Give up or Surrender?

Many have asked, have you tried the many many possible methods like the Chinese traditional ways, IVF, medical procedures etc?

My answer is, yes we have tried in our own ways and yes there are medical limitations.

Why didn't we go for IVF?

Firstly, yes IVF have helped many people, but I think IVF is not a solution to everything and everyone? As much as it has helped many, there were even more who didn't work out that are not spoken of. In fact, many people whom i know only got pregnant after giving up trying IVF.

Some asked, why would we chose to adopt and not wait for our own miracle child?

Is it because we no longer have faith that God can bless us with a child of our own?

Did we adopt because we have given up trying?

We have faith that God will bless us with our miracle child and we still believe. We are still praying and trusting God. The decision to adopt has nothing to do with our faith and trust in God. We will and have not given up.

So why did we choose to adopt?

We will share in the next post :)

What is more important than silver and gold?

Been thinking for very long... What to write and when to write...
Unlike younger days where you can speak and share all your feelings and thoughts on your personal blog, blogs had since never been something personal these days.

Something has been on my mind...
What is more important than silver and gold?
Some people will say that there are many things that are more important!
Some will say that, we are living in a world where money may not be everything, but we cannot do anything without money. Both sentence are true, in terms of things that money can buy.

I consider health and extending of life spend something money 'can buy'. Not that we can buy health but i have seen people sick... people healed... people's life extended during to treatments (That costs more than common people can afford)... people died... some because it's time.. but some because they were never given the chance to go through any treatment due to the high medical cost. This is vanity of vanities.

I consider justice is something that 'can be bought'. This scale is often connected with law and justice. The statue of justice is the judge having a scale on one hand and a sword on the other, with their eyes blindfolded. It is suppose to symbolise justice and impartiality. But i have seen people going to jail.. some for crimes they committed.. some for a case they cannot afford to fight due to lawyer fees.. I have seen people go free.. despite of the crime they committed, because they could get for themselves the best lawyer and creates the best evidence. This is also vanity of vanities.

Living in a world where almost everything can be purchased with money, what else is important? To me, one word, VALUES.

ONE OF MY VALUES

When i first came to City Harvest Church, someone taught me this. Back then, i was only in Secondary 2 when it happened. It was the time where my school was making us sell coupons. The little booklet with coupons, $10 per piece and $100 per booklet. Everyone is to sell 1 or more booklets, at least for my school, it was compulsory.

That year, i lost the booklet that i was suppose to sell. I did sold a few of the coupons but there is no proof to proof that i only sold a few instead of the whole booklet and trying to keep the money or something. I was very very stress. I didn't know what to do. Back then, i spoke to someone more senior in the Cell Group and he told me this.

"The difference about being a Christian is not that we will never make mistakes. It's when we do, we admit it and bear the responsibility that comes with it. For the truth shall set us free." 

That word gave me courage and becomes one of the strongest value in my life. I admitted to the teachers that i lost the booklet and made a police report for it. And i know that even if i had to pay $100 for misplacing the booklet, i learn to take responsibility of my own actions.

Till this day, i am still constantly reminded of this person because though it was just a small incident, he placed a fundamental foundation in my life. Admitting your mistakes and bearing the consequences that comes with it may not be a easy thing. Maybe you are reading and think that my lesson was only $100 and its nothing compared to yours. But $100 means ALOT to me as a secondary 2 student back in the 1990s when chicken rice or noodles will only cost $2. A complete meal with a drinks will cost me less than $3.

UOB ADS

Recently there was a UOB advertisement on TV. Where the father told the son specifically not to touch a particular vase because it is very very expensive. One day the father came home and noticed that the son had touched the vase. Though the son did not break it, only simply touched the vase to take a look at it. The father called the son into the room and asked if he touched the vase, then he broke the vase in front of the son. Because there's nothing more valuable then our values. In that sense, was trust.

But i think everything comes down to our values in life. How we deal with circumstances.. How we learn to take up responsibility of things we did or failed to do.. We all make mistake from time to time.. Some small, some really big... but what is more valuable than silver or gold... Reputation? with man or with God?

Another thing i learnt then was, God is more concern with our character than our comfort.

Paypal save?

Save? or Safe? Was that a typo? I'll explain why.

With the constant increase of online shopping and payment across the nations with different currencies, paypal has emerged as one of the most trusted way of making payment!

Just a few years back, people are so scare to do transactions online or to give people their credit card number as credit card frauds was a norm. However, with the growing e-commence network, credit card companies have stepped up in their security. Paypal came forth as a very secure payment mode and gain the trust of many!

Recently i wrote a post on 'Ebay Frauds?' with my personal encounter with fraud activities on Ebay. Even though prevention is better than cure, sometimes a cure is still needed. I wrote about how to prevent being fraud by fraudsters who are out to cheat us of our trust in what they have posted.

In this case, Paypal served as my 2nd row of defense. For some reason, i could not raise the issue to Ebay as the item is not under the Ebay buyer protection, even though it is different from what was described under listing. Thank God i made payment with Paypal and i could still raise the issue to paypal!

What are the steps to take?
1) Go to Paypal - Resolution Centre
2) Opening the case in Paypal with the paypal transaction number that can be found under your paypal transaction history list
3) Contact seller through this Paypal case, that will be recorded and monitored by Paypal
4) In the event seller do not reply or you could not come to term with seller, you may 'escalate to claim'. Note that when you take this step, the case is no longer in your hands or the hands of the seller. The money will be freeze with Paypal and it goes to no one until Paypal reviews the case and determine who will get the money
5) Paypal will contact you via emails for actions needed or information needed on your part. In my case, Paypal required for a letter to verify that i have discarded or destroyed the item. I guess the request was quite drastic, instead of request for a return, because the item was an imitation or fake of a branded
6) If you did not receive the email within 2 weeks after escalating the claim, do not hesitate to drop them an email to check the status of the case. In my case, my email had issues receiving system generated emails from them and i waited for a month before doing so. You do not have to wait that long to email them to check
7) Do as Paypal requires you to, and send them the information needed
8) Wait patiently for Paypal to review the case and they will get back to you shortly!

Paypal saves!