University Of Life

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Daddy! Please come home soon! I miss waking you up in the morning and playing with you. Happy Birthday Daddy! You're the best Daddy in the world!
Love,
Leonidas

Thanks for celebrating my 21st birthday together with me! Your godmas gave me a real good surprise. Tot I would be spending it alone with you since your daddy is not here. Daddy is now in Houston and he finally got his greencard! We will soon be able to get our greencard too. Anyway, Daddy was real sweet to have helped in the planning for my birthday. Iba was part of it too and she sure knew how to put up an act! Everything seemed quite the same (other than when she picked up her handphone and started speaking in English). I was planning to download some soppy Japanese movie to watch online while feeding you. This was to allow myself to occupy my time at home alone on my birthday. So I went to the room with you and was just about to lie back on the bed and feed you when Iba opened the door and started to call for me. I saw that the lights were off outside and I knew...heh heh... SURPRISE! Alicia, Amy Yeo, Amy Lee and Pei Ling were there with a lighted up mango cake! Aww... how sweet. I did have a great time together with my bestest pals. Showed them for the first time my studio wedding photos taken @Potrait Gallery, and watched the video meant for you when you turn 12, and your candid dancing video for Grandma Cross. We sure did have a good laugh together. And I got a present from them all. A Kimono-dressed bear, named 'Jac Bear' (by yours truly, Amy Yeo), stuffed with hugs from all of them, and hugging a Happy Birthday cake. Thanks so much girls! And thank you husband for making my day wonderful though you're so faraway! All of us back home are missing you so you better not stay there too long! Leonidas, I'm sure you miss waking Daddy up in the morning.As of 14th July, I am now officially an adult! What's the difference? People will tend to ask. I guess my life into adulthood started a bit earlier than all of my peers. I have experienced what it's like to live without my parents, being responsible for my own actions, and now, being responsible for my little one and my family. For me, turning 21 gives me the official rights of obtaining certain things. And it seems a more appropriate age for myself to be in when people ask about my life status. The past year sure was a time that I struggled into adulthood, parenthood. But things look better now. And as of now, I've learnt to be more wiser, though still ignorant in many things, I sure hope I'll be able to live as a responsible adult. With God's wisdom and guidance, my wish this 21st is that my family will learn to put God as the top priority in our lives, that He will be in the centre of our daily dealings, that we may never turn aside to the left or the right. I hope that me and Leon will be good godly parents to you, Leonidas and train you up in the way that you should go.
Love,
Mummy

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

When you come home one day, storming into the house and start to vent your bitterness against someone who has offended you, this is what I will do. I will ask mummy to boil for you one of those really bitter herbal soup and make you sit down to drink it. You got no choice but to drink it all up. When you do finish it, choking up at the bitterness of it all, I will tell you, "Every time you harbour a grudge against someone, you make up your own terrible soup. In doing so, you hope that he drinks it. But in reality, it's you who really does."

Bitterness is you drinking poison hoping someone else dies.

Another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, never having eaten with pleasure. Job 21:25

Everytime you lose your anger, drill a nail into the fence. Each day you hold your anger, remove a nail from the fence. One day if you manage to remove all the nails, I will congratulate you but I will show you that the scars will always be there, so that it is best not to even lose your anger.

He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly. Proverbs 14:29

We live in a push button society where we expect to get everything immediately. No doubt in your generation, this symptom would deteriorate even further. From the principles of investing to the principles in your spiritual walk, you need to understand the rule of delayed gratification, of waiting, of investing, of patience and of looking at the big picture.

So we'll strike a business deal. Here it is- I will tempt and place in front of you your most favourite candy or food beside your most frequented place, be it the study table or bed side. You could have it anytime, OR you could wait for 2 weeks, and instead of giving you 1, I'll give you 3 more on top of that existing 1. And how will you handle the two weeks interim period you may ask? Well, by the time you read this, you'd probably be the person to answer yourself. Happy waiting.

Impatience is a fruit of your lack of faith, because you do not believe your father's words that it would be in your best interests to wait until the perfect timing. So son, the trying of your faith trains your patience, and patience brings about your character.

"Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." James 1:3-4

What if you had to conquer the whole world to win the affection of your future wife, what if you had to go to the four ends of the earth to win her over? So when you do actually win her over, will you cherish her more? She would be as precious as what the Bible calls- The Pearl of Great Price. As an aspiring businessman, I have learnt that something that is free is often not fully appreciated by its consumers, something that they paid with their perspiration they would care a little more for. Sometimes, we don't appreciate something if we didn't earn it, if we got it free. We tend to not be responsible for it.

So when you really want something, like a bicycle, you would have to save up for the bicycle with your monthly allowance. Now we know that you will not be able to save up for the full sum of the bike, but a fraction of the price as your target sum, say $15. So when you finally sacrifice enough candies and personal luxuries for it, you could use the $15 to pay for your dream bike. Of course you would think that you paid for its full price, well that's okay, at least you feel you own it and you take some pride in it. You get to buy your own bike! (What you don't know is after you handed the cashier your lifetime savings of $15, I paid him the remaining $150 underneath the table without your knowledge)

There will be idols in your life, there will be things you love more than you should and whether you learn it the easy way or the hard way, you will learn the lesson on Love’s proper hierarchy.

One day, God will put the thing you love the most to the test, just as Abraham was tested with his life and legacy- Isaac, so will you. Because Abraham passed the test, he became the Father of Faith, through his seed, Jesus, all the world is blessed. How about you son? When your test comes, what will your decision be?

I will take the thing you treasure the most, and put your loyalties to the test, obeying your earthly father would cost you your $5 model aeroplane, your pride and joy, something you built, assembled and brought into being. You wouldn’t know this, but should you give it up to me, in return I will give you a remote controlled aeroplane worth a 100 times more, and at the end of the day, you will still get to keep your model aeroplane. What joy does it give me in destroying something that delights you? Does a father take away good gifts from his children to torment them? Would he delight in that? No my son, I only wish to see your willingness in surrendering it. Your desire to please me above yourself. The importance you place on obedience to your father than conceding to the vanities of the flesh.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Mathew 6:33

Do you trust me? Do you believe in my strength? Do you believe that I will never allow you to be harmed unnecessarily? Do you know that I am strong enough to catch you when you fall? Do you have faith in me?

Dear Leonidas,
We're so proud to have you as our son. We thank God each day as we see you grow and adapt to your surroundings. It's so great to see you much more responsive now. You will laugh in delight when we play with you and utter oohs and ahhs to beg us to talk to you. It's such a great joy to see your happy face, crying face, sleepy face, angry face, peaceful face, and many more expressions to come. It sure is a wonderful thing how God made babies look so cute. Happy 3 months to you! and many more to come...
Love,
Mum and Dad