One third of a chocolate bar!?

A study of older men in the Netherlands, known for its luscious chocolate, indicated those who ate the equivalent of one-third of a chocolate bar (about 10 grams) every day had lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of death. The men who ate the most products made from cocoa beans — including cocoa drinks, chocolate bars and chocolate pudding — had lower blood pressure and a 50 percent lower risk of death.
Dan was jumping up with joy upon hearing this yesterday. I am not a big chocolate fan, but come on, the reality is, who can stop at one-third of a chocolate bar!!! I guess if you can stop at that, there are lots of things that you won't overdo in life, that pretty much says why you might live longer.

Will it ever end!?

I was out of the office for two days for being sick, today is the first day I came back, but the drugs did little to help my attention at work. I am miserable! Our house look like a CVS drugstore, name a drug, and we have it, both for adult and children.
I haven't been this sick for years. Not only the coughing was bad, it is also the headaches and the nasal and chest congestions. Drugs do help, but not to the extend where I can function. I am thankful, though, Kioni is getting better, she sleeps through the night without waking up with a stuffy nose. Dan put a blow-up bed in the middle of our tiny living room, so I could lay down there while Kioni plays. She didn't understand why mommy doesn't want to get up and play with her, but mommy will jump up and clean her nose at soon as she saw her runny nose.
I am pretty useless at work, I am more worried about spreading the virus then having to take sick time off. Whatever I have is ferocious, not a good thing to catch.
Last night when I was coughing my lungs out, I wonder if this will end. I know, it will, but when you are suffering, days seems like years.
For all those who are believers, don't you long for the days when we don't have to combat stuffy nose and achy bones anymore? Jesus, come back soon.

All Bushes down

All of us are sick. Kioni started to have fever on Feburary13 (Monday), on Thursday, I started to feel bad in my throat, Friday, I had a fever, it lasted two days. Last night, Dan started to feel really bad. And along with that, are extremely bad coughing, green slime, sleeplessness, etc. Kioni is getting better, though she still coughs like crazy, I am over with the fever, but still in bad shape. Came to work this morning, but I lost my voice, so I am pretty much useless staying here. I 'talked' to my boss, upon hearing my 'voice', he just said, 'Amy, go home.' This is the first time in the Bushes' history that all three of us are down. It is worth writing it down in a post.

The safest place on earth

No, I don't mean the safest place in the world is the Philippines.

Mudslides buried the farming village Guinsaugon of Teyte province in the Philippines, there were 2500 villagers who lived there. Our friends and families might be concerned for us since we are leaving for the Philippines for missions work. However, I want to make it clear that we are not going to a village, rather, the second largest city in the Philippines, Cebu City in the Cebu province. It is the 'second most important metropolitan center in the country', after Manila, the capital.
While I want to stress that natural disasters like the above mentioned is not a direct threat in a metropolitan city like Cebu City, I do have to quote Psalm 90 詩 篇 90 篇 to show how fragile our lives are.
Anything can happen to us anytime, our lives are not in our own hands. Know Jesus Christ and his salvation is the only way to live in this world without being overwhelmed by the incredible frailty of life. Being in the center of God's will is the safest place on earth.

(A prayer of Moses the man of God. 神 人 摩 西 的 祈 禱 )
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
主 啊 ， 你 世 世 代 代 作 我 們 的 居 所 。
2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
諸 山 未 曾 生 出 ， 地 與 世 界 你 未 曾 造 成 ， 從 亙 古 到 永 遠 ， 你 是 神 。
3 You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men."
你 使 人 歸 於 塵 土 ， 說 ： 你 們 世 人 要 歸 回 。
4 For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.
在 你 看 來 ， 千 年 如 已 過 的 昨 日 ， 又 如 夜 間 的 一 更 。
5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning-
你 叫 他 們 如 水 沖 去 ； 他 們 如 睡 一 覺 。 早 晨 ， 他 們 如 生 長 的 草 ，
6 though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered.
早 晨 發 芽 生 長 ， 晚 上 割 下 枯 乾 。
7 We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation.
我 們 因 你 的 怒 氣 而 消 滅 ， 因 你 的 忿 怒 而 驚 惶 。
8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
你 將 我 們 的 罪 孽 擺 在 你 面 前 ， 將 我 們 的 隱 惡 擺 在 你 面 光 之 中 。
9 All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.
我 們 經 過 的 日 子 都 在 你 震 怒 之 下 ； 我 們 度 盡 的 年 歲 好 像 一 聲 歎 息 。
10 The length of our days is seventy years— or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
我 們 一 生 的 年 日 是 七 十 歲 ， 若 是 強 壯 可 到 八 十 歲 ； 但 其 中 所 矜 誇 的 不 過 是 勞 苦 愁 煩 ， 轉 眼 成 空 ， 我 們 便 如 飛 而 去 。
11 Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.
誰 曉 得 你 怒 氣 的 權 勢 ？ 誰 按 著 你 該 受 的 敬 畏 曉 得 你 的 忿 怒 呢 ？
12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
求 你 指 教 我 們 怎 樣 數 算 自 己 的 日 子 ， 好 叫 我 們 得 著 智 慧 的 心 。
13 Relent, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants.
耶 和 華 啊 ， 我 們 要 等 到 幾 時 呢 ？ 求 你 轉 回 ， 為 你 的 僕 人 後 悔 。
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
求 你 使 我 們 早 早 飽 得 你 的 慈 愛 ， 好 叫 我 們 一 生 一 世 歡 呼 喜 樂 。
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.
求 你 照 著 你 使 我 們 受 苦 的 日 子 ， 和 我 們 遭 難 的 年 歲 ， 叫 我 們 喜 樂 。
16 May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children.
願 你 的 作 為 向 你 僕 人 顯 現 ； 願 你 的 榮 耀 向 他 們 子 孫 顯 明 。
17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.
願 主 ─ 我 們 神 的 榮 美 歸 於 我 們 身 上 。 願 你 堅 立 我 們 手 所 做 的 工 ； 我 們 手 所 做 的 工 ， 願 你 堅 立 。

