Things that matter in life

Many things matter in life,
but the most important thing is to do everything in love
- Haddon Robinson

Facebook

Dear all,
I am now using FB daily to share my thoughts. You may find me there as well. I think it is a good place to impact, inspire and even influence many and point them to our good Shepherd especially through the word of the Lord.

I will continue to update here regarding my medical progress and personal life as well.

So, do look for me on FB and click me (David Ong) as your friend to stay in touch daily.

P/S- PTL, my med check up with Dr.William was good. All the routine blood tests are fine.
Now, I just need to see him for review every three months. "Thank you, LORD Jesus!

david

Embracing Hope

Sorry we have not been posting for a while! Somehow get sucked into the busi-ness of daily mundane needs and concerns that drains me physically and even emotionally.

Reading about the how the angel came to stir the water at the pool of Bethesda to become a miracle-producing pool (in John 5) woke me up. Bethesda means "House of grace and mercy". I realized how I need to come to "Bethesda" daily to wait upon Him and to let the Holy Spirit "STIR" my heart each dayin order miracle after miracles not just in my own personal life, but also in the hearts of those that God brings to my path to minister each day. I find myself running "out of wine" and therefore, need to be filled with new wine daily in order to minister freely and effectively.

Come Monday will be my next medical check follow through with Dr.William. I am generaly ok except for some minor aches in different parts of my rib cage of late. May be due to old lesions.

Nevertheless, I was blessed to be on Prime Time Morning TV interview/CNA with Dr. William on Tuesday, 13 April, for the launch of his new book entitled, "Embracing Hope". It is a book where patients, caregivers and medical health team in SGH contributed articles to help patients cope with stem cell transplants. Yours sincerely has a little article entitles, "More than just hope" in it as well. We hope this book will not just help many medically, but find hope in the Lord that everyone needs ultimately. You may also view the interview at this link http://www.channelnewsasia.com/ptm/interviews/index.htm

Thank you for following us in this blog! I will try to update more regularly - to share how the Lord is stirring my "Bethesda pool!"

david

50th Birthday Celebration

Year of Jubilee!

I am still in a state of shock! Didn't believe Whee Ling could 'cheat' on me, for a good cause!
She was so busy of late with her work. Thus never really expected her to come up with this idea.

It was a real, pleasant surprise! Very well planned and well executed! Now you know how capable she really is! Behind all my glory in all these years is this woman who wows me in the way she sacrificially gives herself to the call and assignment of God in my life. She loves the people I love and gives herself to the things God permitted to come into my life - especially my illness and me leaving the pastorate in my previous place of service in FCBC. She stood by me believing God affirmed the stand I took to move on and to be where I am now in serving Him in the pastoral role without an official position in a church setting. Through it all, she stood by me, feeling secure in God's direction and purpose for my life and supporting me continously knowing that his assignment for me is in a very different platform now.

These 5 years or more have caused us to see the goodness of God in ways beyond our imagination. What some people thought was a curse on my life was turned around by our Sovereign Jesus into something He used to display me on a platform that helped us minister His goodness to thousands lke never before. What meant by satan to destroy my ministry and make me spiritually barren became what God meant to do more fruitfully when He gave me the permission to leave FCBC then. Indeed, His ways are higher than ours; and His thoughts as well! What a great God! What a good God who gave me this woman to be willing (Sounds like WHEE LING) to suffer together with me so that I may not give up but look up to the one who holds my destiny.

50 - it's a scary number at first! A number that says you are nearer to the grave! Yet, I have faced death once. So, in a way, I am no longer afraid of the valley of the shadow of death. Because the Lord is with me! And I know HE IS NOT FINISHED WITH ME YET!! And as long as there is breath in me, I will live to fulfill His destiny for me!

Numbers have spiritual significance, just like our names. 5 - is the number for GRACE. I believe God told me that day when I reflected on my 50 years of my life by the beach, He impressed upon me that 50 is grace availble to me by 10 times! Ten fold! Not double but 10 times ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!! What a God of Grace! What amazing grace, that saved a man like me!

Well, I receive that by faith! I will live each day by His grace! I will conquer new lands by His grace! I will serve Him faithfully with Whee Ling and Josh by His grace! Nothing, but by grace through our mustard seed faith.

Guess we just want to live simply, by His grace, and please our gracious Father, though our simple faith!

Thankyou, for being part of my life in one season or another in these 50 years!
You have made me who I am today! I have grown.

Will continue to learn and grow, as He gives me the grace!

david

Photo - Some of David's family members

Slides shows to celebrate David's 50th birthday

50!

David will be turning 50 tomorrow - in a few mintues time!


Wow, what a milestone, what amazing grace! Looking back at the journey, especially the "valley & mountain experience" last 6 years, I could only think of God's love and faithfulness. Oh, what amazing grace!


It is a time for celebration! And we did. We started celebrating since 31Jan when a dear friend of Daivd from KL came to Singapore with his family. They even gathered greetings from other KL friends to bless David. These were friends whom David knew for almost 30 years and they were praying for us during our times of trials.

Another wonderful celebration was last Sunday 07Feb's surprise celebration with families and friends from Singapore. David had no idea at all that I had planned with many of our friends, families and cell members to throw a surprise party for him. It was amazing that so many of us managed to keep it a secret and the plan to "trick" him to the party venue to "ambush" him was successfully carried out. I am sure he was overwhelmed by the love and blessings of everyone present. We had great fun and the event was made especially memorable by the slide shows our dear friend Bang had helped put together. It was such a blessed event that I believe David and our family will remember it for a long long time to come. We experienced God's love through his wonderful people once again and are deeply moved by His love and grace.

May we be spreading his love in every possible way as it is written in 1 John 4: 10,11: "This is love" not that we love God but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

The celebration will continue because God is love and He is alive! Every good and perfect gift is from Him and I am truly thankful to Him for my dear husband. May he continue to shine for Jesus and bless and impact many lives for many years to come. Truly, we have and will continue to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13,14).

Love & blessings!
Whee Ling

Dear friends,
thank you for praying for me and my family. The recent bout of flu really hit all 3 of us badly. Josh had hyperpyrexia and was on MC for 3 days! Whee Ling was also down for several days. I had 3 continuous weeks of cough and sinusities. But I am so much better now. Should be finishing the course of antibiotics soon.

Well, the recent tragedy in Haiti keeps me looking up and out and not look at my own problems. There are always situations and people who are worse than ours. And I am reminded to be content in everything, giving thanks to our Almighty God for everything, for scripture says that it is God's will for us to do so. (1Thess 5:18)

God is also doing a great work of miracles in the midst of the Haiti tragedy. Do click to the following christian website to watch a video that gives a report of His marvellous work!

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2010/January/Gods-Miracles-Show-Amid-Tragedy-in-Haiti/

God is great!
david

Blessed 2010!

Blessed New Year!

Before I could bid a proper farewell to 2009, we are now 10 days into 2010. 2009 was a challenging year for alot of people and for us, it was another year we witnessed much of God's grace. Though a little late, I still wanted to give thanks and Praise God for His mercies and grace... (else even the stones will cry out - praises to our God, our Maker!)

