Life Is Uncertain - Smell The Roses

By Dr DANIEL WONG WAI YAN

Time is not always on our side and we can never predict the future with any level of certainty. So stop taking life for granted and live each day to the fullest.

SOME may consider oncology to be a rather depressing and morbid profession. However, in the midst of the apparent doom and gloom, I am grateful for the lessons about life and living gleaned from my patients.

I had a patient with advanced cancer who died recently. Let’s call him Tim. I got to know Tim over a period of almost one year while he battled this dreaded illness. He was in his mid-40s, never smoked, non-drinker, and a good husband.

As we struggle through our grief, we ask ourselves why Tim? Why was he cut off so cruelly and prematurely?

I was with him several hours before he died and memories of our many consultations flashed through my mind. I tried to analyse my management of his illness to see if there was something more I could have done to help him. There wasn’t.

It was an emotional moment for me as I explained to his family members that he did not have much time left. I said a quiet prayer with them and left the ward, hoping that he would be there when I came by for the ward round the next day. He wasn’t.

We had hoped that the treatment would extend Tim’s life for a further six months. I suppose I ended up as an oncologist because I am largely an optimist at heart. However, it is the hope that one might be the exception rather than the rule that sustains folks when they face the vagaries of cancer.

It is also this hope which sustains clinicians like me. I often tell my patients “widespread, advanced cancer means it cannot be cured by the conventional therapies at my disposal, but there is a God who heals”.

Perhaps more importantly, one who also offers true life beyond our stricken world.

Most cancer clinicians develop defence mechanisms to protect against emotional breakdown. I don’t shed a tear very frequently for my patients. I did in Tim’s case. Perhaps I felt that a bond had developed over the last few months. Perhaps it brought home my own mortality and the frailty of human life. I am not far off from the 5th decade of life myself.

On this occasion, I was reminded (again!) that time is not always on our side and we can never predict the future with any level of certainty. Patients often ask about their prognosis – their life expectancy and likelihood of responding to treatment. We can only provide information from past clinical trials and to a certain extent from personal experience. We talk about average survival and the percentage alive in one year. But we can never be sure in a specific individual.

So what have I learnt from Tim?

I am a bit of a hoarder. I have more than three weeks of annual leave that will be rolled over to the new year. I reserve these days just in case “something important crops up”.

The days of hoarding leave entitlement has come to an end. I have decided to carve a big slice of leave in 2010 for rest and recreation. For some quality time and meaningful fellowship with my wife, four children, parents, brother and sister and their families. Perhaps it’s even time to visit the many friends we left behind in the UK and Australia.

Several months ago, 228 people boarded a particular Air France Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, fully expecting to disembark the next day at the Charles De Gaulle airport at the French capital. But none of them arrived.

Thank you Tim. I would consider this episode a wake-up call – to stop taking life for granted and live life to the full each day with thanksgiving in my heart and a deep trust in God.

PS: We simply don’t know about tomorrow. Only God does.

Embracing Imperfection

Received this story in an email:-

"When I was a little girl, I could remember my mom making breakfast and dinner for us.
And I remember one night in particular, when she had made dinner after a long, hard day at work.
On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of vegetables, salad and burned chappati in front of my dad.
I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed.
Yet all my dad did was to reach for his chappati, smiled at mom and asked me how my day was at school.
I don't remember what I told him that night, but, I do remember watching him smear chatani on that chappati and ate every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad
For burning the chapati.
And I'll never forget what he said.
"Baby, I love burnt chapati."
Later that night, I went to kiss daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his chapati burnt.
He wrapped me in his arms and said,
"Dear, your momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides, a little burnt chappati never hurt anyone.
You know, life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people."

I am not the best housekeeper or cook.
What I've learnt over the years
Is that learning to accept each other's faults
And choosing to celebrate each other's differences
Is one of the most important keys
for creating a healthy, growing,
And lasting relationship.
And that's my prayer for you today,
that you will learn to take
The good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life
And lay them at the feet of God.
Because in the end,
He's the only One who will be able
To give you a relationship
Where burnt chappati isn't a deal-breaker
We could extend this to any relationship, in fact.
As understanding is the base of any relationship -
Be it a husband - wife, or parent - child or even with friends.

Don't put the key to your happiness in
someone else's pocket, but, into your own."