A comment by Patrick

Our family is part of a post that my friend, Patrick, posted in his blog. If you can read Chinese, you will be able to verify, through Patrick's own words, how difficult a person I was (actually still am) before Jesus found me. It took Patrick a long while to pound the gospel in my head and to convince me that Christian fellowship is necessary for my spiritual growth. Patrick is a fine example of a 'good and faithful' servant. I am not upgrading him to a saint, what I am saying is that if we have more believers like Patrick, whom relentlessly shares the gospel in spite of rejection, the Christian church will be more vibrant and alive. Looking back, I am grateful for God putting someone like Patrick in my path. It has been 19 years since I first worked with Patrick, God has been true and faithful all these years.

Super dogs

This bull terrier Rufus won the Best in Show in the 130th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show last night. I love dogs, but still think that dog shows are quite a unique way of demonstrating how humans dominate the world. You breed a bunch of dogs, raise them, train them, groom them, ship them all over the country in cages, groom them some more, put them in the ring, make them run, show their teeth, their coats, that is suppose to tell people how good a specimen your dog is in that particular group, in fact, it is to show how great a job you have done. Is the prize for the dog? Or for the humans.
I don't know, I have lots of emotions when it comes to dogs. After I lost Meme, I don't want to have another dog, don't want to go through that pain of having to decide life or death for a dog that I have come to get so attached to. But anytime I see a dog, I still smile and stare. Oh, no, that won't happen when I see a baby, sorry for all of you baby-lovers out there.

Thank God for creating dogs. It is hard to imagine a heaven without dogs. ( I know you dog-fearers would beg to differ). You might think I have some problems with my theology, but if you cannot show me proof from the Bible that there will be no dogs, then I am going to believe there will be. And dog-fearers, don't be afraid, you won't be afraid of dogs anymore when you are in heaven, I am sure you won't see any ferocious dogs either.

Photo provided by Associated Press, Reuters and AFP.

Cholesterol and others

Just came back from a free cholesterol, HDL (High-density lipoprotein, good cholesterol), LDL (Low-density lipoprotein, bad cholesterol), Triglycerides and Glucose screening test on campus. While I had extremely high LDL before, so much so that my doctor put me on medication, however, after eating oatmeal for six months every morning, it seems like my cholesterol has come down quite a bit. THAT is something to be thankful for. My glucose is at a desirable range, and so is my triclycerides.
Ah, how do you age gracefully? Have Christ in your heart. That's the best antidote that I know of.

What in the world?

Kioni woke up last night at 2:30am coughing her lungs out, when I went in her room to check in on her, she was hot! She had a 99.2F temperature, after she took some Motrin, (that's the only thing I could find in the dark), I held her and rocked her for a while, before she would go back to her crib. She coughed throughout the night, and at 7:30am, her fever was subsided. At 8:00am though, it sort of returned.
I got up at 7:00am, made some brown rice soup for her. She asked for an egg for breakfast, adding the rice soup, I guess she is OK. Then Dan woke up feeling not so good, had some stomach problem and 'output' problems.
Our friend at church, Mary Kay, offered to have Kioni twice a week so that Dan could study for his ThM major comprehensive exam. She was suppose to take Kioni for the first time today, however, both daddy and Kioni are sick, so I guess they both have to stay home.
Why is everyone sick on a Monday morning? Well, I said yesterday while we were driving to church that I was thankful that Kioni has not been sick this whole winter, my words came out too fast? Don't know. But I am sure Kioni appreciates all the drugs she needs to take. In fact, she was chipmunking some food when I told her it's time for taking medicine, she hurried up and swallowed the food so she could take the drug! I wish I was that eager to take drugs. After she took the pink Motrin, she wanted the purple Tynonel too.

The Ohs took this photo for us while we visited them last month. 

The slience

I have not much to say these days, which is very odd for a person like me whom loves to talk about everything and anything. Work is stressful, because I know my boss would like me to give him a date when I will resign, but I cannot, since we don't know when the 100% support will come in. The home front is exciting for the reason of the growing Kioni. She has been such a joy and blessing to Dan and I.
Dan told me Dr. Feinberg would not let him take the comprehensive exam in May, rather, he will have to take it in mid-March, that means he has 35 days to study for it, which I am sure, is sending his stress level to the max.
Well, God will not put us through things that we cannot handle, and His grace is always sufficient.

The treadmill of life

Felt like that before? Running and running on a treadmill of endless events and stuff to do, that don't really matter that much, but you just got to keep running? It is easy to say, just be still and stop that treadmill. Once in a while, I feel like I can slow it down, but doesn't seem to be able to get off that treadmill. I guess I can't get off until I see Jesus face to face. In the mean time, I will have just have to make sure I keep the setting of the treadmill on low, though it seems like it automatically turns itself to various 'training' options with hills and valleys all the time. C'est le vie!