BLog moved

Hi guys..as i've moved back..i'm moving to a new blog zone:P

here's the link-www.hisbelovedsprinter.blogspot.com

thank u for ur support!

COming home on a jet plane

Hey everybody..vivi's coming back today:) yeaps~

late notice but well..wasn't able to get some time to go on the web to tell everyone..

I'm arrivin on the airbus at 930pm back in Singapore..so if you are interested i'll see u there..otherwise, we'll see how it goes..

ooo..mixed feelings now..seeing u guys real soon!!-hugs-

Hey everybody!! thanks for your ardent support for my blog if u have been a true regular!!

It's my 1st year anniversary (++months i think) since i started my little humble blog!!!

Now, as I complete my studies in Australia, my life in the Down Under, I'll be having a couple more entries and then extending and changing the blog IF I HAVE THE TIME!!

If u have any requests on what sorta entries u will like..i'll try to meet all requests:)

I've a couple entries at hand
1) Graduation photo taking!
2) Cronulla- Whales at my feet!!

i might add more on packing stint..i've been packing ever since i shifted out of my lidcombe residence..hahaha..it's goin on forever!!!!

take care guys and i'll see u back home real soon!!

The curtain call~

After my exams, I started on another 5 weeks of placement at a children's hospital in Sydney. When I was 16, I never could imagine myself dealing with children. "They are cute when they are not yours." That's what many people tell me after they have their kids and they progress to the age when they can understand the meaning of being defiant:/ Scary enough, now at the age of 23, when my maternal instincts are calling out, I chose to do a placement that will have me face children-from neonates to adolescents- for at least 8 hours a day. I've never had any experience dealing with children- the closest I got to having dealing with childish behaviours was in Tekong and when I was in Australia dealing with most bizarre events of my life.

After these 5 weeks, I had such an urge to be a teacher! hahaha..I enjoy just playing imaginary running games in gyms, laughing at and joking about the littlest things, hearing honest comments, playing counting games from 1-700, arm wrestlings, pool therapy, ballet in the pool and birthday parties. I cherish the moments when my children listen to what I teach them to do and disciplined them so that they will be more well behaving children. I relish the moments when my children are able to get better from the conditions they are suffering from, smiling at me when they are get well. I indulge in every little victories my little warriors accomplished in their rehab process because I know it might seem small for us, but it could be the greatest thing they ever tried to do after being ill for so long. I learnt to celebrate the little steps they make, I learnt to love yet be firm in my rules, I learnt to be like a child.

The faith they placed in me makes me feel so important and responsible for their lives. Never mind the wailing and cryings I had to put up with them~ their lives create an amazing time for me at the hospital.

As I finished my last placement, the next time i step into the hospital- I am a physiotherapist. No more student before that name. I can no longer hide behind my supervisor and pretend that I know nothing. I can throw away the ugly looking pants that i wore for 4 years of my life. Probably for the first time in my life, I will look proper and well dressed in a hospital. HAHA...

When I look at the children, they remind me of that child like faith I had in Jesus when I first started out this course. I knew nothing about physio but still He took me by the hand and saw me through the goods and bads, the bad decisions and many victories. It was never easy finishing this course but still I managed to complete it:)

These 4 years been a real drama, whether it has been that in school, in canoeing, in church, at home, with my time in Australia- I knew there are things that i will not want to experience if i had a chance to turn it back, there are words that I said that I wish i could take it back, and there are people whom i trusted that i hope i did not trust in the very first place. Similary, these are things that if God had not given me, i'll have not grown much to know what I could and could not accomplish through him:)

Finally, time to take my curtain bows as the end of the my performance as a physio student has come to an end:)- curtseys for you-

When I call finally burn those papers without a worry

Week 11 into semester~ I finally put my pen down for the last written paper in my education life ( at least for now.) That feeling of knowing that I have no papers to study for in my life was ...WEIRD. I remembered that when I was in NYP, I was so happy..i threw almost all my notes away!!

