Growing pains for Mommy

I was emotional after a conversation with Christen the other day during lunch. We were just chatting and talking about babies. Then she said, " Lauren is your baby." To which I replied, " And you are my baby too." She retorted, " No, I'm not your baby. I'm growing up! I need to grow up and have my own baby!"

It is painful to think of her growing up and leaving us someday. I really wish I could stop the clock and stop her from growing. I don't want her to grow up. I want her to be my little baby forever. That's when I'm reminded that she doesn't belong to me, but she belongs to God, and He has graciously allowed me to parent her and bring her up to fulfill His purposes for her life.

The Gift of Salvation

August 27, 2008.

This day would have been just another day, maybe even a grouchy one because the kids have leaky noses and it's been rainy, and these 2 combinations make a depressed mom.

But this day turned out to be the climax of my parenting so far. After putting Lauren to sleep, Christen and I read People, by Peter Spier - a really well- written and illustrated book that describes all kinds and types of people in the world, and helps children to appreciate the diversity of cultures, skin colors, and religions of people.

So we were looking at the page on different religions and myriads of gods that people worship, and Christen said, " We must only worship the one true God! We cannot worship other idols!" We had sung the 10 commandments and so she said that.

Something in me just told me to take out the evangecube and share the gospel with her and to ask her if she would like Jesus to come into her heart and life. As we went through the evangecube, she understood it because we've talked about it in devotions. Finally, when I asked her if she wanted to pray and ask Jesus into her heart, she said yes! I told her it's very serious, and asked her if she knew she had sin. She said she knew she did have sin and wanted Jesus into her heart. We knelt down by our red couch and prayed the sinner's prayer, right there in our living room!!! Yippeeee!!!! I had the privilege of bringing my daughter before the throne of God!

We celebrated her decision with dinner at Ikea and a chocolate mousse. :)

It was so heartwarming when Christen told her Daddy about what had happened, and she said, " It's very serious."

As I reflect on what happened, I'm again reminded about how Jesus said that the kingdom of God belongs to the little children. They don't ask tons of questions, they're not skeptical, they're not jaded, they just believe. It was almost anti-climatic. I didn't have to persuade her to believe it, she just did because of the seeds that have been planted.

What is Heaven like?

At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. - Matthew 11:25

And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 18:3

We started reading The Lamb, by John Cross for family devotions at night. It's the children's version of Strangers on the Road to Emmaus, by John Cross, and it goes through the Bible chronologically. The gospel really made sense to me when I read the book and studied the Bible in this way. It's costly ( $42 at SKS), but so worth the investment.

We read about what Heaven is like tonight. When Alvin asked the girls what Heaven is like, Lauren said, " Fine", practising her newly learned vocabulary word. She said it with so much effort and sincerity we tried really hard not to burst out laughing. Of course she was right, Heaven is fine - in every sense of the word.

Christen said, " Flowers." I began to imagine Heaven just filled with flowers of all colours and sizes and fragrance, and began to really 'see' how beautiful Heaven was going to be.

I thought those answers were precious because they were perspectives from children, and not trite answers that we know in our heads but not in our hearts and souls.

Those verses are so, so true.

Best of Friends

The love that my girls have for each other is just so special to watch as it unfolds. Lauren has had her Jie Jie with her since Day 1, I don't know what she would do without her. She worships the ground her sister walks on, and imitates her sister's every antic and movement. We buy a new spoon for her, and Christen wants it. Lauren hands it over to her willingly.

Christen adores her little meimei. She fusses over her, asks us to hug her when she cries, and tells us not to scold her. The other day, Christen was playing with a toy dog and pretended to bite Lauren. Lauren was scared and burst into tears. Immediately, Christen dropped the dog, and hugged her sister until she calmed down.

There was another time I couldn't pacify Lauren and I had to cook lunch for the kids. Christen took it upon herself to take care of her sister. Lauren stopped whining and played very happily with her sister. I was so thankful for Christen!

I pray they'll really grow up to be best friends.

What's it for?

Christen played with our neighbour's kid today. She's an Indian girl who lives right next door to us. She came over to our house and saw a milk bottle with colourful beads in it. So she asked Christen what it was for. Chris answered, " It's for praising the Lord."

It's our home-made maraccas, and we put it in a music box containing different instruments. When we have music and movement time after devotions everyday, we'll pull out the box and say, " It's time to worship God!" Guess that's how Christen associates it with praising the Lord.

When I told Alvin about it, he laughed and said, " I guess she's not going to fit in, is she?"

I guess not, but I guess it's more important to prepare my children for heaven rather than Harvard. I'm also beginning to understand how a Christian and biblical worldview can be developed in a child, step by step, word by word.

