belated birthday thanks

it’s the first Saturday night ive stayed home plan-less in a pretty long time, I kinda forgot how lazy and comforting it feels to spend a rainy evening in. such an evening passes surprisingly fast and painless in the company of the gorgeous Will&Grace (and Karen and Jack) ceaselessly spewing well-timed comedic lines (inappropriately) centred on gays, closets, life, melodrama, love and such (boy, are they addictive). 16 episodes, a seaweed pack, chunk of awfully rum&cherry choc cake and a dinner-in-bed later, I found myself lazier (I know! was that even possible?) and craving a wake-me-up-freshen-my-bedmessed-hair shower at 12mn. I also found myself enough mental alertness to swing by here to add a few lines to this pinky place… for nice lovely friends who bother to check it despite its irregularity in updates (sweet people you are *muah*. don’t mind my unusually flamboyant style tonight – I blame the sitcom). One week after turning 25, I thought it still not too late to boast about my spoils AND share some hopefully encouraging thanksgivings (before I head back to bed for some Gilmore Girls). okie! So here are the amazing gifts I received for turning one year older and er… just older ;) - cK euphoria blossom – no doubt i made a specific request, but I’ve got my dad to thank for following through with it perfectly. He’s sweet lar... AND it smells super. - a wonderful bouquet of lilies & roses from eels & sl… PLUS one big-ass kopitiam opening sized sunflower tower courtesy of prankster colleagues - season 2 of Gilmore girls – bought them for myself, by myself - new student bible! Cools. I did want a new study one so :) - some money for work in Cambodia, yippee yays! - an ipod shuffle bestowed in an unexpected fashion by an unexpected person who actually didn’t know it was my birthday but whattheheck, im adding it here cos i like it! :) - a red red AA dress from mellie and fang… nothing makes me happy like new clothes :P - tangs vouchers, contributing to get-pearls-an-oven-to-cook-for-herself&friends fund!! we’re getting there people, hang tight - topshop voucher, cos referring to 2 points above - new clothes? good! Topshop? goodies! - four birthday songs and candle-blowing cakes! that must be the record. i’m getting a teeny vibe I won’t want so many here on… - three unnecessarily bourgeois dinners in the company of sweet friends who thought spoiling my taste buds would bring warmth to my heart… how right they were :) its that, the toasts AND the laughter. lovelove - many lovely sms-es/calls from friends all over and a touchingly huge card filled with messages from people who came to our twins birthday thing. I appreciate nothing better than heartfelt notes (this ranks above clothes lar)… thanks for being such a sport, for the great cake, card writing, pressie-planning, photo-taking, event-documenting you all did. Couldn’t be more blessed than by the friendships God’s given! Material and superficial ravings aside, conscience pricked and God helped me realize in a middle of a bus ride this cliché but true thing: as nice as it feels to be made special, centre-stagey on a birthday week, it shouldn’t be so much about who I am than it is what God has made me, provided for me. What I’m trying to say is, birthdays are a celebration of the birthday person (in this case, me), but they should point to the ultimate source, sustainer of that person which (in this case) would be, God. And this birthdayed girl thinks thanksgiving to that Person are in order. Here goes. - im really thankful for how He has worked in my Dad… in bringing him to DG faithfully the past few months, for helping him to fit in and be open to DG mates. Also how we are able to relate better, be more loving and real in daily life going-ons. We are in a good place and its God who’s done it… praying for it to stay and get even better ;) - thankful for provision of my job (actually for school, some brains, nice people, theworks that led to this), which has recently turned more stable cos I got confirmed much earlier than planned. God’s hand in providing the opportunity to coordinate the crazy project (ya know which one), in helping me to actually handle the people and bring it together, in granting me favour in the eyes of my bosses and colleagues, was just so clear throughout it all. Its all Him, none of me. I’m thankful He takes an interest in even this temporal (but real and necessary) aspect of my life and his provision just means one less thing to fret about. It also helps me to surrender so much easier the other things that bug the planner-worrier in me... - huge thanks for the many good and true friends I have… they say you don’t get true friends after you reach Uni - uh-uh that ain’t true for this missy. I keep getting the good ones, man! even the new ones. New & old friends - people who are real, with personality, and wow, actually like me back! :) im blessed with really sweet people in my life who care about me and bring me great joy and fun… each in his/her own characteristic way that makes them endearing and lovable. I must have said it before but here it is again - you guys RAWK! - I thank God for bringing me to a place I never thought I would be… a place of contentment and joy in the single life. I’m happy so much of the time and the times I mope about being single gets less and less, its almost like im actually losing the whole burden altogether (maybe this is how it fills like to miraculously lose weight in a marie france programme – you cant believe your eyes seeing your tightbutt reflection in that mirror in the spectulcular 10th week… ok, im trying to paint the effect of disbelief). Fact is, I never thought I could feel so good about being who I am, being single and all that (esp since I had the whole get-married-by-24 dream going on since I was 19)… only God could have pulled this off and I’m glad He did… praying it’ll stay and I will keep getting better at being single while loving the many couply people in my life :) - lastly I thank God for making me the way I am… with my strengths, weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Today, I unexpectedly shared with a new friend my soap operaly-dramatic childhood story etc and I was reminded again how great and awesome God has been to me. There are so many ways I could have turned out (the possibility of growing up lian, brash and possibly a single mom somewhere out there usually comes to mind) but I haven’t and I’m truly thankful. He’s been so good this past 25 years - keeping me on the right path, with the right company, allowing the right events to come, to teach me, grow me. I’m no angel and no morning star but God bothered to save me (in the longterm, eternal sense) AND make life on earth bearable, enjoyable, worthy in the meanwhile - both gifts I don’t deserve. Praying for me to grow in faithfulness, genuine love and selflessness… for His glory alone, till I get to see Him, be home. night night.