Christmas Advent Calendar ideas

I saw this post with some great Christmas Advent Calendar ideas. Even if you just used some of the ideas I think the kids would have a great time. Let me know if you try some of these and how it goes.

Time spent with friends!

On Friday we took time to show some of the city area of Singapore to our guests from the Philippines. This was their first visit to Singapore and we had a very special time with them.

A visit to Orchard Road this time of year is quite elaborate...

Orchard Road Christmas lights.

Our friends from the Philippines, Cris & Dolly, who stayed with us this week. We had fun showing them around Singapore.

A huge Jack fruit decorated up for display at a shop along Bugis Street.

Shopping on Bugis Street.

Singapore's Merlion

Dolly & me

Larry on our walk around city area.

Sculptures along the Singapore River....depicting life a few years ago.

The Stamford building looking up...the next pictures are then from the 70th floor looking down.

View from the 70th floor of The Stamford...the Merlion is on far left, old shop houses dwarfed along the river beneath the towering financial district buildings.

View of city area from the 70th floor of The Stamford.

Photo trail of Philippines trip...

Rice drying along the highway.

Larry ready to try a day old roasted baby duck!!! No he really did not!!!

Strawberry Fields

At the Ben Cab Museum

I hope you can read the description of the seat we are sitting on.

The view from the balcony of museum.

This is quite interesting...the box below is what the heads would be carried in.

An explanation of the Bulul or rice granary gods.

Dad is looking out over one of the mudslide areas that the twr team helped at. Many lives were lost here as their homes were swept away.

The group of pictures below are from Itogon. Those who survived are now living in tents. The twr team brought relief items to the group and we helped hand them out.

This is where the slide was in center of picture. This was taken on our way into the area.

Typical Jeepney the mode of transportation used.

Dad outside the twr office building.

mudslides...sharing...& more

I have had some pretty busy days since our return from the Philippines and haven't had time to download the pictures off my camera yet. We had a very special time with the staff. We were thankful to be there and witness the wonderful testimony of Jesus love in action as the team helped in relief efforts to those affected by the typhoon/mudslides in and around Baguio. I hope to share some pictures soon.

On another thought ... I came across this quote and felt it very worthy of sharing.

Here's a great quote from the book Womanly Dominion by Mark Chanski.


"I know that some jobs don't really count, don't make much of a difference, don't actually matter that much, don't have much lasting significance. Not so with mothering. I know that in some jobs the worker is only handling cleaning equipment, or car parts, or computer keyboards, or insurance policies, or court cases, or political legislation, or stockholders' funds. Not so with mothering. A mother is handling things of a far greater magnitude. She's handling never-dying souls. She's daily conducting heart surgery on eternal spirits whose forever destinies are influenced most profoundly by the hands that rock their cradles, wipe their noses, spank their fannies, open their Bibles, prepare their after-school snacks, and turn off their bedroom lights. Those motherly hands are molding characters which will become men and women who will turn the world upside down either for good or for evil. Now that's a job that counts. " (Womanly Dominion, page 108-109)
 
Being a mom is such an awesome privelege. Enjoy the days and treasure the moments as you nurture those little hearts in God's principles.