Upcoming Vocal Training Workshop on 19 September 2009

Vocal & Singing Techniques Workshop on 19 September 2009

Time: 10.00am – 12.00pm.
Cost: $30 per participant

Topics:

Body posture and breathing
· Voice projection
· Expression
· Tone
· Diction
· Resonance
· Pitching and voice control
· Voice care

Refreshed, Strengthened and Rejuvenated

Monte and I made two trips to Tioman. We never get tired of that wonderful island. 

The crystal clear water, the multicoloured fishes, exotic sea creatures are just some of the highlights of the beautiful island. 

In one of our trips there, we happened to stay very close to the beach. It was absolutely amazing when we were lured to sleep by the sound of the beautiful waves.

We have discovered that having intermittent breaks and holidays is beneficial. Last month, we made a trip to Penang with my mother. We are scheduled for a short break in Batam end of this year. Our holidays are times of rest and also time to get away from the hustle and bustle of life to do some reflection and evaluation of things that have transpired in our life. We come away refreshed, strengthened and rejuvenated. As the Chinese saying goes "Xiu Xi Shi Yao Zou Geng Chang De Lu", which means that we need to rest so that we can cover the long road ahead of us.

God is good. We were blessed with trips that fell into our laps on different occasions. They are mostly blessings from our families. He has blessed us above and beyond what our minds and hearts could ever imagine and for that our hearts well up in thanksgiving for His goodness.

Overwhelmed and Encouraged

From January to September 2007, I had the privilege to conduct speech and drama training in a girl’s school in Bukit Timah area. All in all, I taught seven different classes on two separate days for an hour session per week. The girls were then seven or eight years old. They were adorable and fun to be with. When I read through some of the little notes they penned down for me, I am overwhelmed and encouraged by the goodness of the Lord shown through those loving and innocent children.

Fire Fighting Mode

One of the key issues that plague churches today is infighting, be it among members or members with leaders. It grieves the God’s heart to see disunity in His house. His promise to bless still remains but we fall short simply because we have not done our best to build unity in the body of Christ.

When there is endless fighting going on in a church, oftentimes the pastor is constantly on the fire fighting mode. He cannot fully focus to shepherd the flock, to feed the sheep and to pour his heart out to pastoral concerns because his heart is weighed down. He soon gets disillusioned and what hurts most is that sometimes the very people he poured his life into turn around to hurt him.

On the contrary, we want to love and serve our pastor, giving him full support and assistance. We believe in him and honour the call of God upon his life for the Lord has placed him in the particular church at this time and season to fulfill the purposes for God. We release him to do what God has put in his heart to lead the church.

As we pray for our churches today, we want to ask God to make us instruments of peace and love, working with one heart to see the kingdom of God established. God begins to pour His wonderful and bountiful blessings upon us.

A Day to Remember

Some years ago, while shuttling from a primary school to another for training with my fellow trainer friend, Gracy, I experienced one of the most heart-warming incident that left a lasting memory. While we were travelling on the bus with the rain pounding mercilessly outside, suddenly a passenger had an epileptic attack. Within seconds, the rest of us numbering less than ten swung into action. The bus driver got an ambulance and helped too. That day, the caring act came from ordinary people whose actions spoke louder than words. It will remain in my memory for a long time.

Enjoying Work

Basic Drama

Critical Thinking Skills

English

Graduation Preparatory Enrichment Programme

Interactive Mental Wellness Programme*

LAMDA** Exam Preparation Course

Literature

IMotivational Skills Workshop

Oral Communications

Oral Presentations

Personal Etiquette

Personal Grooming

Presentation Skills

Poetry Through Drama

Public Speaking cum Hosting

Servant Leadership & Service Learning

Sound Right***

Speech & drama

Story Telling

Stress & Conflict Management

Study Skills

Thinking Skills

* Interactive Mental Wellness Programme on managing change and progression for Primary 6
** London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts
*** Speech Training Programme

I am thankful to the Lord for opening the door for me to be involved in enrichment training mostly in Primary and Secondary Schools alongside my vocal training. As I listed down some of programmes and courses I have conducted, my heart is overwhelmed by the goodness of the Lord as I have thoroughly enjoyed what I am doing. My life has been enriched by the people that I have worked with these years and I continue to thank the Lord for what He has put into my hands.

