Saturday Rendevous

Long blog of the weekend... *grinz* This blog is dedicated to my CG & Brisbane friends.

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My Saturday started out with my mum waking me up telling me that she is going out with her friends. So my responsibility is to bring my dog downstairs for his afternoon walk. *yawn* She told me while I was sleeping. I wanted to exclaim "But but but but I am going to my shepherd's house to "bake" a cake?!?!" I decided to zip my lips and allow my mother to go out with her friends in peace. Think about it.. How many times she actually get to go out?

Yup! So, I had a CG gathering over at my shepherd's house. Prior to that, I met up with my shepherd to make a quick purchase of the items for the cake then had a "chop-chop culli-pock" (quick) shepherding session! Met up with a sister at the train station and made our way. Man.. I was FILLED with anticipation of the Mascarpone cheese and Kahlua down my throat!! We girls went over first to "bake" the cake - Tiramisu Cake. Why "bake"? Well.. We played cheat.. We did not use the oven to bake the cake. Rather, we used the shortcut of using "lady's fingers" for the layer of sponge cake instead.

It was a messy fun time. Because my shepherd don't really cook, you can only imagine for yourself that we had an interesting time looking for crockeries and stuffs.. Hee.. (Whoopz!!) But how can things as such destroy our excitement!! At the end of it all, we managed to get things going and I had fun looking at our cake "building up". I had my fun dipping the lady's fingers into the expresso. (Sorry.. For those who don't understand what I am saying, look into a Tiramisu recipe) Heehee...

The boys came over a little later with tidbits, drinks and themselves. That's when we started on our main purpose for the gathering - To watch a VCD "Raised from the Dead" by Reinhard Bonke's Christ For All Nations ministries. It was based on the parable in Luke 16:19-31 about the Rich Man & Lazarus. Basically, this pastor met with a very bad accident and was pronounced dead and laid in the mortuary for 3 days. The wife had faith that her husband should not die. Then, she heard about a meeting where Evangelist Reinhard was preaching and she brought her dead husband there where he was resurrected. Well, that's just the whole geez of it in a nut shell. When I watched it, my goosebumps were raised! Not only cause a miracle was performed but because of the Word of God that was driven through.

After the short clip of the miracle, E. Reinhard gave a short teaching on the parable (mentioned aboved). I like what he said - Does it mean that the rich go to hell and the poor go to heaven? No.. it's not that. The main difference between the rich man and the poor man is that the poor man believed in Jesus. The rich man begged for Lazarus to go back to earth so that he can tell his (rich man) brothers to believe in Jesus so that they will not go to hell. Logic is that if a dead man were to be resurrected, there is higher chance of his brothers believing and thus repenting. However, it is said in the bible that even when so many are speaking of God's Word to them, the brothers are not repenting, what difference will it make from someone who is raised from the dead?

Dead or alive, the only thing that went through my mind was - Grab hold of every opportunity. I speak from a background where I had backslided before. I had friends asking me to go back to God. I had friends who were exasperated when I turn them down (they were very gracious though). I also had friends who were frustrated with my stubbornness. However, when I came back to God and discovered for myself God's grace, mercy, love, joy, peace, I start to ask myself - Why didn't I go back to Him earlier?

At the end of the VCD, shepherd shared about having an evangelical heart. It's really not about numbers. It's not like the statistics has to be high in attendance. It's really about a soul. It's about a SOUL. I shared later about how God has been telling me - Go Local. I have always ALWAYS wanted to go overseas for Missions. It's almost like SO easy to love the poor kids in Africa, in Vietnam, in Cambodia, in Thailand. But God kept prompting me this year to open my eyes. Open my spiritual eyes to see what is happening locally. Start building a heart for WHEREVER I am. There is still so much I could do here.

After the VCD, we enjoyed the tiramisu cake - finally. In ALL honesty, it was NOT a very good cake. The previous recipe that I used before was better. Now.. I am in search of better recipe!! I have one BIG bottle of Kahlua to use!!

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Evening was a chatty, catching-up, clicking time for me and my Brisbane friends. It's really ironic at times. We only meet up once a year. ONCE a year. The fact that we meet up only once a year, it's not ironic that we talk alot. The ironic part is that the closeness still remains. When I was with them, I started to recall the times (reminiscing is my next best friend. Heee..) when we got to know one another in Brisbane.

Before heading towards the Church Conference in Sydney in year 2002, we had planned a trip to Melbourne. Drove up from Melbourne to Canberra and then to Sydney. The MOST memorable part was our stay in Mount Buller - Aeski Lodge. (Trust me.. It was a FANTASTIC stay. I will still go to this lodge if I were to go again.) Next to one snow flake that I saw in Birmingham, Mount Buller was the first time I saw REAL snow. (I did go in 2000 and guess what? The snow's NOT in season yet! So there was man-made snow. Phaaabt!!)

