Sunday Morning Worship

I sit here at my desk looking out at the almost blizzard conditions.  The snow is falling rapidly and the wind is blowing from the north.  Snow is collecting on the blue spruce trees and covering the yard and street.

The only movement that I see is my neighbor shoveling snow, a rabbit hopping from one rock to the next trying to find shelter and the American flag fluttering in the wind.

It is Sunday morning.  I am normally at church, but I chose to stay at home due to the icy, snowy streets.  I enjoy going to my church because it is a place that I feel my faith is renewed and my joy is restored. 

Today I am renewing my faith and restoring my joy by sitting inside my warm, cozy home and reading God's word.  I know that my faith is renewed by having my quiet time and being still so that I can feel His presence.

Psalms 9:1-2 says "I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wanders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name."  As I praise God, I am helping myself by expanding my awareness of who He is.

I may not be able to go to church, but I can still worship and praise Him in my own home. 

"Be still and listen to Him as He whispers."

Enjoy your Sunday!

The Voice Within

I love music!  It can be vocal, piano, orchestra, etc.  There is something about hearing someone sing a sing that tells a story or listening to a person play the keyboards on the piano.

I am not a singer or a concert pianist.  When I was younger, I did take a couple of years of piano.  I could sit and listen to someone playing the piano all day long.

There is an enjoyment of listening to someone sing.  I especially love music where someone tells a story and you can feel the emotions that they are going through.

I did try singing in the church choir, but I felt that I couldn't carry a tune.  I felt embarrassed.  So of course, I quit. Growing up, my personality was if I couldn't be good at it, I would just no longer do it.  As I have gotten older, I have tried to stick with something and keep on persevering even when I wanted to throw up my arms and say no more.

With maturity, I have learned that sometimes you have to go through valleys to reach the mountains.

I have a friend who told me that everyone can sing.  They just have to find their voice. Last week, I took my first voice lesson.  My instructor began the class with talking about what I wanted to accomplish from these lessons.  The one thing I want to accomplish is to be able to sing with friends and not to feel embarrass about my singing.

It was an aha moment when I realized how important it is to exercise the voice.  How do I stand and how do I breathe?  We did some stretches with the body, with the neck area, the jaw, etc.  We focused on warming up with vowels.

I am beginning to discover that learning to sing is like exercising my body.  I need to have cardio and weights to tone up.

After my first two weeks, I still feel embarrassed.  There are demons that tell me "Why are you doing this?  You are sixty-four.  You will never be able to carry a tune."

I am banishing those demons.  Rome wasn't built in a day.  I will practice.  I will keep putting one foot in front of the other.

I am sixty-four, but I do have a lot of life in front of me.  Who knows, maybe I could be the next candidate for the "The Voice"? 

A Snowy Day!

There was a smile on my face as I rocked in my rocker and sipped on my creme brulee coffee.  It was snowing!  I enjoy a snowy day.  Especially a snowy day where you don't have to go anywhere.

Today I had permission to stay at home and to enjoy the moment.  The huge flakes collected on the ground as it became a wintery landscape.

As I enjoyed my second cup of steaming, hot coffee, I read this verse, Isaiah 1:18 - "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool".

We all have sinned(we have missed the mark).  No one is perfect.  Our sins are like the stains(crimson color) that we can't remove.  It is only through Jesus that our lives can become pure(white as snow).  

I know I will never be perfect, but I do know that with Jesus in my life I have those days where it is like a snowy day and I can rest in His hands.  I know He wants me to rest in His hands daily.  This is something that I will work on, "to let go and to let God".

Today, I will rest in His arms and allow Him to fill me with His love and His spirit!

It is Winter!

As I looked at the weather app this morning, I could feel my body shivering.  The temp read 15 degrees.  Brrrr!!!!!! I thought to myself "it is winter"!

Just this week, this collage of photos that I took about a year ago of the area that I live in, popped up.  This helped me to remember that it is the "season of winter".  In most areas(unless you live in Hawaii), winter means cold temperatures and snow.

Winter in Colorado is all about the colder temperatures and snow in the mountains for the skiers.

When I look at this collage, I see the winter photos and then I see the one photo, which is another season. It is the season of later summer and early autumn.

