What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. (Romeo & Juliet- William Shakespeare)

I haven't written anything all this time. I've been busy and have not looked for inspiration either.

However, today while looking for the meaning of surnames I've come across mine and want to share it here.

Li Name Meaning

Chinese : from a character meaning ‘minister’. This was part of the title of Gao Yao, a great-grandson of the legendary emperor Zhuan Xu, who became famous as a minister under the model emperors Yao and Shun in the 23rd century bc; he was the first to introduce laws for the repression of crime. His descendants adopted this part of his title as their surname. The use of this name continued for over a millennium to the twelfth century bc, down to the rule of the last king of the Shang dynasty, the despotic Zhou Xin. Li Zhi, the head of the Li clan at that time, displeased Zhou Xin and was executed, leaving the rest of the clan facing imminent disaster. They fled, and nearly starved to death, surviving only by eating a fruit called mu zi. When the characters for mu and zi are combined, they form the character for plum, pronounced Li. In token of this salvation, the clan changed their name to the current character for li ‘plum’. Li is now the most common surname in China. Among the many famous bearers are Lee Kwan Yew, prime minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990; Lee Teng-hui, president of Taiwan from 1988; Li Peng, prime minister of China from 1988; and Bruce Lee (1941–73), movie actor.Chinese : from the name of a state of Li (in present-day Shanxi province), which existed during the Shang dynasty (1766–1122 bc). Descendants of the state’s rulers adopted the name of the state as their surname.Chinese : this character for Li is an altered form of 1 above.Norwegian: habitational name from any of numerous farmsteads named Li, from Old Norse hlíð ‘mountain slope’, ‘hillside’.

This has been taken from http://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=li

You can find yours by using the address above.

10 Reasons To Sing Through Life. Take A Step Of Faith And Sing. Be In Love With God And Life.

Today I want to share an article I read by Sarah Coleman and found uplifting.

It is your time to sing. Sing? Yes, sing. I don't mean to audition for the next season of American Idol, but I believe God wants you to sing. Sing like the woman of Isaiah 54 - 

1 "Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the LORD. 2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. 3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. 4 "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. 5 For your Maker is your husband-- the LORD Almighty is his name-- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. 6 The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit-- a wife who married young, only to be rejected," says your God. 7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. 8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer. 9 "To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. 10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. 11 "O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires. 12 I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. 13 All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace. 14 In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you. 15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you. 16 "See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc; 17 no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refuteevery tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD..

Singing through life is an attitude. Singing is being beautiful, letting wonderful surprises happen to you, walking on sunshine, and living beyond status quo. Far over and above all that you could ask or imagine? You better believe it!

You may think, that’s fine for you to say, but I don’t have a husband who’s a Christian. Or, I’m not very beautiful. I’m not smart. I don’t have much money. My marriage is on the rocks. I look after my sick mother-in-law. I’m sick with a horrible, incurable disease. I’m single and I’ll never find a husband. Life just plain stinks!

There are plenty of excuses, but regardless of your situation, you can sing through life. Esther's husband was not a Christian. Leah was not very beautiful. Rhonda wasn't smart. The widow Jesus pointed out in the temple didn't have much money. Abigail had a terrible marriage. Ruth looked after a sick mother-in-law. The woman with the issue of blood had an incurable disease. Rehab was single with no prospects. And life was pretty bad for Job, Hannah, and Solomon's wives (well, I wouldn't want to be one of 700). Yet they all managed to sing. They made the most of their situation, and as a result, things turned around.

I challenge you to take a step of faith and sing. Be in love with God and life. The miracle is about to happen for you. You have reason to sing.

“Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the Lord (Isaiah 54:1).

1. You are about to give birth

God is about to birth in you new ideas, strategies, dreams. This promise is not for everyone else. It is for you. You will experience renewal. You will birth newness. Good things are about to happen to you. Expect them.

Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! For you will soon be bursting at the seams (Isaiah 54:2).

