The Spitting Image

Wednesday, 4th September 2025

Since my wife and I officially made New Creation Church our home church in January 2018, I had not stepped foot into Paya Lebar Methodist Church ("PLMC"), the church of my forefathers for a good 6 years at least.

When I caught up with some ex-church mates over a game of golf post-Covid (circa Aug 2021), they asked me when they would see me back in PLMC, I cheekily told them, "when I walk my daughter down the aisle".

And that is what I did. On 21st September 2024.

I had originally wanted to visit PLMC during her 90th Anniversary in 2022. But because the current PIC Rev K is anti-NewCre (he saw fit to invite every other pastor except anyone from NewCre in a series of sermons leading up to the Anniversary), I decided to skip it.

You can read more about it here:

https://rootss.blogspot.com/2025/08/at-crossroads-part-2.html

I had also hoped that my good friend Ps Reuben Ng would be posted in as PLMC's PIC so that he could officially officiate my sweetie's wedding. But it was not meant to be. 

I still marvel at how Roland Teo managed to get him to officiate his daughter Charlene's. Oh well. God sure does have a sense of humour :-)

Anyway, back to the day I stepped foot into PLMC.

Several of my daughter's peers saw me for the first time and remarked that "I" resemble "her".

I would politely correct them by saying that "she" resembles "me". Lolz.

Just the other day, I saw this romper and had a chuckle because it is purple (my sweetie's favourite colour). It is something I would have bought for her to wear when she was a toddler.

Sweetie is indeed a spitting image of her dad.

Which reminds me how we humans are the only ones made in the image of God. Everything else that God created, He spoke into existence. Mankind was the only creature that God breathed His life and spirit into. We are the pinnacle of His creation and the only ones that Jesus would die for. Hallelujah!

Extremely Precious Sweetie (and Her Extremely Prodigious Dad)

Tuesday 2nd September 2025

Having blogged about ESP and PSP, let's focus our attention to the 3rd woman in my life: EPS.

My extremely precious Sweetie.

I mentioned in an earlier post that my wife and I got married young. Very young. At the tender age of 25 and 23 respectively.

We were also the first among our respective siblings to do so.

So it would not be a surprise that Sweetie is the first grandchild on both sides of the family too.

I personally experienced the love of a mother for her only son. In my humble opinion, this is second only to a father's love for her only daughter.

One of the most remarkable parables Jesus ever told was that of The Prodigal Son. 

"Prodigal" is an adjective describing something or someone that is wastefully extravagant, spending money, time, or energy without wisdom. The term also means lavishly abundant or profuse. Additionally, "prodigal" can be a noun referring to a person who is a spendthrift, or it can refer to the subject of the parable of the Prodigal Son—a person who has been away for a long time, behaves badly, and then returns home to be welcomed back.

Traditionally, people would focus on the son being "prodigal".

But let's look at the parable from another perspective, and focus on the father instead.

The father was "prodigal" in the sense of being "wastefully extravagant" on his younger son.

He gave the son the best robe. He put sandals on his son's feet. He gave the son his signet ring. 

He killed the fatted calf. He threw a grand party with music and dancing to celebrate.

Now *that* is a lesson for all of us earthly fathers to learn from.

Which I have tried putting into practice.

I do not recall specifically buying my sweetie birthday or Christmas presents because she being my daughter was reason enough to buy her stuff anytime of the year, throughout the year.

Whenever I went overseas on business trips, I would set aside the last day to look for stuff to buy for her.

She had her favourites.

Anything purple. Blossom. Dora the Explorer. Cinderella. Lizzie McGuire. Hanna Montana. Gossip Girl. Sally. Water Wally.

I would also give my sweetie an allowance that was significantly higher than what other parents would give their children.

When she was in Secondary School and JC, it was a 3-figure amount, steadily increasing year after year. When she was an NUS undergraduate, it reached a 4-figure amount.

But the extent of my extravagance was manifested when she was training to be a teacher, I bought her a brand-new car so that she could drive to NIE.

Many people have accused me of spoiling my daughter. My reply to them will always be, "If you cannot even spoil your own daughter, who can you spoil? 

The extent to which the father in that parable "spoilt" his son, what I do to "spoil" my daughter pales in comparison, no?

God loves us unconditionally. And I thank Him for giving me my EPS so that I could in turn demonstrate to her the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of her heavenly Daddy God through her earthly dad. Amen?

Happy Bestie's Day!

Monday 1st September 2025

Today, I celebrate my bestie's 56th birthday.

Of those 56 years, 23 of them has been as Ms Phuah, and 33 as Mrs Loh.

I recall that earlier conversation I had with her in Canteen A, circa August 1988.

Besides finding out (indirectly) whether she was attached, I also had to find out which day her birthday fell on.

When she told me "1st September", I replied, "Oh, Teachers' Day!"

Back in the day. Teachers' Day was fixed on 1st September. Nowadays, it is celebrated on the 1st Friday in the month of September.

And so as far as I am concerned. 1st September is Bestie's Day haha.

In 2022, to commemorate 30 years of marriage. I put together a video montage, using photos from each of the 30+ years we had known each other. The song in the background," All The Earth" by Planetshakers, is one of her favourites.

Although my bestie is not a teacher, both of us produced one who currently is: our daughter. The third woman in my life. The one I have given the term of endearment EPS.

This heart-shaped summary was produced using Canva, a software that she introduced to me.

Which nicely leads the way to me blogging about her, so stay tuned!