These photos make me think of life.  One of my favorite authors, Charles Swindoll, wrote these words "our journey begins in the winter, a season of quite reverence.  This is followed by spring, a season of refreshing and encouraging renewal.  Then comes summer, a season of enjoyable and much-needed rest.  Finally, we'll stroll through autumn, a season of nostalgic reflection."

Isn't that how life is?  So as I begin a new year during the months of winter, I know that whatever I go through God has another season waiting for me. May I allow God to escort me through the seasons of life.  Even if I go through a storm, He is wanting me to build deeper roots, so that I can have a stronger life.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."  Ecclesiastes 3:1

You Only Have 3 Hours in Singapore!

Singapore Changi Airport is one of the largest transportation hubs in Southeast Asia.  It is one of the world's busiest airports by international passengers and cargo traffic. 

There are so many people that fly through Singapore on a daily basis and have long layovers before heading to their final destination.

If you had three to five hours to see Singapore, I would recommend that you tour Singapore on the "Hop-On/Hop-Off" Red Bus.  One of the places that you can visit is the Gardens by the Bay.

It is a nature park consisting of 250 acres.  There are three waterfront gardens:  Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden. 

The day that my husband and I were at the Gardens, we visited the Flower Dome area and the Cloud Forest area.  We were able to get there right when it opened.  It was nice because we got there before the crowds.

As we walked into the Cloud Forest, you could feel the coolness of the area and smell the fresh water from the 115 feet waterfall.  This is the world's largest indoor waterfall.  Walking around in this huge greenhouse, the lush vegetation was surrounded by beautiful, colorful plants, orchids, ferns and trees.  As I walked across the bridges in the dome, I felt that I was walking through the Amazon rainforest.

After enjoying the Cloud Forest, we headed to the Flower Dome.  This dome is also a gigantic air-conditioned glass greenhouse with many exotic plants .  Since it was Christmas, the dome was decorated with poinsettias, Santa's Workshop and many Christmas trees.  Also in the area was a thousand-year-old olive trees and unusual Baobabs of the cool-dry Mediterranean and subtropical regions.

Another area to visit is the OCBC Skyway and Supertree Grove.  You can enjoy dramatic vertical plant displays.  There was also a 73 feet OCBC Skyway.  Since I don't care for heights, I didn't walk across.

So if you have limited time in Singapore, I would definitely recommend visiting the Gardens by the Bay.  It would be a great way to relax and to enjoy your surroundings!

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Today as I was going through my photos of my recent trip to Southeast Asia, I reflected on the many places and events that we experienced.

One particular event that I remember is the day that we docked at Kota Kinabalu(KK).  The passengers were glad to be on land.  The day before we had been at sea and had ridden the rocky ocean with swells from 3 feet to 12 feet.  A deadly tropical cyclone, Typhoon Tembin, had impacted the southern part of the Philippines and the Sapphire Princess got to feel and endure the path of the typhoon.  I was seasick some, but there were other passengers that never left their cabin.

I was happy that I had signed up for a tour and that I was going to be on land for several hours.  About thirty-two passengers climbed aboard the bus and our tour guide began to give us some history of KK.  KK is on the South China Sea and is the state capital of Sabah.  The main contribution for the prosperity of the area is from oil and gas.  Shell has a large office located in the downtown area.  Palm oil, tourism and coffee/tea also play a big part for the economy. 

Our guide gave some other facts.  The population for Sabah is approximately 3 million compared to the population of Malaysia which is about 30 million.  Within Malaysia there are 32 different races with about 18 different languages that are spoken.

As we drove through the city, the main thing that I noticed that there were areas of poverty with wealth of large homes or condos across the street.   Since KK is on the water, it is surrounded by palm trees and beaches and the beautiful ocean.

KK has some unique buildings, such as the Federal Building and the Tun Mustapha Tower.  This stunning 30-story glass tower is suspended from high tensile steel rods surrounding a central core.

On our way to the Sabah Museum, we drove past the State Mosque, which has five golden domes.

Arriving at the Sabah Museum, we visited the Heritage Village.  We experienced the different types of traditional houses of the various groups of Sabah.  The one hut that we went into had human skulls hanging from the ceiling.  To marry a Chief's daughter, the warrior had to present to the Chief, seven human skulls.  After roaming through the Village, we then headed to the museum to see the history of the Malaysia area.

