my mom came home

thanks again for all your prayers. my mom came home on sunday afternoon from the hospital.

thankfully my little sister was around and was able to stay with us for 2 nights for the initial adjustments. my mom basically stays downstairs and sleep on a reclining chair (since she can't lay flat on a regular bed and was never able to really sleep comfortably even on the hospital bed that is able to rise her head level)

i am just exhausted from staying overnight at the hospital. although i was able to take breaks during the day while Joy from the office went to look after my mom, i just didn't get to sleep much. or even if i sleep, it's never deep because my mom needs my help with this and that or the nurses would come in and out to give her medz or check this or that...

well, i am glad that my mom seems to be getting better everyday and believe that she'll continue to get better. but keep praying for us...

i am also very behind on my reading for this assignment that i need to turn in. sigh.. pray that i can get an extension and also have the energy and focus to read and write... (i seriously don't know how i am going to finish the assignment in time... !!!)

(oh... my little sis also did an awesome job helping to clean up the house these few days... a lot of clutters were removed so my mom can move around the house more easily with the walker. somehow it just makes me feel much better without the clutter... thanks again sis!)

pray pray pray...

our co-worker, Joy just sent this thru email to some prayer supporters so I thought I would also post the link to the website.

Thanks again for your prayers!

USA CMI Prayer petitions

on the road to recovery...

(I just posted this on USA CMI website... thought I would ask for more prayers... Thanks!)

親愛的代禱同工：

再一次謝謝大家為我媽媽手術代幬。我現在在她的病房，今晚陪她

。雖然她看起來不太像剛開過大手術的人，但是離完全復原還有一點距離。剛才突然就感覺非常痛，我跟她禱告後，有一點點比較好，所以她要我發出這封緊急代幬信，請大家繼續為她完全復原禱告。

Dear Prayer partners,

Thank you again for praying for my mom's surgery. I am currently in her room in the hospital. I'll stay here with her tonight. Although she doesn't really look like someone who's gone thru a major surgery, there is still a good distance until her full recovery. Just now, she suddenly felt a lot of pain. After praying with her, she felt a little better and so she asked me to send out this emergency prayer letter. Please do continue to keep her in your prayers until her full recovery.

Blessings,

Pauline 凱萍

update on my mom

dear all

just a little update and please continue to keep my mom in your prayers.

tues--took another MRI and X-rays of her lower back
wed--went back to the neuro-surgeon and he affirmed that her problem is mainly due to her pinched nerve in her neck.
thurs--she fell in the afternoon after her nap because her legs were weak. thankfully the neighbor came over and helped me pull her up. she was emotionally very tired and thankfully uncle Morley and aunt Sophie came to visit. they talked and she was slightly better.
friday (today)...
she got up around 4am and went back to sleep around 7am then woke up again around 10:30. i fed her breakfast, gave her insulin shot (as usual)... THEN... she said she was blacking out (the middle area from her view looked light blue and the rest is grey). i took her blood sugar level and it was 85 (kinda low but ok). tried to take her blood pressure but couldn't get it. she started to feel numb in both arms and dizzy. not having any more solutions, we called 911 and the ambulance came.

we got to the hospital and they did a series of tests on her. we got there about 12pm and by 7pm, we were transferred to a normal hospital room for her to stay overnight until her doctors decide to release her from the hospital.

the good news is... by the end of today, the neuro-surgeon's office called and said they got approval from both the insurance company and the hospital that accepts the insurance for an operation on next tuesday (Mar 25).

the bad news is... from the examinations at the hospital today, they found some problems with her lung (i couldn't understand what the nurse was saying over the phone)

so... i've cancelled my trip overseas (there will be more chances in the future). my dad went yesterday and will be away for three weeks. thankfully my younger sis can help some since she's cut down her work. well, thankful also for having uncle Morley, aunt Sophie around. thankful for support from our office staff, Joy... and of course talking to people about it also relieves me.

honestly, it was really scary this morning when the paramedics came (although they were really nice and helpful.. also very quick). being in the hospital all day was tiring... i also need strength and prayers.

thanks y'all

Pray for my mom

I think I've sent some emails to some of you, but maybe missed out on some.

