A Surprise Welcome Gift for Seminary

Today, Issac and I went to Church for our tithing settlement interviews after our church online sacrament meeting. We met President Augustine at the new chapel in his office.

After our interview, President Augustine took out a paper bag and told us that these presents are from her daughter Sister Anita. Anita was called a seminary teacher who teaches the youths in the Church in seminary.

Next year Annabelle would turn age 14, and it will be her first year to attend seminary class every Saturday morning. After came back home, Issac and Annabelle opened out their presents happily.

It was a box of chocolate for each of them and with slight notes from Sister Anita. Both are happy about the little surprise welcome gift from their seminary teacher for next year.

Here are all the photos of them and the small notes from their caring teacher ^^

Running

Today when I browsing through the Facebook, so happened that I saw Sister Beam shared a post on her page. It was a post written by her brother about his journey on running.

It was so co-incident and at the right time, in the midst of what I am doing now for this week! It indeed motivate me! Thus, there were some thoughts in my mind that I would like to share and thanks Sister Beam:

Dear Beam, I am glad that you have shared your brother's thoughts about running. It is just like, "Hey, it is exactly how I felt for this week, and Bingo! I am doing the right thing!"

For the past 25 over years, to get moving for exercise is a no, no, no for me!

Last week I had read somewhere at the Facebook about how to become a happier woman?

"First of all, be happy. How to do it ? As long as your husband’s matter is not excessive and doesn’t step on your bottom line, just open one eye and close one eye, and ignore him.

Care about him too much, put the spotlight on him, he will suffocate to death, you will have hormonal imbalance, why bother?

Love yourself more, focus on yourself, find the things and people you like to fill the blank spaces in your life, and make yourself happy.

Occasionally, have some parent-child activities with your husband and children, talk about some common topics, and have a common happiness goal.

In this way, you will be a lot happier, and he will love you more and more, because you are improving and becoming more charming.

If you are happy, the people around you will be happy too.

Next, in addition to eating healthy, getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water is exercise.

Yes, exercise is the key!

To be honest, I have not seen an "ugly woman" who exercises regularly and is happy both physically and mentally.

Women who love sports will exude a unique charm, not only appearance, but also temperament. Exercise is the cheapest and most effective skin care product."

And because of this sharing on the Facebook, I had determined to set a goal to run just to kick off this new goal of mine, considering my age and my ‘shape’ and it is critical to start immediately.

So I goggle on the internet and make a plan how to start running even if I never exercise before.

So here come my 1st week is to just get moving by walking first. Every morning this week onward, I will - from my first walkout 15 mins to goal walkout 60 mins till end of this year.

I was pretty excited, as I started this last Monday. I hope and want to keep on doing this walking - running that I had planned for.

During my every morning walk, there are thoughts that come into my minds: Hey, this is not difficult to achieve, bit by bit and do it everyday, and slightly increase the walkout time by 2-3 mins and eventually 5-10mins. And, I can do it!

This little goal of mine had make me think of living in the gospel.

It is exactly the same thing to do: improve ourselves little by little to become more like Jesus Christ, through His commandments and our covenants – pray daily, reading the scriptures, attend the Church weekly and renew our covenants with Him, how we keep our covenants by doing it little by little, He will reveal to us line upon line, precept upon precept if we keep on trying to become a better person.

Faith too, is the same. Faith is present continuous tense. Faith is the action taken doing it after what I believe.

Faith is … searching the scriptures; helping a needy cross the busy road; feeding the hungry.. it is series of an action to achieve a higher level of Faith of what we believe in.

Testimony too, is the same. It is gained after we are gaining experience, we were gaining experience after we are doing it or we were doing it.

I like what your brother said about,

“learning by action is better, more effective.
.
.
Running for me is learning by taking action.”

And I think I feel the same after I start to ‘walk’ this week, and I know I will start to run next January.

How grateful I am that I can still walk and run every morning.

I know that this little Running goal of mine will help me to explore more possibilities and potentials that I myself not yet even discover even though I am at my age of 45 this year and going to be 46 next year.

I feel thankful for your sharing that remind of me as it is the messages that the Lord would wants me to know and do.

Thank you so much! And love you and your family too!

Young Women My 150 Challenge

The Young Women organization is celebrating its sesquicentennial anniversary this year. Young Women's general presidency is inviting young women worldwide to join in celebrating the 150th anniversary.

Earlier in the year, the Young Women general presidency had extended invitations to the young women striving to improve themselves, develop their talents, serve others and strengthen their testimonies of Jesus Christ through the challenge called "My 150".

Leaders are encouraging young women worldwide to think of the activity related to 150 to commemorate the anniversary. They had done it through the cookies baking for last June. Now they are planning to do a bookmark. Thus, I helped Annabelle printed out the selected bookmarks.