Here~ I just felt that..MAN~ i'm going to be a physio back home.. how surreal is that and I so don't wanna go into that just yet.

Coming back from Mudgee was like yesterday's thing. I got down to cooking some Thai food when I reached Lidcombe and we had too much coconut and chilli padi that night..but I enjoyed cooking after long drought of not touching the pots and pans to whip up something nice to eat.:P Then, it was full swing on for assignments and also exams. Guess what!! I didn't sleep more than 5 hours in the past 3 days all because of my habit of procrastinating that got me into a real mess with work:P Somehow, I still survived till this very point to write this blog so I pray with all faith I will do fairly well for my papers:P

I'll be moving away from Lidcombe so there will be achange of address..if anyone of u wants it..just send me an email and I'll get back to you with the new one.

Lately, my family in Australia has been seeing additions. My cousin in law got pregnant and my other cousin is getting engaged. Then, the turn came to me when everyone started asking if I was goin to be at that stage any time soon. I was stumped..i thought of that but..I don't have one to fulfil that so I kept quiet. hahaha..o well~ It's all in God's good hands..He will send the biggest and most complementing person in my life:)

getting tired..need to sleep..NITE!

Mudgee-nest in the hills~

It was our 3rd week at Country Physiotherapy!!!

As we count down our weeks to the end of the PPD, I had mixed feelings as I approached the end of the week. We are half way there- we are half way there leaving Mudgee.

The 2.5 weeks of mornings that starts at 0600h when we have to make our way to Church street of Mudgee where our clinic is located marks the crucial countdown that we cannot make any mistake at our placements. Any mistake could cost you everything.

Even so, the warmth of the country people and my clinical educator caused me to put aside all these worries. Liz gave us a surprise treat at the High Valley today!!! I was so excited when I saw that we are going for cheese tasting and a good lunch.

She said we worked really hard so it’s good time for a reward. I had a good treat of hot chocolate in the morning from her too:P I feel super duper blessed!!! Liz’s the best!! She always encourages and gives pointers on how to improve. She teaches and not expects a whole load of you (which is good so I can learn the basics that I used to ignore LOL).

Sherry and I had a great meal with Liz at a beautiful place. I must go back there again:P
Then, Sherry and I had afternoon tea at grandma Shirley’s place again. I went to pay her a visit last week and got Sherry come along because grandma wanted more company.

Grandma Shirley made COffe CAKE!! Fabulous coffee icing I must say:)!! Boy~ Mudgee placement is really a thrill for the stomach, the heart and the brain. We talked about war days of Singapore- she actually read a book on that so we can have a chat on that and also her family and her days in Sydney. Granny had a new set of teapot and I took pictures of it- amazed at the collection she has.

As Mudgee had one of the coldest days in Autumn in the last few decades, I had the most amazing warm embrace from the Australians in Mudgee.

1) Frontline Christian Centre- Pastor Robyn’s ever welcoming hugs, meeting Christopher and Caroline who prayed for me, having tea at May’s and Grahm’s place and getting a VCD of Christian songs from May, Karen who chat with me real long, Emma’s offers to ride home, Rachael’s lunch invite to her place.
2) Granny Shirley’s afternoon tea.
3) Patients who don’t mind you treating them even when you are students
4) Liz- our amazing clinical educator who drops us home almost every night and offers to pick us up on rainy days, lunch and chocolate treats, cute winks and ever ready to teach us.
5) Ash and Karla who never cease to help us out with the administrative stuff at Country Physiotherapy
6) Ash’s mother who gave us blankets and a warm heater.
7) Getting a ride from a stranger when I was walking in the rain from work.
8) Wayne’s pumpkins and FREE RANGE EGGS!!
And the list just goes on..
Father, thank you for bringing me here. It was Mudgee that brought me back to the foundation- my foundation in you.