Well, for the past few weeks, my mom's legs started to lose sensation, getting numbed, and losing strength. After an MRI on her neck area spine, it showed that her nerve in the spine has been pinched pretty badly. It's probably due to her diabetic condition and falls in the past. This past Wednesday we (my younger sis and I) took her to a neuro-surgeon. The surgeon was shocked at the seriousness of her condition and of the fact that we've only brought her to the doc just now. He said that surgery should be done ASAP but there are a few complications.

1. her previous MRI was only of her neck. the doc suspected that there are other areas along her spine that needs to be operated on. so she's getting more MRI and X-rays done next Tuesday.
2. our health insurance has cancelled their contract with the hospital that the doc normally operates from. so.. either he will operate from another hospital (which they might not have available operating rooms that soon) or get the insurance company to grant an exception for my mom to be operated at the first hospital.

another thing is... until my mom gets her MRI & X-rays done next Tuesday, the doc cannot have a surgical plan. thus delaying all processes of trying to schedule an operation room and negotiation with the insurance company.

sigh...

so... please pray that everything will go smoothly and my mom can get surgery done soon. of course also for the surgery itself that there will be no complications (esp since she's diabetic) and for quick recovery.

thanks

My Feb 2008 Prayer letter

funny wine guy

how to distinguish those subtle flavors in wine?

well... got this video from one of my DMiss cohort... we were watching it just now and literately laughing our lungs out... enjoy!


http://view.break.com/343258 - Watch more free videos

Happy Lunar New Year！！

Just want to wish everyone a very happy and blessed lunar New Year

新春快樂！

hard questions and answers

i subscribe to some blogs that come my way. i think this one came to me thru SM. i posted the link last time.

well, the new entry on the road to emmaus caught my eye and i was wondering how people responded to the question asked. interestingly, only two people responded. if you read the first person's comments and interaction with the bible illustrator, it's clear that he doesn't believe in God or things in the bible. i guess after finishing another book in preparation for my course, i was also left with the impression that the churches today need to do better jobs in answering and facing some hard questions that people are having (kinda like this guy). and as much as we would like the world to be perfect, it's just not. somehow God has left us with these hard questions to struggle thru as well...

i don't have any answers for this person about God and why the Holy Spirit are not revealing the Truth to him. i also don't have many answers for many questions that i ask on a daily basis. i also don't believe in mere blind faith. i guess what i am trying to post here is that although i have no answers and i live each day by faith (to the extend of grace God has been able to grant me), i AM saddened by the reality of the response of this person...

campbell soup

it's raining outside (which is rare for southern CA but regular since i moved here :p)... woke up late because i took a nyquil last night. that stuff is very strong. it knocked me off for good many hours. after i got up, took mochi the dog out for a short walk. i was starving and cold by the time we got back. saw the laus have some canned soup in their storage and took it as a fast meal that's also comforting.

suddenly it just made me think of coach wagner from parkview, the one who taught me trig and calculus. he used to work at campbell soup before he became a teacher. i rem one day he was telling the class about how they make soup. somehow a vivid imagery of coach wagner (who later got his PhD but still insisted to be called coach) wearing a white hairnet, carrying a writing board with him surveying the soup making factory.

interesting how certain things trigger certain memories.

free stuff

been seeing advertisement on the web for "free windows vista premium" "free revlon mascara" "free trial version of living christian material" etc. i guess it's also a part of adjustment back to the life here... although i've always known that there's no such thing as a free lunch and greediness for "free" things will always suck you into spending more money than you thought you are saving, i still clicked on these "free offers" a few times in the last couple of weeks and finding out the gimmicks of these "free" stuff giveaway. most of the time they ask you to subscribe or buy one of the products advertised on their website before they would give the things to you. and every time when i reached this step, i just don't see anything that's worth signing up or trying out (even the so-called "living christian" material... the monthly cost will be about $70 after a 14-day trial period. and you would have to call them to cancel the subscription and i know it would be super difficult to win the tele-marketers in their determination to make money off of you). this morning i got 4 or 5 emails of advertisement. (which i also just got my email address off from the mailing lists) i hope i've learned my lesson...