Life's Lighter Moments

Recently we bought this miniature golf set and we loved it. Monte is into golf and it certainly grew on him. It is helpful to have some hobbies and interest that help us to relax, enjoy and keep fit. They are life’s lighter moments to colour and enriched us.

Footprints in the Sand

We go through different seasons in our life. Sometimes everything seems to be smooth and easy. At other times, we go through times of trails and setbacks. Or even seasons of dryness and lack of spiritual fervour. The dark hours of our soul is likened to a person groping around in a pitch darkness. The Psalmist had his fair share of such experiences and when he related his turmoil and despair, we often identify with Him. Every step gets heavier and our minds and hearts are crowded with bleakness and hopelessness.

But the Lord never fails to come through for us even when we lack the strength and motivation to cry out to Him. He hears our silent cries and receives every teardrop. He understands our anguish and pain. He had been there. Our hearts find comfort and strength in God. The Lord will never leave us in a lurch, He will do everything He can to nurse us back to health because He loved us with an everlasting love. I will leave you with this powerful poem entitled Footprints in the Sand by Mary Stevenson. The Lord reminds us that His mercy and grace is poured into our life lavishly to reveal His glory.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I had a dream--

I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord

and across the sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints,

one belonged to me and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that many times along the path of my life,

there was only one set of footprints.

I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest

and saddest times in my life.

This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,

you would walk with me all the way,

but I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life

there is only one set of footprints.

"I don't understand why in times when I needed you most,

you should leave me."

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child,

I love you and I would never, never leave you

during your times of trial and suffering.

"When you saw only one set of footprints,

it was then that I carried you."

- Mary Stevenson

Peace for Our Broken Pieces

We go through life shattering experiences at times. We go through tough times and difficult moments.  

The Lord help us to persevere. The trials and difficulties in life can never pin us down; they only make us stronger. The Lord's sustaining power and grace fill us with courage and hope. 

The Lord gives us peace for our broken pieces. Peace that passes understanding. Through our brokenness, the life and light of Jesus is released and His fragrance spreads far and wide.

He spurs us to persevere in our journey with Him.  He speaks life and wholeness into our mortal beings. He restores and strengthens us from within. 

How precious and priceless is our Father's love. We press in to seek the face of God. This speaks of an intimacy that only those who have spent time with God understand. 

The pure grace of God draws us closer to Him. We long for more of Him in our broken lives. He speaks hope and strength into our hearts.

A Life Well Lived

Auntie Devi went home to be with the Lord on 18 July 2009. She was 78 years of age. I remember spending time in her home as she opened her home for life group for many years. I recalled how Auntie Devi faithfully cooked for someone who went straight to the life group meeting from work. She gave and shared what she had freely. At her funeral, a former tenant shared with much tears on how Auntie Devi gave and blessed him and his family with what little she had. The Lord shone through this amazing woman’s life to touch people around her,

Auntie Devi loved the Lord dearly. She loved God and his people. It was heartwarming when her grand children spoke so fondly about her love and faith in God. A grand child also mentioned that she had left a great legacy. She was a broken and kind woman who spent many hours daily worshipping and praying because she loved the Lord with all her heart.

I am a life that has been blessed by Auntie Devi. She is a shining example of a live well lived; inspiring many of us to follow hard after our loving God.

Don't Grow Up too Fast

In January – October 2007, I was conducting weekly Speech and Drama training at a primary school in Bishan. One day, upon reaching the classroom, I received news that the class monitor was ‘sacked’. I did not want to dig deeper on the matter. All I saw was the embarrass look on the face of the little eight year old boy. If there was a hole in the ground, I reckon he would have hidden in it. I continued to allow him to assist me in some ways throughout my training there.

I am surprised by the use of terminology which usually surface in the adult working world. These are innocent children whom we want to shield and protect from the harsh realities of the world system. The disadvantage of exposing young children under our charge to overpowering demands and expectations can be detrimental to building confidence and growth. Don’t let them grow up too fast. They can make do with enjoying learning and managing reasonable expectations with the help and support we can provide.

How Great is Our God

In this photo, we see the contrast between majestic rice terraces and a tiny person overlooking the terraces. This photo mirrors God and us. Our great and majestic God towering over us. 

We are vulnerable and weak but God makes His strength perfect in us. We begin to see the bigness and greatness of almighty God. The Lord overpowers us by the power of His might. How great is our God!

God chooses work through us. The Lord does not focus on our smallness. He looks beyond the natural. He sees potential and strength in each of us.

