The weather in Singapore can be quite unpredictable at times. Nevertheless, each day is a gift of God, whether it is blazing hot or raining like cats and dogs. God is still good! In fact, He is perfectly good! That's what God is like regardless of what sad or bad news life may bring.
The frequent 'missed beats' caused me not to take life for granted again. Each day and night as I take my pulse, there were times when flashes of thoughts would come, "What if I do not get up tomorrow?" And when I open my eyes to see a new tomorrow, my heart rejoices to know that God has granted me another new day to see His goodness in a new way.
Today, I saw Dr.Terence Chua at the National Heart Centre, SGH. He is a very pleasant man who Dr. William Hwang, my transplant physician refered me to. He assured me that my ECG looks normal. In any case, he is putting me on Ambulatory ECG (Holter Monitoring) on 19May. Holter Monitoring is a test where the ECG is continously monitored for 24-48 hours. Hence, any abnormal rhythms will be captured if present. This test is useful for detecting transient rhythm disorders of the heart which are not detected at the time when a single ECG like the one I had is done.
I also saw my Orthopaedic Oncologist after seeing the Cardiologist. The slight pain on my left shoulder kept me awake several times last night. A few XRays were done and it seems that there were no new lytic lesions were found except for a few tiny old, residual ones which are not of real concern.
Thank God for these expert doctors that God has placed me in. They've helped put our hearts at ease although our primary hope and sourse of healing is in the name of the one who raised Jesus from the dead.
Thank you for praying!
david
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Picture of Bobby Michaels - departed 31.03.2009
Bobby Michaels website - 
http://www.bobbymichaels.com
http://www.bobbymichaels.com
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Another friend has just left - Bobby Michaels
This is a prayer request for the family of a great brother in Christ, bobby Michaels who just passed away in Bangkok after a massive heart attack.
Bobby, as many of us know him, is a great christian artiste who had ministered powerfully through his music. Personally, the song, "My Redeemer is faithful and true" had greatly ministered to me during the course of my illness. He had also been ministering in Cambodia as a missionary, bring many medical as well as christian musicians into the land as they distribute rice to the poor there.
My family and I last met Bobby and his wife, Lee when they were here to minister last year. Bobby had a great, beautiful voice and we had been specially blessed by his warmth, friendship and love. I was very honoured to have his permission to use the sound tracks for the above-mentioned all-time favourite song of many . Not only did he offer to record the tracks for me, Bobby refused to accept the royalty fees for using his tracks. What a man of God with a great heart for God and for people! I have not seen many christian artiste who are famous like him serving God with such simplicity and purity of heart. Above all, his heart for the poor is what touches me and he personally went to the mission field to bring rice to those who need it in Cambodia. I thank God for him, for teaching me to focus on living my life for what's really important to God. Thank you, Bobby!
"Lord Jesus,
May your comfort and strength be upon Lee, his wife and children as the mourn the loss of his departure into your glorious presence. Thank you, that You are indeed our faithful and true Redeemer that is so evident in this brother's life. May you bless their hearts to be filled with joy to know that Bobby had blessed the hearts of countless people, young and old, rich and poor throughout this entire world, including Whee Ling, Joshua and mine. That they have a great husband and father who loved God and people deeply. Fill their hearts with hope as they look forward to their reunion when You, our blessed hope and glory come again for us on that day.
We pray this, in Jesus' most precious name!
Amen.
Bobby, as many of us know him, is a great christian artiste who had ministered powerfully through his music. Personally, the song, "My Redeemer is faithful and true" had greatly ministered to me during the course of my illness. He had also been ministering in Cambodia as a missionary, bring many medical as well as christian musicians into the land as they distribute rice to the poor there.
My family and I last met Bobby and his wife, Lee when they were here to minister last year. Bobby had a great, beautiful voice and we had been specially blessed by his warmth, friendship and love. I was very honoured to have his permission to use the sound tracks for the above-mentioned all-time favourite song of many . Not only did he offer to record the tracks for me, Bobby refused to accept the royalty fees for using his tracks. What a man of God with a great heart for God and for people! I have not seen many christian artiste who are famous like him serving God with such simplicity and purity of heart. Above all, his heart for the poor is what touches me and he personally went to the mission field to bring rice to those who need it in Cambodia. I thank God for him, for teaching me to focus on living my life for what's really important to God. Thank you, Bobby!
"Lord Jesus,
May your comfort and strength be upon Lee, his wife and children as the mourn the loss of his departure into your glorious presence. Thank you, that You are indeed our faithful and true Redeemer that is so evident in this brother's life. May you bless their hearts to be filled with joy to know that Bobby had blessed the hearts of countless people, young and old, rich and poor throughout this entire world, including Whee Ling, Joshua and mine. That they have a great husband and father who loved God and people deeply. Fill their hearts with hope as they look forward to their reunion when You, our blessed hope and glory come again for us on that day.
We pray this, in Jesus' most precious name!
Amen.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Missed Heart Beats
Sorry for the late update after my last medical appointment on Monday, 30 March. Appreciate those of you who enquired. We are very blessed to have many caring people surrounding us who support us in so many ways.
