to catch. I was looking for ikan haruan/catfish or ikan betuk. After a few scoop, to our surprise we found a baby tortoise in the net. Wah...at least there is a worthwhile catch. After a few more scooping without any big fish catch, we headed home. Oh ya...another leech tried to suck blood a few minutes after I went into the water. Too bad for it as I found it early. No free blood donation this time.

Catch Fish project -1

Went to the paddy field trench this morning. Woke up at 8.15am and decided that I'll try to do what I want to do this morning. Woke up Annabelle and Barnabas, told them that we are going to catch fish. They immediately wake up and change. Clarissa has been up early and watching TV.



Armed with 3 pails and one scoop, we went down to the trench. The water is still alot. Oh dear... looks like I wont be able to get anything. Anyway, since we are there, I might as well get myself and the children muddied. Went down into the trench and built a "dam" so that I don't have to scoop so much water. But the task of building the "dam" is quite daunting.

Annabelle is adventurous enough to want to go down into the trench. So down she went into the muddied water. Then Barnabas also agreed to go down. By this time, the once brave Clarissa has become the timid little Princess and decided that she wants to go home.

While Belle and Barnabas "enjoying" themselves in the muddied water, I continued with my "dam" building project. Then their Mommy and Clarissa arrived. After taking photo, Mommy went back. Clarissa, feeling a bit brave and maybe seeing the "joy" of Belle and Barnabas in the muddied water decided to join them. But when she got mud on her feet she starts to cry and cry. Duhhhh....cry so loud until the people in the nearby taman can hear.

Decided then to finish the dam before going back. At least the dams are in place. Hoping that the weather will be hot and the water will dry up a bit more. Still not sure when I can go catch fish again with my children.

Oh ya, a leech decided to help itself on my leg. I guess the leech got on my feet for quite a while since he looks full with my blood.

Foreign worker

An outsourcing boss offered me a foreign worker to work in my cybercafe. Monthly pay of RM900 and a place of accommodation. Well it seems that this guy has all the qualifications in IT knowledge which is good.

My main consideration is whether I can trust him to handle the cash. That is the main issue for most bosses. Of course someone will say that unless I try I would never find out. Well, that's true but it would be a 2 years contract and what would I do if I found out that he is not honest after a month. Headache.

The current part time staffs are trustworthy. The only problem is that their working time are not fixed. Lack of motivation seems to be evidenced in them too. Well, I guess staff will always have staff's mentalities. Though as Christians we are exhorted to work as though we are working for Christ, it is not always easy to do so. Staffs always think about their own convenience and want more money.

Hmmm...if need too, I will consider the foreign worker.

Catching fish

It's been a long two weeks of working almost 12 hours a day at the shop. My body is weakened by lack of exercise. I need to have time to exercise. Exercising at work is not a good solution as I don't like to feel sweaty and sticky while serving my customers. Surely no customer likes to be near a sweaty and stinky guy. Well, lets see whether I can have time to exercise next week.

Went to see the paddy field last Sunday. Saw the drain (parit)and it is drying up. The water is muddy and there's signs of fish in it. Well, maybe I'll bring my children to catch fish this weekend. Hopefully, I can be free on Saturday morning. This Sunday is fully booked with church activities.

Its been a very very long time since the last time I went to catch fish kampung style. By kampung style, I mean by draining/scooping the water out from the drain or small pond. I'm sure it would be the first time for my children and I hope they will enjoy it and get themselves dirty by the mud. Hahaha... the maid would have lots of scrubbing to do this weekend. Hoping to catch some ikan haruan/catfish and ikan betuk or whatever fish that can be eaten.

Really looking forward to this event.

What's important is...

Received this from Cybersalt Digest.

What's important is...
not what kind of car you drive,
but rather how many people you give a lift.

What's important is...
not the size of your house,
but rather the number of people you welcome into your home.

What's important is...
not your social status,
but whether you live your life with class.

What's important is...
not what you possess,
but rather what you give.

What's important is...
not how many friends you have,
but rather how many to whom you are a friend.

What's important is...
not how much overtime you worked,
but rather if you work overtime for your family and loved ones.

What's important is...
not if you live in a great neighborhood,
but rather how you treat your neighbor.

10 years of marriage

Time passes so fast. I can't believe that I've been married for 10 years. I thought that I was only married for 2-3 years only. Ohh... ya... I have 5 children now... so it must be true. walao... 10 years married de lah.

Ok... time to look back at these 10 years that passes by unnoticed (most of the time).

Status : from married (husband) to family man (husband cum father)
Vocation : church worker to cybercafe operator
Weight : from 72kg to 78kg
Height : still the same lah
Fitness : from superb to lembik de
Face : from clean shaven to trimmed moustache and beard
Hair : from short to short + pony tail
Favorite food : still likes sambal and lempeng. KFC is recently dropped from the favorite list. Bread + salad has recently been added to the list.
Favorite color : not important any more
Favorite sexual position : u no need to know lah... hehehe
Best girl friend : still that tomboyish girl that I got to know almost 20 years ago
Best guy friend : from Jasonkalai to none so far (in the process of building new guyships)

Ok...if someone asked me the secret to building good marriage I would say, "hmmm...know your partner inside out and settled it in your heart, mind and soul all the things that you don't like about your partner. Oh ya, don't forget to know the love language of your partner. It would definitely save you lots of time, effort and money in building up your marriage."

What are some of the achievements that I'm proud of? Well, God tells us not to be proud, so I would say that I'm very happy of these achievements that God has allowed in my life. :
-able to relate with my wife, loving her more and more throughout these years
-have 5 adorable special unique children and counting
-clear my business debt
-still maintain my faith in Jesus

What are my fears?
That God would take my wife away first and leave me with the children.
Or that God would take away my family...not sure whether I can be like Job who stands firm when all things are taken away from him.
And that I will fall away from my faith.

What are my nightmares? Dreaming of still being a student and haven't got a clue of what I'm supposed to study and the exam is tomorrow.

What are my plans?
To do the will of God for my life and family.
To have a better and more beautiful relationships with my wife, children and family members in the next 10 years.
To handle the "half time" challenges in a positive way.

oh ya... I luv u lah Michelle.

The Ugly Truth - acne

Watched this movie twice in the past one week. I normally don't watch movies more than once unless it is good. Okay, this movie is not superbly great but it is worth watching. It is hilarious with lots of sexual puns intended which makes it not suitable for children to watch/hear. There's not many nudity scenes but the message portrayed is definitely of low moral standards.

Anyway, it reminded me the facts/truth that many of us focus on the looks than on the inner beauty. Girls would do their best to look beautiful. Teenagers especially girls are prone to be be low on self esteem when they experience the acne breakouts. Many will be desperate to use Accutane to treat their acne problem. Accutane is a form of vitamin A and when used it reduces the amount of oil released by oil glands in the skin, and helps the skin renew itself more quickly.

But the problem is that Accutane can cause severe, life-threatening birth defects. Therefore,never use Accutane if you are pregnant. If however, you feel that you've been wrongly treated with accutane, go find a lawyer and file an Accutane Lawsuit. You can check out O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers – 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701 – 512-494-9949.

I remembered that I used to press my acne when I was a teenager. Yes, that was a stupid thing to do. It leaves acne marks on my face but it gradually disappears when I got older. Instead of getting better look, it makes my face looks ugly. That's an ugly truth. I would suggest that you find a better remedy for your acne problems. A good balance healthy diet is the most important during this "acne" period.

Garden pangkin

At last, I managed to finish the garden pangkin that I wanted to make long time ago. It took the whole of Friday evening and Saturday morning to finish it. And I am very happy and happy with the result. It is a simple roofing to protect the garden pangkin from rain. All the materials are available around the house so there's not much expenses involved. Only need to buy RM2.00 worth of long nails. Two pieces of the garden pangkin wood have deteriorated and had to be replaced.

After applying a layer of white paint, the garden pangkin is ready. Even managed to nap there on Sunday afternoon. I guess when the other brothers come back, they would want to add their "touch" to the garden pangkin. Maybe this CNY, I will sleep on the garden pangkin. Of course, must put up the mosquito net.

Waiting

For the new arrival. So far everything has been according to plan. May God's protection and blessing be upon the mother and baby. May He provides cheerful, kind, skillful and compassionate doctor and nurses to assist in the delivery room. And may the baby be born without any problems and complications. May it be fast and without much pain for the mother. May God give me the opportunity to witness the birth of His blessing to us.

Praying also that the siblings especially Ezra would love the new baby and be happy to care and look after him/her. May I would have the time to juggle my time for the business and the family needs.

All praise, glory and thanks be unto God.

Father-in-law in the hospital

Received a call from wifey, saying that her father has been admitted to the hospital. He complained of pain when urinating. There are traces of blood in his urine. In the hospital the doctors did a scan and found the cause to be gall bladder stones. After consultation with him, he agreed to do the operation the same evening.

When we visited him at night he told us what happened before the operation. He was given four jabs of anesthetic by a nurse. All the nurse there wear uniform but the ones in the operation theater wear different nursing scrubs. He said that the injection was painful, similar to an electric shock. The operation took about an hour and the doctors managed to take out the stones. He complained of the cold (almost freezing) temperature in room. After the operation, the nurses changed his scrub clothing and brought him to the ward where he will stay for a night. Mother-in-law was there to accompany him. Ezra was happy to see his grandpa but I doubt he understands what has happened to his grandpa.