Hillsong - You Alone Are God

Hosanna - Hillsong

Seven Minutes With God

For those of us who always seem too busy to spend time with our Creator, there is always a ton of excuses or reasons why not. Only when disaster or misfortune comes a-knocking does one find the time to pray unceasingly for God's intervention. How sad is that?

A friend who's a high-flying insurance agent told me she's too busy trying to achieve her annual quota that she can hardly find the time to pray, let alone read the Bible. However, she proudly told me that she goes to church every Sunday. Do we only talk to our children, spouse, boss or colleagues once a week? I think not!

Last week, whilst tidying up my old Bible study notes, I came across an old leaflet titled "Seven Minutes With God" written by Robert D. Foster which talks about the importance of spending time with God and, if one is willing, one need only start by investing seven minutes out of the twenty four hours in a day to meet with our Heavenly Father.

Seven Minutes With God

by Robert D. Foster

"It was in 1882 on the campus of Cambridge University that the world was first given the slogan:

"Remember the morning watch."

Students like Hooper and Thornton found their days "loaded" with studies, lectures, games and bull sessions. Enthusiasm and activity were the order of the day. These dedicated men soon discovered a flaw in their spiritual armour - a small crack which if not soon closed, would bring disaster.

They sought an answer and came up with a scheme they called the morning watch - a plan to spend the first minutes of a new day alone with God, praying and reading the Bible.

The morning watch sealed the crack. It enshrined a truth so often obscured by the pressure of ceaseless activity that it needs daily rediscovery: To know God, it is necessary to spend consistent time with Him.

The idea caught fire. " A remarkable period of religious blessing" followed, and culminated in the departure of the Cambridge Seven, a band of prominent athletes and men of wealth and education, for missionary service. They gave up everything to go to China for Christ.

But these men found that getting out of bed in time for the morning watch was as difficult as it was vital. Thornton was determined to turn indolence into discipline. He invented an automatic, foolproof cure for laziness. It was a contraption set up by his bed: "The vibration of an alarm clock set fishing tackle in motion, and the sheets, slipped to the line, moved swiftly into the air off the sleeper's body."

Thornton wanted to get up to meet his God!

The intimacy of communion with Christ must be recaptured in the morning quiet time. Call it what you want - the quite time, personal devotions, the morning watch, or individual worship - these holy minutes at the start of each day explain the inner secret of Christianity. It's the golden thread that ties every great man of God together - from Moses to David Livingstone, the prophet Amos to Billy Graham - rich and poor, businessmen and military personnel. Every man who ever become somebody for God has this at the core of his priorities : time alone with God!

David says in Psalm 57:7, "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed.? A fixed and established heart produces stability in life. Few men in the Christian community have this heart and life. One of the missing links has been a workable plan on how to begin and maintain a morning watch.

I want to suggest that in order to get under way, you start with seven minutes. Perhaps you could call it a daily "Seven-Up." Five minutes may be too short, and ten minute for some is a little too long at first.

Are you willing to take seven minutes every morning? Not five mornings out of seven, not six days out of seven - but seven days out of seven! Ask God to help you : "Lord, I want to meet You the first thing in the morning for at least seven minutes. Tomorrow when the alarm goes off at 6.15am., I have an appointment with You."

Your prayer might be, "Morning by morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; morning by morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation (Psalm 5:3)

How do you spend these seven minutes? After getting out of bed and taking care of your personal needs, you will want to find a quiet place and there with your Bible enjoy the solitude of seven minutes with God.

Invest the first 30 seconds preparing your heart. Thank Him for the good night of sleep and the opportunities pf this new day. "Lord, cleanse my heart so You can speak to me through the Scriptures. Open my heart. Fill my heart. Make my mind alert, my soul active, and my heart responsive. Lord, surround me with Your presence during this time. Amen."

Now take four minutes to read the Bible. Your greatest need is to hear some word from God. Allow the Word to strike fire in your heart. Meet the Author!

One of the Gospels is a good place to begin reading. Start with the Book of mark. Read consecutively - verse after verse, chapter after chapter. Don't race, but avoid stopping to do a Bible study on some word, thought, or theological problem which presents itself. Read for the pure joy of reading and allowing God to speak - perhaps just 20 verses, or maybe a complete chapter. When you have finished Mark, start the Gospel of John. Soon you'll want to go ahead and read the entire New Testament.

