What does the fox say? by Ylvis

Love this! Adding it to my silly song collection. Have a listen and it might just grow on you..

Ironing My Goldfish

I love silly songs and this is one I grew up listening to. Listen and sing along! By the way, see if you can spot the fishy puns!

Ironing my goldfish - The Goodies
Lyrics: sung by Tim 

 

Oh oh oh, how I wish, I could buy myself a pet flat fish

But no one wants to sell their sole

A flounder or halibut would be very pally, but

You hardly ever see a skate, that hasn't been mashed on a plate

And so, I'm … ironing my goldfish, ironing my goldfish

A big steam iron on his face, I'll keep on trying 'til I get some plaice

Oh I'm ironing my goldfish, smoothing out his surplus fat

I know it's rather cruel but it's oh such fun

Ironing my goldfish flat, hey hey, ironing my goldfish flat

I tried to use a rolling pin, he only came out long and thin

Then I thought if he was squeezed beneath

A small elephant a day, he'd look like a manta ray

But I couldn't make my goldfish squash, 'til I put him in with the wash

And now, I'm … ironing my goldfish, ironing my goldfish

And now he's like a tobacco leaf, I wear him in my pocket like a handkerchief

Oh ironing my goldfish, I use him as a table mat

I know it's rather cruel but it's oh such fun

Ironing my goldfish flat, hey hey, ironing my goldfish flat

He's rather like a turbot with the shiny nose

Ironing my goldfish flat … and that's that!  [splat!]

A little love is all I ask..

Feeling the pain of loneliness tonight. Here's hoping Cliff Richard can help....

The Ugly Duckling

In a recent process of moving house, I found some interesting odds and ends. A small key strangely labelled ‘A’. A piece of brown plastic moulding with a magnetic strip. A tiny metal spring. A single ear stud.  None of which looked familiar to me.

My first instinct is to try and figure out where these came from. I think of all the possible likely places and start from there. But nothing works. I ask around but except for the strangely labelled key, the items are unclaimed. Having done what I can, I decide to throw them away - it is no real loss. But I hesitate and hold on to a couple of them...just in case.

And then suddenly, when you’re immersed in something totally unrelated, the very piece you thought had no value is the very piece you are in need of. Like in this case. I am rearranging my books when I discover the wooden door on my bookcase will not close properly because it is missing... a piece of plastic moulding with a magnetic strip!! I quickly retrieve it and what do you know! It fits snugly and perfectly! It’s the piece that keeps the door clicked firmly in place. How happy I am that I have solved the puzzle of the piece that didn’t fit anywhere! And how thankful I am that I didn’t throw it away!  I had held on to it because I believed that someday I would discover its purpose.  And now a seemingly useless object had become a useful one.But until that fateful moment, it lay in my hands; helpless and homeless.

At times I feel like this. I feel awkward and out of place. I try but I don’t seem to fit in. I move with the crowd but no one seems to understand me. They tolerate me for a while but move on when they realize we have nothing in common. My questions and concerns rub off on people the wrong way. Sometimes I am labelled ‘difficult ‘or ‘divisive’. Other times I am written off because I have ‘issues’. Well meaning people try to analyze me so that they can ‘fix’ my problem. But it appears I am not easy to ‘fix’. I defy all text book logic. Sooner or later, I fall into the category of the unnamed and unclaimed. But a couple of friends refuse to give up. They don’t try to fix me. They listen without judging. They don’t claim to know what my ‘problem’ is. They don’t try to stick me in a pigeon hole. They don’t attempt to modify my speech or behaviour. They are simply there – affirming me silently, faithfully. They know my true intrinsic worth will emerge once I discover my purpose. Until then they are content to let me be, and let God have His way.   

For it is the One who created me who knows the secret of my true identity. Where I come from and where I am meant to be. And He’s not telling just yet. Can I be content to know that it will happen at the appointed time and not a moment sooner? Can I be patiently trust in God’s wisdom and timing? As God puts my life in order, I can trust that the seemingly useless, crippling life experiences I have had to endure will start to make sense. Being the very training I need to be useful and effective for the destiny He has prepared for me. What makes me incongruous, irrelevant now is the very thing that makes me perfect for the task. When it comes – everything will fall in place, without human manipulation and effort. Like the fabled Ugly Duckling who became a Swan it will finally make sense – the confusion, the rejection, the alienation and betrayal. But all that will fade in the light of His revelation.

And in that moment - You will see....
- that I am not a freak of nature. I am the work of His Hands. 

The Rose

I bought a CD of timeless love songs and can't get enough of it! This song is beautiful!

