How's Married Life?

I haven't even completed blog posts about the wedding and stuff, but I feel like I should answer this question right now since every time I meet someone, it's the first thing I'm asked. 

"How's married life?"

Okay, yesterday was our one month anniversary and I totally forgot. I only remembered this morning because I tried to sleep in after 9am and couldn't. The irritation drove me to think about work and all the days that I have to work this week. That drove me further to try to remember what day it is. I thought it was the 24th. 

24th??? Hmmm.... Why does that date sound so familiar?

OHHH!!!

*hurries to text Jerry that yesterday was our one month anniversary*

But really, I know he forgot and I know he knows that I forgot as well and we both don't really care haha.

That's kind of how married life is like. It's pretty much like how life was before we were married; just that we get to sleep together in the same room every night now.

What that means is:

An extra hour of sleep for the man
(He doesn't have to send me home every night and then send himself home after that.)

We have to solve every argument/issue like right away

(If not... there'll be NO SLEEPING HERE TONIGHT NO, NO SLEEPING HERE TONIGHT)

No space for me to roll around

(Because space is limited when you share a bed with someone)

Unlimited cuddle time

(That is, until the man demands sleepy time)

We don't threaten each other with undertones of "breaking up" anymore (yeah we, Christian, adults, are still capable of that) because well, we took a vow and we know it came with a No Return policy. So these days, it sounds more like us being on the same team and trying to work it out together because we both know... there could be NO SLEEPING HERE TONIGHT NO and of course it hurts to see the other party upset.

Truthfully, it is way more upsetting to see your partner upset than to just be upset. And interestingly, the two of those events aren't mutually exclusive. He gets upset when he sees me being upset and vice versa. We have had to pray through these moments when we get stuck in our "you're upset so I'm upset NO I'M UPSET BECAUSE YOU'RE UPSET". It's miserable to be stuck in there and only God can pull us out of it.

But really, married life is great.

That is, if you are willing to endure the agony of having to swallow your pride 24/7/365.

Getting Ready For The Big Day

Many people are surprised when I tell them that we're getting married in May.

"May...... 2015?" They ask. 

"No May, this year. 2014"

*cue look of utter shock* 

"ARE YOU PREGNANT???"

lol

Well, the truth is, I'm not pregnant. We'd just like to get married when our pastor is still in Singapore, my aunt is around and before my parents head back to the States. That leaves us with the end of May this year as our best option.

Not to mention, I'm such an impatient person. I really couldn't stand the thought of waiting an entire year to get married!!!

I know what many of you are thinking... How am I supposed to pull off a wedding with slightly less than two months to prepare? 

I got three words for you.

God Answers Prayer

The very moment Jerry and I knew we were going to get married this May, we clasped our hands together in prayer and asked God to go on ahead of us and help us plan our wedding. We knew there would be challenges ahead. Perhaps it would be difficult to book a wedding venue with such little notice. What about the photographers, makeup artist, the dresses, his suit, cake, etc etc etc?

There were simply too many things to worry about and we knew there was no use trying to handle it all on our own. So we sought God's hand and wisdom in our planning process.

You would not believe how quickly and amazingly God answered each and every one of our prayers!

In just a few days, we managed to narrow down, visit and book the venue of our choice. The last function room that was available on our wedding date was exactly the right size.

We got our wedding photography package signed up with Sophia Wedding along Tanjong Pagar Road. On that day, a couple cancelled their appointment at the last minute and I was able to pick my gown there instead of waiting a few weeks (it would have been too late by then).

I shopped for fabric with my aunts and had my cheongsam custom-made in Chinatown. The dressmaker's shop, Iris & Edel, were able to complete the cheongsam in time for my photoshoot despite having to alter it twice.

A few weeks later, we went for a food tasting session at our wedding venue. Everything tasted way better than I expected!

I spent an hour and a half the next day trying on dresses for my bridesmaids. We ended up choosing none of these. 

Then, something unfortunate happened. 

We hadn't skated for almost a month and I was missing the skatepark like crazy. So we went to the skatepark about two weeks before our photoshoot for a little skating session. 

That night, Jerry went home with two stitches in his upper lip and a bad scrape/bruise on his left knee. He couldn't smile without busting his stitches, nor could he walk properly. He was really upset that this happened so close to our photoshoot. 

I remember sitting with him on the floor at the skatepark, his face covered with blood. But I only felt peace. Somehow, I knew in my heart that everything would be okay. So I prayed with him that his wounds would heal before our photoshoot on April 24th. He had about 14 days to recover at that point. 

