Mother’s Day – Tribute & Appreciation

(Sunday      9 May 2010)

By P Chong

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Play Video: Mum’s the Best!

Good cheers to all the Mothers. Today is your Day!

Yes, you are Queen for the day. So put up your legs & relax.

Let the family do you honour – breakfast in bed, gifts of roses & flowers,

special lunch & dinner . . . every conceivable sign of love & appreciation.

Mothers Day in Australia, the second Sunday of May, is a special day for mothers when family members gather together to celebrate the occasion.

Red Roses from Our Garden

When I was young, I remember listening to a favourite song that was constantly aired over the radio. It’s called “Mother” and the lyrics are too beautiful to be forgotten. Its acronym aptly display the truth of it all:

M is for the million things she gave me

O means only that she’s growing old

T is for her tears she shed to save me

H is for the heart of purest gold

E is for her eyes with love-light shinning

R means right & right she’ll always be

Put them all together, they spell “MOTHER”, a word that means a world to me.

Chrysanthemum popular in Australia on Mothers Day

My mother passed on at age 92 on 11 June 2007. She never had a day of sickness till the day she was taken away from us. She blessed us much & in turn she was greatly blessed. She was truly a woman of substance to raise all nine of us siblings. We attribute our success to her great care & love. Now that she is gone, we can only remember her fondly & dearly missed.

On this special day, I like to pay special tribute to all mothers by relating this beautiful story which depicts every facet of love & care.

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. “Is this the long way?” she asked. The guide said: “Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning.”

But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, “Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.”

Then the night came, and the storm roared, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold. However, the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, “Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come.”

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary. The mother too was weary. But at all times she said to the children,” A little patience and we are there.” So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, “Mother, we would not have done it without you.”

And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, “This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardship. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today, I’ve given them strength.”

The next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said: “Look up. Lift your eyes to the light. ” The children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. That night the Mother said, “This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God.”

The days went on, the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she was a little bent.

But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. When the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And mother said, “I have reached the end of my journey. Now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them.”

And the children said, “You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.”

And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: “We cannot see her but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence . . .

Your Mother is always with you . . .

  • She’s the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street;
  • she’s the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks;
  • she’s the cool hand on your brow when you’re not well.
  • Your Mother lives inside your laughter.
  • And she’s crystallised in every tear drop.
  • She’s the place you came from, your first home;
  • and she’s the map you follow with every step you take.
  • She’s your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you.

Not time, not space . . . not even death!

Mother Teresa said: “kindness is a language we all understand. Even the blind can see it & the deaf can hear it.”

So, say “Thank You” and say it out loud!

(Source of Story: Unknown)

Considering Others Over And Above Self

By P Chong                    Thursday 31 December 2009

Self-centredness & gross individualism are undoubtedly two of the most grievous sins ever committed in our human relationship. We need others & to co-exist to create peace & harmony. The mind-set must be helping others to help ourselves.

Put God in your life for “Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil – it has no point.”

Forget Your Scar . . . Be A Star

. . . “I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” ~ 2 Samuel 24:24

By the end of this day, a New Year will be born. Many will take pride upon looking back at the year 2009 while others will be filling their hearts with regrets & misgivings. Whatever the situation, today is the first day of the rest of your life. Undoubtedly, you will take steps to make resolutions that you will hopefully keep & attain. Policies are good but implementation is better & the way to go! Here’s a little something as “Food for Thought”.

Does it ever occur to you that the alphabet “I” is always spelt as a capital letter? All the other second or third person is only spelt in small letters e.g. we, you, he, she or they. Significantly, it goes to show the amount of importance that’s being attached to “I” and that importance denotes egoism, gross individualism and self-centredness.

 As a person, we tend to be selfish, caring more for self than others. We also tend to blame others than self. We can’t see our own faults or wouldn’t like to see. We place ourselves so high up on the pedestal that when we fall we fall hard. That’s when we’ll blame others even more with all kinds of self-justification, and rationalisation coming into play.

In any organisation, 20% are willing workers without personal motive or agenda, and 80% are onlookers, fence sitters and critics ever ready to complain and condemn. Genuinely, the 20% in reality are less than the stipulated figure. “What is it in it for me?” is the question that often come to mind. Can we ever be most willing to give to others without expecting anything in return? Jesus advocates serving others and to consider others more important than ourselves. Christians are expected to be Christ personified.

The above Biblical verse from 2 Samuel 24:24 shows David as a great giver, who understood the principle of giving. It ought to cost you something to be considered a sacrificial gift. Are you willing to sacrifice yourself not just in terms of money, but also time and effort, dedication, devotion and loyalty? Give of yourself as Jesus gave unto you. I like to stress that it’s not ability that God is looking for but your availability. Most importantly, it’s your attitude more than aptitude that will scale the altitude.

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Do something

Expect nothing

Rewards are there

When you least care!

Asian Australian Initiative Inc. (A NGO registered in Western Australia No:A1007004H)

Make your contributions & donations to our organisation as your charitable vehicle to:

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Thank You.

The Family – Face of Our Civilisation

 

Family Kiama: The face of our civilisation is the family

 

An United Family A Thousand Successes

It’s the unit that

Respect & honour bound in unity

breed past & present society

It must be the consideration for all eternity.


 

The new age sets the modern trend

The family is set to end

Marriages are no longer grand

When like-sex togetherness lawfully stand.


 

The sins of the world are multiplying in fold

Crimes & offences are prevailing bold

Young and old no longer can be told

The ideals of goodness can’t be sold.


 

We must ponder and be back to the basics

For the solutions and answers that we seek

Stop this decay before society gets too sick

God‘s principles and guidance must we stick.


 

Paul Chong

A Chinese by Descent

An Australian by Consent