168 service

yesterday was jan 6, 08. which can be written out as 168. in cantonese, it means prosperity all the way and it was also the date that the Grace Mission Church International (GMCI) had our very first Sunday service. the whole service lasted about 2 hours but i didn't really felt it because of all the excitement and passionate sharing from many pastors both from our own church and those who came as guests.

i had left the house about 7:40am since it takes about 50 min drive (on hwy for the most part) and i wanted to be there to help set up anything that is needed. most of the core group people and their families were there around 8:30ish and everybody helped with anything that was needed. this is really an amazing group of people who are all very willing to serve.

there were about 100 people who came for the 1st service. there was even one family who came from the neighborhood nearby because the wife had a dream the night before about how God wants them to visit a new church. when they drove out from home, they saw one of the beautiful signs of our new church on the street corner so they came.

i pray and hope God will provide more people like this so we can reach the community (about 10% Chinese living in this area and more houses are being built... i can't imagine what would be the racial composition of this community) most of the communities are gated so if we would to build relationship with the unchurched, we definitely need God to open doors for us.

pray for me too... with the responsibilities of coordinating the youth ministry... i need A LOT of wisdom, energy, and creativity...

Interesting new TV shows

so i was doing my usual activity tonight--watching tv (as stress relieve to all the readings that i need to do for next month). came upon two new shows on lifetime tv...

how to look good naked
and
matched in manhattan
(links provided but those who are not living in the US might not be able to see the episodes)

the first show was certainly interesting... unlike the other makeover shows, this is about making women feel their worth in the physical state they are in. of course carson was a little much but it certainly struck a chord with me since weight has always been a struggle. what's more wonderful about the show is teaching women to love themselves as who they are and be smart about how to dress themselves in a flattering way tailored to their bodies... from the first moments of the first show, it is obvious that women might have a false assumption of their physical appearance (my guess is that it's from all these images that we've been fed from the media). it makes world of difference just to have that perception changed. and the 2nd one is almost like the movie Hitch. there were some interesting tips on dating and (for women) where to find men in manhattan (in the 1st episode.... not sure about the subsequent ones). the guy coaches people, gives them tips of what not do to do and what should be done, and sit with them to evaluate on how the dates went. as interesting as these shows are, i think ultimately the message for me is that i need to learn to love myself more and see my worth as who i am. (that will take a while to digest and implement...) so this is mostly for the ladies out there (i think) and also somewhat of a continuation of clichephrase's 2nd blog entry... (er... so now it's only limited for a few eyes to see, huh? )

some people just seem to got issues...

been living in LA for about 3 months now and somehow it never cease to surprise me of how many unhappy people you might encounter that might also just ruin your day...

for example... this lady in our neighborhood (president of our home owners' association).

i don't understand why every time she talks to people about problems, she always seemed to be super pissed with a tone of belittling you all the time.

a week ago my parents' friend came to drop off the dog. he parked his car outside of our garage for just a few minutes, this lady came ringing our doorbell and chewing me off about the car parked outside of our garage. i mean, what was i to do??? the guy was just there for like 5 minutes!!!

and this afternoon we discovered that the pipe outside of our house was leaking so i called the plumbing service. the man came around 5:30pm (which i didn't think anybody would come out this late in the day... things kinda get quiet after 4/5ish). he's pretty friendly and looked at the leak and was waiting for his supervisor to come to give us a quote of how much it would cost to fix the problem. so i just chit chat a bit with the man. but eventually i decided to just come back in and wait... when i was sitting inside the home, i overheard this lady's sharp voice talking to the man outside.

woman: "what are you doing here?"

plumber: "trying to fix the leaking pipe.. waiting for my supervisor to come..."

