Mike's Golden Jubilee! =)

Mike ended 2007 with his Golden Jubilee Celebration-his 50th birthday! A couple of us went to Kintamani Indon Restaurant at Furama for a little celebration.


Mike and Kevin-the December babies


Birthday gift No 1: A Collage dating back to 2001/2
The centre reads: Our Teacher, Mentor and Friend..Thank you.
'Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands to Your name' ~Psalm 63: 3-4
The verse is rather fitting...It is truly a life spent glorifying God! =)


Birthday gift No 2: Alien & Predator graphic novel (yummy gruesome stuff, good bedtime story for children!) and Nat Geo Best Photos (at the bottom)
This picture gathered XB's verdict of being the National Geographic Picture of the Year!


VERY Rich chocolate cake from Furama, fit for a King


Mike making birthday wishes on our behalf. Very nice of him..I can't really remember what they are exactly, but I remember 'Rich'..hehehe...


Golden Couple =)

Save for a few of us mistaking Furama Hotel Citycentre for Furama Hotel Riverfront (two Furamas!!-must be a case of squabbled inheritance amongst siblings..like those hawker stalls), the afternoon was rather light and delightful, with a few with us whom we have not seen for some time. It was a nice time of catching up, ripping of gifts, and celebration of birthday. Those who could not come..wish you were there!

Happy Birthday Mike!

Facing Your Giants

I found this to be a good read.
Using the story of David and Goliath, this book touches on our everyday struggles with our own giants and reminds us of this important truth:

Focus on giants—you stumble.
Focus on God—your giants tumble.

-Benson-

57 Cents Church

A little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was "too crowded."

"I can't go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.

Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so happy that they found room for her, and she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.

Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings. Her parents called for the kindhearted pastor who had befriended their daughter to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled red purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump.

Inside was found 57 cents and a note, scribbled in childish handwriting, which read: "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School."

For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion.

He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building.

But the story does not end there...

A newspaper learned of the story and published It. It was read by a wealthy realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered to sell it to the little church for 57 cents. Church members made large donations Checks came from far and wide.

Within five years the little girl's gift had increased to $250,000.00--a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividends.

When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300. And be sure to visit TempleUniversity, where thousands of students are educated. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of beautiful children, built so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time.