Hi bloggers :)

Havent been updating this place for awhile, a short update now wouldn't harm heh (: I've been really blessed with people around me. I'm on a two months trip in Malaysia and yes I def missed Auckland. 3 weeks away from seeing the beautiful summer back in NZ.

Coming back to Malaysia for two months certainly brings me some weights, the food is amazing and those cravings started coming in since I footed on this fatherland. Also, how I've missed those familiar faces, family and friends. Time had been well spent, spending time with family and meeting up with great friends.

People had been telling me how the things and people change after not seeing them for some time, I agree. Some changed for the better, some changed for the worse, but nope, no judging. People also said people that study or work abroad change too, and that hits me. I want to change for the better, not for the worse. Through it all, God had been and always been the big boss up there to see through all those little steps little obstacles little efforts, those that I've been through. And through it all, He has been taking care of my family, especially my mom. Thank you, God! :)

I've been busy with conference, camps, christmas dinners, hangouts. Feeling so occupied, so blessed and so excited for what I had, have and will have. Going on a trip to portdickson with the churchies for 3 days, so excited for watchnight camp! And trip down to Malacca and Singapore straight after :) It's gonna be an adventurous week ahead! Also, penang trip with my college mates in early- Jan!

Lots of fun, lots of love! Chaos.

My story

Hi people,

Hope this song brings peace to you, and once again reminds us He is faithful, merciful and for us. 

This song inspires me, and to tell you my story and have hope even in the worst situation, because your worst day may be someone's best day. 

Everyone has this time when we feel restless, exhausted, depressed, tough and everything just did not go in favor to us. And we always ask, God why. One thing I could be sure of, He is always for us, through my toughest time, He was there for me. And we always ask, God how could this just happened to me. One thing I could be sure of, through my toughest time, He brought people into my life, to encourage me, strengthen me and always be reminded He is a never failing God, He is our hope and always will be. 

It has been a year and seven months since I had the toughest time of my life. It was one that I'd never ever thought that it could happen to my closest, my mom. It was beginning of last year, I had everything and the best things in my life, time when everything went well until mom started complaining about her back pain that she never had before. We did not take it seriously and thought it was just a normal back pain, went for therapist for couple of months and it didn't help. Therapist advised for a CT Scan and blood test. After several days, the results came out, my mom has a lung cancer, it was advanced stage and cancerous cells spread throughout the bones. I was helpless, I was broken down, my entire family was. And I questioned God, why does it need to be my mom, why not me. We were broken down and in depression. I was worried, I was scared, the fear of losing someone so close to your heart, fear of not having her accepting Jesus Christ as her Saviour yet. 

Thank God I had everyone around me, friends and churches, to encourage me, to pray for mom. It was the toughest time, but His strengths held me up high and told me to stay strong, to hope for miracles, to lift the entire situation into His hands, surrender. I had youth group one friday night, we were praying for my mom and that was when God gave me this thought and told me "Your mom will be healed and your parents will come to know Christ, soon"I was shocked and told my pastor about this. Through the toughest situation, He had given me hope. 

And I was told to share a testimony about never giving up and holding on to God. I wouldn't know the end result, but I know He always have the best for us, build us and strengthen us. After having God planted that thought in me, one morning when mom was lying on the bed, seeing the pain she was having, I asked: Mom, can I pray for you? She said: Yes. After the prayer, mom was touched and that was the beginning of everything, Mom started to know God more. Pastors and friends came and prayed for mom and told her about Jesus. Mom had vision about God telling her the passage from the bible even when she had not yet read the bible with a voice that is higher than everything else, a voice that couldn't be described by just words "Do not fear for I'm with you". Mom told us about the vision and immediately few days later my parents came to know Christ and accepted Him as Saviour and King. Not long after, Mom had another vision of God telling her, her lung is cleared. 

After a day or two, mom went for check ups and chemotherapy. Check up results came out, my mom's lung is totally cleared. Everyone was amazed and knowing that God just works in ways that we can't comprehend. We hugged we rejoice and burst into tears. 

