Time seems to fleet pass exceedingly fast when one reaches age 70. Before you know it, year 2024 is coming to an end. As usual, it's time to count the blessings before moving on to year 2025, God willing!
This year, two high school classmates and two Uni College Christian Fellowship friends had moved on to eternity. Just a couple of days ago on 07.12.2024, I received news of another Uni College Christian Fellowship friend who has just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is in the process of seeking treatment.
In the international level, well-known Taiwanese writer, Chiung Yao, another well known Chinese song writer and singer, Liu Jia Chang and the English actress, Maggie Smith who acted as Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter film too had moved on for good.
This is sad news but is also a reminder that the finality of the cycle of life is ever more closer!
But there are plus side in these fading years - It is the bond between the immediate family members, between us as parents and our children and between us as grandparents and our grandchildren. I am pleased that my children are doing well and equally, the four grandchildren are growing in age and maturity.
At this stage of our lives, it is our close friends who can offer empathy and emotional validation especially during challenging time. Among us, we have mutual understanding based on shared interests and life experiences.
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In my recent trip to Singapore, I was greatly encouraged by Livvie, my granddaughter's rapid advances in her intellect and maturity. Just over seven years old, she was able to lead us all the way from home to the nearest bus stop, took the correct bus, stopped at the correct destination bus stop and then walked to the shopping mall where we were supposed to go.
Livvie was awarded bronze medal for good character/behavior in her class.
My other granddaughter Maddie, the younger sister of Livvie is a buddle of joy. She is no longer a mere follower but a tough little fellow who increasingly has a mind of her own. Occasionally, she becomes an irritant to the older sister!
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Maddie was selected to speak on behalf of her Kindy class to
welcome parents who came for the year-end school concert. |
Another surprise is my other granddaughter, Grace in Australia. Recently, she campaigned hard in her school to be elected as the Captain of her Sport Team. With her unyielding spirit, she won. She turns out to be a sport girl, a good runner and long jumper. She won first place in the 100m race in the inter-school sport in WA - a major achievement for a Year 5 (Primary 5) girl!
My only grandson, Nathan is doing well in his Year 8 (Form 2) in his college. Besides his tight school routine, he is also into music (guitar playing) and taekwondo lesson. His ability to manage such heavy work load and do well is truly amazing!
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| Nathan's mom called them the Four Musketeers. |
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These days in the WhatsApp chats, we received a lot of short videos of numerous guru's teaching us how to live our lives - They talk about heathy living, do regular exercises, be more forgiving and be more generous, having regular meet-up with friends. The list goes on. These are all positive things for seniors to pursue and to adopt.
To me, two things are paramount - good health and sharp mind. If you have good health but with failed memory, you are living in a strange world that is "unfamiliar" to you. If you have sound mind but lack mobility, it's equally depressing! Even Apostle John in his forward greeting in 3 John 1:2 says: "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well". Indeed, good health is paramount!
To keep us healthy, my wife and I still strive to cycle on a regular basis - at least once a week. Cycling is a sport we picked up in early April 2017 after attending a talk on the benefits of cycling in one of the Golden Joy Gatherings. We do realize that time is catching up and that long cycling route is becoming physically more demanding and tiring. We have since April this year switched to another additional exercise, i.e. regular walking in our housing estate.
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| Talk on 06.04.2017 |
April 2017 - when we first started cycling under the tutorship of George Ng.
With advancing age and a gradual decline in instant memory, I recognize that it is increasingly more difficult to recap or recall Bible verses. But I am comforted by 1 John 3:18, "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and truth". While it is commendable that one is quick to recite Bible verses, but it is living out these verses that matters rather then pure words. Afterall, our "Christian uniform" is the outward daily living life style and actions that people are able to see.
Still, it is important to continue keeping a sharp mind. To achieve that, I continue writing blogs which I started in February 2005 after being encouraged by my daughter, Serene. Now, after almost 20 years, I managed to have written 1,046 blogs, that's an average of one per week. In these blogs, I keep records of my travels; times spent with my family both in Malaysia and overseas, with my grandchildren and friends and also about people who have impacted my life. Writing blogs is also a good way to store memorable photographs taken over the years. Once uploaded, there is no fear of loss or misplacement of these pictorial records. They are easily accessible just with a tap of the finger on the handphone or the mouse on the laptop!
I was glad that I took up the challenge of reading the whole New Testaments and Psalm within the 40-day period prior to Malaysia Day on 16.09.2024. I believe those who took up the challenge in the CG have equally been blessed. Taking up such similar challenge occasionally is a beneficial way to maintain personal discipline.
To me, we should never stop learning. The recent introduction of paperless parking system enforced by the local authority did cause some difficulties and even opposition among some people particularly the seniors. But progress and new way of doing thing are inevitable. Therefore, learning new things and making adjustment is part and parcel of living.
In the world stage, peace is so much lacking in 2024. I recall the message of the angels who appeared to the shepherds during the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem recorded in Luke 2:14 - "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests". Again, in the greeting of Jesus to his disciples after his resurrection in John 20:19, "On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the door locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!".
Peace indeed is a crucial message of the Salvation of Christ. Looking forward to 2025, my hope is that peace will finally come to Gaza, West Bank, Ukraine and Sudan. Too many innocent lives have been lost. Less than a week ago on 08.12.2024, Assad Regime in Syria collapsed. I can't say whether this is good news or bad news. Many Arab countries have changed governments in the past but peace has yet to descend upon these nations. In the personal level, I pray that we will be at peace with ourselves and with the people around us both far and near!
Wishing you all a blessed Christmas! May the peace and favour of God be upon all of us!
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