Before heading back to the ship, the bus stopped at the market. In the market, there were clothing, unique, fresh vegetables, fruit and seafood.

Another day of traveling in Southeast Asia and seeing how others live!  To understand people, one must understand where they come from!

Faith = Living

As the rising sun promises me a new day, a new beginning, it also promises me that my life is all about living!

I have to have faith each morning as I place my feet on the floor.  Knowing, that is what my body does, it  moves forward.  I don't have to stop and think, "do I put one foot in front of the other or do I bend before I walk".  It is a process.  I just do it.  That is faith!

Living is what God wants me to do.  By living, I know God.  As I read God's word and allow Him to be a part of my life, I allow Him to grow closer to me.

A lot of us talk about faith, but do our lives reflect how God wants us to live it! 

I look at the soft blue sky, seeing the whispers of the clouds and the majestic colors of orange, pink and some yellow across the horizon and I know that God wants me to step out in faith and to live the life that He has given me.

Faith = Goals

About forty years ago, I was going through a time in my life searching for what is my purpose?, who am I? and what is life all about?  That searching took me to a church that helped me to begin to understand God and what was His goal for me?

I began to memorize scripture and to study God's word, The Bible.

One of my first verses that I memorized was Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  This is a very powerful verse.

As I begin the new year of 2018, faith and goals have been coming to mind.  When we think of a new year, we always think of goals.  A new year is a new beginning and a great time to make changes in your life.

I have been reading about other's goals, such as they want to lose weight, they want to quit smoking, they want to be a better person, they want to travel the world, etc.  So what are my goals?

My goal is to allow God to work in my life.  For God to work in my life, He needs to make changes.  He needs to work on my character, my health, my spiritual walk, my attitude and my love for others.

To have goals is to have faith.  Faith is believing when you don't see it, but it is also obeying when you don't understand.  Isn't that what goals are all about?  With goals, sometimes you are thinking there is no way that I could do that, I'm stupid for even thinking I could do that.  It will take too long to make a change.

If we don't put the goals out there, how can we ever make changes?  A blind man went to Jesus.  Jesus asked him "What do you want me to do for you?"  Jesus knew what the man wanted, but He wanted him to verbalize it.  By verbalizing what he wanted, he was having faith that God would heal him.  His goal was to see.

I am stepping out in faith and putting these goals out there.  One goal is to sing, to have a "Voice".  A friend once told me that everybody has the capability to sing.  Some are born with a natural, beautiful voices but others need to practice and to learn how to carry a note.  At times I think, I am too old to learn how to sing, but I realize I am not too old.  Today is a new day.   God will give me the strength to believe in myself.  Also with learning how to sing, I believe it will give me confidence.

Another goal is to find a ministry of assisting others.  There are so many ministries out there.  I want to find that ministry that will bring joy to my life and make an impact to others.

Of course, I want to continue making smart choices in my health, such as exercising and eating foods that will be nutritious for me.  The brain is so important.  I will keep my brain active by reading, playing sudoku, words with friends and maybe even learning a new language.  What that language will be, I am not for sure?

The most important goal is to be positive vs. negative in how I interact with others.  I want others to see the greatness in their own lives.  I want them to see how Jesus can take control of their lives and help them to be the best possible person that they can be.  It is all about encouraging others.

So what is something that you want to do this year?  What is something that you believe is not possible?  Is there a relationship out there that you want to be better?  Is there a new job opportunity that you want?

Mark 11:22 = "Have faith in God". 

Matthew 9:29 = "Because of your faith, it will happen."

The new year has just started.  Set some goals, have some faith!

Discovering New Friends!

People always ask me, "What do I enjoy most on a trip?"  My reply is "Discovering New Friends."

The trip that I just took was definitely about meeting and making new friends.

I always enjoy the sightseeing and being a part of an area, but the true understanding of the culture is by talking to the locals and finding out about their family, jobs, education, hobbies, their favorite foods and what makes them tick.

Some of the people that I got to know had such interesting backgrounds.  One of our tour guides from Vietnam has been a tour guide for several years.  She works two jobs so that she is able to afford her own home.  She is a tour guide and also works in telecommunication.  Her immediate family lives in the rural area, but she enjoys being in the big city.  Her means of transportation is her motorbike, as she is not able to afford a car.

A young lady that works on the ship is twenty-nine and has two degrees.  A degree in economics and her other degree is in law.  My question to her was "Why do you work on the ship?"  Her reply was that in her country, she would only be paid about $300 a month, even though she has two degrees.  What an eye opener?  I sometimes forget about all the opportunities that I have available to earn a decent income.

A couple that I met are currently working with the Aboriginals in Australia.  The wife works in the office and her husband works for the school driving the bus and cooking the lunches.  They have been doing this for a couple of years.  Before this opportunity, they operated their own sheep farm.  It is always interesting to hear about the occupations of others and how they obtained these jobs.

There was the great staff at the Executive Lounge at the hotel that my husband and I stayed at in Singapore.  This team of workers were so kind.  The way they treated you, you felt like royalty.  The team leader always had a smile on his face and he respected the other staff members.  One morning, the lounge was serving a particular fruit that I had never seen or eaten.  This man took the time to explain that it was "Dragon Fruit" and was from the Vietnam and Thailand area.  The fruit had a hard red shell and the inside meat was white with black seeds.   I explained that I had never seen this fruit before.  About fifteen minutes later, he brought me the actual fruit and said he wanted me to have it.  One thing that I have always noticed is that most people enjoy explaining their culture and they want others to embrace it.

My list could be lengthy regarding all of the interesting people that I met.  It just shows me what happens when you open up and allow yourself to get to know people.

One thing that I do know is that my Christmas Card list has grown from 300 to 320!

The Best of Bangkok

My time was limited in Bangkok and I definitely wanted to tour the city.

At 7 a.m., the Sapphire Princess docked at Laem Chabang, Thailand's largest port.  The passengers on the ship were anxious to get off as we only had a day to tour Bangkok and it was a 2 1/2 hour drive to the city.

Our guide greeted us with a smile and a genuine friendliness and warmth.  One of Thailand's nicknames is the "Land of Smiles".  She apologized for the weather being cold and rainy.  Normally the weather in December is hot and humid.

On the drive into the city, our guide told us that Bangkok was founded in 1782 by the first monarch of the Chakri dynasty.

It is located on the delta of the Chao Phraya River, about 25 miles(40 km) from the Gulf of Thailand.  The population is approximately 14 million.

As we approached Bangkok, you could see that this city has a cosmopolitan image.  Tourism rose during the Vietnam War, as this city became a popular destination of the U.S. military personnel.

There was much traffic.  Highways and overpasses and toll booths were everywhere.  I felt that I was on a highway in Houston, Dallas or New York.

As we inched along the expressways, we finally made it to the Chao Phraya River.  We boarded a riverboat for a scenic cruise along the canals. I now understood why the city is known as the "Venice of the East".  From the riverboat, we caught glimpses of Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn and the Grand Palace.  The river was crowded with restaurants and retail stores.

After the cruise, we headed to the Grand Palace.  King Rama I built this magnificent walled city in 1782, and each succeeding monarch added his personal stamp to the grounds.  The beauty of the compound is breathless.  The creativity and craftsmanship of the Thai people is unbelievable.

In 1956, Yul Brynner won the Academy Award for his portrayal of King Mongkut(Rama IV), who ruled from 1851 to 1868.  The movie "The King and I" was banned in Thailand and remains banned due to its representation of King Mongkut of Siam.

After spending about an hour or so at the Palace, we then headed to a restaurant for a beautiful Thai meal.

Before we headed back to the ship, we then went to Wat Traimit, Temple of the Golden Buddha.  Carved in the Sukothai style from over five and a half tons of solid gold, the seated Buddha is more than 15 feet tall.  Cast during the 13th century, it was long covered in plaster to hide its worth from thieves.  It wasn't until 1955, when the statue was accidentally dropped, that a piece of plaster chipped off revealing the gold underneath.

There are so many temples to explore and shops to discover.  On my next trip to Bangkok, I want to ride on the "tuk-tuk".  This is a three-wheeled, small motor-tricycle.  The comical name comes from the sound the engine makes while operating.

It was almost 5 o'clock and we needed to be back to the ship by 7 pm.  Even though it had rained all day, I was glad that I took the time to discover Bangkok.  There is so much history and beauty in this city!