Life is beautiful! That is how I have been feeling nowadays, for quite some time. I wake up each morning with joy, thanking God for a brand new day to experience His goodness to me and to do His bidding. There is peace and harmony between all members of my immediate family – no more hostility that I used to sense from my daughter, no more enmity between my eldest son and my only daughter (they made peace before he went overseas for studies). I also sense that a deeper understanding and appreciation of one another has grown between my husband and me. This is so precious.
I am also thankful to God that I am physically healthy and rather strong ( able to lift things like my mother’s wheelchair all by myself although my arms complain after each lifting). I jog with my husband in the evenings as often as we can, when it is not raining and there is no meeting with anyone. Recently, we have started swimming once a week on Sunday evenings at the Stampin Waterpark when my children are having their Bahasa Malaysia tuition. We really enjoy that time together in the pool, exercising and chatting in between our laps. So, physically, I feel very well and this sense of well-being energizes me to do a lot more than just cooking, shopping and fetching the children to their activities. I have been busy helping out at the Friendship House, where cancer patients and their relatives stay, in between receiving treatments at Sarawak General Hospital. My latest project is to teach the children during the coming church camp, together with my husband. There will be about 17 children, ages 5-10, and four sessions over 3 days. I have been busy looking for suitable materials and preparing for the children’s program. But I am looking forward to it. I pray that the children will be nourished in God’s Word through creative ways next weekend and that they will have much fun too!
For the past three months, I have not had any attacks of depression. Thanks be to God!!! I believe God has brought my hormonal levels to a good balance and I pray He will keep it that way! On my part, I try to pace myself and not to do too many things at one go. In the afternoons, I take a nap to be rejuvenated for what I need to do in the evenings. I am grateful to God for the good domestic help that He has given me. She helps me with a lot of the household chores and this frees me to be of service to others and to exercise and keep fit. She is also a great help in taking care of the physical needs of my aged mother ( she is 84!).
I believe that the secret to personal happiness is in being obedient to God and in loving service to others. When we have an intimate relationship with God and we are obedient to His leading, we will have a great sense of fulfillment and contentment. When we deny ourselves, for example in not going for the type of holidays we desire and not buying the new set of furniture we long for, but using that money which is saved to give to the poor and needy (including needy pastors), there will be so much joy in our hearts – joy which is from God which way above the short-lived thrills that the world offers. When we choose not to cling to our possessions (including our time), but instead share it with others, we are freed from slavery to materialism and self-centredness and our lives will not be so cluttered too! I think this is a good way to spread the fragrance of Christ wherever we go!!!
Thursday 28 February 2008
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