The challenges we face fade away when we look to God. He is far bigger and greater than our human minds can ever fathom. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.

Apart from Him, we can do nothing. His love compels us to go the extra mile. Our sole desire is to bring glory to His matchless name.

The Chef at Home

From time to time, Monte and I invite friends over for a meal. The home is a wonderful place to mingle with people.

Both of us cook at home. We have our signature dishes that we gradually improve over time. Recently, we had some friends over for dinner. Monte prepared minced pork seashell pasta from scratch. It was so scrumptious that one of our friends e-mailed us to get a hold of the recipe.

So here is Monte's recipe:

Minced Pork Seashell Pasta

Ingredients: 

4 whole garlic smashed and chopped 

2 large onions chopped 

12 large ripe tomatoes chopped 2 cans of tomato paste on standby (if used, each can requires a cup of water) Olive oil 

1 stalk of celery finely sliced 

4 large red chillies sliced 

2 cubes of beef broth dissolved in 2 cups of boiled water 

1 cup of red wine 1000 grams of minced pork (Other meat option: Italian sausages or minced beef)

3 tablespoons of Italian seasoning 1 tablespoon of black pepper Half tablespoon of red chilli powder

Steps: 

1.  Fry garlic in olive oil until brown and fragrant. Set aside.

2.  Lightly fry celery in olive oil, use little oil as possible. The celery produce water, do not discard. You will use it for the sauce.

3.  Fry onions in olive oil. After onions are fried, add garlic and meat. Fry until meat is slightly browned and do not overcook as it will cook more during simmering. When you begin frying the meat, add Italian seasoning, pepper and chilli powder.

4.   After meat is lightly browned, throw in all the tomatoes and celery.

5.   After you have added in tomatoes, chillies and celery, immediately pour in beef broth and wine.

6.   Depending on variables such as: insufficient quantity or diluted appearance, add one or two cans of tomato paste. Each can requires about a cup of water.

7.   Simmering at lowest possible heat for about 30 minutes.

8.   Turn off heat. Spaghetti sauce should have the texture similar to curry. However, should you want a thicker texture, just add more tomato paste and season according to taste.

9.    Salt is not included because there is salt in the broth and cooking wine so you should taste before adding salt.

10.  There may be need for up to 6 more tomatoes because of using a whole stalk of celery.

Cooking Pasta: 

1.  Add a little salt and a little olive oil in the boiling water.

2.  Drain completely of water.

3.  Coat pasta in olive oil.

Now you know why Monte is the chef at home.

Captivating MacRitchie Reservoir

Monte and I took a stroll at MacRitchie reservoir last evening. It was enchanting and captivating. We enjoy nature and we are happy just to go on leisure walks and often times we would be prayer walking. Such times are mostly reflective moments that we cherish deeply. The cares of the world are put aside as we allow the Lord to lead us in times of contemplative prayer.

Members have Their Privileges

Belonging to the family of God also means that we shoulder our respective responsibilities as well as enjoy the benefits of being a part of the great household. As believers and members of the family of God, we are blessed with countless privileges. They are salvation, wholeness, restoration, liberty, peace, joy, hope, faith, strength, grace, contentment, courage, dignity and resilience. What God gives freely, money cannot buy. One of the greatest privileges is to be the recipients of His promises. We live each day full of hope in our eternal God. We enjoy this intimate relationship with our maker, our helper, our strengthener and our God and Father. As we fix our eyes on the Lord we are full of His hope and assurance. No fear or intimidation will overwhelm us because He keeps us safe in His loving embrace.

A Little Fighter

I learnt about the plight of little four year old Charmaine through a Mandarin radio station. She is struck with fourth stage cancer. You can learn more about her story at

http://www.ourfeistyprincess.com/about_charmaine_family.php

Charmaine’s mother, Cynthia, is doing all she can to raise money for her medical treatment. She is a strong lady, a single mother with two young children. She loves both the kids dearly .

Charnaine, though young, is a fighter in many ways. Her physical body is ravaged by cancer but she remained cheerful and happy. She cheers her mum up when she sees her in tears. Bear in mind that she is only four.

Donations are pouring in. The public, a radio station and various establishments are rendering their support and help to reach out to this amazing fiesty princess.

One of Those Days

Yesterday was one of those days that Mickey had his way. I brought him for a walk as usual and it was time to go home, he refused to move. He sure had his way.