All is well, except for my recent heart rhythm that was a little irregular. There are missed beats now and then. Had an ECG done in the hospital but it was normal. An appointment has been made to see the cardiologist on the 14th of April.
Times like this make me think again. It makes me ponder about life again and again. Being relatively quite well except for periodic bouts of flu that hit me badly can suck one into the mundane without intentionally living for the master with a focused heart.
Times like this also make me think about my own mortality. That life is unpredictable. Everyday, we hear about people departing from this world suddenly or slowly through illnesses and other means. I am sure many of us read about the young, Singaporean doctor who took his own life recently. The family of a little 4 year old boy who has brain tumour that I have been praying for has been told that they have done all they could for him. Another woman, who was teaching in the kindergarden who Josh was died in Feb shortly after discovering she had end stage cancer of the pancreas, leaving her husband and children in shock.
You may think I sound very melancholic. Frankly, I am not. For I have wrestled with this issue eversince my illness. To me, death is about living. I live today as if I am going tomorrow - for the Lord. I must admit that there were times I felt as if I may not wake up the next day (Like how the missed heart made me thought for a moment how I may never see my family again). And when I do, I always give thanks for another new day to taste His grace, experience His love and feel His heart for the world in order to live my life fully to fulfill His divine purpose in my life no matter how mundane life is.
In the Starits times today (Sat, 4 April 2009), there are 7 pages (Part D1-7) on "Going Gently into the night" - a special report on death and dying. It is interestly to read about the different perspectives of people on this. It is so good to be reminded by the Holy Spirit that as children of the most high God, our hope is in the name of the one who raised Jesus from the dead!!
Anyway, I like what the late Shin Na, a breast cancer patient who passed on in January 2009 commented as mentioned in page D7, "Keep in mind that cancer patients go through phases." Having hope is one thing, having to deal with the raw feelings that come with renewed faith is another. Although I do not agree with her perspective on point 3 where she said God didn't promise He's going to heal anyone, Shin Na's tips on what to avoid when talking to a cancer patient was a good reminder to people who care for the sick but sometimes can say wrong things no matter how good their intentions can be. Therefore, a visitor to a sick person no matter who you are (esp. church leaders and particularly pastors!) must be careful not to be adverse advisers. Your visit can either break instead of build his/her faith. Believe me, in my 41/2 years a s a cancer patient, I have seen too many adverse advisers!! The best thing you can offer is to pray instead of preach, leaving the presence of the Lord to touch and build up the confidence of the one being prayed for to believe in the ONE who is always willing to heal. (Luke 5:12-16)
Am thankful for every new breadth!
david
All is well, except for my recent heart rhythm that was a little irregular. There are missed beats now and then. Had an ECG done in the hospital but it was normal. An appointment has been made to see the cardiologist on the 14th of April.
Times like this make me think again. It makes me ponder about life again and again. Being relatively quite well except for periodic bouts of flu that hit me badly can suck one into the mundane without intentionally living for the master with a focused heart.
Times like this also make me think about my own mortality. That life is unpredictable. Everyday, we hear about people departing from this world suddenly or slowly through illnesses and other means. I am sure many of us read about the young, Singaporean doctor who took his own life recently. The family of a little 4 year old boy who has brain tumour that I have been praying for has been told that they have done all they could for him. Another woman, who was teaching in the kindergarden who Josh was died in Feb shortly after discovering she had end stage cancer of the pancreas, leaving her husband and children in shock.
You may think I sound very melancholic. Frankly, I am not. For I have wrestled with this issue eversince my illness. To me, death is about living. I live today as if I am going tomorrow - for the Lord. I must admit that there were times I felt as if I may not wake up the next day (Like how the missed heart made me thought for a moment how I may never see my family again). And when I do, I always give thanks for another new day to taste His grace, experience His love and feel His heart for the world in order to live my life fully to fulfill His divine purpose in my life no matter how mundane life is.
In the Starits times today (Sat, 4 April 2009), there are 7 pages (Part D1-7) on "Going Gently into the night" - a special report on death and dying. It is interestly to read about the different perspectives of people on this. It is so good to be reminded by the Holy Spirit that as children of the most high God, our hope is in the name of the one who raised Jesus from the dead!!
Anyway, I like what the late Shin Na, a breast cancer patient who passed on in January 2009 commented as mentioned in page D7, "Keep in mind that cancer patients go through phases." Having hope is one thing, having to deal with the raw feelings that come with renewed faith is another. Although I do not agree with her perspective on point 3 where she said God didn't promise He's going to heal anyone, Shin Na's tips on what to avoid when talking to a cancer patient was a good reminder to people who care for the sick but sometimes can say wrong things no matter how good their intentions can be. Therefore, a visitor to a sick person no matter who you are (esp. church leaders and particularly pastors!) must be careful not to be adverse advisers. Your visit can either break instead of build his/her faith. Believe me, in my 41/2 years a s a cancer patient, I have seen too many adverse advisers!! The best thing you can offer is to pray instead of preach, leaving the presence of the Lord to touch and build up the confidence of the one being prayed for to believe in the ONE who is always willing to heal. (Luke 5:12-16)
Am thankful for every new breadth!
david
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