authentic life experiences in Malaysia
Still very much on babies, I received this from a friend and it is so funny the way parents carry their little darlings around. Some of these don't look very safe and I don't recommend it. Have fun!
Remembered hearing one well-known Counselor mentioned that majority of the people in our world is either Mad, Bad or Sad! One need not look further to realize the truth in his words. The increase in crime and abuse against women, children and even animals are shocking! Such abusive people need medical and psychotherapy treatment to help them overcome this sickness in the mind.
Today, bloggers unite to make a stand against Abuse on women, children and animals. One thing we can do is to be observant to our surroundings and report any act of abuse to the police and authorities. We can even save lives by doing so. Keep your ears and eyes open for many victims of abuse suffer in silence out of fear! Be a good citizen, neighbor and report any suspect cases. Many such acts are done within the family circle!
Anna came from Lahad Datu, Sabah in East Malaysia. When her stomach started growing to a state that she looked pregnant, her elder brother slapped her thinking she got pregnant out of wedlock which was quite an alarming thing in Lahad Datu during that time! Due to that she was taken for a medical check-up and the conclusion was she had a huge growth in her womb! Coming from a poor family, they scratched enough money to send her to the University Hospital in Petaling Jaya where she stayed in as a cancer patient without any friends, family members visiting her for a few months!
Taken in 1982
During that period my mother-in-law was also in the same ward, being treated for ovarian cancer and that’s how I met Anna. She was scrawny, thin, bald and every day she suffered pain. When I met her, she got only three more months to live. We took her to our home during the in between chemo treatment and that’s how we get to know her life story. Anna became part of our family. Going to hospital for the chemo, stayed there for a few days then back to our place and suffer the terrible after effects of chemo. Always noticed her vomiting and groaning and unable to eat anything for a couple of days.
One day, she told my mom that she could not stand the pain anymore and would be glad if she could drop dead there and then. Mom, a Christian woman asked her permission to pray for her. I guess anything is fine if the pain goes away. After that little prayer, the pain subsided and since that day she never experienced any pain plus she got better day by day. To cut her story short, she is still well and alive today! Yes she continued with the full course of the chemotherapy, radiotherapy etc. Literally everyone in that ward died, none exceeded the six months pronouncement from the doctors! Well mom succumbed to her cancer whereas her disciple survived!
For the past 20 over years Anna faithfully comes back to the University Hospital for her routine annual check-up and today she and her husband were here and we had dinner together. She became a Christian and hey! she is pastoring a church up in Kulim! Anna’s life was a life full of the miraculous since then and this evening she shared with me and rock about the wonderful things that had happened lately. If you listened to her you will be amazed at how God comes into her life on the small little things as well as major things too. Her testimony had bring hope to many people and whenever she was invited to share in other places in Malaysia, Singapore and even China, it would be about her life and her relationship with her God.
Anna & Albert 2007
So what would you do if you face the same pronouncement like Anna, only six months to live? Would you despair like so many? Rush all over the world in search of a cure, or some mystical treatment? If I am told that, Anna’s story reminded me as well as encourages me to hope in our God of Glory! One point that always brings joy to our family is the power of a small gesture of kindness, a moment of empathy towards those who suffers, someone’s live changed forever and the result of that life, many other lives will be touched! As the Bible teaches, do good to strangers for you may be entertaining Angels! Yes, the angel that came into our lives was Anna!
After my post on Sharing Their Joy, we would like to invite our readers, fellow bloggers, brothers and sisters in Christ to Share Our Joy! Rock just completed her medical and Thank God, everything is FINE! Hurray!
Months of persistent exercises, healthy diet plus tears, groans and moans! Not forgetting the numerous prayers, encouragement and generous gifts and help received from many loving people around us. Rock is smiling more and can even crack jokes with me! Sometimes I worry because she could not stop laughing even after minutes after my silly jokes! To me the greatest achievement thus far is rock's acceptance of her condition and now truly learning to move on and leaving her traumatic 23 months behind. Although a small step in a way but all things start with small steps! She is agreeable to take evening walks round the neighborhood too!
The only thing her endocrine doctors are not too happy was her weight! She is at a trim 45Kg and remained there for the past 10 months! Slimmer than when I met her 37 years ago! I am sure you ladies who are weight watchers are green with envy! Well after some lengthy discussions, questioning and track backs so to say, the doctors discovered the cause of her static weight problem!
Rock has a Thyroid problem and she is taking a medication called Thyroxine! Apparently Thyroxine cannot be taken with any drinks, cereals that contain milk! Somehow it cancels the effect! So for those who are on Thyroxine please take note. We'll be back to the doctors in 3 months time for another round of check-up and hope to see rock's weight improves. Not too sure she's happy with that but for her health sake she need to put on a bit more weight!
Personally, I see marriage as a really wonderful thing. It is about two people, a man and a woman I mean, making a Covenant Relationship with God as Witness, to love and to behold and till death do we part type of commitment. Through the metamorphosis of this relationship, love deepens, the relationship matures and bringing forth children. In old age they depend and rely on each other for care-giving, when one is not in good health, for companionship and most important just be there for each other!
However there are some funny and humorous side to a marriage as well. No one can express the funny side so well as Cartoonists! Well lets take these cartoon clips in the right spirit rather than being faulting any party concerned. Sit back and muse over them.
