JUNE DELIGHT

My heart is full.

Brandon and June Chong started their humble pie kitchen at the height of the pandemic, about thirty months ago! An impossibility that has become a reality.

True, there's nothing glamorous, glittery or high flying about baking pies and fashioning cookies! Kitchen work is largely hard work requiring an enormous amount of patience, perseverance and panache! It's decent and honest work.

Like many young couples they are faced with huge challenges, anxieties, uncertainties and negativism in their daily lives, sustaining a livelihood and raising kids!

Yes, God is good and He provides.

Thirty months seem short to some but to others it may seem like eternity. We are grateful for our growing list of customers. Slowly and steadily we continue to trust God believing He has the best plan for their business.

SHINE ON

You don't need to apologize for your brilliance! You were created to shine. Of what use is a lamp that is hidden under the bed!

Let your light so shine that others around you bask in the warmth and dance to the flickering glow... Wishing one and all a chillaxing weekend.

KISS

Find joy and take delight in the little pleasures of life. Constantly remind ourselves to KISS ... Keep It Simple, Sweetie.

Be happy and do good! There're so much clutter in the closet of our minds and hearts that often shut out the really important and significant stuff.

REALITY

It's rather alarming and difficult to 'brain' but sooner or later we will find out that we mean very little to the same people who mean a lot to us. That's reality. OUCH!!

It doesn't REALLY matter though...because we know we are enough!
Wishing one and all a lovely weekend regardless.....

Hello October

 Ushering in the month of October with verve, vigor, velocity and positive vibes that promote and enhance personal growth and progress. Humans are constantly in pursuit of happiness in one form or the other. If you want to be happy, be happy! Dare to be different. Happiness, after all, is an attitude that can be cultivated, and over time will bear the desired fruit. Wishing one and all a blessed, productive and fruitful week ahead.

Old world charm

Once in awhile it's refreshing to slip into something unconventional. The cheongsam is certainly not our daily attire but it does make one look dainty, dressy and demure. All in good fun to play 'charade' recently for a party theme ...and was transported back in time to sophisticated Shanghai in the 30s...and what a great party it certainly was.

Family

I suppose running a home is somewhat likened to running a company! We need organizational skills and expertise to enable us to recognize individual's strengths and weaknesses to place people in roles they can best serve in. Hone...harness all our corporate resources for common goal and interest. Treat each other with respect, dignity and uphold one another. Humble ourselves and in selfless giving, work at building a strong alliance with trust and confidence. Humility stems from God. Give credit when credit is due and chastise with tough love, sound teachings and corrections...definitely with hands on, ear to the ground and feelers in the air. Doubt auto pilot mode would do the trick! Yes, enjoy the intimacy of family which is possibly the most significant and precious of all relationships.

In the beginning God created family...and it was very good.

One day at a time

"Learn to accept ingratitude!"

Say what...?

Learn to accept ingratitude! Let this sink deeply into our minds and hearts. We'll be better off physically, emotionally and spiritually. The primary reason why we are often upset, hurt, disappointed and disillusioned is because of expectations not met; being taken for granted; being misunderstood; being taken for a ride!

Do ourselves a favour; do the right things; do things right.

And don't expect a thank you even when you're rated excellent by all standards. OUCH!!

Even so let love, joy, peace and contentment fill our hearts as we give thanks and take 'one day at a time...'

Close of the age

Do not leave for tomorrow what we can do today! To procrastinate is to postpone what could well be the prelude to our desired peace, prosperity, contentment and joy...

When lethargy, sloppiness and laziness creep in, that's the time to get moving...fast! Stay on track, keep going and don't look back at the competition. There isn't any! We're racing with ourselves...

EB

Eggs Benedict...I was first introduced to this superb breakfast/brunch delight in Australia and then New Zealand. I've been hooked since. There are many ways to serve EB in different lands. This is the Malaysian version. Perfect with long black ... yummy

For Such A Time As This

Queen Esther (in Old Testament time) made a bold declaration, "If I perish, I perish!" I imagine there was a quiver in her voice when she said that.

Still, she committed to give her all knowing that if she failed, she would lose her life.
Many have since borrowed her famous and courageous one liner in the face of extreme dangers, difficulties, dire situations and tragedies
Queen Esther believed in giving her all in pursuit of a noble cause. She stuck with it and a tremendous miracle happened in her day.
When we are lukewarm; neither hot nor cold, we are regarded as useless! When we dare to go after what we believe to be pure, good and noble; with faith in our heart and all that's in us, only then can we expect changes and even miracles to happen. 

Arise... for such a time as this.
Wishing everyone a joy filled and purposeful weekend.

PRICELESS TREASURE

A wedding gift from an aunt more than four decades ago. Back then it must have taken Ah Yee weeks or even months to laboriously weave together each thread to create such perfection...truly a priceless treasure for me to admire and cherish. Ah Yee is old now well into her eighties but I will always remember her young, fast, feisty and full of fire. Thank you, Ah Yee 

Memories are made of these.
And the weekend is here...enjoy

CHOOSE WISELY

The joy of the Lord is my strength! God, alone, gives eternal peace, joy and prosperity while the riches of the world is temporary and fleeting like chasing after wind. Joshua 24:15 "...choose for yourself whom you will serve but as for me and my household we will serve the Lord."