Just before the end of the year, to be exact on 18Dec, we were at a chalet my brother booked for the families to spend time together - a very first of such event among my siblings. Around midnight, as I was falling alseep, a heard a loud bang and I jumped up immediately in fear, sensing something was wrong. My mum was making her way down the spiral staircase and had missed a step and fell really hard. She could have hit her head against the edge of the step for when we turned on the light a few minutes later, her head was already in a puddle of blood. Amidst panic, desperate prayers and commotion, my sister managed to find a clean towel to stop the bleeding and we rushed her to the nearest hospital. Thank God my mum was alert throughout the ordeal. She vomitted while waiting at the A&E for the doctor's examination and the nurse told us the x-ray showed there was a fracture in her skull and that she needed to go for CT scan. I remembered uttering desperate prayers, asking the Lord for mercies and grace in the name of Jesus, to please help my mum and that was all I could do. Praise the Lord, when she was finally settled in the ward, it was such a relief when the doctor told us there was no internal bleeding and she should be alright. God is so gracious to my mum and us! I was so thankful and grateful that after a few days at the hospital, my mum could be discharged to spend Christmas with us.

Truly what the devil has meant for evil, the Lord could turn it for good. My mum shared the good news that she was able to testify the Lord's goodness at her cell group's Christmas outreach 2 days after her discharge and the Holy Spirit convicted 5 of their friends to receive Jesus as their Lord - the wonderful gift of salvation. :) Indeed His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts our thoughts.

Not long after we celebrated welcoming the New Year 2010, on day 6, David started coughing and Josh started developing high fever and I experienced symptoms of flu as well. The next few days that followed passed like a blurr... Josh was diagnosed to have tonsilitis and his fever reached as high as 42 degrees. I was up most of the nights to make sure his fever was under control, the strength I had could only be from the Lord. David's cough was so bad that his chest hurt and he was so tired that he was sleeping most of the time. We prayed and I also sms some friends to pray for us. Our Lord is one whom we could rely upon in any adversity. Thanks be to Him, Josh is now well and David is also much better (other than running nose) as I am providing this update.

Is this a bad start to 2010? On the contrary, I count it all joy to be able to be reminded of God's love and His healing power at the beginning of the new year. I look forward to better times and may the "God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).

Thanks & God bless

Whee Ling

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Time flies! We've been back from our HK trip and here comes Christmas! Been busy shopping for presents and often this season can be celebrated without the presence of the Christ who came to reveal the Father's love for mankind.

We were invited by my transplant physician to his church for a Christmas concert on 23 Dec. It was a good time to be still and ponder on the true meaning of Christmas again. What God specially spoke to my heart was the main scriptural text printed on the church bulletin taken from Luke 1:34-45, particularly verse 45. It says, "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." It reminds me that EVERY PROMISE of God WILL BE FULFILLED........when we believe.

I pray this Christmas will lift your spirit to continue to believe every word of promise that He has spoken to you and cause your eyes to see every fulfillment of that promise in your life!

Have a blessed Christmas and another fulfilling year to come!

David, Whee Ling & Joshua Ong

Holiday in HongKong

Hi, Greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus!

We are going to HK tomorrow for a 5 day holiday. Appreciate your prayers for protection, safe and enjoyable holiday.

Even though I booked the air tickets since July, I wasn't sure if we could really go. From the accumulated Kris Flyer points, I was able to book 3 SQ tickets and was hoping nothing would crop up to prevent us from going. You see, we had almost made a trip to HK 3 years ago but needed to cancel it the day before departure due to David's hospitalization. Then, early this year, the H1N1 flu became a real concern. I am really thankful that the Lord healed both Josh and I from a nasty flu the week before. David had his H1N1 vaccination and we are so glad he did not succumb to any flu virus.

Just last Thur, a wonderful family visited us and we had a great time of fellowship. I shared about our planned HK trip and about my concerns and hope that it would go according to plan. Our dear friend, who is a pastor, gently reminded me to trust God and declare in faith that we would not only go but would have a great and enjoyable blessed HK holiday! Yes, how little faith I have and it is really so encouraging to be reminded we have a wonderful God who loves us and would not withhold any blessings upon His children.

So, by God's grace, we are going to HK tomorrow and will have a great and blessed time! We are excited to be taking the A380 and I think the journey is the highlight for Josh rather than the destination. :)

Thanks for praying for us and may you have a wonderful time whether having holiday overseas or spending the school holidays in Singapore.

Thanks & God bless,

Whee Ling

Latest Medical Check up - 15 Nov 2009

Hi all,
By the grace of God, my review with Dr.William Hwang yesterday was good. All blood tests results were good as well. Praise the Lord!

There are several things to thank God for:

1. Sharing At Glory Sanctuary Church and Cell Group
I shared our journey at Glory Sanctuary Church and at a cell group from Bedok Methodist Church last week. It is always so refreshing to brag about the goodness of the Lord! That's what I live for now - nothing but for His glory! We are very thankful that God is using our journey to proclaim His goodness. It makes our "suffering" meaningful, knowing that God can use it to bring the comfort that we have received from Jesus, our comforter into the hearts of others who are going through difficult times as well. We feel honored to be able to minister God's healing and comfort to so many who came up to thank us. We also want to thank God for the ministry that had gone forth - all glory be unto Him!

It is astounding to know that there are new cases being diagnosed every day. At the end of Oct, I received a call from a Catholic friend that he was just diagnosed with lung cancer in early Oct. At the time when he called me, his dear wife received news that she had just been given another bad news about liver cancer. My heart went out to them and prayed with all my heart for God to come true for them in this difficult time.

2. Joshua's exam & competitive swimming
Once again, by the grace of God, Joshua did well in school. We always affirm for the effort he's put in and will always traditionally celebrate with him at Swenson's (his favourite place) whenever the exams are over. We do that for his competitive swimming as well. Last week, his team secured 2 golds for their 50m medley and 50m freestyle relay respectively at the Sports School for his age group. He was really overjoyed! Praise God from whom allllllllllllll blessings flow for scripture says, " Every good and perfect gift is from above." (James 1:17)

Thankyou, for always abiding with us.........even until now!
And we thank God for you too.......... we know who our true friends are in times of crisis. Thank you, for being there!

david

Lessons from Jim Goll

Yesterday I wrote about Jim Goll. He has been completely healed of Cancer after eight years of struggle with it.

Reading his testimony and journey taught me several things.
I like to share 2 thoughts with you here, prayerfully that it will enrich and encourage your hearts in the Sovereign Lord as he had edified mine.

1. About Prayer – The Lost Art of Intercession. This helped me remember that the key in the Victorious Christian living is through the power and position (authority) we have in Christ.

(The following writing is an excerpt from the first chapter of Jim Goll’s first book, The Lost Art of Intercession.)

There is an incident involving Aaron the priest and the fire of God that pictures the burden of my heart for this book and the work of God in this generation. It is found in Numbers 16:
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly." Then they fell on their faces. Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the LORD, the plague has begun!" Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. He took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked. But those who died by the plague were 14,700, besides those who died on account of Korah.(Numbers 16:44-49)

Aaron provides a vivid picture of the intercessor:
When the congregation of Israel sinned by rebelling against their leaders, God sent a judgment upon them in the form of a plague that killed nearly 15,000 people. Far more would have died, but Moses told Aaron, the high priest, to quickly put fire from God's altar into his censer, or container, along with incense. Then Aaron literally ran out into the midst of the congregation with the fire of God. The Scripture says that Aaron "took his stand between the dead and the living." The fragrant smoke ascending from the burning censer, as Aaron swung it to and fro, formed a line of demarcation between two groups—the dead and the living.
What Are the Applications for Today?

· God wants to use more than a Moses or an Aaron today.
One of the unique things about the Church of the New Covenant is that God has authorized and commanded every Believer to do the work of the ministry! "Point people," or church leaders, can't do it all—in fact, their primary job or reason for being, according to the apostle Paul, is "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the Body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12). God wants an entire army of workers out doing the vital work of the ministry and building up His Body, the Church.

The plague in Numbers chapter 16 was stopped because Aaron stood in the gap. That is the classic definition of an intercessor: "one who stands in the gap for another." Aaron stood in the gap for his generation, and the plague was stopped. There is a devilish plague running rampant today through our churches, cities, and nations. Now the Lord is calling for a priestly people to rise up and personally carry the holy fire of His Presence to their generation for their salvation and His glory.

Who Will Stand in the Gap?

Let me bring this a little closer to home: God wants to put His Spirit upon you in such a measure that you will answer His summons with a resounding: "Yes, I will stand in the gap for my generation right here and now. I will put aside every pathetic intimidation and every entanglement of namby-pamby religion. I am going to make a difference by willingly taking up the cross of an intercessor. I will lay aside my life for the sake of others before God."
God is restoring the ancient fire since the Book of Acts. He is restoring His fire to you and me in this generation because He wants us to reap His harvest. The first step begins with the restoration of the fire on God's altar.

Here I am Lord! Use me! Like Isaiah of old, I surrender to the call of my Master. Like the word of the Lord that came to Ezekiel, I declare, "By grace, I will stand in the gap for such a time as this." Like Anna and Simeon in the Temple at the time of the dedication of Jesus on His 8th day, I say, "I will be Your prophetic intercessor." Here I am—right here—right now—write my name down in Your book and sign me up to be a part of the watch of the Lord. For Jesus Christ's sake and the rewards of His suffering. Amen and Amen!

Whee Ling, Josh and I have been blessed these 5 years by many who have been standing in the gap for us. Many of you have stood in proxy for us especially when our own hands were tired like Moses. Because of you, we’ve won one battle after another. Thank you for being our “Aarons and Hurs”.

2. Focused Calling – made me ponder upon the direction God is leading me through my own journey

Jim Goll said, “I want to share some of my thoughts as I have had a lot of time alone over these last few weeks due to my recovery time needed from the intense cancer treatment. I have had time to think, ponder, reflect, pray, rest—oh yes, rest. I have had time to evaluate once again what I want to do with my life and how I can make the greatest impact on this generation. I have needed this time out and I still need more time to fully recover.
My conclusions are not new, but in the midst of one of the greatest and most difficult times of my life, I sense a renewing beginning within me towards my calling in life and ministry. I know I am called to two major things:
1) Be a man of prayer and teach other people how to pray, and
2) Be a man who hears God's voice and teaches other people how they too can hear the Holy Spirit for themselves. I have many other goals, but ultimately they will find their fulfillment as I stay true to these two callings. It is really that simple.

If I do what I am called to do, I can help you do what you are called to do. But if I do not do what I am called to do, I will just be another echo reverberating under the anointing of others, not releasing the unique sound that God has given me to make.”


What God seems to be saying to me:
I sense the Lord guiding me through these words from Jill Goll. In the past few months, I have been thinking, praying and waiting upon God by asking Him for “A sign of His goodness” (Psalm 86:17).

This article from Elijah List came in timely as I waited patiently, though often with lots of frustration. But the Lord comforted and strengthened my heart last Sun through Dr. Freddy Boey’s message in RiverLife Church. I learned that it took Paul 11 years to wait upon God by developing his inner spirit/inner man before he went to Tarsus (Acts11).

Jim Goll’s words confirmed what the Lord prompted me all these months to move towards a specialized calling in line with where God has led me thus far in my pastoral ministry. It’s like a general medical practitioner specializing in a particular field and then sub-specializing in that arena.

Therefore, I covet your prayers for me. For the Lord to continue to reveal His heart to me.
I want to end with this wonderful words I read from Ezekiel 34:26b
“I will send down showers in season, there shall be showers of blessing.”
David
14.Oct 2009

Jim Goll - Wonderful Testimony of God's Healing

Thanks for praying for my flu. This recent bout was a little long drawn. It took more than 2 weeks for me to recover. Praise the Lord that I am well now!

There are many things things that I have been learning of late. I wish I could share all of them. The Lord has been feeding me much with His word. His words of life kept me looking to Him. I also learned not to look too much at myself but learn to look at others who are suffering. Everyday, I receive smses from people on updates of others in need of prayer. There are people who suffer more than us. Looking out makes me feel so much better to know that I am doing so well after these 5 years. Praise the Lord for His mighty hand on me and my family!

Tonight, I received a very wonderful testimony of healing by James Goll.
I like to share it with you with permission from The Elijah List daily newsletter to me.

James Goll is Cancer Free!"by James Goll
Oct 9, 2009
Good News: a Time to Rejoice!

What is the good news? I am cancer free!
By the grace of God, by the prayers of the saints, with the combined efforts of the medical community and the stripes that Jesus Christ bore on the Cross of Calvary, on Wednesday, October 7th, 2009, I got the long awaited news that I am cancer free. So join me as I rejoice in this long awaited news which we have expected in FAITH, that I am cancer free!

Heaven is full of rejoicing as God's grace has again manifested on earth and in this earthen vessel. I am weeping with gratitude and overcome with every emotion imaginable. My four kids are stunned and so happy! I remember Michal Ann's last word sent from Heaven to me, "Never, Never, Never, Never Give Up!" A battle has been won and some good ole perseverance in the Spirit has paid off.

It has been a long 8-year struggle that I have had with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer. But at the Cancer Treatment Center of America in Zion, Illinois, I received the news that ALL cancer is gone from my body and ALL the growths have MELTED! I was stunned when I heard the news! I asked the oncologist to tell me at least five times. The PET and CT scan and all three doctors confirmed the good report—I am free of cancer!

What Was the Key?

The Lord gave me a word in June of 2009 based out of Psalm 84 through Julie Meyer, a prophetic psalmist and friend. The word said I would pass through the valley of weeping and appear before the Lord in ZION and go from strength to strength. It confirmed my direction and I have undergone treatment in Zion, Illinois. I have been passing through the long deep valley of weeping and I shall gain new strength.

So how did it happen?

I really do not know. I am just glad it has! I know this—I got prayer from many ministers of the Gospel; intercession went up from the Global Prayer Movement; I got the best medical treatment the world has to offer; I ate right, drank right, did this and did that….but you know what? When we have done all, we are left in a desperate place, because we cannot do it all!
Then God…Then God…Then God. I threw myself these past few months in a place of abandoned desperation once again. I had no other place to go. At times I wanted to run and hide and pull the covers over my head. As a family we have lost and have gone through so much!

The departure of my dear wife one year ago just about did me in. On the heels of that, I was hit with the report of an increase of cancer activity in my own body; this was the third or fourth time in eight years I had heard this.

What was I to do?

I could only trust while I was in this dark place of my life. I felt like I was once again blind Bartimaeus groping in the darkness as I constantly cried out for Jesus to stop by my house. As I had done years ago, I shouted as loud as I could while walking on our farm in Franklin, TN, "Over here, right now!" and I know that many others cried out to the Messiah for new life to come again to me.