Mom is still going through times of her life, going through follow ups and chemotherapies to remove the remaining cancerous cells from the bones and etc. She still needs prayers :)

Prayers are powerful, for every prayer we prayed, He heard us. One thing, He has the best plans for us and He works in ways that we cannot comprehend. 

Sometimes things just happened to discourage us, to pull us down to the very bottom of our lives, but don't give up, because He is for us, who can stand against us and what can stand against? He showed me He is the one true God, but by faith that we trust in Him. He works miraculously and powerfully. It is not a religion, it is a relationship and a connection with God. 

Hope this brings hope and reminds you once again, how amazing God is. For everything that happen, it happens for a reason. He is the reason we live. He brings us hope, love and life. 

Cheers,

:) 

Stress

Hi readers,

So, this is a very stressful post I'm writing hehe. Checking back my blog posts and realizing I've always posted and updated blogs during exam periods or even when I was on finals. Yeah, the more stressful I get from studies, the more frequent I go online, the more I update my blog. I'm not sure if this is good or  bad. Oh wells, I think it's bad since updating blog when I'm stressed I'd always talk about nyaaaah exam, ughhh finals stress and some others. So it wouldn't be nice to read hehe.

Ok a very random post, you don't have to read this. 

First world problem: A computer in the room is the worst nightmare I could ever get during exams.

Bet you're nodding your head. Mehhh I'm just bad with self-control and time management, MAYBE. Oh also, I just realized I didn't have my dinner.

Ciaos, back to study.

Thoughts

Hi,

I'm sure you readers have been waiting for my birthday gifts post! Oh well, I've not yet inspired or motivated to write a post like that yet! But I greatly wanted to post something more relevant to what I'm doing, what I'm encountering. Also, what I'm thinking of.

Sometimes emotion takes over part of us and we've always thought of the risks and uncertainties of having something or holding on to some sorts. Might think that this might be or might not be the best for us and most of us might not even know if we're doing the right thing making the right moves and choices.

For me, I know it's such blessing to know that God has always been a great God bringing people into my life. Also, how amazing God can bring someone to you and be part of your most precious memories. But sometimes, it is not always the case to live happily ever after with someone that you truly cared, someone you truly loved? Instead, it is about having God as the priority in your life and other things will eventually fall into the right place the right plans.

Let's just say, today.

I was struggling to wake up and was having a time in making decisions: should I go to the library or should I stay at home. Well decided to head to the library and motivated to study! Amazingly met a friend, Josephine and had really great time talking about making decisions in lives and talking about how God has always been guiding us as we walk through every little phase of life. Through this conversation, I see how God place every single person in my life, to start a conversation, to move on, to hint me, to tell me "I'm with you".

I feel certainly blessed with just two hours conversation and feel entirely pumped up and do something better and knowing how to make decision, it is to make Him our priorities and everything falls into plans.

And sometimes, "We just have to let go in order for God to bring us better plans"
Sometimes, we just have to be clear, the way of doing things, to be clear of who truly cares for you and proud of having you as part of their lives.

Found this quote: we were talking about this the whole two hours.

 Some people come into your life just to teach you how to let go. 

Sometimes even though we feel like we have great plans for our lives with the people that we have in them now, not knowing that God has much bigger plans for us which may not necessarily include the people that are in them now. In order for us to continue in life sometimes we must allow some of our plans including those that we are involved with fall, in order to learn how to become stronger individuals by learning how to be willing to let go.

Not everything in life including our relationships will be something that we will be able to hold on to forever, and this is something that we have to learn to be able to grow and build throughout our whole lifetime. Some people will come in your life, just to teach you how to let go, don't resist, it isn't always about giving up, sometimes it's about learning how to move on.

Just a few thoughts :) Will try updating my birthday post soon! 

Cheers,

Love. 

Sorry bloggers,

I apologise for feeling so reluctant to update whatever had happened in this past month! I've overloading works to complete and pretty much furnished my holidays with some really good companies.

