A sound from ground...

After so many times of rattling happened after the 311 incident, yesterday midnight earth quake was the strongest and most terrified one I had felt in Tokyo. I was half awake and lay on a side while feeding Egracia. My left ear was just on the pillow. In a sudden, I heard a zooming sound transferred from the pillow. The the pillow was on the bed, the bed was put on top of the floor without any bed frame and we were sleeping at ground floor. I haven't had chance to think of what the sound was, the house was shook by a very strong force. Immediately I heard something was falling down from up stair. I quickly sat up, looked at Ethan he still in his deep sleep and I almost wanted to carry Egracia. Then I heard the next door Emmanuel was crying. I was so terrified. Then all the sound stopped and the house was back to normal like nothing happened before. I went to next door, Laikiat was checking on the incident from the phone and got to know this time the earth quake spot was just at Chiba area with magnitude of 5.2 and it just next toTokyo.

For the whole night, we can’t sleep well. I felt the shake of the land; but this time I heard its sound from the ground. That sound seems still hovering on my heart. What a terrifying feeling, no peace in mind, a very unpleasant feeling to have. In a second we breathe in, spontaneously we breathe out  and we breathe in and we might not breathe out anymore. What am I doing here today? We can’t really know what will going to happen in the next second. We merely a fragile and tiny living thing stay on the earth only.  

On Sunday, Pastor’s sermon was encouraging us to read on Romans chapter 8 each day for a month. He said a miracle will happen to us. I read it this morning, I am going to read it for a month. Rejoice and rejoice. Be Faith, Hope and Love...

On yesterday dinner time, Emmanuel suddenly said "有earthquake吗？" I wondering why he suddenly said so. I having a strange feeling with me and on the night it really happened. This morning Emmanuel saw the stuff was scattered on the floor and he asked :"为什么东西会跌下来的？" we told him was earthquake happened on yesterday midnight. He said "为什么earthquake的？".... I have no words with it.... 

My dear little one at home, if anything happened to every one of us, please remains faithful and strong. God always has a great plan for everyone one of us. Holds on His promises to us and live on. And we are happy to be a family; we will definitely meet again in the heaven as you are one of the angels from the heaven.

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Romans 8

New International Version (NIV)


Life Through the Spirit

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you^[a] free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,^[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.^[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

⁵ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶ The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[d] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of^[e] his Spirit who lives in you.

¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[g] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Present Suffering and Future Glory

¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that^[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[i] have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More Than Conquerors

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died —more than that, who was raised to life —is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”<sup>[j]

37</sup> No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

罗马书 第8章

1. 如今那些在基督耶稣里的、就不定罪了。
2. 因为赐生命圣灵的律、在基督耶稣里释放了我、使我脱离罪和死的律了。
3. 律法既因肉体软弱、有所不能行的、　神就差遣自己的儿子、成为罪身的形状、作了赎罪祭、在肉体中定了罪案．
4. 使律法的义、成就在我们这不随从肉体、只随从圣灵的人身上。
5. 因为随从肉体的人、体贴肉体的事．随从圣灵的人、体贴圣灵的事。
6. 体贴肉体的就是死．体贴圣灵的乃是生命平安．
7. 原来体贴肉体的、就是与　神为仇．因为不服　神的律法、也是不能服。
8. 而且属肉体的人、不能得　神的喜欢。
9. 如果　神的灵住在你们心里、你们就不属肉体、乃属圣灵了．人若没有基督的灵、就不是属基督的。
10. 基督若在你们心里、身体就因罪而死、心灵却因义而活．
11. 然而叫耶稣从死里复活者的灵、若住在你们心里、那叫基督耶稣从死里复活的、也必借着住在你们心里的圣灵、使你们必死的身体又活过来。
12. 弟兄们、这样看来、我们并不是欠肉体的债、去顺从肉体活着。
13. 你们若顺从肉体活着必要死．若靠着圣灵治死身体的恶行必要活着。
14. 因为凡被　神的灵引导的、都是　神的儿子。
15. 你们所受的不是奴仆的心、仍旧害怕．所受的乃是儿子的心、因此我们呼叫阿爸、父。
16. 圣灵与我们的心同证我们是　神的儿女．
17. 既是儿女、便是后嗣、就是　神的后嗣、和基督同作后嗣．如果我们和他一同受苦、也必和他一同得荣耀。
18. 我想现在的苦楚、若比起将来要显于我们的荣耀、就不足介意了。
19. 受造之物、切望等候　神的众子显出来。
20. 因为受造之物服在虚空之下、不是自己愿意、乃是因那叫他如此的。
21. 但受造之物仍然指望脱离败坏的辖制、得享　神儿女自由的荣耀。〔享原文作入〕
22. 我们知道一切受造之物、一同叹息劳苦、直到如今。
23. 不但如此、就是我们这有圣灵初结果子的、也是自己心里叹息、等候得着儿子的名分、乃是我们的身体得赎。
24. 我们得救是在乎盼望．只是所见的盼望不是盼望．谁还盼望他所见的呢。〔有古卷作人所看见的何必再盼望呢〕
25. 但我们若盼望那所不见的、就必忍耐等候。
26. 况且我们的软弱有圣灵帮助、我们本不晓得当怎样祷告、只是圣灵亲自用说不出来的叹息、替我们祷告。
27. 鉴察人心的、晓得圣灵的意思．因为圣灵照着　神的旨意替圣徒祈求。
28. 我们晓得万事都互相效力、叫爱　神的人得益处、就是按他旨意被召的人。
29. 因为他预先所知道的人、就预先定下效法他儿子的模样使他儿子在许多弟兄中作长子．
30. 预先所定下的人又召他们来．所召来的人、又称他们为义．所称为义的人、又叫他们得荣耀。
31. 既是这样、还有什么说的呢．　神若帮助我们、谁能敌挡我们呢。
32. 　神既不爱惜自己的儿子为我们众人舍了、岂不也把万物和他一同白白的赐给我们么。
33. 谁能控告　神所拣选的人呢．有　神称他们为义了。〔或作是称他们为义的　神么〕
34. 谁能定他们的罪呢．有基督耶稣已经死了、而且从死里复活、现今在　神的右边、也替我们祈求。〔有基督云云或作是已经死了而且从死里复活现今在　神的右边也替我们祈求的基督耶稣么〕
35. 谁能使我们与基督的爱隔绝呢．难道是患难么、是困苦么、是逼迫么、是饥饿么、是赤身露体么、是危险么、是刀剑么。
36. 如经上所记、『我们为你的缘故、终日被杀．人看我们如将宰的羊。』
37. 然而靠着爱我们的主、在这一切的事上、已经得胜有余了。
38. 因为我深信无论是死、是生、是天使、是掌权的、是有能的、是现在的事、是将来的事、
39. 是高处的、是低处的、是别的受造之物、都不能叫我们与　神的爱隔绝．这爱是在我们的主基督耶稣里的。