But Then God!

Either God had to act on my behalf, or in a matter of time I knew I would be joining the great cloud of witnesses myself. Part of me longed for eternity. But I, and many of you with me, fought until I could hardly fight any more. I spoke to my inner man, my spirit man, to stay for the sake of my children…to stay for the sake of the testimony of Jesus…but then I also had to decide that I wanted to stay for myself…my course was not yet finished.

I had to learn that it was actually not enough to fight for the sake of others. I had to fight when I felt like quitting. I had to rest; and I had to learn the rhythm of God. And yet I had to trust that time is in His hands. I was torn between the polar opposites of the free will of man and the sovereignty of God.

And then I got the amazing and shocking news: "All cancer is gone from your body and all the growths have melted!" Now, I still have a ways to go in rebuilding my system. My white blood cell count and my platelets are very low. But I will make it! I will yet arise and I will bless the name of the Lord, my God.

So PLEASE continue to speak life to my body and blood. Speak life to my being. Help me to declare full restoration in Jesus name! And if you need healing, let's believe together for your healing…your breakthrough…your provision. I thank the Lord for He is good!

To God Be the Glory!

I am grateful…I am broken…I am stunned…I am undone. Our Father is so amazing! Jesus is so amazing! The Holy Spirit is so amazing! God's ways are so amazing! Oh my, His ways are a mystery. But, Praise the Lord! Yes, in the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, let's just Praise the Lord!

To God Be All the Glory!
James W. GollEncounters Network • PrayerStorm • Compassion ActsEmail: info@encountersnetwork.com

What a powerful testimony! It warms my heart to keep believing God for the impossible! And to speak life into my body and my blood daily! And for my loved ones and those I have been praying for as well!

Thank you for standing with us in prayer!
You keep us believing in God's authority and power!

david

Biopsy result

David's biopsy result is good, no abnormal malignant growth. Priase the Lord!!!

Thanks to all for your prayers, love and concern. Please do continue to pray for David. He is down with sore throat and flu now...

"I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let my foot slip, He who watches over me will not slumber. The Lord watches over me. The Lord is my shade at my right hand; The Lord will keep me from all harm, he will watch over my life; The Lord will watch over my coming and going both now and forevermore" (Psalm 121:1-3,5,7,8 NKJV).

May we take heart that the Lord is watching over us!

Thanks & God bless,

Whee Ling

Comment in ST Forum

Hi

Josh had quite an experience during his BB camp. He couldn't sleep well and was so exhausted. He said he didn't sleep at all on the first night and when we asked him what he did, he said "wash the toilet with another friend who couldn't sleep." To him, it was fun "washing the toilet" I guess he saw it as play, when you do not have to do it but did it voluntarily, it does not feel like a chore.

Thanks for praying for his safety.

David is much better, in fact he was driving around already on the 3rd day after his surgery. He also wrote a comment in the Straits Times Forum which was published today. If you missed it, here it is below:

Bouquets

Cancer fighter's words

'I applaud Mr Lee Kuan Yew and all the 'friends and foes under one roof' for teaching me how to fight well and finish well.'

MR DAVID ONG: 'I read last Wednesday's reports, 'Another bit of history' and 'Friends and foes under one roof' with great delight. Fighting cancer has taught me many lessons about life and death. Someone has said: 'Life is like a roll of toilet paper. You don't value it until you almost reach the end of it.' Indeed. Cancer has made me value the people in my life even more - my family, my friends and my faith. Today, I realise that even 'foes' can be valued. No matter whether others have seen things differently from me or opposed, challenged or offended me, at the end of the day, what matters most is the relationships we have built, the faith we hold and the unforgettable legacy we leave. I applaud Mr Lee Kuan Yew and all the 'friends and foes under one roof' for teaching me how to fight well and finish well.'

I thought it was very well written. :)

God bless,

Whee Ling

David is back home

David is discharged today, in time to see his darling boy before he goes off for his 3 days 2 nights BB camp. Praise the Lord! The operation went well and he is recovering very nicely, now we will have to wait for 2 weeks or so for the result of the biopsy, do continue to pray that the result be good and that there is nothing to be concerned about.

I am deeply grateful to a dear friend who is like a big brother to David who not only visited him but even helped to fetch him home from the hospital. His love and care for our family revealed so much of God's favour and love upon us. He is truly a God-sent.

Thanks also to all of you who prayed with us, sent regards and SMSes to encourage us by your words and actions. We have all the more reasons to praise and exalt our Lord Jesus because of you. 

Thanks & God bless,

Whee Ling

Excision of ganglion

"Excision of ganglion" - this was what was indicated on the medical form in preparation for David's operation today. I looked up the dictionary and found ganglion refers to a structure containing an assemblage of nerve cells. I had thought the growth was some form of cyst, some sac formed in the body, containing liquid or semiliquid. No wonder he needed to be under general anesthetic and be operated upon by an orthopedic oncologist. Thank God the operation went smoothly. Thanks to all of you who prayed!

It was a long day for David (he was in the hospital since this 10:30 this morning and waited till about 3+pm for his op and was wheeled back to his ward only at around 5:20pm), but he looked good after the op even though the bandage on his right foot looked so huge. I told Josh it looked like a huge bee hive. Josh was unable to visit his daddy at the hospital because it is not advisable nowadays for children to be in the hospital because of the H1N1 outbreak. He wish to see his daddy before he goes for his BB camp from tomorrow to Sunday. Depending on the doctor's report tomorrow after post-op observation of at least 6 hours, David may be able to be discharged tomorrow. Please do continue to pray for complete healing for David aand also for Josh to have a safe and fun camp. It will be his first time away from home and his parents. Pray for me that I trust more and worry less.

Thanks & God bless!
Whee Ling

Minor Op on Thur 03Sep

Dear all,
David will be admitted to SGH this Thur for a minor surgery to remove a small growth on his right foot. The growth is about the size of a small fishball, near his ankle. Please pray:
1. that growth is just some benign tissues
2. successful operation without any complications, wisdom & skills of the team performing the op
3. quick recovery from general anesthesia
4. protection from all kinds of infections, esp H1N1 during his stay in the hospital (understand it should just be a 2 day 1 night stay)
5. peace and faith to trust God that David is in His good hands and will be safe and well.

We were blessed last Sunday to sit under the teaching of Pastor Benny Ho as he brought God's word to us during church service yesterday. The topic was "The position we pray from". It is important to know that we have the authority and the Holy Spirit can help us activate that authority to take back from the enemy everything he has stolen - health, relationships, possessions, joy, hope, effective service etc.

It is so powerful to truly understand:
- Luke 10:19
"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you."
and
- Ephesians 2:4-6
"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus".

Let us pray with renewed faith for David and other pressing issues we may have in the position of authority that our Father's will be done and that each of us will emerge the "Victor" and "Overcomer" we were called to be.

Please also pray for my god-mother who is hospitalised with suspected pneumonia, headache, giddiness and breathlessness. Initial diagnosis is not clear and suspected one of her lungs could be harden. Please pray for healing and restoration for her and for another friend who has gone through numerous rounds of chemotherapy to treat her tongue cancer. By faith we declare:

"...the Spirit of God lives in you... And if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." Romans 8:9-11

Thanks & God bless,
Whee Ling

At a Birthday Party

Today, Whee Ling, Josh and I went to a birthday party. There, we met a family who had come to the saving knowledge of the Lord in the hospital. They found me rather familar when we first met. Though I don't remember seeing them at all, I was told that it felt as if they knew me very well. Later, they realized that they had "known me" through our book which was given them by my very own sister.