With permission, may I share a friendship I have with a close friend of mine. Despite those smiles shown on the (melbourne) photos, that trip was one that was filled with "inner anger", sadness, tears, whatever negative feelings you can think of (on my side). I had a huge quarrel with a friend. To cut the very long story short, that quarrel dragged for a long time (a near 2 years perhaps?? Can't recall..) all because I found it too hard in my heart to be big and forgiving. When I made the realization that I am petty, unforgiving, unloving, I started to see that it was not even a quarrel to begin with. It was a HUGE unforgiving act on my side. It was a HUGE issue of pride which I refused to give in. It was a HUGE anger and right that I was holding onto to tightly that not only I "suffer" but I had cause friends around us to "suffer" too.

What I truly thank God was how He has turned the situation around and turned us to good friends. Till this date, I cannot imagine how I could have done without this friend now.

Time. Time not only can heal wounds. Time can also bring friendships to a higher level - If we allow the level to elevate.

ANYWAY, before I get too long-winded, a display of photos from our Saturday Rendevous.. *smile* Notice how we have grown older, wiser (hmm.. hard to judge from a photo heh!), mature, PRETTIER (FLIPPED!), smilier, cuter, skinnier, plump-ier, lovelier, stylish-ier, etc...

Unfortunately, Edward is (AGAIN) the ONLY guy who turned up for our gathering. This poor boy has tried so hard to gather guys to come ONLY to be disappointed.. What really impressed me about Edward is that he stands whenever ANY of the girls arrived. Talk about being a gentleman. He has my 2 thumbs up!!!!

Tsk.. Can we EVER stop smiling? Rather, can we EVER stop clicking? If I may say it correctly, in that gathering, all I saw that evenings were smiles as we exchanged our life happenings, work, relationships, church. Hee.. I even felt that the Dory fish I consumed were smiling at me!! Haha!!

Oh.. At this juncture, may I share that the service that was rendered to us at Manhatten Restaurant (Plaza Singapura) has my 2 thumbs up also! The waiter and manager served to our very smallest details. They go through alot of trouble just to get 9 of us seated comfortably (though one of us will say that it's NOT comfortable as she was blocking the passage way. Hee...)

Now.. Because we ONLY meet like once or if time permits - TWICE a year, that once or twice is also known as a gift exchange day! The two "mugged" gal received their mugs which was meant for their last year's (I REPEAT - LAST YEAR'S) Christmas present!! Then well.. the rest are the August babies gift exchange.

On normal occasion, I would really not stay out late on a Saturday night. Reason being is because I would like to wake up early on Sunday for my church's prayer meeting. However, that Saturday night, I decided that times like these is really hard to come by. After dinner, we proceeded to the "Atas" (expensive in malay)-looking Restaurant and Bar in Istana Park - Giraffe. Every Sunday after church when I walk by that restaurant, I would always like to go in. However, it looked so expensive that I will always take a step back and go elsewhere to chill out. But surprisingly, it was reasonably affordable. (Let's hope the price won't increase!) *chuckle*

Can't believe it.. No matter how dark the place is, we could still find ways and means to take photos!

--> Just to prove that I had very healthy fruit juice!! Haha!! Someone there was EVEN healthier!! Drank a bottle of VERY expensive H20.. Hmmp!! Should have just gotten her to go toilet and drink tap water!! Haha!! Oh.. shucks!! Speaking of toilet, I SHOULD have taken the toilet signs!! Yours truly here nearly stepped into the GENTS.. Now.. Tsk.. Was I DRUNK on guava juice??

After doing so many photos, I decided that at this point, I REALLY should improve on my Photoshop skill so may I say that of so many pieces of "arts" I love this most. I love this pic that I took with my sister. I think - I really love this sister of mine. Haha!!!! I think ONLY because sisters being sisters, we do get on each others nerve!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!

My sister is so proud of herself taking this pic.. Hee.. Claims that she has a creative mind. Can't help but agree though.. I love the layout of the Margaritas.

Yupz.. If anything more is said, I can only say that "Friendship is a beautiful mystery". God has made humans to have interactions with one another. Through interactions, that's how quarrels are stirred up. But may I stand testified that when a quarrel or bad-feeling is properly dealt with, the friendship and relationship will grow to a higher level, a greater trust is built, a strong bond is strengthened. As I look back, I praise God and thank God for moulding me. I believe that since 2001, I have grown more mature through the MANY mistakes that I had made. (Of course, I am not saying that we MUST quarrel ah!! Hee.. Must put disclaimer)