To a Surprise...

We always like play this game at home, “Close your eyes, and give me your hands”. For this special treat, you must say it with a soft and sweet lovely voice. When you opened your eyes, you must show the surprises of anything you receive. I love to give them my candy surprise by this way and look at their reaction. For the little Ethan, once he got the sweat in his mouth, he will jump and leap. For the little Emmanuel, he will have a nice smile on his face and swing his 2 little hands back and forth.  These cute little boys are copying the same gesture too. They like to wrap their toys with a paper or in a box, or when they found my hair band or hair clips they will said in the same way and expect to see my respond too. Each time they came to me and request me to close my eyes, I got to do so even though I already know what they going to give it to me. The most important is to respond with surprise and give thanks for it. For the little Ethan, after you thanked him, he will be very happy and go away. For Emmanuel, he will continuously bring you more toys for your surprise, until you distract him to do other thing.

While I was busy and pay no attention.

   Emmanuel : “close your eyes, give me your hands”

As expected, I got to close my eyes and give my hands to him. WAH! It scared me terribly. In a while, I can’t differentiate whether it is a toy or a real insect. I shouted. It was a big beetle on my hand. I knew this is a toy beetle, but somehow it scared me. I start to nag on the boy.

   Mummy : “Didi, you scared me….”

Emmanuel looked at me with full of doubt. He must be wondering what had happened to me, but not because of his beetle. Ethan ran over and checking what was happened.

   Ethan : “Mummy, this is not the real one. It just toy beetle. Look at it eye. Is not a real one….” He sounds little sarcastic. ><"

Ever since we added on this new member at home, I always being frighten with no reason . This situation can simply happen while I sweep the floor, cleaning a plastic bag, step on it or Egracia was biting in her mouth. I can't curse on it. As I am the one who are so ambitous thought. This little beetle was an experimenting toys, it was an egg. Which you need to soak the egg in the water and the little beetle and a worm will hatch out from it. And now we were not just went thru the expariment, I got the extra wages of it too. Ethan even request to buy a real beetle to take care. It cost 1500yen. @_@

卤

家婆教的卤猪肉。第一次煮，有点紧张。昨晚还特地的找找食谱来对应，但好像次序和材料有点差异。肉都买了，无论如何还是得付上学费试一试。没有实际的分量估计，只能凭着感觉来行。先是炒焦糖，还要得给飞糖烫个拇指头来个水泡。想着赶快打开开水来冲一冲，谁知开上温水。混乱一时，哥哥还问着他刚画的图画如何，不停的叙说。弟弟和妹妹又抱着一起玩到呱呱叫。乱着当中味道好象是欠了什么。随便来个蚝油，一点点的盐和糖。把锅盖上的这个动作让我感觉味道好像是有点像了。希望这不是幻觉吧。。。真的是‘乱’煮一场。。。