It was really a joy to know that our story had been a great blessing to them. This family has a little boy that had a huge tumour. Because of this, they found real hope in the way, the truth and the Life - Jesus! Now the tumour is gone! And the boy is recovering well!

This piece of news is so encouraging to us. One very prominent pastor who was a childhood friend of mine wrote an email to me last week saying, "Everything in life is a preparation for the next." How true! The ancient David went through many stages of pain and training before God used him powerfully as Israel's king. While I am deeply thankful to the Lord for using me and my family in this journey, my desire is to be to become a man who runs after the heart of God through all the past seasons of my life.

Let me end with this verse that reminds me that "God will not despise those who are broken and contrite in heart" (Psalm 51:17), but will esteem such people whose hearts are always bowed in brokenness and humility before Him.

All glory be unto Him!
david

P/S: Please pray for:
1. Joshua - Exams this whole week.
2. My monthly medical review with Dr.William Hwang tomorrow.

Thanks!

Recently I had been having very interesting, supernatural experiences. It has been my habit to go to sleep with no "Amens" in my nightly prayers. You wonder why. You are right! I just fall asleep.

Years ago, I would think it is really not respectful to God to do that. But as I grew older, my perspective changed. I rather let my 'spiritual engine' be turned on throughout the watches of the night as scripture says God does not sleep nor slumber. (Psm 121) and He watches over us all day long. In fact, we are told that He will counsel us even through the watches of the night! So, like what I taught Josh to do every night whenever we tuck him to bed, we would tell him to think of Jesus, talk to Jesus and thank Him for everyhthing until he sleeps. (3T's)

Having practised this regularly all these years, the Lord has a way to wake me up at 4 plus whenever he has a rhema word or revelation for me. Last week, I had a dream. In that dream, I saw many miracles with my spirit being. My spirit was full of faith and I shouted, "In Jesus name be healed!" The next morning, Whee Ling told me about what she heard clearly when I shouted in my sleep. She didn't wake me up but resounded with a firm "Amen!' as she knew God was doing a work in my heart, causing more faith to arise within.

Again 2 nights ago, I had another dream. (Old men dream dreams!!) I woke up right after the dream. Instantly, God gave me this verse: Romans 10:9 as several names came to mind simultaneously. I knew it was a call to intercede them - especially for a doctor who has been saddened by the news that he may have Lymphoma and another doctor who has been in coma for more than a year now due to a tumour. God gave me great faith to believe and pray for them. By the grace of God, I had the opportunity to speak, release what God laid upon my heart to tell him and to pray for the former through the phone.

As I reflected, I thank God for never ceasing to speak to me in such special ways and for allowing me to minister for Him to people by proclaiming the word of the Lord boldly by faith. I felt so honored that he still uses me in spite of my weaknesses. What a gracious God! Indeed, He is a God full of grace, enabling to do what I cannot do on my own.

I am weak, but He is strong!
david

The power of prayer

Thanks for praying for Josh and David. Josh is ok now and David is much better even though he is still coughing out phelgm. As per his doctor's advice, he had started on Tamiflu. Please continue to pray for complete healing.

I liked the devotional article on 05Aug Women's Thought for the Day (by author Suzanne Benner) and would like to share how it has encouraged me to pray and ask for prayer in times of need.

It reminded me that "the Almighty God has given us the privilege of helping our loved ones by our prayers.

For a purpose known by God alone, through a spiritual process beyond our understanding, God has ordained that our prayers have power to assist those in trouble.

It is a mystery that we do not understand, yet through the Bible, the very words of God, we know it to be true."

Scripture references:

• "On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers" (2 Corinthians 1:10 -11, NIV).


• "Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death" (Philippians 1:19-20, NIV).

To read the full article, please refer to http://thelife.com/blogposts/2009/08/05/help-us-by-your-prayers/#comments

So, thank you for being instrumental in bringing God's healing and deliverance to us! Please also grant us the priviledge to pray alongside with you by writing to us prayer requests in our blog or email to us if you feel led.

Shalom,

Whee Ling

Josh & I - URTI

Please pray for Josh and me as we both have sore throat. Josh had just recovered from a bout of low grade fever last week. He was on 2days of MC but still has come phelgm to be cleared. I was on a course of antobiotics till last Saturday but the throat infection returned again. So, I have been started on another different type of antibiotics again.

We ask for prayers as we look to our chief physician.
thx,

david

How time flies! It's been weeks since my last posting. Wondering why I went MIA? Well, I had been sleeping, sleeping & sleeping a lot!

Had been having bilateral headaches of late. My right wrist had been causing pain for several weeks. At the same time, there's slight pain on my right hip and thigh as well, making me worried that it may fracture. The medicine (Thalidomide) that I have been taking that causes numbness and occasional cramps of my extremeties also makes me very sleepy due to its accumulative side effects. Therefore, I get very tired easily and have very little time to do much apart from looking after Josh after he returns from School in the afternoon. By night, after he returns from his regular swim training, I am usually zapped physically. This gets me rather frustrated at times though I tried to do much meaningful things as possible. I tried to be the best husband; I tried to be the best father and I tried to live the best I can be for the Lord through itinerary speaking whenever I get invited. You know, I live today as if I were to go tommorrow. Not being negative, but it helps me stay focused daily - to do the will of the Father above. It's just that sometimes I do get discouraged and deceived by the evil one when the waiting for the Lord's specific purpose in my life gets a little cloudy through prolonged waiting.

But the Lord always knows when to step in whenever one thinks as if he is about to fall down the edge of the cliff. He answered the cries of my heart through a long time doctor-cum-missionary who is very well versed in the word of God. He had read my book given to him through someone. And somehow by the divine grace of God, he met me recently at a cell group. Subsequently, he emailed me with a word from the Lord for me advising me not to do anything though it has been 5 years since I have stopped working fulltime. I was advised to ask for a sign of the Lord's goodness (Psalm 86:17). This reminded me of the prophecy given to me in April 2004, that I was to wait upon the Lord in the secret place until God reveals His specific plans for my pastoral ministry.

Waiting is tough. And to wait patiently is even tougher. But I know it is very neccessary in order to hear the voice of the Lord clearly. Rushing things would be moving in the flesh instead of the Spirit. Times like this brings me back to the word of God where it must come out alive in order to let my mind stay on Christ, the hope of my life. Once again, the Lord has proven Himself to be faithful and true, an ever-present God who cares and speaks though He may seem silent or hidden.

On Monday, I made an earlier appointment to see Dr.William Hwang instead of next month. I had a bad sore throat but I was afebrile. But in view of the headaches and bad throat, a swab was done to ensure it was not H1N1 as immun-compromised patients like me are in the high risk group as classified by MOH.

Anyway, the pain of my wrist had improved after a steriodal injection was administered last Tuesday when I consulted a god-loving friend who is an ortho-oncologist.

God has always provided for all my medical needs. Pray that I will continue to be patient in seeing complete healing as I know that so many of you are still praying. The number of hits daily reminds us that God never fails to send His love through people like you who care enough. I have been specially blessed to have a close friend (Ps.Patrick Wong) to accompany me often for my reviews even though Mondays are his off days.