August was indeed hectic with assignments and plans. Things in university have always thought to be tough and result for ze assignment was in truth depressing, can't be bothered to update those dreadful happenings lol.

Also, August for the lovers. The birthdays of my best mates Nicole aka Hwa & Shanice aka Ying. I've been making hilarious videos for their birthdays, video calls, sending gifts and whatever I could do at my very best. The precious of my life.

Picnic with the awesome lg members on past Saturday was amazing. Food testing the night before and waking up early to bake wings! love picnics xxx. Guitar, frisbee, games, running, raining, playstation games, monopoly, stay overs! I've them my best company.

September the month I was born. Let the picture hint you my first gift for my 19th!

An owl

Let the next post tell you the answer. 

Chaos, 

Loves

Food indulgence

Days out with the family(sister and bro-in-law). These were all few days ago, happened to indulge myself with some really good food! :) And, I live happily ever after. Hahaha.

This was when everyone else went to the gym, my sister and I headed to Chocolate Boutique @ Parnell, indulge ourselves with hot chocolate yum! Gym is certainly not in my list, but anything with chocolate, I'm down! 

 Yum chocolate denso! It tasted like melted chocolate, sweet and milky.

 Hot chocolate, a normal one, a denso is overly sweet for me.

#2 After our chocolate indulgence, we headed to Mamak, this is amazing! One and only Malaysia mamak in Auckland. The food was amazing, its the closest I could get so far, they have the amazing spiderman teh tarik too ;p Nom nom.

 Mee goreng.

Tomyum fried rice with squid, prawns and etc. Might as well just call it seafood fried rice.

#3 Homemade Chili Panmee last Sunday! :)

 Step 1: Make the panmee roar.

 Step 2: Soaked the anchovy and dried chilis (not in the picture).

 Step 3: Blend the ingredients (Dried chills, onions, garlics, shrimps) and stir fried slowly with low fire.

 Step 4: Cooked the mince meat with soy sauce black sauce oyster sauce pepper salt. Hehe.

Step 5: Fry the anchovies.
Step 6: Make poached eggs and TADAAAA :)

 Soup with chicken and spanish.

Nom nom. It was delicious, and it took us a whole 2 hours to cook for the meal, and just few minutes to finish the dishes. Oh well, #cookinglife.

Loves,
Alvena.

Megan's birthday

Another birthday celebration, happy 20th birthday to Megan! :) I've to say August and September people are just way too awesome. Most of us have our birthdays in both of the months and I'm so excited to celebrating my first birthday in New Zealand with many others! :) A thought: Should I or should I not do a bungy. Levis bungy is the highest bungy in Queestown, would love to have it on my birthday, its gonna be awesome! Well, back to this, yes we headed to the city for Megan's birthday and had a blast!

Before catching a bus, had lovely chocolate cake and jelly shots made by the girls!

Bus to our destination.

 I look terrible, I know.

 Fun.

Loves,
Alvena.

YH's birthday

Hi bloggers,

I haven't been blogging for almost a week or two, not as consistent, probably had too many things to blog at once and never had as much time as before, assignments and exams are piling up and time passes quick! Oh well, I have so much to post. This is a celebration for flatmate's birthday @ Bubble Tea Cafe (Taiwan restaurant) Food were so good and it's just another time of fellowshipping :) Here you go.

Happy Birthday to Yaohong for his 19th.

 A chinese version of monopoly deal, this is so cool, how I missed my childhood.

 The plane board game or is it called flight game, um I was so excited seeing all these board games bringing back the taste of childhood hehe.

Snake and ladder game.

Short photo post, indeed.

Loves,
Alvena.

Little Wolf Vintage

I've visited Little Wolf Vintage awhile ago, liking how they color the denim shorts and some others! Just gonna share some that I personally find it really pretty! :) here you go.

Like all of them! Aw.

America jumper, looks good!

Like this most though. Should I get one? Mm :)

This is my favorite, seriously, it matches the shorts I like! Should I get this too? It costs heaps! :o

Visit their page: http://www.littlewolfvintage.com/

Chaos,

Loves.