DISGUISE

Blessings come in many disguises. Often we missed them because they were not packaged the way we imagined they should be! Truly we have so much to be thankful for. Puji Tuhan...

BIRTH PANGS

Some things take forever to happen but when they do, they are nothing short of stunning!

And the same with some of our fervent prayers and petitions. At times the only result seems to be the sound of them bouncing off the ceiling...

The waiting can be most unnerving and frustrating.

If there's anything I've learned from my Camelia plant is that the flower has been working its way...invisible to the naked eye... to birth forth. It was long in coming, through no fault of its own. The environment wasn't exactly conducive. Despite all the circumstantial obstacles and setbacks, with naysayers 'cursing' her, she still pushed through and when she finally emerged, she took my breath away. Look...what a beauty she is.

As with our prayers and petitions...if they are align with God's will and purpose...they will surely see amazing breakthroughs in the Father's perfect timing

MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION

Dreams don't usually die a natural death! They are killed by discouragement, mockery, fear, neglect and unbelief. How sad. It's better to say, "Oh my, I really did it!' and scaled the impossible heights we were created to conquer. That, or sigh with mournful regret, "if only ..." and sink to pathetic depths, to wallow in self pity.

Pursue your dream, that one glorious passion and magnificent obsession that refuse to go away. Live it and live your destiny ...

TGIF...enjoy the weekend

SUB CONSCIOUS

We are what we think all day long! Be careful what we deposit into our sub-conscious mind. Our greatest power is the capacity to choose. Therefore focus on joy, peace, harmony, unity, love, prosperity, health, longevity ...and these same desires, in time, will manifest themselves in our lives. Sleep in peace, get up in joy! Wishing all a fabulous week ahead.

WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE

They say, "Iron sharpens iron!" I believe that is true of us. They also say, "Love covers a multitude of wrongs!" I agree ... it is love...tough love...that will eventually over rule all for good. Happy Women's Day, Tai'Cheh (big sister) and to all the amazing women whose path I have the joy, honour and privilege to cross. 

We are more than enough...

THOSAI (DOSA)

Thosai (Indian pancake) drowning in curry with teh tarik (pull tea) at any time of the day and night. Malaysia is still food paradise ... macam macam makanan sedap ada. (all sorts of yummy delicious local favorites are available) Yummy in my tummy ...

YEARS GONE BY

Just like that...twenty five years had slipped by between the time the two pictures were taken! And what a ride those two and a half decades had been! Given a chance to live that time over again, I wouldn't do life differently! Things weren't always perfect but they could be much worse. I am exactly where I should be at the here and now. Anywhere else and I would be fish out of water. Giving thanks with a grateful heart

blessed and blissful

IMPERFECTIONS

We have a tendency to throw out anything that is broken, ugly and less than perfect. We blame, complain, grumble and whine at certain unfavourable and imperfect hand dealt to us. So often we worry, fret and sweat on what will eventually lack 'lustre' in a year, six month, six days or even six hours! And then we begin to wonder what the fuss was all about! Rather than be anxious and panicky we could try to turn adversities into opportunities; brokenness into a beautiful work of art. At least try...

BE GRATEFUL ALWAYS

Some prayers are best left unanswered; some words are best left unspoken; some dreams are best left unfulfilled; some memories are best left unearthed.

Be grateful for all we have and be thankful for all we have not! Tis for the best.

DREAMER

The adrenaline rush has since settled. The initial excitement has been replaced with quiet confidence. What was deemed impossible has become a reality. Changing our mindset prepared the stage for the 'miracle.' And so it's true the first step is always the hardest! 

And it doesn't help to surround oneself with negative and pessimistic people who are chronic dream killers and joy robbers! Ouch!! 

Never mind. Dream on...bigger...better...bolder...

Ask and you shall be given; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will open. Amen

TENACITY

Whatever 2022 holds for us, three things stand us in good stead; a positive attitude; a hopeful outlook and oh yes, bulldog tenacity that never loses faith nor says die. Bring it on!

PEACE AND JOY

Everyone is unique in his/her make up with distinct characteristics and mannerisms. It's not our place to change people especially by force. We'll be hitting our heads against the wall if we do that. At best we can encourage, persuade or motivate people to try to do better. Reward them when they make progress. Threats and punishment don't really help. These can even lead to eventual serious retaliation and rebellion which would be rather killing! Instead of wanting to change others, we ought to change ourselves which is a lot easier. After all our aim is to keep peace and remain joyful ....

FAVOR WITH GOD AND MAN

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; like a medicine is a merry heart.

A broken spirit dries the bones but a merry heart is a joy from above."
The best is yet to come although it doesn't look that way right now but right now isn't here to stay! Sure we've seen better days and certainly we'll see them again. Think it...speak it...will it...pray it...work toward it; declare all that's good, positive and optimistic into our lives and the lives of those who are associated with us in some ways. Pray that this pandemic will be uprooted and eradicated forever in accelerated time! Believe and breathe life into 'dry bones' and behold the dawning of a new day; new beginning; hope for a great future. The sun will surely make its appearance and the Greater Son, the hidden hand that holds the universe in place, continues to work behind the scene arranging things to our favor. Yes and Amen.