2. You are about to be enlarged 

No one in the Bible wanted to be enlarged more than Jacob. He struggled to be born first, bargained for a better birthright, and was prepared to wrestle more from God. God has more for you. Go after it!

For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities(Isaiah 54:3).

3. Your descendants will inherit the nations

It may appear as though your descendants will inherit debt, but the Word says otherwise. Godly children will unlock unprecedented blessing.

“Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood" (Isaiah 54:4).

4. There is no shame

Shame binds. Isaiah 53 explains that Jesus dealt with shame on the Cross. Leave guilt and condemnation behind. Your destiny is freedom.

For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,”says the Lord, who has mercy on you (Isaiah 54:10).

5. God is faithful

http://hearjesuschrist.blogspot.com/2012/03/bible-verse-wallpaper-isaiah-5410.html

The Almighty will fulfill his promise. The Lord is not angry with you, he has mercy upon you. He is faithful to do all he said he would do. What a great God we serve.

I will make your towers of sparkling rubies, your gates of shining gems, and your walls of precious stones (Isaiah 54:12).

6. God will build your prosperity

When the devil builds prosperity it is temporary and does not satisfy. When God builds it, it lasts for eternity.

You will be secure under a government that is just and fair. Your enemies will stay far away. You will live in peace, and terror will not come near (Isaiah 54:14).

7. You will live in peace not terror

You and your children will never be threatened, or violated. People of peace don’t hang out with those involved in such behaviour. And terror: it will not come near. You have nothing to fear.

If any nation comes to fight you, it is not because I sent them. Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat (Isaiah 54:15).

8. God is on your side

The Lord told Joshua, "I will be with you, only be strong and courageous." God is on your side, only be strong and courageous. The Lord conquers over your enemies.

But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken! (Isaiah 54:17)

9. No weapon formed against you shall prosper

http://dorislittle57.blogspot.com/2012/06/your-future-is-not-in-hands-of-people.html

No weapon of gossip, offense, anger, lies, disease, or discouragement will prosper. The Word of God wins every time.

10. God has spoken!

These are not my words. The Lord Almighty has spoken. It is your time to sing!

The Cross of Christ has given you reason to sing. Meditate and declare these confessions. You can do it. Sing!

Sarah Coleman is an Australian author and communicator. Her books include Single Christian Female and Make Yourself Amazing. She is passionate about the Kingdom of God. She also loves being a wife and mother to two boys. To read more of Sarah's thoughts go to sarahcoleman.com.au.

Publication date: June 3, 2014

Ecclesiastes 10:10 - Using A Dull Ax Requires Great Strength, So Sharpen The Blade. That's The Value Of Wisdom; It Helps You Succeed.(NLT)

Trying to do anything without the necessary skills or tools is like chopping wood with a dull ax. If your tool is dull, you should sharpen it to do a better job. 
Similarly, if you lack skills, you should sharpen them through training and practice. In each situation, sharpening the ax means recognizing where a problem exists, acquiring or honing the skills (or tools) to do the job better, and then going out and doing it. Find the areas of your life where your 'ax' is dull, and sharpen your skills so you can be more effective in God's work.
(Life Application Study Bible devotional)

This is what I had in my reading plan today. The words are so wise coming from The Most Wise God.
This drives us to excel in our work for God. We can do so because it is God 'who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose' (Philippians 2:13 - NIV).

Psalm 37:23-24 (NIV) - The Lord Makes Firm The Steps Of The One Who Delights In Him; Though He May Stumble, He Will Not Fall, For The Lord Upholds Him With His Hand.

Such comforting words from the Lord. God is faithful and just. He keeps His Word and is at hand when you need Him.
I have experienced this so many times, especially when things did not work out like I would have liked. God's ways are always right. When I surrender the circumstances into His Mighty Hands, He makes things beautiful in His time and I find peace as I snuggle close to His heart.

The picture above is from Deborah Mclain.