The Rose
Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you, its only seed

It's the heart, afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul, afraid of dying
That never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed
That with the sun's love, in the spring
Becomes the rose

(a song sung by Bette Midler)

Nearly famous

I googled my name the other day and discovered I am Russian born, a vocalist/pianist/songwriter with a number of noteworthy music awards to my name. My photo reveals that I am quite attractive - a youngish blonde with sultry good looks.

I also found my name on cemetery lists and family trees. It appears I expired in 1872, in 1908 and again in 1933 and was dearly missed after having lived a lifetime as somebody's daughter, wife or mother.

Honestly? The only thing i share in common with these people is my name.

So just who am I?

It's hard to say.

I have lived too long and too well to fit neatly into a single adjective or sentence. And still after so many years, the quintessential me is still emerging. Just when I think I have arrived, I find I have merely reached one of the many milestones in my life. In my humble opinion, my life is as ordinary as my looks and my achievements less than average. I know I have just described a large majority of the human population but do you know what ? I have yet to come across another me!

Like many people, I am still in the process of self-discovery - God's work in progress. Like an onion, I have shed many layers of self in agitation and tears. Knowing I am unconditionally loved by God has helped to ease much of the discomfort that comes with that painful process. In spite of all that I have been through, I can still say I have no regrets for choosing the straight and narrow path of walking with Jesus.

As simple and straightforward as I am, I find I am still somewhat an enigma of sorts to many people. Lately, I have had to accept that even the closest of friends haven't figured me out! So it looks like only God understands me and loves me as I am. Perhaps this is best...

I have tried to borrow words that may help to explain the person I have become.

Passionate - Because I have to connect emotionally with whatever or whoever I know.

Average - and proud of it!

Unequivocal - Its important to me that people say what they mean and mean what they say and I try hard to keep to that ideal. I really hate it when words are manipulated to use people or for personal gain.Curse words don't seem to have half the effect on me as untrue and flippant words do.

Love to Eat - What can I say? I can't apologize for being Malaysian! My friend calls me the Yellow pages when it comes to finding good food!I love to see people try my favourite foods and I love discovering new tastes too.

Inventive - Although I am a creature of habit, I do look for ways to break the monotony of routine and predictability. I must admit though, at times, I don't really look hard enough!I am such a couch potato, I can sit and watch the same movie even if I've seen it umpteen times!

Non-competitive - I dislike competition for a couple of reasons. It means someone has to lose. I hate that. Plus it's unnerving to be viewed as rival who must be eliminated. Having said that I am overcome with joy even a bit teary eyed at seeing someone win after they've worked so hard for it!

Teacher - I think the one quality that qualifies me to teach others is teachability! I am a little stupid, so when I make a discovery, I get all excited about it and I need to share! Consequently, I believe teaching is the process of aiding discovery! (I didn't come up with that one btw. Remember I'm just average!)

Humour - even this seemingly ordinary trait makes me different from others. Cause I love to laugh with people, not at them.

Genuinely happy for others - Strange but I must say, I can't remember being jealous and envious of others. I am genuinely happy for other people, my more successful siblings and friends. I have been overtaken many times in the race for success, recognition and reward but it does not seem to bother me. I guess the credit has to go to God. He's made me content with who I am and confident of the destiny He has for me.

Well, that's just a little bit about me.

I doubt all this would fit onto my tombstone so I have written it here!

Don't underestimate the ordinary

I was worried about the future, wondering what it is I could do to make a decent living now that I no longer worked in the church. I know it was no mistake that I gave up pursuing a career in the corporate sector but what was it then that God had called me into? What should I do? Whom do I see? Where do I apply? So on so forth. And God being God, chose a movie to speak so clearly to me. I was watching the movie Paycheck starring Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman.

You can read about it in detail at this link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paycheck_(film)

The hero had a envelope filled with ordinary items that he did not recognise or recollect but which was crucial to helping him escape from life-threatening situations and finally leading him to the truth.

God said I have already deposited in your life what you will need for the future but you don't recognise them simply because they are too ordinary for anyone to take notice. But I know what your future entails and I will give you the details when it is time. You can try to figure out the what, how, why and when but you won't succeed because only I know what's in store for you. Just learn to trust my leading and at the precise moment, you will understand why I worked in the way I did. You can trust me for I make no mistakes and I cannot fail.

You have to love the way God speaks! No secret codes to decipher, no clues to break and no need for second guessing what it is He is saying to us.

I am still learning what it is to serve an Extraordinary God!

I started writing this post in Nov 2007. It is now Jan 2008 and I am teaching a basic English course in a local college. Teaching is my thing and English is (strangely) my first language! A happy combination for me. I get to work AND enjoy what I do at the same time! The majority of my students are from a home for the handicapped and they are simply precious!

