Looking back, giving thanks

We often hear people saying, "don't look back", "let go of the past", "look forward", "let the past be past"....but I say, it is good to look back and give thanks for it is our past that shapes our future.

2009 has been a very trying time for the family. We moved from the States back to Singapore and from Singapore to Shanghai. It was changes, changes and more changes. I looked back and saw what I wrote in my blog..."Our life is such, a little of everything, put together, placed under the intense heat of trials and testings, we emerged a better person! If you ask me is 2009 going to be tough, I said 'yes', can we managed? I said 'Yes and YES!' "


And believe it, it has been one very tough year for all of us...BUT God has been good, very gracious indeed. His Grace has always been sufficient for us whatever that come our way. I know God will never take away the challenges, He will never take away difficulties and trials, that has never been His promise to us. His promise to us is that "My Grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Cor 12:9

One of the greatest challenges living in Shanghai is feeding my family. There are so many food scare that every food item I buy, I have learned to read the really small prints. I have learned to read the ingredients, I have learned to look out for the right labels but really, that is so much I can do. The rest I can only depend on God and trust Him to feed us the right food. I have learned not just to say my grace before meal times, I have also learned to pray when buying food items. Call me a paranoid...it's a mother thing, to feed her family only with the good and healthy stuff.

2009 also saw God being faithful to a friend who gave birth to a baby boy at her 26th week of pregnancy but every child of God is precious, the baby is now 3.1 kg and is home with his parents. God is also faithful as He blessed a very good friend of ours with a pair of twin girls. However, there were also friends who were facing tough times in their life and we continue to wonder why and we continue to pray and trust. We just received news that one pastor back home has just discovered he has lung cancer...such is the reality of life. Don't you think you ought to live life to the fullest, live your life as if it's your last day on earth.

2010 will continue to be a challenging time but God will also continue to be there for us. Bill Crowder said, "we find encouragement and power to persevere in life's darkest hours - power rooted in God, who is compassionate and merciful. Even when life is painful and hard, we can persevere because God is there, His mercy endures forever (Ps 136).