Celebrate Jesus

Each day is a gift from our loving God. We are awakened by His unfailing love. We celebrate Jesus, we celebrate His goodness and grace. 

We enter the gates of praise. Our hearts are filled with His awesomeness. Who is like unto our God? The Lord strong and mighty! Mighty to save. Mighty to deliver. 

We have every reason to rejoice and to walk in full liberty. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. Let His praises ring through all the earth as we behold the King of glory. The Rock of Ages radiates gloriously in His majesty. We worship You almighty God.

Love You Too Much

The Lord loves us too much to let us go. Especially people who have once tasted the goodness of the Lord but today their hearts are no longer with Him. His heart longs for them.

One day, I caught an audio interview of a elderly mother who was estranged from her son. She told the interviewer that she could not sleep at night because she missed her son so badly. My heart went out to this woman because I know what a mother’s love is like because I have been loved by my mother all these years. We give so much thought to human love but no greater love will surpass the love of God which He lavished on each of us. He went above and beyond Himself when He died on the cross for our sins. What more can He give. As we allow the amazing love of God to surround us, we can only bow down to Him and worship Him in praise and adoration.

Music Knows No Boundary

On May 30, Monte (my husband) and I were delighted to catch the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) at Ang Mo Kio Central Stage. The theme was Nanyang Elegance. It was so amazing, the orchestra was featured with a renowned Tablar (Indian drum) performer. A Malay dance accompanied by the SCO was another highlighted segment. Music knows no boundary. The fusion brought out the true essence of Nanyang Elegance. We had an awesome time that night.

Never Wasted

Recently, I had lunch with a friend. She related how her neighbour lost their three year old daughter a few years ago. Apparently, the child fell out of the grill less window of their condominium block. I believe the pain that the couple felt must be inexpressible. The best intended words said at that time could not soothe the agony and pain in the hearts of the young parents.

In our walk with the Lord; we may also walk through dark and challenging paths in our lifetime. Sometimes, when things get so bad; we begin to lose sight and fear begins to paralyse us. We grope aimlessly in pitch darkness and fell over again and again. We know the awful feeling of desertion and helplessness. We understand what lossness and hopelessness are.

The story does not end here because the Lord comes to our rescue when we call out to Him. He delivers and restores us. When we come through the fire and emerge with His strength, we are over comers triumphing in His victory. God uses our experiences and set-backs, some of which can be very painful. We can identify with people who share about their struggles, challenges and experiences with us because we were there. The Lord begins to work through us to extend His love to people who are crying for help. God puts people in our paths and we want to be sensitive to what is on His heart; to respond according to what He desires to do through us. All the experiences we have gone through are never wasted because God uses them and makes us His channel of love and blessing.

For the Love of Mickey

The following is the description of the personality and temperament of Shih Tzus at

http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/breeds/shih-tzus.html#temp

“One of the strongest characteristics of the Shih-Tzu is its personality. The Shih-Tzu is a friendly, non aggressive dog that is a good companion for children and other breeds of dogs. Shih-Tzus are known for their fun-loving play, romping around the apartment or in the country side.

The Shih-Tzu is a people oriented dog, they cherish no more than the love of people. They will sit patiently, remaining still with their eyes gazing intently on your face waiting for you to call them over to be patted. The Shih-Tzu is not a one person dog. Shih-Tzus are happy to entertain any stranger, once accepted by the family. This is one reason that they are becoming popular. They make friends where ever they go.

The Shih-Tzu has a lap dog personality. It is not high strung nor demanding. The pet Shih-Tzu is content during the day to lie in a corner with his legs stretched out behind him, snoring softly. If he has a choice he would prefer to be curled up in your lap.”

I will leave you the pictures of Mickey to tell you the rest of the story...

The Best Deal

Giving full control of our life to God brings freedom to us. If we do not surrender our all to Him, we will end up going around in circles because we have no focus and purpose without Him. As the saying goes ‘Let Go and Let God’. The more we want to hold on to all that seemingly belongs to us, we begin to lose them. Giving our all to the Lord is the only right thing to do because all that we call our own is not actually ours for we are merely God’s stewards. By letting go, we gain everything. We are not at the losing end because we get the best deal and nothing comes close; I am talking about knowing and embracing the Lord. He calls us to Himself and He pours His life into ours and calls us His very own. The presence of God is precious and priceless. We must do everything we can to guard this precious deposit jealously because if we lose Him, we lose everything.