PS: thanks elain for your hugs given by shirlynnJ

A hope that never disappoints

I remembered of my youth days when I used to hear of the pastor sharing about the hope that is in our Lord Jesus Christ- because of that we can rejoice even in the midst of worries and adversities.

I then took the posture to rejoice and sometimes place myself in a position of self denial- denying the sadness and disappointment if I have to in order to demonstrate an attitude of belief in the so preached “hope”. Yesterday, I realized I had never truly understood and embraced such a hope till I read Acts 27:13-44.

That chapter of Acts is really long. So long, I fell asleep while trying to finish reading it. I bet it’s the pile of work that I had to keep up with that brought about such sleepiness (I know excuses as usual.) Anyhow, it was the study at Blue Sky that gave me an opportunity to truly examine and read in depth of what this common hope Paul and I shared- that Paul embraced but I had not.

As I read of the passage, the Holy Spirit begins to convict of my heart in the never failing hope that my Father in Heaven promises. As Paul, a convict that was due to sail and stand for trial before Caesar, was caught in the storm with the crew, he was the one who had the hope and faith in God to see that they will survive the storm without anyone lost to the menacing waves.

Paul was the only one on the ship who believed that God will deliver them- he spoke to the officer in charge, having to be rejected in the face on the first attempt because (perhaps) he was a mere convict. In fact, the entire crew banged on their sailing experience and knowledge to handle the rough winds, only to lose all hope of any chances of being saved when all attempts were in vain. (27:20) Then Paul came along once again, having first encouraged and assured the crew of preservation of their lives, and providing advice on how to manage the boat to deal with the sea happenings.

Paul did not have to do that. Why?
1) He was a prisoner on his way to stand trial- this was most probably the best chance to run away and escaped from the trial.
2) He was in the least position to speak because he has a status of a convict.
3) The situation out at sea was terribly bleak
4) He was not a sailor- does not have the relevant experience to advise
5) Nobody was bothered to listen initially.

Then, why did Paul still stayed and helped?
1) He heard from God
2) He had a promise from God
3) He found the hope in God
4) He was the only one who heard of the promise from God.
5) He saw the people- not himself.

Do you feel like you are Paul? You seem to be the only person in the light while the rest are in the dark or in their world? Do you think you will be as brave as Paul to vocalize if God has called you to even though you might be the most unlikely person to speak? What did you see in your situation of adversity- yourself, the people involved, God?

I believed with all my heart that Paul positioned his hope such that he saw God first and God led him to the people.

You could be in a situation now where you are of the least likely position to comment on a situation. It could be because you are not experienced, you are the involved party and might seem to be providing a bias opinion. You could be like Paul- at a lowly position that does not offer you the right to speak in the eyes of authority because you stand at their hand of mercy. I reckoned that Paul was frustrated when the officer refused to listen to him. Could you imagine if he stopped at that and never pushed his way through to make him heard? They could most probably have lost their lives to the raging seas.

For the hope he had in Jesus that he so wanted the people on board to have, he made sure that he must be heard.

As it was like Abraham coming to God and bargaining for God to spare the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, I believe God saw Paul’s heart and because Paul was on board- His mercy came and cover the ship all because of one man.

If you are the only person in a mess/situation that has hope and faith in God’s promises, God will deliver the group from the circumstances. Because of you (the only one), He will intervene in the situation. Because of your hope and faith, He will turn things round. Because of your hope and faith, He will change things. As such, that He shall be honoured and glorified by your faith and hope.

Today, you might be stuck in a real mud mess. You are thinking- Boy, I am the worst person to comment/ provide advice or even make mention of the matter. Could you have realized that you might be the only person that has a relationship with God and hear from Him? You might be THE ONE that he will use mightily to change things around- if you will only choose to position yourself in the posture to be used by God.

It just takes one person- are you the one?

PS: Was it worthwhile to go for the plunge? Paul’s hope and faith kept the lives of the 276 onboard the ship with the centurion having spared his and other prisoners’ lives. I think it will be.