Seeing Santubong

Last night I attended the first lesson of the School of Leader I curriculum in our church.
This also mean that I am embarking into another deeper and higher journey in discipleship. It will take me at least 10 Sundays to complete the course.
Last night lesson is interesting, I may have not received everything but one thing I learnt is the power of visioning or seeing. I guess that is the secret of the Father's heart, that He wants me to walk in the greater faith. Pastor Victor made a comment that the astronaut made it to the moon because they saw it and believing that one day they can walk in the moon.
We need to see God, although most of us probably know that we can never see him because He is invisible but how many times we felt His presence just next to us and that His personal touch has transformed us?
I must admit I started to see Santubong faces recently. It has never happen before that I could envision my unborn child. I see him in the flashes of memory from time to time. He has Johannes eyes and facial features. He is always cheerful and smiling and overwhelm by joy and that is indeed like me. He is gentle and adorable...
I am not sure when he I can finally hold on and carry him but I believe the day is soon.
If those people made it to the moon because they saw it. I am going to be a mother to Santubong because I saw him too....
Hopefully I will bring forth the good news very SOON!

Skiing at Kungsberget

Last night a group of us from Connect house went skiing. For many of them, it has been a regular weekly Wednesday night event since January. As for me, this is my first time in Kungsberget and third time since a decade ago. I wanted to go earlier but I was reluctant to invest in ski suit and other accessories. That has been my excuse of not going for ski.
Anyway, I finally made it to Kungsberget and I skied and together with me there are 2 more novice skier Eva Luisi from US and Annamika Nath from our Bangalore office. I was thrilled and excited as our cars approaching the ski resort. I rented the ski gear from the shop and it was very difficult to put on the ski boot and moreover walking with the ski. At the beginning it was almost impossible to walk on the snow and thankfully Rhys was escorting me to the cable lift chair.
I managed to get to half hill and as expected I kept falling but falling on snow is pretty cool thing since it does not hurt at all. There journey wasn't that pleasing at the beginning when my ski did not listen to me or under my control, but with some tips and coaching from Erik Rosen, I regained the feeling of skiing that I once had about 10 years ago.
SKiing indeed is fun and good workout

The multiple facets of snow

It has been a couple of days and snow still keep falling from the heaven (I mean the sky). This morning as I sit on the limo embarking on my journey to my favorite destination - Arlanda airport, I looked at the snow that falling gracefully, it reminded me of this song..

Is Your blood that cleanses me
Is Your blood that gives me life
Is Your blood that took my place
In redeeming sacrifice, washes me whiter than the snow
Lord Jesus, my precious sacrifice

BLOOD & PURITY
===========
I realize that blood is always red, but imagine the red blood that can cleanse me and transforming me from darkness (black) to a state that is whiter than the snow. I know it is abstract, but once you grapse the truth, you will know how wonderful is my Lord.

MANNA
======
The soft, fluffy snow flakes also reminded me of manna, the daily bread that the Lord promised to the Israelites as they exodus from Egypt. Manna is something that you cannot keep overnight or left over for the next day as it just get rotten. However, the faithful Lord is supplying it every morning as it is written in the scripture. Over the years, I have learnt to rely on His daily manna, and He is never too late or too early, His supply is always just in time.

HIS GLORY
=========
Last night when I walked on the street at night, on the unspoiled patch of white snow, with the reflection of the light from the street lamp post, I can see clearly the reflection of some glitters from the snow. The kind of glittering are similar to the diamond. I think of the Glory of God, often time when I saw visions, the glory of God is always resembled by the kind of white sands that falling from the sky and as it meets with the spectrum of light, it shines exactly as what I saw on the white snow under the light. Thank You Lord for reminding me of Your Glory.

Thank you Jesus for showing your grace and mercy to me through snow.

My First Victory of the year came through

On Jan 12, I blogged about the possibility of my first victory...
Today Feb 7, I have a confirmation that the first Victory has come to the past!!!
My career counselor called me this afternoon to confirm and congratulate that I am promoted to manager in March this year.
I didn't have the trill or surprise in me because I kind of expected this to happen.
Anyway, I want to praise the Lord for He has made this possible for me.
All my hardworking have been paid off and I know I have to cherish this very much because it is indeed not easy for an Asian lady like me to make it to that position. Moreover, I did not speak the language yet.
All glory and honor unto Him!

Heavy Snow Fall

Just as I wondered last Thursday if the winter has ended and spring has arrives, today we have heavy snow, it started snowing since this morning. It has not stop even now as I am writing this blog in my apartment.
We were forced to have team dinner together. However before the dinner were served, we had to go through a rather boring and lengthy round of updates. Imagine the meeting started pass 7pm and the dinner were only served after the meeting at almost 9pm.
The highlight of the night was the snowball fights. We had quite a bit of fun and my hands were freezing after that.

Nunnery

Today I drove for over an hour to Vught for a Dutch language intake interview. The institute is called Regina Coeli, whom I believe is a nun who invent the European Framework for languages course.
The building is quite new and it does match up to the expensive training center image.
I was greeted by a lady who explained the operation of the institute and gave me a quick test. Then we had a chance to walk around the building before I was formally invited to a private room with a tutor for upclose and personal interview.
The tutor at first insisted that I know nothing about Dutch. However, once she mentioned she is born in Indonesia, there conversation started to flow... Not very good and with a lot of mistake but I told her I am attending an Indonesia speaking church and for awhile, we have had good Dutch conversation.
However, can I speak better Dutch after a week of intensive course?? Is the course value for money? I don't know, but I always believe in 'if there is a will, there is a way' and if I have done my best, God will do the rest. Who know this is my another victory for this year?

Spring afternoon

Is spring already set in quietly?
Today we have a beautiful sunshine and the spring sunray throughout the day. If not because there is still a little bit of leftover unmelted snow, I would really think that spring has come in surpise.
The weather is a bit unusual this week. It is supposed to be still cold and snowy in Sweden, but we actually have an average of +8 degree weather in the day and about +4 degree at night. It really surprise me when I heard that Spain and Portugal is flood with heaviest snow since the last 50 years. Even Netherlands is so much colder than the Nordic region. It appears to me something has gone wrong somewhere...
During the lunch hour, I couldn't help bút decided to have a stroll outside Connect house. The walk with Annika was wonderful.
This evening when I took the train from Gälve to Arlanda, I could feel that the cold weather is reappearing again, and true enough, there were light snow when I arrived at the airport.
Enough of the weather, all I am longing is to go home and go back to my husband.
Hopefully the flight will depart on time...

Farewell Gravelle

Today is Roland last working day at Sandvik Connect HR project.
Last night we had our usual poker at Eva's place. Eva was kind enough to cook us some Mexican Taco and wrap, the beef with Taco mix was excellence!!

Roland was pretty open and talked a lot and made a lot of jokes. He has this English humour that sometime is quite difficult for non britian to understand. Anyway, despite of the fact that he wishes to get rid of his extra Swedish Kronors, he ended up being the winner for the poker game.

Good bye Mr. Gravelle, all the best with your new job in PWC and spending more of your time in vibrant London and wearing your professional suits.

Talking about suits, I have not seen him in one throughout the time he spent in this project.

I am sure our paths will cross again, sometime, somewhere.....