The Lord is indeed my refuge and strength! (Psalm 46:1)
David

More photos of our time @Cameron Highlands 14-17 June 2009

Ong Family@Cameron Hignlands - Celebrated Joshua's 9th Birthday

Safely Back From W.Malaysia (14 - 22June 2009) - Near Accident Incident

My family and I are safely back from W.Malaysia. We were in Cameron Highlands with many of my own siblings and their spouses, nephews, nieces and my parents. It was a historic moment for us though I wished the rest of the family were there! The joyest thing was to know that many of my family members have now come into the faith although we are all interceding hard for several of them who have yet to know Jesus personally as their Saviour.

Thanks for praying for us. It was a long holiday for us. Whee Ling, Josh and I had some personal time with my sis and her family who live in Kuala Lumpur before we drove to Genting Highlands with Joshua's godparents and their two lovely daughters who are also our god-daughters. At both places, we also celebrated Joshua's 9th birthday with all our loved ones.

Whee Ling, Josh and I really appreciate you for praying for our safety and protection from the H1N1 flu pandemic. One afternoon, Whee Ling and I were driving to the town to get a birthday cake for Josh. As the roads are very winding, all of a sudden an ambulance appeared barely 10 meters in front of us. We were utterly taken by surprised but thank God it quickly swerved back to its lane without hitting us. I can't imagine what would have happened but we were thankful for the Lord's hand upon us. Praise the Lord!

david

His Grace

I am grateful of His grace. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.

I had not written for a very long time and I honestly didn't feel like writing for a while...

Perhaps it was because there were less prayer requests - not really, there are still much needs, ours and those around us,

Perhaps it was because I did not feel inspired - there was a time when I was inspired to share what the Lord has done and believed the Lord could use it to bless many whom He would somehow connect to our blog,

Perhaps it was because I had somehow forgotten the joy of being grateful and thankful,

Perhaps it was because I had failed to remember the Lord's goodness and "sing" of His mercies by declaring His grace in this blog...

Perhaps it was because I had forgotten His grace...

I remembered an old familiar song (the lyrics below may not be exactly correct):

"Only by Grace can we enter,

Only by Grace can we stand,

Not by our human endeavors,

But by the blood of the Lamb,

Into His presence He called us,

He called us to come...

Into His presence He called us,

And now by Your Grace I come..."

I believe it is the Holy Spirit's call to me to come to Jesus, to come into His presence to experience the fullness of joy. The fullness of joy comes when it is shared. So, allow me to share my joy.

Last Sunday morning, when David shared in another church after his "walk" and the Lord's goodness, I was once again reminded of what the Lord has done in our family - David's healing, the joy of parenting Josh and growing with him. (I'm sure many parents like us know how much we need to grow spiritually to be good godly parents). His Grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). I am so very thankful He is not done with our family. His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness!

Last Sunday night, we attended the Global Day of Prayer meeting, the Holy Spirit's anointing was so strong, there was such a sense of urgency to pray and minister, a sense of unity, a sense that the transforming power of the Lord has been released. I am so very thankful. Through His Holy Spirit, God is at work in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).

Last Friday, we were at Riverlife church prayer meeting, once again I was touched by the Lord's desire to fill us with His Holy Spirit.

Dear friends and family, if you have followed our blog, you would know my family has received much of the Grace of our Lord Jesus. It is my prayer that you will also be more mindful of His Grace. Whatever your situation is, His Grace is sufficient for you.

Let us therefore respond to His Grace, His love and may His love fill our hearts, transform our lives and propel us to love as He loves. In so doing, may we always be humbled to know His Grace is sufficient for us.

Shalom,

Whee Ling

Many things to thank for.........

God is indeed great Shepherd who watches over us:

Here's a list thank God for:
1. Whee Ling flight was exactly the same flgiht number as the SMU student who was infected with H1N1 virus. We were concerned the moment we heard about the flight number, but later we realized it was the wrong date. Whee Ling returned on 24th May whereas the infected student returned on 26th May. Praise the Lord!

2. My father - he was warded for lung infection and some complications due to the Aspirin that he had been taking for his heart ailment. He was discharged after several days.

3. Josh did fairly well in school with Band 1 grades for all subjects. The workload jumped considerably high as this year in P3 and he had a lot to adjust with an additional subject (Science).

4. 1st June - Commemorates the 4th year of my Stem-Cell Transplant. Dr.William Hwang, my transplant physician, congratulated me and wished me "Happy 4th Birthday". I thank God for giving me a new lease of life and I live even more intentinally as I know every breath is God-given.

5. Growing in the Prophetic Ministry - Of late, I sense the Spirit of God leading me to speak in the prophetic language whenever I share or pray for people. Many whom I have ministered to had affirmed the Lord's utterance thru the words released. My heart was specially blessed at a cell on Saturday where a special visitor from OM felt very encouraged through the word given by the Holy Spirit. He felt that the Lord answered the cry of his heart that same morning. What a good God we have! He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted! (Psalm9:12b)

6. Sharing in a Methodist Church - Last Sun, I was given the opportunity to share how God gave me the confidence through the valley of the shadow of death. The Lord blessed me with a good time of ministry. Many came forward to recieve healing and ministry through the Holy Spirit. I felt so blest to hear that that was the first time many responded to the altar call. It was a breakthrough. May the Lord continue to do a work in the lives of the people of this Church and bring spiritual revival and renewal.

7. Global day of prayer on Sunday, 31 May - Whee Ling, Josh, our domestic helper, Perla, and I were very blessed during the time of prayer. It was great worshipping with so many people with the body of Christ at large regardless of race, language but same Christ who is the way, the truth and the life! The Spirit of God did a great work of renewal in our hearts individually and as a family! We could also see the change of life in our helper, who does her work more joyfully and diligently these few days! By the way, she cooks prawn noodles very well that day, her first attempt just by following the recipe book. Thank God for providing us a good and born again helper. She was converted soon after she came. Like our first domestic helper, she prayed to receive Christ and is also a cell leader now. God has great plans for her and will find great favor with her as she grows and serves the Lord with gladness!

Please join us in out thanksgiving as we pray God will quicken and edify your spirit as well!

with a grateful heart!
david

Whee Ling back from USA/David's Dad is hospitalized in TTSH

Wanna thank many of you who have been praying for Whee Ling. She has returned safely from her US trip to N.Carolina where her head office is. Thankfully, she seems well. But as a precaution and to be socially responsible, she has quarantined herself at home with a face mask in our room as I am immuno-compromised and Josh is young and susceptible. Such a thoughtful child of God!

I also would like to covet your prayers for my father who is warded in Tan Tock Seng Hospital. My parents had developed fever after babysitting two little girls whose family had been badly infected with flu the past week. He was so weak that an ambulance was called to fetch him to the hospital. He has a history of heart problem as well.

When I received the news from my sister last night, Josh was just next to me. After hearing the news, I was pleasantly surprised and delighted when Josh said, "Daddy, let's pray for Ah Kong now!" Then he pray in a simple, yet one of the most sincere prayers ever! I was touched and glad, because it dawned upon me that the most important thing about teaching our kids is not just the knowledge about God and spiritual truths, but the application of the truths. I pray that Josh will learn to apply the truths he learned as he grows up.