Both Issac and Annabelle work as a team to do the cutting, laminating, and punch the hole tie the ribbons for all the bookmarks. Finally, let's have a group photo together with all the bookmarks.

The bookmarks are intended to give it away to their friends or someone they know or pass along to others to spread the gospel of the things that the young women believe in.

Of course, the first one that Annabelle gave was her best friend and beloved brother Issac.

Issac Yu Ivan >> 2021, I Will… Our World Art Exhibition 2020

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and new norms, Jane Yap Atelier decided to make the biannual art exhibition virtual. Like a torch relay in the Olympic Games, the baton pass on one by one. But the baton here is the artbook. It will be named, "2021, I will …" - Our World Art Exhibition 2020.

Issac was the second student in this album no. 8. The title of the album is "If a fierce/friendly tiger is in front of me, I will …". He got the album on 10/10/2020 Saturday morning, as the previous student did it quite fast, here was the video and photo of the handing over of the album.

 

The parents of each participate student would have to help the Atelier to video the torch relay journey. There are specific camera settings of the video requirements which needed to meet. And for each of the videos or photos to record down includes receiving the album, starting drawing or while drawing, completing drawing the car journey to the next student, and handing over the album.

Here is how Issac opened up the album to check what he should be drawing.

Here is during Issac was drawing and coloring the tiger and himself in his artwork. Here is Issac's artwork.

There are some gentle reminders for the students to adhere to this relay. Some of these reminders are: the students need to sanitize their hands before drawing. Place cardboard behind the assigned page so that the marker ink does not get through to the next page.

Do not vandalize other students completed artworks. Sanitize the front and back plastic cover of the album and the plastic Ziploc bag before handing it over to the next student; each student is required to complete the artwork within three days, etc.

Here is the video on handing over the album to the next student on 15/10/2021 Thursday night.

 

Here is the photo of handing it over to both siblings.

Overall, Issac feels satisfied with his artwork because this is the first time he can complete a painting within a few days. It is a fun experience for him as well.

A Small Journal for A Sister

I received a text message from Sister Sophia last two weeks ago. It was a Sunday night. She told me that she might need a new journal book, as her current one already filled with her testimony.

This message brings some joy to me. I have been encourage the sisters in Relief Society to write down their testimonies ever since I have been called as the Relief Society President.

Our baptismal covenant is to remember Jesus Christ, by writing down our testimonies is one of the ways that we remember Him. I believe that writing our own testimonies into the journal or any kind of gratitude journal is a way to remind ourselves, what God had done for us and how we can see His hand in our life.

I did tell the sisters that they can ask from me anytime if they want a second book after they finish their first book. Sister Sophia is the first sister that asked me for a second journal book. I feel so encourage as there is someone indeed listen into her heart and writing her testimonies become an important part of her life.

Buying a simple note book from shop, searching for their favourite scripture versus and general conference quote online, getting to print it out and plastic laminated and paste them as the cover of the journal, decorate the inner cover page with some other general conference quotes – that is how I normally do for the journal that I want to gift to the sisters.

It cost a little may be is RM10.00 per journal book, but I feel joy when I see and hear when the sisters benefited from this small little journal book that I gift them.

After Issac’s art class at Citta Mall, I drove to Puchong Mas where Sister Sophia lives. I met with her mum Sister Teresa, to pass her the journal book as she was still working and not at home. We have a brief chat as the Condominium Building Management, just checked on each other how were things going on lately.

I received a text from Sister Sophia in the evening that she likes the journal book very much. I just replied her that she is most welcome to look for me after she finish this new journal book of her.

I am grateful that at least I have a chance to serve the sisters in the branch, hope to bring a little bit of light to the sisters in the branch.

Extraordinary Daughters of God #8

How I Learn to Love Others through Him ?

~ Sister Robinia Tan

"We can change our behavior. Our very desires can change.

How?

There is only one way.

True change—permanent change—can come only through the healing, cleansing, and enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

He loves you—each of you!

He allows you to access His power as you keep His commandments, eagerly, earnestly, and exactly. It is that simple and certain.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of change!"

Sister Robinia Tan shares with us her testimony how she learns to love others through Jesus Christ's example.

Please do come in and listen what she would like to share with you, how the gospel of Jesus Christ change the way she sees others and love others.

Issacs's Meows… ^^

The shoes had been bought quite some time ago at Fufa Shoes which is located near our house at Meranti Jaya. Initially, we were looking for casual outing shoes for both children. Eventually, we found out this pair of white shoes which we felt was pretty good for Issac.

The idea of want to paint the shoes came to our mind, and we suggested to Issac that we can do that with these shoes. After some thoughts and get some ideas of what to draw. Suddenly he just took some paintbrushes, a color palette, and his acrylic paints and pencil started his draft, and finally, this is the work!

It looks so amazing with the cat’s eyes looking into your eyes!