Joel - time of calamities

The book of Joel tells of a time full of calamities, very much similar to our present day - tsunamis after tsunamis, earthquakes after earthquakes, cyclones after cyclones. The intensity gets more severe. Every crisis is a wake-up call, people gets jolted out of their complacency and comfort. Whether it is at national or global level, calamities shake us to our core. Whether we experienced it personally or not, the sufferings and loss of lives will pain us to different degree. Looking at the pictures, photos of the recent 9/11 remembrance - children who have lost their parents are now grown, families of firemen and rescue workers - each tells different stories of life that goes on. At the personal level, some of us have our own private crisis and calamities.

Joel tells about the locust attacks that destroyed the harvest - so dreadful is the destruction, nothing is left.
"What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten;
what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten;
what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten."
The devastation was thorough with waves after waves of destruction.
Joel 1:12 "The joy of mankind is withered away"

There will come another disastrous day - the Day of the LORD
"a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness"
It is coming, it is close at hand, it is like the crackling fire, a mighty army drawn for battle, unswerving and relentless soldiers, the earth shakes, sky trembles, the sun and moon darkens, the stars no longer shine. The day of judgment. Be prepared to meet the Maker.
Joel 2:11 "The Day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it"

Believe or not.
Return to the LORD for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing.
Joel 2:25 "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten - "
Believe.

"And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved... there will be deliverance." 2:32

Hosea - my thoughts

We are starting a series of study on the minor prophets and the first on Hosea. The book of Hosea pictures for us the most compelling way GOD's amazing love for His children - through the life of Hosea who loves his adulterous wife, buys her back, forgives her past and instructs her in faithfulness. Likewise, GOD's love does not give up but persists and pursues.

After reading all 14 chapters, I congregate my thoughts in this way:

Help us, O LORD, to seek your face,
to earnestly seek you (5:15)
Revive us, restore us that we may live in your presence (6:2)
Let us acknowledge the LORD,
let us press to acknowledge Him (6:3)
As surely as the sun arises, He will appear,
He will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.

Help us, O LORD, to seek your consent,
to seek your approval (8:4)
That may we sow righteousness,
reap the fruit of unfailing love
and break up unplowed ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes
and showers righteousness (10:12)

But you must return to your GOD;
maintain love and justice,
and wait for your GOD always (12:6)

For the LORD will - will heal their waywardness
and will love them freely and will be like the dew (14:4)

Help us, O LORD, to blossom like a lily,
like a cedar of Lebanon
- send down roots and young shoots will grow.
Let our splendour be like an olive tree
and fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon
Let us dwell in your shade,
Let us flourish like the grain, blossom like a vine,
Let us be like a green pine tree
and our fruitfulness comes from you. (14:5-8)

For the ways of the LORD are right
and the righteous walk in them
but the rebellious stumble in them. (14:9)

Help us, O LORD.

medical update

The result of recent bloodtest is encouraging. Firstly, m-band has improved over last three readings and this is on a low drug regiment of Revlimid at 10mg daily for 3 weeks and Dexa at 20mg once a week for 3 weeks and rest for 2 weeks. (i.e. 3 weeks on and 2 weeks off). Secondly, WBC is back to normal range and neutrophils at good level (adequate protection against infections). I think the rest of 2 weeks allows my body to recover and build up its own immunity and of course the added one week of rest means less fatigue. I must say that for the last 2 months, I do feel better and more able. Eventhough I had the flu, it did not make sick for too long, my recovery was quite fast with the help of an early start on Tamiflu.
Another positive contribution could be the addition of vit D.  Previously I only had calcium supplement which included some vit D, but the last 4 months I had additional vit D (Rocaltrol 0.25mcg x2) added to my daily intake of supplements. Counting on getting vit D from sunlight is just not enough, vit D is a very important component for the absorption of calcium for bone repair and also for general wellness i.e. fatigue could be the cause of vit D deficiency.
Blood sugar test HbA1c at 5.5 is also at ideal level despite my being on dexa for quite a long period of time but nevertheless we need to monitor this closely since long term use of steroid is not good. I go for regular eye check-ups and apply eye drops to control the pressure build up caused by dexa. Prolonged high pressure on the eyes can lead to glaucoma.

We are very happy with this month's result. We thank GOD with all our hearts. If I continue and remain at this range, I would be considered stable. Next month I am scheduled for Zometa infusion and annual bone density test (BMD).

	130411	180511	220611	180711	060911
	cycle 8	cycle 9
M-band g/L	4.63	5.2	5.66	5.03	4.68
IgG (6.5-16)	9.86	11.6	11.1	10.0	10.6
IgA (0-7-3.8)	0.87	1.26	1.55	1.22	1.15
IgM (0.5–2.0)	0.53	0.49	0.571	0.516	0.486
B2M 607-2454	1369	1561	1273	1673	1634
Album (37 – 51)	41	40	41	40	40
WBC (4 – 11)	3.64	2.95	2.88	2.13	4.16
ANC Neutr	1.31	1.56	1.296	0.958	2.288
RBC (3.8 – 5.4)	4.5	4.46	4.48	4.29	4.34
HGB (11.5 -16)	13.7	13.9	13.7	13.0	13.2
PLT 140 – 460	161	162	247	293	205
ALP Heat Stable	40	45	49	37	59
AST/SGOT (0-40)	29	33
ALT/SGPT (3-40)	53	45
Creatinine (0.4-1.1)	0.68	0.73	0.72	0.84	0.8
Calcium (8.4-10.4)	8.8	9.68	9.64	9.56	9.48
Vit D3 (18-78)	17.6			29
HbA1c					5.5

