“Wireless radiation has biological effects. Period. This is no longer a subject for debate when you look at PubMed and the peer-review literature. These effects are seen in all life forms; plants, animals, insects, microbes.
In humans we have clear evidence of cancer now; there is no question. We have evidence of DNA damage, cardiomyopathy, which is the precursor of congestive heart failure, neuropsychiatric effects…..
5G is an untested application of a technology that we know is harmful; we know it from the science. In academics this is called human subjects research.”
Back in Summer, I entered a Sutton Fair creative writing class, titled “My Favorite Memory of Being in the Countryâ€.  I thought I would share it here. I enjoyed writing it as lots of memories came back that night. The fair also awarded me with a “Best in Class†ribbon, which almost moved me to tears. As a mother of 8 children, constantly trying to figure things out here and there, I was not writing for prizes and ribbons, but a free admission ticket to the fair. Every participant get a ticket. