What I am in God

From my friend's note: Current offering reading at Bethel kids church...love it! "I am powerful, and what I believe changes the world! So today I declare: God is in a good mood. He loves me all the time. Nothing can separate me from His love. Jesus' blood paid for everything I will tell nations of what He has done. I am important. How He made me is amazing. I was designed for worship. My mouth establishes praise to silence the enemy. Everywhere I go becomes a perfect health zone. And...with God Nothing is impossible!"

No time for emotions, guapa...

I heard someone call my name, it was my guapa (beautiful Spanish sweetheart). We chatted at the interchange for the central and northern lines at Bank station, oblivious of people around us.She was giving me a pep talk, "this is not the time for emotions, no no no, you have to just do it", as she flicked her hair, hands to her hips and waved her fingers at me, Spanish style. :) I said " si, si guapa" as we hugged each other goodbye. I have to "just do it". What a great pep talk to start my day. Muchas gracias mi amiga linda.

Everywhere I go

I was rushing out to get a coffee and walked past two happy people who were bursting out laughing together, enjoying each other's company, and each sipping a cuppa. Such a joy seeing happy, joyful people. I looked again at them. I knew them. I looked at them and asked them what they were doing in my hood, I was actually a little abrupt while questioning them. I was just surprised and took a long look at each of them. It turned out the gal worked in my area. The guy was just visiting. He looked at me with an amused look on his face. The guy had dropped me home the night before with a group of friends. I managed to get the last space in his car, rather cheekily. We all go to the same church. I love how connected we are, every where I turn there is someone I know, someone who looks at me lovingly, showing me God's beautiful face and love for mankind. What a blessing, what a privilege, what abundant grace our Father has for us.

sweet little moments in life...

the sweet little moments in life are the best I think...

my morning catch up with my cute cuddly neighbour as we walk together for a bit on the way to work..he lets me do all the talking and I do it at full speed as we don't walk together for long before we go in different directions..

my beautiful workmate who brings in taro boiled by her mother the night before for the both of us...

a stranger named Gerry who shows me the way to the cupcake shop where I have an evening date with a girlfriend who also recommends another cupcake shop called Lola's in Selfridges...she is so smiley, warm and down-to-earth.

friends Alice and Marie who tell me in glee about really small cosy cinemas Aubin in Bethnal Green and Every Man in Baker Street where you get large comfy seats, your table and a bar in the cinema...:) sounds awesome.

praying on the sofa in my flat with two beautiful girlfriends at the start of the year, thanking God for an amazing year and that we bring change to the world we live in, meet the needs of deprived areas in our community.

my old boss who says he was thinking of me last week and was wondering how I was doing and suggests catching up over a glass of wine - it is nice to be thought of.

my current director who tells me to chill out and just have fun, as I tell him I want to learn some finance...one on one from him. :)

praying with a girlfriend in a cupcake shop for her to pursue her dream of joining the UN.

sleeping in my beautiful warm silk nightdress lovingly brought back by my girlfriend from Shanghai while she was there over Christmas.

enjoying local Malay food with a beautiful friend while she tells me about the amazing "mission" trip to Thailand she has just been on, saying grace with her before eating.

dancing to the song Tightrope in a hip hop class with a cool teacher, Bradley, who goes into the moves so patiently and with such precision like no other teacher I have had before. and we all learn to bounce and shake our shoulders. so liberating and fun.

a text from friends saying I am their champions despite me failing to obtain the desired outcome.

being called cheeky by my beautiful Spanish girlfriend. I love her. I love being loved by her.