Finally, a little about my routine check up with Dr.William Hwang today. All blood tests, especially my Haemoglobin and platelet counts, are relatively good. There is slight pain on my right wrist for the past few weeks but they are bearable. Dr.William even wished me, "Happy 4th Birthday!" in advance. Come June 1st will be the 4th year since the stem cell transplant had been done successfully with 100% of engraftment.

Thank you for being part of our journey!
David

Talking the Walk - 'Akang datang' in Chinese

Please note that the book is obtainable from major Christian bookstores at

SKS Bookstore; Crest Book Room and Tekman.

Talking the Walk - In Chinese

Many have been asking me to have our book translated into Chinese so that it can reach more, especially those who cannot read in English. By the grace of God, we've found a christian brother-in-Christ who can translate for us at a reasonable rate as well as someone to type and edit the whole book. We hope this chinese version will be out in couple of months. Praise the Lord!

While this is in progress, we are also embarking on the audio version in Chinese. Please pray that the Lord will bring the right person with a good recording voice to read the book. This is really exciting as we've never thought of venturing so far. But so many have encouraged us to do so as the Lord had used our story to share His goodness with lots of people.

Whee Ling and I are deeply humbled to be used by our great Shepherd in declaring His grace and goodness. He is indeed perfectly good!

Please pray for thr glory of the Lord to shine!

"He must increase, and I must decrease!"
John 3:30

david

Childlike Faith of Thomas Epting

I re-read this article that I read long ago. It was one encouraging one that helped me not to complain while going through all the pokes and pain of all sorts:

Thomas Epting's young body began showing its first signs of leukemia when he was only two years old. By age four, there was no doubt. And after the disease had ebbed and resurfaced once again at age seven, his family understood that Thomas's childhood was not going to be normal . . . at least not in the way our world defines "normal."

They were right. But not just because of the complications and chemo treatments. How normal is it for a young boy to never complain about shot needles and hospital stays--not even once? How normal is it to hear a child say, after being told of his need for yet another procedure, "I just want God to be glorified in this, and I don't want to embarrass Him"?
Thomas was a remarkable boy, indeed.

There was a period of years when Thomas's physical suffering was graciously relieved by the hand of God. His leukemia was gone. Undetectable. He used the time to read every book written by A. W. Tozer. He wrote profound Christian poetry. He took the SAT at 13 and outscored his parents' high-school marks.

But at 15, he received bad news. Not one but five malignant, inoperable brain tumors had been seen on an X-ray. The setback sent his mom and dad into a parent's tailspin. But his mom, Amy, remembers a day, barely a month before his death, when she was talking with Thomas about how she should pray for him. He flashed those twinkling eyes at her and said, "Mom, you think too much! God sent His Son to die for me! If He never did anything else for me, sending Jesus is enough for me to praise Him as long as I live. Just focus on that, Mom, and quit worrying about the tumors!"

Wow - What a child! What a great child of God! It puts me to shame - that a child like him understood the heart of God more than I do.

Please pray for Josh - exams

Whee Ling & I covet your prayers for Josh as he had slight fever this morning, most probably due to dehydration.

He sits for his English papers tomorrow. His Math, Chinese and Science will be from Tuesday to Thursday respectively.

Thanks for covering us in prayer!
david

Daddy will always hold my hand!

As Secure as Mt.Zion

"Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds and protects his people, both now and forever."Psalm 125:1-2 NLT

I had my devotion this morning and had been very blessed as I read these verses. The Lord reminded me that my true security is only in the Lord.

There are just too many things happening in our world. Nothing is safe and secure. Now there is another scare - the Influenza A (H1N1 virus). We can't help but feel concerned for our loved ones here and overseas.

But I am reminded to trust the Lord. It means looking to our Shepherd King as the source of our security. It means putting our faith in the grace, love, power, and protection of God when the inevitable pressures of life come. It means knowing as the psalmist did, that the mountains surround Jerusalem, God himself will surround and shield his children. Therefore, we will not let anything scare us. But in our hearts, we can be "As secure as Mt.Zion".

It is so good that you and I can always turn to our God - He is bigger that any BIG thing that can turn the world around!

He will always hold your hand closely!

david

Seen A/Prof Terence Chua for 'Missed Beats'

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

Picture of Bobby Michaels - departed 31.03.2009

Bobby Michaels website - http://www.bobbymichaels.com

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.

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

Medical appointment

Hi,
David will be having his medical appointment today, his last was 6 weeks ago. Please pray that his result continue to be good. He was having ulcers and some bleeding in his mouth, not sure if it has anything to do with the GVHD (Graft vs Host Disease) flaring up again. Pray that he has complete healing and wholeness in Jesus name. Am reminded again that His grace is sufficient for us (2 Cor 12:9). Praise the Lord for His amazing grace!

God bless,
Whee Ling

Award - A Comfirmation of What God impressed in Apr 2006

Thank you all for all the blessings and congratulatory notes for the award I received in SGH. It was a joyful moment for my family. More importantly, it was a confirmation of a Rhema word that our God who still speaks in this era impressed upon me on April 21st 2006.

in my journal, I recorded that God used 1Cor. 4:9 to impress upon me then, that He will "Display me" just like the way he displayed Paul through his suffering. I had kept that in my heart and had only shared that impression with Whee Ling. Since then, there were several opportunities for us to honor the Lord through our testimony when we did a CNA programme called "Stems of Life". Another one was a video recording for the Singapore Cord Blood Bank,KK hospital. "Mind Your Body" also featured us in June 2008 and now the award in SGH. In all these, we feel very honored that we can shine for the Lord through our journey.

We also want to thank you for standing in the gap for us these 4 and a half years. Your prayers have invoked the presence of God and we've found strength to cope and conquer each challenge in our fight. Thank you so much!

Please continue to pray for complete healing. The Lord has done so much for us and we believe that this year will be another year of seeing the miracles and marvellous works of the Lord in our lives.

All Glory to the Lord!
David

Inspirational Patient Award - SGH Publication

Article in Outram Now, March issue

Inspirational Patient Award Ceremony - photos 2

Inspirational Patient Award ceremony - photos

David was also featured at CNA News at 10pm on 19.02.2009 and the Radio broadcast was in the morning at 9am on 938Live by Claire Hwang. A transcript of the broadcast was featured on the 938Live website. Here is the copy of it.

Updated: 19th February 2009, 0900 hrs
Rising above their crises

Very often, patients are the ones in need of solace and motivation.
In a twist of events, a group of patients turned the tables to become the ones who inspire and motivate healthcare staff with their indomitable spirit.

Claire Huang speaks to two such patients to find out how they rose above their personal crises.

When Madam Rahmah Anes was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2005, she was devastated.
The fact that she came from a conservative background, and her husband wasn't supportive of her decision to undergo a mastectomy didn't help.
But the 49-year-old soldiered on.
In fact, the mother of three has been a volunteer at the Singapore General Hospital's support group for breast cancer patients for three years already.
And she finds joy in doing so.
"I just volunteer with my heart because I want (to) let them know after diagnosis then you go operation, how you (would) feel and we've to share with them."
Madam Rahmah explains that it was through the support group that she realised she was still quite fortunate.
"Yes, after I joined this support group, it helped me a lot...Because once we meet the patients, sometimes (even though) we think we're worse, we see other people more worse than us. So that encouraged me to do this continuously."

Like Madam Rahmah, Mr David Ong is also a fighter.
The 48-year-old suffers from myeloma which is a type of blood cancer that impairs the body's ability to fight off infections and eventually causes bone destruction.