[ 先用油炒三汤匙的糖，后放入烫过的猪肉和姜片，在锅里把猪肉占上黑焦糖后略煎。加上香料，蒜头和水淹盖着肉。调味，小半杯酱油，加上了一点的蚝油，一点点的盐和糖。最后把烫熟的鸡蛋去壳一同卤个30分钟或直入味]

徐信说：“好像很好吃！” 好吃与否还得等他的老爸吃了才能给个评语。应该是有待进步，我也要多煮几会才可。不太爱吃猪肉的我，好像也要吃起猪肉来。

妈妈的味道永不能被代替。能为这孩子找找妈妈的味道感觉也很好。

味道

Mummy：“明天Ah Ma要回家了”
孩子们很不明白为何她要回去。问了又问，答了又答，还是不能为他们解开心里的一个大问号。我想思念是不能容易被同理的。

Ah Ma说喜欢吃蛋挞的皮，今天我们再做一次请她吃。希望她能记着蛋挞的味道而想起我们一同分享的时光与爱。我们心里不舍，思念分离难受。留下的人触景伤情。我有种感觉这次以后，不想再弄蛋挞了。这种感觉好像是和‘这群’孩子们的疑问是吻合的。那么妈妈与孩子相思两地牵挂的感觉因该是更加直接渗透心里，打了个洞永不能被填满。

家婆也为我们留下了味道，鸡蛋冬菇配面线，猪脚醋，卤猪肉蛋。一个永不能代替的妈妈味道。今生相遇投下情缘。虽是各自天涯，却能相逢一时；就只因为爱。当我们再会时，还得要再一同分享美食和时光。尽谈过去的点点滴滴，笑看人生。

头发之爱

家婆，大姐和她的两个女儿从遥远的新加坡到访。不仅带来了许多的欢笑与慰问，也带来了爱。大姐飘洋过海也要带着她的“找吃工具”。旅行该是玩玩喝喝，走走看看，怎么也带着剪刀。从第一天到访就不停的提着要为我们一一的修发。

爱，就以为亏欠也无法抵挡。我们拿号码排起队来剪头发咯！七个月的妹妹没什么头发还是得剪上第一次的几条小毛。心诚感动，大姑为着小侄女记下这美丽的一刻。没有义务却愿意与服侍相待。落下了数而不尽的头发，因而加添了爱与情意。姐弟情缘为今生这刻写下了这一个美丽的回忆。

等待的小孩

Ethan had been waiting his letter from Tze Herng. Day by day...

Ethan : “Today we haven’t check out mailbox, maybe there are letter for me?”

I didn’t see the postman stop by our house today. I think probably the letter is not here yet.

Ethan : “Maybe we can check it out?!” he looked very excited. In fact, I worry he will be disappointed if there are no letter for him. It was drizzling out there. I thought of making an excuse to him. He said we have umbrella. Looks like I have no reason for him to delay the action.

After search thru the mailbox with lot advertisement papers and some other letter, none of it was for him.

Mummy : “你会失望吗？”

Ethan : “huh?! 什么是‘望’？

Mummy ><’

Mummy : “失望就是disappointed. Meaning to say, is a feeling you feel no happy as you wish to have it but you didnt get it.”

Ethan : “不会啊! Malaysia 来这边是要很久的。Postman 还没有找到我们的家啊！可能要多几天才到”

Hmmm… I think I am the one who worry he will feel disappointed. I am the one who are more excited to see him get his very first letter from his friend.

While closing the main door, suddenly I heard the flushing sound came from the toilet, again and again.... I was thinking '不妙', what the little Emmanuel had done. Quickly run up stair, hope to reduce the damage.

Mummy : "弟弟，你在做什么?!"

Emmanuel : "弟弟自己小便..."

Scared me! This time surely have a lot of clean up job to do. Thanks god! He just wet his pant a little but not everywhere. What a surprise from him. Phew....

2 days letter, we passed by the post office. While I was thinking surely this little boy will ask me something about it. 'Yappari'

Ethan : “Mummy, we still haven’t get the letter yet hoh… why so long huh?!”

Mummy : “That is snail mail, which needs postman to deliver thru airplane and then to our house. It will take some times to reach us. Maybe next time we can send ‘email’, that will able to reach Tze Herng immediately.”

Ethan : “Ok lah, next time we send email lah.” He sound a bit disappointed this time.

Mummy : “Good thing hoh, usually need to wait."

Ethan : “Ha! May be in the letter will have angry birds?”

Hmmm…. He starts to create his own expectation. That is his so call good thing huh!

At the other corner on the earth. We got the email about our little friends were flying back to home town by wearing the cars shoe and the 2 little boys there were still very exciting with the fly after come back from Japan. I am happy to know they are still very excited with it, this so call Japan trip really 排山倒海, 日出又日落 for them. Hope it will leave a little memory that will dwell in their little heart for long. Probably it will become one of their dream for something....flying to VENUS! little Tze Herng's favorite '2' for everything!