September...November

We skype with grandson T, as often as we can. For us, we tune in after 8pm and he will try to talk after his breakfast. So far he has shown us his new books, his toys and usually after talking for 5 - 10 minutes he will turn his attention to his toys and move off!  Through skype, we have also seen their tiny apartment of 2 rooms and a basement. The outdoor has sufficient space for T to play with sand and run to the greenery. He gets enough time outdoor when the weather is good. By the time we visit in November, it may be too cold to stay out?
T is looking forward to November. He knows that it is now September and November comes after but he cannot figure out October. He has been told the sequence of September, October and November. Each time we ask him what comes after September.... it's November. In his young mind he wants November to come faster.
Thankfully there is skype, not only can we hear him, we can see him and of course watch his growth and development. Children grow too fast. We really would not want to miss the milestones.
(Baby N has his first tooth)

route to Cameron Highlands

We just came back from Cameron Highlands and Malacca. The drive up to Cameron Highlands took us 7.5 hours and an hour for a lunch break and another pit-stop. We left home (Singapore) at 6.30am and reached CH at 3pm. That was quite a long drive for the day but along the North-South Highway, it was relatively smooth going and no traffic congestion, except for a short part at Brinchang town, right at CH itself, cars were crawling behind bus/lorries. It was Friday 3pm, the town was busy setting up stalls for their pasar malam (night market).

We decided to head into CH via Simpang Pulai which is past Tapah, the old winding mountainous route. The newer route through Simpang Pulai (supposedly less than 1hr) is less winding up the mountain.  This route heads directly to the topmost town of Kampung Raja and then winds down to Tringkap, Brinchang, Tanah Rata and Ringlet. It is supposedly faster than the old route through Tapah (1.5 hour). I find this route not at all pretty, the towns were old, dirty, cluttered with lots of small stalls displaying and hanging the same touristy stuff - inflated balls, umbrellas, lamps - all with the same strawberry insignia. The Highlands' main and popular produce is strawberry. We went out CH using the old route to Tapah and this is far more scenic with fantastic views of the mountain range and waterfalls. I think this is our preferred route up and down CH.

Mossy forest

At CH, we wanted to go to the Mossy forest right at Mt. Brinchang. On the map, it appears that we can get to Mossy forest on paved road. But little did we know that the road winding up the mountain is rather narrow, barely wide enough for 2 cars to pass each other. A friend had been to Mossy forest and told me it must not be missed and I have also checked a blogger's post with great photos of the forest. But we did not make it!! Our modern saloon is not the appropriate transport up this mountain, a hardy 4-wheel drive is more suitable. The road just got narrower and narrower, steeper too!! When we told this to the hotel staff at CHR, they took a look at our shoes and knew that we did not make it to the forest.  A walk in the Mossy forest would turn our shoes wet and earth-crusted. Sherry from the reception graciously took out her laptop and showed photos of Mossy forest, she with others from the hotel had made a trip into the forest with their resident walking trail guide.

BOH tea plantation

But we did stop by and visit the BOH plantation at Sungei Palas. There were many visitors on that Saturday late morning. Most of us sat out at their cantilevered tearoom overlooking a wide expanse of the plantation.  The view was stupendous! We tasted 4 different variety of teas accompanied by yummy anchovy puffs. At their teashop, we bought several cans of loose tea leaves. Before we left, we walked through the tea plantation and had a close-up view of the tea shrubs.

Restoran FERM

Later we headed down to Tanah Rata town for steamboat lunch. Restoran FERM Nonya served good steamboat at very reasonable price of M$13 per person. The portion for 3 is enough for four of us as lunch, otherwise we would be really stuffed. A portion has sliced fish, chicken or beef, fish balls, fried beancurd skin, cuttlefish, tofu and lots of different vegetables. The chicken soup stock was boiled with white radish said the proprietor and that why it was clear and tasty. Bee hoon was finally immersed into the well-cooked-in stock and 2 beaten eggs poured over it. It was an excellent finale!

1960's home of P

Next morning after breakfast we headed down the mountain via Tapah, it took us 1.5 hour but the winding mountainous road was a pleasant ride as there weren't any huge trucks transporting vegetables, which used to the cause of slow, crawling traffic. Nowadays, vegetable trucks prefer to traverse the Simpang Pulai route. Before we reached Tapah, about 2/3 way down the mountain, P turned off into the JOR hydroelectric power station. P lived there for 3 years when his father worked there. We drove straight in and even found the house they stayed in the 1960s! Remarkable it is still occupied by a family, the head of the household working at the power station.

View from CHR

The trip to CH was both refreshing and memorable.

Beautiful garden Old Smoke Hous

    

Quiet@homefront

It has been quiet for 2 weeks now - our grandsons T and N with their parents have left for Michigan. We do like quietness but ahh...we like the chatter of little Thadd more. I miss his running around, sitting and chatting with me, pattering in his little Tike. I miss seeing Nat's smiling face. He will break out into his widest smile whenever I call out to him. Whenever I think of them, I will take out my Iphone which has plenty of little videos of T and N! In 2 months' time when we visit, I am sure they would have grown, maybe T will be more chatty and N sitting up. We hope to spend 4 weeks with them, that should give us a good and heavy dose of time with the boys.
  
It is now back to just two of us at home, since R is mostly out at uni. We will get out more to the parks to walk.