The day of the photoshoot came.

For once, we arrived at the studio on time. We were always so very late to our dress fittings (and that's bad!)

My mom and xiaoyee (aunt) came to help us with the shoot even though it was a weekday. Without them, we would not have been able to get to our photoshoot locations on time.

Oh, and do you see Jerry's wide smile in this photo?

Just the day before, his stitches came out and he was finally able to smile on the morning of our photoshoot. It was the first time I'd seen him smile since we were at the skatepark.

From the left: Jensen, the photographer's assistant. And Arsen, the photographer. 

Sadly, when the photos were completed, we found that we did not like any of them. Not because Arsen isn't a good photographer, but mainly because none of the shots were really taken in the kind of style we wanted (warm, natural, romantic). 

Thankfully, Sophia was very professional about it and offered to let us reshoot the entire thing. 

So that's what we'll be doing this coming Sunday... 

All the invites were done in a matter of two days.

Each invite took us about five minutes to put together. Fortunately, this isn't a big affair, so we were not overwhelmed by the invitations.

The bridesmaid dresses from TheBMDshop arrived within a day and Amanda and Talia got to try them on Saturday. They were perfect!

Pretty much everything is going smoothly and I truly don't have to worry about anything at all! 

I'm gonna miss my family when they're back in the States and I'm still here in Singapore, but at least I won't really be alone. I think being married helps. I've never actually thought about how I'd feel once my parents return, but now that I'm typing this out, I can see why God had me meet Jerry now...

I didn't even imagine that I could possibly feel this lonely, but thankfully God foresaw all of this and provided me with a husband to comfort me...

I am just so amazed that despite me failing Him and being such a pain, God is still willing to not only stand by me; in the midst of everything, He is still wanting to bless me. How wonderful and merciful is He!!!

To my future self reading this post again: I want to remind you of how God's grace truly has no bounds. 

You didn't think you needed anyone, but God sent you someone when you least expected it. He already knew that when your parents leave Singapore, you'd miss their noise, and so He took care of that. 

God is faithful!

When wedding preparations needed to be done, God did them all for you. You did not have to fret about anything at all.

God provides!

You used to worry about Jerry's spiritual growth. Has He not put His Spirit in Jerry's heart? 

God leads!

And now as the wedding day draws near and fear of the future tries to creep up on you... (well this is getting weird cause my future self is supposed to be reading this eh?)

Anyway...

God knows. He cares and He is always listening. He knows all your faults and weaknesses and He will not give you more than you can handle. He will always give you something to hope for and you do not have to worry about what the future holds because He has already taken care of it. All you have to do is to sit obediently at His feet, serving patiently and resting in the shadow of His wings. He will bring you good and not harm... 

Amen!!!

Praises This Week

God has been and is being so SO good to me!

I was on the verge of falling again, but He reached for me and pulled me out of deep waters. Immediately after which, I saw that there was work He needed to get done. If not for God putting His confidence in me, I would NOT have been able to do His work and my labor would have been in vain!

This week has been filled with miracles and God's divine hand in every single activity in my life. 

First of all, on Tuesday, this little kid randomly spam-messaged me on Facebook. I was so tempted to write him off as an irritating brat, but I felt God gently reminding me to love others. On top of that, I was prompted to ask ZJ (this little kid) whether he'd heard of Jesus before. One thing led to another, and that very same night, I had a short bible study with him and prayed with him to accept Jesus as his lord and saviour. I wasn't sure if his decision was genuine, but the very next day, ZJ messaged me to ask if we could have another bible study! He continued to read the book of Job on his own and I was really amazed to see God working in his heart despite my doubts. 

Another skater friend of mine has been going through difficult times. I've been praying for him and asking God to change his heart. 

While I am doubtful at times, God is faithful to answer my prayers. He has shown me that with even just a little mustard seed of faith, God can do wonders. Nothing is impossible for Him! Hallelujah!

Last Few Weeks Of Being 23

My birthday is coming up next week and I can't help but feel a little sad. As the years roll by and I leave my teenage years behind, I find myself wishing that time could stand still. I know youth is a gift and it doesn't last for long. Like a whisper, it comes and goes. 

I also know that someday in the future, I am going to wake up and realise that I needed to sleep at 9pm not 3am. My bones are going to feel more brittle and my muscles- less responsive. 

Almost all my hobbies involve raising my heart rate to a racing bpm, which is why I dread the day my body fails on me. 

I look at all these young kids around me doing things I wish my fifteen year old body were still around to do. 

So it is with such a mindset that I have been living life. 

Fast-paced. 

No space to breathe. 

Few weeks ago Shirley, two other friends and I went skating/cycling at East Coast Park.

We made it to Bedok Jetty.

And stayed out there moon-gazing for some time.

It was so beautiful, big and bright that night.

On a different day, MingXian drove us both into Johor Bahru, Malaysia. We had lunch at a wanton mee place.

Spent almost two hours grocery shopping in KSL City Mall.

Had dinner at the Bamboo restaurant.

Hung out at Danga Bay after dinner.

Poor MingXian had no choice but to be dragged onto this ride. Even though it was small, it was really fun!

Then we just took a million photos for the rest of the night.

Had a Friday night urban skate as usual to the recently-finished Marina Bay Sands hawker centre.

Met up with the Davidians for our monthly get-togethers.

Went ice-skating with the usual Friday urban crew on a separate Friday.

 

Fell while telling people to "watch out for the curve in front". 

LOL 

Attended Shan Shan's graduation ceremony.

I love graduation ceremonies. I love them even more when they're held in a church with a service and worship before and everything. 

Well, I guess this was my first graduation ceremony that was held in a church with a service and worship before and everything. 

I cried during worship. The songs we sang somehow made me think about how lucky we were with Eric's situation and how God's grace just saves us... weak sinners... I thought about our mission in life and whether I am living out that mission to bring people to Christ. 

Hmm. 

(Note to self: don't wear mascara to church services, graduation or not)

Skated around MBS (yet again) with the three amigos. 

Snacked on the night view.

Finished off with a heavy supper at 126 in Geylang.

This is only one-thirds of the food that we ordered and tried desperately to finish.

On Friday, I went prawning at Farmart with Alu.

And Annie!

Annie had quite a few firsts that morning. 

First time eating MacDonald's breakfast, first time catching a prawn and first time being at Farmart!

Nothing beats eating the prawns you caught. 

Swimming one moment, dead and cooked the next. YUMZ.

So, horrors of horrors. 

I just got back from Skateline's monthly Saturday Night Skate and it was on this fateful night that I dropped my iPhone twice and cracked its screen.

My phone looks like a rat just chewed on it now. 

T^T

The first of the birthday gifts have arrived.

A special chinese recorder-like instrument from Chuan gu & Aunty Pei Leng! 

It's too late to try it now since everybody is sleeping, but I'll probably start chirping away later this morning when I wake up for church.

Gonna be playing the piano at Sunday School later...

I don't know how to explain the rush and mix of emotions that I have right now. But one thing I know: no matter what the situation, no matter how old I am getting or how young I am feeling, my purpose in life is simply to praise God, and I have very good reasons to do so.

All my life Lord, I give it to you! I give all my energy, youth, money and time to the furthering of your kingdom. In every walk of life, I ask that you use me like a vessel to pour forth your Spirit. In every action, word or thought of mine, I pray that you reach out to those who need you most. 

Being Still Allover The Place

Sooo.... after writing the last post about Being Still, I received this email yesterday morning. 

And guess which verse was attached in that email? 

LOL!!! 

Seriously, I'm not making this up! 

My mouth kinda fell open when I saw that verse because... well because it was exactly, exactly, exactly what I needed to hear!

You know that phrase that goes like "God works in mysterious ways"? Well... He never fails to surprise me, and I love it!

..................................................................

So I've been seeing a lot of this girl lately. 

We keep eating at the same place too- Green View in Far East Plaza. She ordered the same exact thing as she did last time.

This time I went for the Indonesian Laksa. The only difference from regular laksa was that there weren't any cockles in it. 

Lift shenanigans...

 We were too lazy to take the stairs down to the basement, so we went into the cargo lift (on my insistence).

Had to walk in and out of the lift twice when we went to either the wrong level, or when the lift just didn't open to the shopping centre on that level. 

Still had to take one flight of stairs in the end. Fail!

Then this afternoon, I went to Temasek Polytechnic again to drop something off for work. 

This has got to be one of my favourite school campuses in Singapore!

Even though it's kind of ugly architecturally speaking, this place still gives me a very open, relaxing vibe. 

But I guess I'm glad I didn't study here, because I'd be spending WAY too much time relaxing instead of studying!  

Sigh...

Would it really be that nice to be a student again?