Go And Sleep

When we are physically tired, the best thing to do is to sleep. Sleeping helps to relax our body and aid the relief of aching and tense muscles. Sleeping helps to stretch and loosen the muscles, and revive our body. Sleeping gives our body ample opportunity to recover.

When we are mentally and emotionally stressful, the best thing to do is to sleep. It helps us to examine the issues at hand in a newer light. It refreshes and helps us to see our problems in a wider and fuller perspective. It helps to relax our mind and bring down our emotional temperature. It helps to develop more critical and creative thinking. Decision making after a good rest or sleep can be very considerate and rewarding.

Sometimes I wonder why I have resorted to smoking and binging in the past every time I have troubles. Can smoking and binging on alcohol help to keep me calm, relieving stress and nervousness? Can indulgence in junk food and drink, and driving recklessly and speedily help to make me numb and forget about all the depressing feelings? In fact, I have severed many family ties and friendships because of my self-indulgence and self-importance. And it is shameful and disgusting to list them all.

And so today I keep on reminding myself, just as my friends use to do, "Go and sleep, and tomorrow will be a better day."

Yeah, sleeping is the best and ultimate solution......

Apples Of The Eyes.

I am proud of my children and I love them very much. They are the apples of my eyes, the joy of my heart, and the loves of my life. I can't help thinking of them most of the time for they are always in my mind. And my wife and I have promised to dedicate our life just for them.

Sometimes they can be real pains in the back. They can make us very angry when they are stubborn. They refuse to listen to reasons and always insist on their own way. In their younger years when they were below 10, we used to cane them, more so when they retaliated. But we made up our mind to tell them the reasons before each stroke. We still reason with them now, but a stern look or a louder voice is enough to back them off a little. Sometimes we do sigh and cry behind after the punishment. But that is how we bring our children up.

Sometimes they can be real nuisance especially when we are seriously doing something important. They will come near us, inquiring what we are doing and pester us to allow them to help. When we say no, they will still stay put and make a lot of noise. Sometimes they chuckles at our serious faces and start to make fun of us. In their younger days, we would scream at them, wanting them to back off. But they always came back when they had nothing to do. Thinking back, sometimes I miss the moments; it's really sweet.

Sometimes they just make us scream when they are quarrelsome and refuse to live in harmony. In their younger days, we would separate them and gave them the appropriate punishment. Now they seldom quarrel but love to tease one another, including their father.

Now they have grown up. Two of them are ready to further their studies away from home. The youngest child is seriously preparing herself for the lower secondary examination. The double storey terrace house look extraordinary quiet...

Yeah, we miss our children and we miss our home. But they are ready to fly and soar high up in the sky. ..

Nevertheless, they will always be the apples of our eyes.

Can't Be Postponed Any Longer

Lately I have noticed a lot of stressful faces when visiting a hypermarket or a shopping mall.

Things are getting more and more expensive, though the authorities have taken various effective measures to curb the price hikes. Every weekend, many families are spending hundreds of dollars just to buy the bare necessities.

The rich and the carefree are still their usual self, buying things according to their desires and tastes. But the poor and the destitute really feel the pinches, choosing and buying the things they really need with their meager income, and sometimes have to deal with the various requests of their little ones. Many times you can see them sighs deeply, taking up the things and putting them back again.

The majority of us are still learning to adjust our shopping habits. Sometimes we still spend extravagantly beyond our means, causing more disputes and conflicts among our family members.

Many of us are still unable to cut down our usual expenditure. We talk about making priorities in our spending. We talk about buying according to our shopping list. We talk about spending in accordance to our means. But the moment we enter the hypermarket or the shopping mall, we forget everything, and just shop according to our whims and fancies.

"What to do? Everything we buy is necessary and can't be postponed any longer." That is always our common excuse. How sad.

My Son Has High Fever

That day when you were two, you had a very high fever. They said you had fainted for a while. Your mouth was tightly closed. I didn't know what else to do but to dig into your mouth. I remembered you bit me hard and I could still see your teeth mark on my forefinger. Then you screamed and cried in tears. We rushed you to the local clinic where the nurses took off all your clothes and washed you with cold water under a full blast ceiling fan. We were really scared and we cried silently.

The hospital assistant advised us to bring you to the nearest hospital which we promptly complied. By evening, we had you in the hand of a good doctor. You were warded that night and your mom accompanied you.

People around were telling us of the possibility of brain damage. Oh, how we prayed for you that night. I remembered you just refused to put on the hospital clothes. Son, I understand, you are just as stubborn as your father.

The next day, you had a thorough check-up. The doctor was satisfied that you were okay though he kept on asking us how long you had fainted. But he still insisted that you stayed another night in the hospital. But you just screamed and cried. I remembered your mom was in tears holding you tight to stop you from struggling. The doctor finally decided to let go of you after much persuasions.

You recovered fast and you grew fast....

You are a bright boy and we are very proud of your academic achievements and all your undertakings.

Now that you are pursuing your study in a higher institution, we know that God has prepared something great and special for you.

Son, we will always pray for you.

My Best Is Not The Best

If I am able to go back to the past, will I be able to make amends to all my wrongs? Will I be able to make all the changes necessary for a better and successful lifestyle?

Sitting down quietly at one corner, admiring others who have cultivated warmer friendships and fellowships, who have lived better lifestyles and enjoy better material conditions and privileges, who have achieved higher and better academic and professional qualifications, or who have developed mature personalities and characters, or who have made better decisions in their lives. Oh God! How I wish I can change my pasts...

But even if I am given a time machine to go back, can I make amends?

After much contemplation, I finally realize that I can't, because my best is not the best.

Even if God lets me go back to my pasts, I will only do more wrongs.

Even if God allows me to make amends, I will never be satisfied. The rich will never be happy with their wealth, the clever will yearn for more wisdom, and those who strive hard to purify themselves by abstaining from doing evil are still bogged down by their many hidden sins...

No, my best will never be able to please God because my best is not the best.

And so I submit myself to God the Almighty who have carried me through my pasts despite the fact that I have failed Him and wronged Him many times, and who continues to take care of me despite my ever rebellions and stubbornness, and who will always watch over me and chastise me until He brings me home to Him.

Lord, my best is not the best, but You love me.

Thank You.

Rearing Fish In A Cement Pond

Recently my brother-in-law helped us to construct a raised cement pond at the back of our house.

According to him, we can rear many different types of freshwater fish for our own consumption. In view of the present economic recession and the high cost of living, the idea strucks a chord in our heart and we are excited. And we promptly agreed.

The cement pond was ready in two days. We made sure that it was totally dry. Then we filled it with water and drained it a few times.

We are very interested to rear the red tilapia fish. It has a lot of meat and the meat is very tender and delicious. And our family just love them very much. Besides, some of our friends have told us that it is not so difficult to rear.

My brother-in-law supplied us with many red tilapia fry. The children were very excited.

We enjoyed watching the little fishes swimming in the pond. Once in a while, our dog also stood up near the pond and looked at the fishes.

Some of our friends have reared many different types of freshwater fish in raised cement ponds. Some of them made a decent living with the fish they reared. I wonder if this is a new method to rear fish. But I do find it very interesting and convenient.

There are still many things to learn about rearing fish in the backyard. But one thing I am sure, watching at the many fish swimming around does help to reduce my work stress.