After God has spoken through His Book, then speak to Himm - in prayer. You now have two and a half minutes left for fellowship with Him in four areas of prayer that you can remember by the word ACTS.

A- Adoration. This is the purest kind of prayer because it's all for God - there's nothing in it for you. You don't barge into the presence of royalty. You begin with the proper salutation. So worship Him. Tell the Lord that you love Him. Reflect on His greatness, His power, His majesty, and sovereignty!

C- Confession follows. Having seen Him, you now want yo be sure every sin is cleansed and forsaken, Confession comes from a root word meaning "to agree with." Apply this to prayer. It means to agree with God. Something happened yesterday you called a slight exaggeration - God calls it a lie! You call it strong language - God calls it swearing. You call it telling the truth about somebody in the church - God calls it gossip. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." (Psalm 66:180

T- Thanksgiving. express your gratitude to God. Think of several specific things to thank Him for : your family, your business, your church and ministry responsibilities - even thank Him for hardships. "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

S-Supplication. This means to "ask for, earnestly and humbly." This is the part of your prayer life where you make your petitions known to Him. Ask for others, then for yourself. Why not include other people around the world, such as missionaries, students studying abroad, friends in distant places, and above all, the people of many lands who have yet to hear about Jesus Christ.

Let's put these seven minutes together:

1/2 Prayer for guidance (Psalm 143:8)

4 Reading the Bible (Psalm 119:18)

2 1/2 Prayer

Adoration (Chronicles 29:11)

Confession (1 John 1:19)

Thanksgiving (Ephesians 5:20)

Supplication (Matthew 7:7)

This is simply a guide. Very soon you will discover that it is impossible to spend only seven minutes with the Lord. An amazing thing happens - seven minutes become 20, and it's not long before you're spending 30 precious minutes with Him. Do not become devoted to the habit, but to the Saviour.

Do it not because other men are doing it - not as a spiritless duty every morning, nor merely as an end in itself, but because God has granted the priceless privilege of fellowship with Himself. Covenant with Him now to guard, nourish, and maintain your morning watch of seven minutes."

What Goes Around Comes Around

One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe;he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you.

He said, 'I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.'

Well,all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough.Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack,skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through.. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, 'And think of me.'

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home.. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan .

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be.Then she noticed something written on the napkin

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: 'You don't owe me anything. I have
been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.'

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well,there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve,but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written.. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard....

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, 'Every thing's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.'


There is an old saying 'What goes around comes around.' (Obadiah 15; Gal. 6:7)

Today I sent you this story, and I'm asking you to pass it on. Let this light shine.

Don't delete it, don't return it. Simply, pass this on to a friend

Good friends are like stars....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

Amazing Psalm 118

Beautiful Explanation Of Death

~DEATH~


WHAT
A WONDERFUL WAY TO EXPLAIN IT..


A sick
man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to
leave the
examination room and said,

'Doctor, I am
afraid to die.
Tell me what
lies on the other side.'

Very quietly,
the doctor said, 'I don't know.'

'You don't
know? You, a Christian man,
do not know what is on the
other side?'

The doctor was holding the handle of the
door;
on the other side came a sound of scratching and
whining,
and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the
room
and leaped on him with an eager show of
gladness.
Turning to the patient, the doctor
said,

'Did you
notice my dog?
He's never been in this room
before.
He didn't know what was inside.
He
knew nothing except that his master was here,
and when the
door opened, he sprang in without fear.
I know little
of what is on the other side of death,
but I do know one
thing...

I know my Master is there and that is
enough.'

All I Need Is You - Hillsong United

Christmas - Jesus Is The Reason

Once again, the world celebrates the birthday of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Christmas is all about Jesus Christ. Take away the 'Christ' and you're left with 'mas' or a mess! So for every born-again Christian, to celebrate Christmas is to celebrate Jesus, to celebrate Almighty God's gift to mankind. For us, Christmas has meaning. God gave us hope and eternal life in the person of His Son Jesus Christ. The secular world of atheists and unbelievers however, also celebrate Christmas, but for a different reason. For them, it's party time, and the main emphasis is on Santa Claus and gift-giving. Jesus is nowhere in the picture. Be you Christian, atheist or unbeliever, ask yourself what really is your reason for celebrating Christmas? Because, accept it or not, Jesus Christ IS the reason that there's Christmas.

Blessed Christmas everyone!