James 1:5 (RSV) - If Any Of You Lacks Wisdom, Let Him Ask God, Who Gives To All Men Generously And Without Reproaching, And It Will Be Given Him.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

fools despise wisdom and instruction.(Proverbs 1:7)

Graphics, comments and images for social networks!

John 14:6 (Darby Translation) - Jesus Says To Him, I Am The Way, And The Truth, And The Life. No One Comes To The Father Unless By Me.

Today I want to share the video on John Lennon and evolution. It's quite an eye opener. Ray Comfort is a very good evangelist. He asks pertinent questions which cause the audience to think and realise they are living far from God.

Please take the time to watch this and respond to what is presented.

Do not tarry with your decision - 

2 Corinthians 6:2 (New International Version)

For he says,

“In the time of my favor I heard you,
    and in the day of salvation I helped you.”   [Isaiah49:8]

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

2 Peter 3:9 Amplified Bible (AMP) - The Lord Does Not Delay And Is Not Tardy Or Slow About What He Promises, According To Some People’s Conception Of Slowness, But He Is Long-suffering (Extraordinarily Patient) Toward You, Not Desiring That Any Should Perish, But That All Should Turn To Repentance.

I came across a video clip I had once watched and which had touched me.
It reminded me how I felt sad that people today are ignorant of history. They are not aware that people like Adolf Hitler had killed millions of people during the second world war.

The questions asked by Ray Comfort are really pertinent and significant for everybody living on Earth.

Where will we go when we leave planet Earth?

Let us reply like Joshua in the Old Testament in 

Joshua 24:15 Amplified Bible (AMP)

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Let us say we will serve the Lord!!

http://www.emblibrary.com/el/new.aspx?date=020310

Our God Is An Awesome God. He Reigns From Heaven Above, In Wisdom, Power, Our God Is An Awesome God.

Found 2 video clips, teachings from Kong Hee from Singapore on "God in Ancient China". He gives an expose on Chinese characters which  reveal God in them.
So I want to share them with you. The first time I saw them I went "WOW!!!".
I had already discovered the character for righteousness/justice. This character is made up of 2 characters: a lamb over me.

I hope you will discover Chinese characters and be amazed when you see how they represent God's awesome work.

James 2:23 - And The Scripture Was Fulfilled That Says,"Abraham Believed God, And It Was Counted To Him As Righteousness”—And He Was Called A Friend Of God.

God is Faithful and Just. His Word never fails and like Abraham, we can count on Him in whatever circumstance which comes our way. He has promised to stay with us and never to forsake us.

Hebrews 13:5 - Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Interesting quote found on the web 

http://lmaohaha.com/christian-funny-one-liners-quotes/

The warning is so true about regular Bible reading. The Word of God always does the work it is supposed to do because the Word of God is alive and well in 2014.

Isaiah 46:4 Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (NIV)

Today has been a real surprise when I opened the Google page. It displayed a picture wishing me Happy birthday!!!

That was really cool!!!

In fact, I wanted to share a picture I found in an article I read on Yahoo. I had not posted anything since a long time.

Amazing photo! Ocean wave image looks like man's face

A spooky face is created by the spray from a wave hitting the harbor in Dorset, England, Feb. 4, 2014. (Simon Emmett/SWNS.com)

We had the visit of a tropical cyclone - Edilson - with warning class 3. Heavy rains and strong winds in the eastern part of the island were seen and felt.

The satellite image shows a lot of clouds around the country and the position of the cyclone.

Do not look for easy paths, but see your shoes are strong - so that when the track is stony you can get along. Don't go shod for pleasant ways but for the uphill climb - then you'll be prepared for any road at any time.

Today I'm putting into practice what I learnt from other blogs, you tube videos and from a recipe an auntie gave me.
It's making rice wine. This has always intrigued me and I had thought it was very hard to do.
It's in fact very easy to prepare. 
The ingredients needed are:
1 kg glutinous rice, some red rice yeast known as "kiuk" in Hakka language, 2 wine biscuits.
Glassware must be used to ferment the wine.
Method of preparation:
Boil the rice in the rice cooker with a little bit more water than usual.
Remove from the cooker and spread to cool the rice.