Istana - National Day Open House

We had such a fun time at the Istana on Sunday. It was such a hot afternoon, and we were wilting from the heat, but my longing for the carpet grass gave us the drive to walk the loooooong way in to where the fountain and carpet grass was, with big bags and 2 kids in tow, and with NO stroller.

When we finally got to the fountain and grass, I just about collapsed to the ground. The gals were drawn to the fountain like bees to honey, and were splashing around till they got all wet. Then Chris decided to jump in and have a real dip, and practise her swimming skills. This is her blowing bubbles in the fountain.

Thank you, Mr President, for opening up the Istana for us commoners! It was a real treat to swim in the royal fountain!

Eric Liddell - an Olympic Hero

On Friday, our playgroup's theme was on the Olympics. The kids learned about the origin of the Olympics, the motto, the significance of the rings and their colors and heard a story about Eric Liddell.

I've read about Eric Liddell and saw the Chariots of Fire, but researching and telling the kids about him have inspired me so greatly. He was an Olympic champion in 1924, and subsequently became a missionary to China. He was famous for his signature running posture, which was to throw his head back as if he's looking at heaven. He was also famous, or infamous for turning down his pet event, the 100m dash, at the Olympics because it was to be held on a Sunday. For Eric, it was a day of rest and worship. Today, that would have been easily rationalized away and Christians and non-Christians alike would say that it was a matter of the heart, and he could have run and treated another day his Sabbath and he could worship God anytime, not just on Sunday.

Eric stood his ground, much to the displeasure of the whole of Britain, but went on to win in the 400m event, breaking the world record as well. His life was completely poured out for Christ, serving as a missionary and at the concentration camp during WWII. He died at the camp just before WWII ended, away from his family.

As I read about him, and people's testimonials of him, the thought that kept coming to me was that this was a life that brought God so much glory and pleasure. He reflected Christ so well, and God must have been so proud of him.

On another note, I was shocked when Christen retold the story today - the story I told the kids last Friday in the open air where my voice was lost to the wind, and the kids were just loosely gathered on a mat. In her words, she said, " Eric Lidell persevered. He didn't want to run on Sunday because he said, " my God is the most important to me so I must go to church and Sunday school. But the people were angry with him but he still didn't run.

WOW! What truth can be deposited in the hearts of children if we just take time to do that.

Here's the link to a short clip of Chariots of Fire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPB7r0UpNIE

Don't Live for the Dot

We've just come back from a 2 day seminar titled "Integrating Family and Church Life". I've never felt more educated and challenged in my 25 years of education.

These are some key learning and transformational points for me:

1) Don't live for the dot - the dot signifies this life on planet earth in reference to the vast universe God has created and to eternity. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Don't spend time and effort trying to fill in the dot, that's just too insignificant. We are made in the image of God, so we're image-bearers of what God looks like. That means we're meant for greatness and to live 'epic lives', as Moses Tey, the speaker described it. We should live, and spend time and effort building for eternity.

2) At what age is one considered an adult? Is it at the legal age of 18 or 21? The answer to the question changes one's entire perspective on the teenage years, which are often known as the turbulent times. Before the industrial revolution and before formal school was introduced ( about 150 years ago), there was no such thing as teenage rebellion. At 12 years old, children were considered, and treated as adults. They possessed the maturity and wisdom needed to run a household and hold important responsibilities. In the Bible, Jesus was in the temple discussing theology with the rabbis at 12 yrs old. Daniel and his friends, Joseph, were about 13-14 years old when they were captured and taken into exile and sold into slavery. Yet, at this age, they were able to stand up for their faith and provide leadership that changed the course of history and save their nations.

This was really enlightening for me. I've gone through 'teenage rebellion' myself, and I've been very intimidated by teenagers nowadays. They dress and look much more 'grown up', get into relationships and have pre-marital sex once they reach adolescence. Yet, they are so childish in their ways and thinking, and for that matter, even adults can be so childish and immature. And that is because they are supposed to be adults, but are not trained in the educational system and by their families to be mature. This begs the question, " What is maturity?" Is it the ability to hold down a job, raise a family, be a decent person? My dear husband just answered this brilliantly. To him, maturity is bearing the image of Christ so well and clearly; it is truly living the life that shows and says, " it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me."

I don't have to expect teenage rebellion from my children. I can expect them to do great things for God in their youth instead.

3) 'Imitate me as I imitate Christ' - Paul said this, and it embodies what discipling means. I am discipling my children as they imitate me as I imitate Christ. To me, that means I have not, and will not be perfect in my parenting, but as I walk and journey with Christ, my children will see that it is a living relationship and we will grow together in our journey to know Him and make Him known.