Faced with such adversity, Mr Ong still managed to keep his outlook positive.
In fact the part-time pastor visits cancer patients or their caregivers, to share his personal experience.
"Having gone through this journey of pain and suffering, I know that there are many people out there who need that ray of hope and encouragement. And what I've been through is just a little milestone ahead of these people and if I can bring a little hope and encouragement to the hearts of these people, I think I would have lived my life more intentionally and purposefully."

And Mr Ong's actions inspired everyone around him, including his doctor.
Dr William Hwang on Mr Ong.
"David has never been about himself. It's always, even when he is hospitalised, he's always looking out for the patients in the same room as him, he's always looking out for the nurses, is always concerned about the staff, he's always asking about people around him and how he can be in some way, a blessing to people."

Madam Rahmah and Mr Ong are two of the three outstanding winners of the inaugural SGH Inspirational Patient Award.
They are among some ten winners who were chosen out of 50 nominations.
With 900,000 patient encounters every year, SGH hopes the courage of these winners can help other patients look beyond their own illnesses and inspire others.

All glory to God!

Hi,
Just wanted to share apiece of good news with you:
David will be receiving an award today as one of the Top 10 most inspiring patients, an event organized by Singapore General Hospital.

The award giving ceremony will be at noon today and I was told there would be media coverage. The radio station 98.5Live interviewed him too, so do tune in if possible.

That's all for now, more coverage later. :)

Please pray that all that David say, do and think will be acceptable in God's sight and draw people nearer to our Loving Father. It is indeed God's favor to be honored in such a manner but more importantly, I know it is David's heart to want to seize every opportunity to be a witness of God's goodness and lovingkindness and be a blessing to others. Pray that God's will be done and may the name of Jesus be highly exalted.

Thanks & God bless,
Whee Ling

David's parents' birthday celebration

Simple Lunar Birthday Celebration

S

Celebrations

Happy Chinese New Year to all!

Today is the last day of the 15-day CNY celebration. Today is also David’s Chinese birthday according to the lunar calendar. (Blessed Birthday!!!) Isn’t it nice to be able to celebrate 2 birthdays in a year? Josh for one loved that very much.

I am thankful for every remembrance of God’s grace in allowing us to celebrate every special occasion as a family. Jan and Feb are busy months for us with many birthdays of loved ones to celebrate in addition to the CNY. We had just celebrated both my parents-in-law’s birthday last sat and because David's birthday is also in Feb, he got to have 2 ang pows from each of them - what a double blessings indeed. More important than the ang pows, I am sure the time of celebration adds to those wonderful memories of God's goodness and blessings in our lives.

Keep counting your blessings. "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily loads us with benefits." Psalm 68:19

God bless,
Whee Ling

To go or not to go

Tonight is Chinese New Year Eve. Most chinese families will be having their traditional family reunion dinners. I was at my in-laws having the reunion dinner and was deciding if I should go to a memorial wake of a friend's mother who had just passed on.

Finally, I made up my mind to go. I remembered years ago when my grandmother passed away just before the chinese new year, very few came and it was a very quiet lunar new year for us as we were mourning. So the Spirit of God prompted me to be there for the family.

There were indeed very few at the wake. I also discovered that my friend's father had not only lost his beloved wife, he had lost his brother several days ago suddenly due to a heart attack. As I sat there worshipping the Lord through one of the most famous songs that most of us know (What a friend we have in Jesus), my heart felt so ministered that Jesus knows the pain and understands best the situations in our lives, including this.

As I sat there, I gave thanks for bringing me through another Christmas, another new year, another chinese new year, and another day. Life is indeed unpreditable. We can never be sure when it will be taken away. Just read the newspapers and you will certainly understand what I mean.

It's been almost 4 and half years since Sept 2004. The first time I attended a wake of a fellow cancer friend left me fearful of when my turn would be. My eyes have seen so many I've known in the course of my illness depart one by one. By the grace of God, I'm still fighting this battle with more healing, but more importantly, with more understanding of His Sovereign hand in my life. Like i've always said, "I live today as if I'm going tommorrow." Therefore, I try to live with more passion in living for Jesus today for we know not what will happen tommorrow.

I pray that going around this chinese new year during the visitations will make me feel the burden and compassion for those who still need to experience the love of our Saviour who holds the keys to life and death.

Have a blessed lunar new year!
david

1st Check up 2009

My apologies for not having updated since Dec 22. How time flies! Hope you've had a blessed Christmas and New Year in spite of the downturn. Our great God and King will watch over us. I love Psalm 112 - it reminds me not to be shaken or afraid of bad news because our father in heaven when we decide to place our total trust in Him.

Today I had my first medical review in 2009. The monthly intravenous injection of Zometa was given to strengthen my bones. Dr William Hwang noticed a bony structure protruding from my right upper gum and was concerned. Referred me to the dental surgeon but thank God that it wasn't osteonecrosis, a side effect of the i/v zometa.

Appreciate your constant prayers for us,
david

Faith of a little child

Christmas is just around the corner. Tonight, I was at a friend's place to deliver some christmas gifts. And here's a great gift I received:

My heart was greatly encouraged when a 4-year old son came to pray for me after his father (Dr.Melvyn Tan, the doctor who found 3 fractures on my ribs that led to the discovery of my illness) prompted him to speak healing upon me. With so much faith and simplicity of his heart, Lucas prayed with alllllllll his heart and asked Jesus to heal me in the Lord's mighty name. And what astonished me totally was that he asked God to take away all the cancer cells! His father actually told me that Lucas doesn't know about my condition. God must have given him the word of knowledge and utterance. It reminds me that sometimes the faith of little children can move mountains as much as they can move hearts. My heart was moved, and I believe, God has moved the mountain in my body!

david

Here's something a friend sent - Jesus is Better than Santa!

Santa lives at the North Pole.
JESUS is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year
JESUS is an ever present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies
JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited
JESUS stands at your door and knocks... And then enters your heart.

You have to stand in line to see Santa
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap
JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?"

JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly
JESUS has a heart full of love.

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO
JESUS offers health, help and hope.

Santa says "You better not cry"
JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.

Santa's little helpers make toys
JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle but
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree
JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.

It's obvious there is really no acomparison.
We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.

We need to put Christ back in Christmas.
Jesus is still the reason for the season.

May the Lord Bless and Watch over you and your loved ones
this Christmas 2008. And may He prosper and bless the work of your hands in the New Year!

URTI

Hi,
thank you all for praying for me. I recovered fast from the vomitting. However, two days later, a bout of upper respiratory tract infection hit me badly. The past week had been exhausting physically, being bed-ridden for most of the time. The course of anibiotics helped me tremenduously and I am once again up and about after just a few days.

Looking back, it is such a blessing as I remembered I would be sick for several weeks whenever I caught an infection. For that, I am deeply thankful for the Lord's hand upon my life. Praise the name of the Lord!

A christian brother who had been diagnosed with colon cancer recently shared with me this wonderful verse few days ago. It is from Proverbs 14:30, "A heart at peace gives life to the body."

Life is full of stresses. While a little of it is needed to keep us going, too much of it apparently releases free radicals that are harmful to our bodies as many research scientists say. But the word of our great God promises that when our heart is at peace, it gives life to our bodies! What a God we can turn to for peace when our hearts need to be at peace in this troubled world!

May the peace of God be with you at his Christmas season!

david