Oil washed up on beach...

This is what the beach area looked like this morning as I went for my walk....it smelled and looked so nasty.

Singapore National Museum

This last weekend we went to the Singapore National Museum and the following pictures are some of what we saw...the lighting was very dim but hopefully you can get an idea of what we saw.

Larry by an old phonograph player.

Chinese clothing.

Really beautiful hair pieces.

Hand puppets...

Barb in the puppet theater.

Silk fabric...

The edge of a sleeve showing the beautiful detailed needle work of a Peranakan dress.

I thought this silver covered pot was so beautiful...

the description is below...

Looking out the window and seeing the exterior of museum and also in the distance the Stamford Building which is the highest in Singapore at I think around 70 floors.

An old bell.

Lanterns hanging above a display.

Old pictures of Singapore.

After our three hours of walking around the museum we were ready for something to eat and went to a cafe nearby. The specialty was chili...it was interesting to say the least. It came in a bowl that was lined with a lettuce leaf. I was thankful I also ordered a small sandwich to go with it because the flavor was not very good. So much for my ordering "American Chili" in Singapore.

Lots of space!

The day I took this picture of myself was one of those very rare times that I have actually had the whole bus to myself. I was on the top deck and no one else came on for almost the whole 20 minute ride I took to the Bedok shopping area. I sure enjoyed the quiet ride and I thanked the Lord for a simple way of showing me how much He cares about me by giving me all this space to enjoy. 

Looking out the bus window at the East/West MRT train track which runs over this street.

Another interesting thing happened to me a few days before that I was very thankful to the Lord for. I had gone to an appointment in the Bedok area and I was going to then go on down to the City area by train. At the time I "messed up" and got on the bus which actually was going the direction of our apartment. I was a bit upset with myself for not getting on the train and now having to go to the next MRT station on the bus and catch the train from there. Anyway as I rode along I just decided I might as well go on home and not even mess with going to the City. About an hour after I got home I noticed an email from a co-worker mentioning the tragedy that had just happened at the Bedok MRT train station during the previous hour. A man had gone down on the tracks and was hit by the train. My heart was so grateful to the Lord for confusing my direction and getting me on the bus instead of the train so I did not have to witness that incident. What a good reminder to listen to those promptings from the Holy Spirit as He speaks to our hearts. Trust and Obey!

Drive across the Causeway...

The other week I went along with my friend Irene to Malaysia. We just went across the cause-way to Johor Bahru and spent the day shopping and eating. It was fun to get away from the crowded city life here and feel a bit more openness. Even the shopping malls felt so spacious. You walk through really wide aisles and clothing items are spread out more. There were several manikins dressed a bit different than I am used to seeing here. All in all we had a fun time just hanging out together.

Going through immigration...I took the picture before I saw the sign saying no photographs.

Driving over the cause-way to Malaysia.

Singapore is an island but is very close to Malaysia.

Johor Bahru

My $6 lunch of salmon which was served on corn meal. I also had a delicious pumpkin soup and bread.

Irene & Zoe looking for a bargain.

These huge footballs (soccer balls) were hanging in the center of the mall.

The attire of this manikin was seen quite often in the various shops.

The Malaysia flag near the car wash... it was very worn and faded.

Irene stopped and had her car washed and vacuumed before we started back home.

My favorite fruit...Mangosteen!!!

Mangosteen is by far the most delicious fruit in all of God's creations...in my opinion anyway. ;)

We purchased several yesterday and I am enjoying them immensely and I am trying to share with Larry but he is just not quite as excited about them as I am.

The trick is breaking or twisting them open and not getting the red juice on anything because it does stain.

Mangosteen.....mangosteen....mangosteen.... so delicious!

What ever happened to sin?

This week I started reading a book we have had here for some time now sitting on a shelf. It has certainly been convicting to me and I have had some special moments with the Lord as we talk about some of the issues mentioned in the book.

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Have Christians become so preoccupied with the major sins of our society that we have lost sight of our need to deal with our own more subtle sins?

In his admonitions, Jerry Bridges' offers a message of hope in the profound mercy of the gospel and the transforming grace of God as the means to overcome our subtle sins.

The “Respectable Sins”

So what sins are “respectable sins”? Bridges’ chapters include the following topics:

• general ungodliness defined as a sinful attitude towards God
• anxieties and frustrations  
• discontentment
• unthankfulness  
• pridefulness revealed specifically in self-righteousness, even in a pursuit of theological accuracy, in prideful motives behind our achievements and revealed in a spirit of independence  
• selfishness with our interests, time, money and inconsiderableness
• lack of self-control in eating, drinking and temperament, finances, entertainment and shopping  
• impatience and irritability  
• anger, even anger towards God, and the underlying roots of anger in resentment, bitterness, enmity, hostility and holding grudges
• judgmentalism and a critical spirit over differing convictions and doctrinal disagreements  
• envy, jealousy, competitiveness and being controlling  
• the sins of the tongue like gossip, slander, lying, harsh words, sarcasm, insults and ridicule  
• worldliness shown financially, by our idolatry and in “vicarious immorality,” that is, the enjoyment of watching or reading the sinfulness of others.

Loving Lord and heavenly Father, I offer up today all that I am, all that I have, all that I do, and all that I suffer, to be Yours today and Yours forever. Give me grace, Lord to do all that I know of Your holy will. Purify my heart, sanctify my thinking, correct my desires. Teach me, in all of today's work and trouble and joy, to respond with honest praise, simple trust, and instant obedience, that my life may be in truth a living sacrifice, by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, my Master and my all. Amen
(prayer taken from Elizabeth Elliott paper)