God showing me He has great plans for me and he will reward my faith in Him - that he will help my conquer the giants in my life, as he helped Caleb.

my Mama telling me to start up a burger stall (I think it is because I love to cook) when I tell law can be tough. I love her.

my close friend's mum who prays for me before I make any major decisions/take an exam/go on holiday - her words always ring true. God is always with me no matter where I go, whichever part of the world I am in. He never leaves me. It is beautiful.

a friend calling me to share her pain as her mother is critically ill - that is somewhat a bit of a bitter sweet moment. but I know God is her with her and her mother and His plans rule above everything else.

staying up late chatting to my younger cousin about "boy issues". boys puzzle girls of all ages. :)

friends gently and holding my hands and praying for me at the dinner table as I returned from the slopes with a cut lip that had to be sewn back (and has since completely healed).

sweet moments. life is good. God is great. I love him. Medasi Nyame.

Cute kiddos in a Malaysian airport..

I was waiting in Coffee Bean at LCCT (airport for low-cost airlines in KL) for my uncle. A little boy (around age 6) tries to enter the cafe but finds the door I am sitting opposite stiff. One of the airport staff helps him open the door. He lingers by a table opposite me and then draws a chair and sits on it. The cafe was playing a few catchy tunes. The kid then starts grooving to a Beyonce song - moving his shoulders and neck - pretty slick moves for a six-year-old while looking at me. I get a little paranoid trying to see if he is accompanied by parents or is up to some mischief.

A pretty little girl then comes through the door. She looks at him, then at me. She comes to my table and stands by my bags,looks at them and turns her big eyes towards me. I am trying to figure all this out (maybe they thought I was running away from home and thought I was lonely?) - or were the kids genuinely drawn to me (you know like kids being drawn to Jesus :)) or were they up to something? They then got a bit bored with me as I sat with a puzzled look but did not say anything. The boy then leaves, soon followed by the girl whom I think was his sister. They go to a family sitting nearby on the chairs outside. A man whom I would guess is the dad looks towards me in a bemused manner. The whole family then walks off.

I found the whole episode quite funny and a little unusual. Malaysian kids aren't usually that friendly towards strangers nor are parents that willing to let their children wander off that far unaccompanied. Maybe they were from a neighbouring country. The boy's dance moves still make me laugh when I think about him. But maybe the moves only come second to a boy who is around six years old and in the habit of somersaulting in our church foyer towards a friend of mine and ends the somersault by telling her his five-year old best friend fancies her and would like to marry her. She is in her twenties. Kids are cute and intriguing....and fun!

I dey good

It has been wet, wet, wet in Londres. I was in such a good mood after work this evening though, humming the song "Majesty" by Delirious as I was leaving the office and after having chatted with Miriam, who has promised to teach me some French and possibly Malinke, the language she speaks in Ivory Coast. The words, "forever I am changed by your love, in the presence of your majesty, your grace has found me just as I am, empty handed but alive in your hands, the greatest love of all is mine" resonated within me. I felt light, at peace. A bus sped by and in the process sprayed water on my trousers - I was wet from the knees down on my right side. But it was all cool. I got splashed again by a car when I was near my home. My shoes were wet too. But it was good. I had been not as at peace in the morning thinking about how London can sometimes get just a little too busy. And did I mention the group of guys who came up to me on the underground on my way home, one guy with a hip hop swagger and the other who stood in front of me, did a body roll (like what you'd do when you are "street-locking") and then walked off. Funny. Oh and they were South Asians - isn't hip hop so international? *Wink.

Woodstock and a guy called Timo

I thought most lawyers in the city were super-focused on their careers. I then met Timo - a really intelligent lawyer who was fun and who listened to his music in his firm while doing his work, causing partners to tell him that he was not at Woodstock. He had lovely curls, he just did not look like your typical corporate/finance lawyer. He looked like a trendy arty type who as really at home liming in a bar in Shoreditch. I thought he was a musician. He was at a top international law firm, still quite young, with a very fresh outlook on life. And he was just going for it in life, being himself, giving everything his best, with a great sense of humour - he was real, down-to-earth and knew what he was about. He made me sit up and re-align my sometime inaccurate generalisations of lawyers in the city. I am glad I met him - just proves time and time again how sometimes we can get it wrong with easy-to-make (and easy-to-hold on-to)generalisations.