Crush the rice yeast and the wine biscuits to a powder.

Wearing plastic gloves take some rice and cover with the powder mixture.

Place this in a bowl and continue until all the rice is used.

The rice is then mixed thoroughly  and the mixture is placed in the glass container.

Make sure not to coat the sides of the container. If they are coated, clean them with tissue paper.
Place a cloth over the container and cover lightly.
Place the container in a cool, dark place.
The next day, you will see the fermentation process has already begun. The container will feel warm.

Using a clean utensil, mix twice a week for 2 weeks. If a white mould is seen, it must be removed carefully.

The rice mixture will begin to sink.

After 2 weeks the residue can be removed using a strainer.

The liquid is then filtered using coffee filters. 

The wine is collected in wine bottles and kept in a cool, dark place.

The residue is collected and placed in the fridge for cooking later. Some salt can be added to preserve it longer.

God Has Placed Within Us 3 Main Functions: The Will, The Feelings, And The Thoughts. Our Will Has Little Or No Power Over Our Feelings. They Respond To Thoughts. By Meditating On God's Word We Can Make Our Thoughts The Leader Of Our Feelings - Selwyn Hughes

Great Has Been The Blessing From Consecutive, Diligent, Daily Study. I Look Upon It As A Lost Day When I've Not Had A Good Time Over The Word Of God. - George Mueller

It is so true that we are blessed by daily devotional time with Our Lord. His Word fills us with confidence and faith to face the day He set before us. I rejoice in His Word who gives me peace of mind to run the race daily.
Today there's no school as there is torrential rain. My sleep has been disturbed by heavy rains at 5.00 am and it is still raining cats and dogs.
I've found this devotional today and want to share it with you. It's from April Motl.

His Love Over You

Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. Psalm 143:8

Sometimes I ask my husband if he loves me. Not because I am unsure of his love, but because I just needed to hear him say it. 

Studies have shown that for every negative comment we hear, we need at least three positive comments to reset the balance of our perspective. For the majority of the world (save dictators and people who act like czars), we hear more negative stuff than positive.  That's where training our thoughts becomes so important. 

The Lord tells us to "set" our mind on the things above (Colossians 3:2). Each time we exercise self-control and refuse to indulge untrue, unhealthy thoughts and instead place our train of thinking on the things of the Lord, we counteract the barrage of perspective-derailing negativity. But what a lot of effort it takes, right?! 

So in the middle of the demands, the to-do list, the 10 o'clock news, the family heartaches, the everything that permeates your day, having a dose of the Lord's sweet words can go a long way to keeping your focus. As part of a wrap-up to a discipleship group I recently finished, I included this little note to each one of them. They loved it. I hope you will too.

Click here for a pdf. download of A Love Letter from Scripture for a letter of paraphrased, personalized Bible verses. The half sheet will fit in a 5x7 frame if you want to put it on your desk, by the sink or wherever :) May these words help you hear the Lord's lovingkindess over you.

Every Moment And Every Event Of Every Man's Life On Earth Plants Something In His Soul. - Thomas Merton

A whole month without posts!!! I've been busy with the new blog I created for my Chemistry class and am about to create another one for my Biology class. There has also been the start of a new school year and all these have swallowed up my time.
Today is Chinese New Year's Eve and I've been quite busy cooking today. Since this morning I've prepared the dough to make 'gato cravates' 

and put the prawn crackers to dry in the sun so they can be very crispy when fried.

In the afternoon, I've prepared dinner consisting of white fungus and chicken soup, fooyang, crispy pork (I bought at the Golden Hong Kong Palace Restaurant when I had lunch there), roasted chicken brought by my aunt, green vegetables, grilled sausages and a chop suey.

Not before long, there will be a lot of firecrackers all around the house. Now I'm feeling sleepy. Mum and dad are already fast asleep. Time for me to hit the hay!!