For those of you who didn’t know, I was without a job for 8 months after resigning from the church I was serving in. I was so messed up that I couldn't work even if I wanted to. But God marvelously provided for me - I reconnected with my nephews and nieces in Dubai and then had a wonderful holiday in South Africa. I spent time with family and old friends and even found time to make new ones. I ate well, slept well and spent lots of time just chilling with God and allowing Him to speak into my heart. I had time to de-stress and work on this blog which is fast becoming a hobby of mine.

I just love this God who takes really good care of His sheep of whom I am happy to be one!

The pain of life

Today I woke up with a dark cloud hanging over my head.

God,I want my day in court!

I want to be both judge and jury over the people who used and misused me. I want them to taste the tears they forced me to drink. I want them to suffer for shredding my hopes and feeding it to the wind. I want them to know how painstakingly long it takes to heal the deep wounds of betrayal. I want them to spend sleepless nights wondering "What did I do wrong?". I want them to grieve the innocence of a childhood lost forever. I want them to feel like the freak I have become. I want to wipe the smile of their faces as they did mine. I want justice and I want it yesterday.

I want.

I want.

I want.

Jesus, please save me from myself.

A God who reconciles

It's strange.
In the last one month, 4 of my friendships suddenly resolved themselves. I had nothing to do with it. Really!

1. M. who i had lost touch with for about 4 yrs. I was insensitive to her feelings and she had hung up on me. I tried to apologise many times but she never returned my calls. I spied her coming down the escalator at the hypermarket. She smiled at me and that was all the encouragement i needed! We exchanged handphone numbers again. She had lost her phone a couple of times (it appears she never received my messages).

2. J. one of my favourite students who dropped out of my bible class wrote me an email apologizing for quitting the way he did. That incident had made it a little awkward for us to be around each other. I asked him to forgive me too.

3. S. who warmly responded to my New Year wishes after i had given up on us remaining friends. She even gave me her new email address to keep in touch! I am absolutely relieved I am still her friend!

4. L. who didn't say goodbye when she suddenly left the house we were renting together nearly 3 years ago. That really gave me grief because we got along quite well.

L. tells me it must be God who is tying up some loose ends for me. Like prophet Elisha who settled his personal affairs before he accepted his new commission.

Honestly i don't know whether this means i am moving on but I do know it HAS to be God because i asked Him to fix my broken relationships. It's bad testimony for those of us who are supposed to be in the business of reconciling people back to Him! There are a couple more.... but God knows when and how.

The resilient rose

I was online, searching for information on the desert rose and stumbled on some pictures. Wow! 3 words! Beautiful. Brilliant. Breathtaking! I never imagined they looked like that. The word desert itself does not immediately conjure up such visions of beauty. Think dry, dusty & dehydrated instead! Apparently, the desert rose a.k.a adenium or impala lily is a unique breed. One website said they are recognizable at a single glance coz they look like no other plant.

As i was reading .... i was reminded how last year, i was moaning to God about how much i disliked being in a period of dryness and being unproductive. You know when your prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling and life is temporarily suspended in time? (Seems as though, much of my life experiences this kind of weather.) Well, after i was done moaning (God listened quietly, coz He's such a good listener!) He offered, "I've got a new name for you - Desert rose". I asked Him, "Desert rose? Why desert rose?" He chuckled, "You prefer cactus?". That cracked me up but no i certainly didn't want to be called a cactus.

In my mind it means someone who reacts to a difficult situation by building protective defenses around them - becoming bitter & unapproachable in the process. On the other hand, the desert rose is someone who chooses to bloom regardless of what they have to endure. Interestingly enough, both plants store water in their stems to survive infrequent rains but while the needles of the prickly cactus draw blood, the rose blooms to bring pleasure (desert rose has no thorns). I know God's delays are not necessarily denials and i also know that God is right on time but it's still hard to wear a smile when the sun's out. However, since the resilient rose does not rely on the weather, i decided neither should i. I am happy to say, i survived the dry spell!

Back to the website in question, this site advocates growing the adeniums as nature intended and guarantees 'individuality of spiritual magnitude' if grown from seed. Apparently this approach yields a healthier and disease resisting plant. Uncanny! But i burst out laughing when I came across this line, 'We respect periods of dormance and dryness'.

Going down the blogging track

Yes, i am trying out this new thing called blogging! Well, new for me anyways. Meera helped me set it up, but i am still feeling my way around. i am discovering its like buying a new pair of shoes. You want something comfortable but which makes a daring statement at the same time. Know what i mean? Its got to flatter your feet without pinching your toes. The heel's got to be just right - high enough so you can strut your stuff but won't trip you when you need to hightail it out of someplace real quick! It must complement the clothes you wear but be able to warrant a conversation piece all on its own.

i wonder if it will become huggy and comfy like my favourite well-worn jeans..... (hmm there's another analogy for you..). Or will i have to stick it in the recycling bin, perhaps kiv for another day?...... Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Olé!!