woman: "(blabber something about the landscape and plants)... you know this is not their property but the community's property... (blabber something more...) if this is what they decide to do to fix this, it's their decision and they've got to take care of everything (meaning the cost to fix the landscape and plants and such..)"

so as the supervisor came, the plumber took me aside and told me about the conversation and said.. "she was a b*tch. pardon my french"

sigh... why can't people just be nice?

and now we are spending a bomb to fix the leaking pipe outside of our house...

my mom's new pet

took some pix of this little dog that my mom had adopted from a friend... her name is dou dou (bean bean but previously named star) and our house is becoming more and more like a zoo...

happy new year!

this is for everyone... but posting now because some have already cross the 2007/2008 12 midnight line...

we still have more than 12 hours to go here in the western side of the north america...

anyway

HAPPY and BLESSED 2008!

enslaved by our pets

woke up this morning with this "meow, meow, meow" from sushi, my mom's cat. apparently she wanted water in the morning... and since i've been so nice to her, i have been turning on the bathroom tap and drip water to let her drink. and now i am enslaved by her meowing commends...

i think it's me... because mochi the dog did the same thing to me when he was living with us. he would jump up by my bed around 6:40~7am and ask me to take him out for his morning walk. and i thought after he had returned to eeyooore's house, i am free to sleep till whenever i want (except for the days when i have to wake up for work)

i think i am just too nice... and spoilt the dog and cat.

a confession

i guess i've been laying on the bed and keeping myself home bound for four days already. and thus writing more blog entries.. and finally forced myself to read one of the more interesting books on my reading list...

as i was finishing this chapter on "music as priest" (from Sound of the Harvest by Nathan Corbitt), suddenly i felt released and yet at the same time the need to confess... that i've been a music snob in the church all my life!

i guess the gist of what i was getting is this fact--new songs and new music should be a norm in a living and dynamic church organism. meaning that people with the inspiration of God should take it, write, sing, celebrate, refine in bringing a more complete picture of how to praise God together as a people of God.

but i know that in the depth of my heart or years growing up in the church, i've always viewed this as a specialized task for those well trained and singing in tune celestial chorus (or maybe even a privileged few). which is also to say that I belong to this group and not everybody else is welcomed. and actually on the flip side, i've put my own compositions and musical creations on the not-the-elected side of the fence thinking "everybody is writing songs nowadays. how will mine make any difference? i might as well not write"... and upon hearing this new group writing songs or that group making recordings, i just didn't see the point of me being involved with all this "music making" (for the King of course).

so... i should be glad that our God is a big and generous God who doesn't restrict the joy of music making or involving with music to the limited celestial choir above but to all humanity who will come and just worship and bow at His feet.

cold and cold

ever since sunday (or maybe it started on saturday), i've had this annoying cold... stuffy nosed, coughing like i am about to cough my lungs out, sore throat... and so i've tried to drink this yucky chinese medicines to help me feel better... taken super strength nyquil that knocks me right off at night (and can never wake up in the morning and feel very groggy after i wake up)

on top of that, our heater broke down. it only blows cool air. and we've yet to find anybody to repair the heater for the past 3 days.

sigh... and i've not been productive in anything much for the past few days.

pray that i'll fully recover soon and that we will find someone to fix our heater soon too!

listening to the Word

recently, as i am feeling my way to get regular QT going, i discovered that Back to the Bible has many different ways that you can read through the Bible. So i started with the blended reading schedule. in the beginning, it was a little hard to be reading so much at one go but then i discovered that you can listen to different versions. somehow that makes it better (read and listen at the same time)

well, so today as i was listening more than reading (josh 1-3, luke 14:25-35), there were a few interesting things that caught my ears. (particularly the OT portion)

• in order to protect Rahab's family, she had to hang that scarlet cord and follow the instructions of the spies or else the whole agreement is void.
• everybody knew in canaan that God was giving the land to them (fear struck the people)
• God "made" Joshua the leader through His Word (Josh 3:7) and His signs and wonders (crossing the River Jordan during the flood season)

of course there are more teachings that might be more important than these but just thought i would list these out and share.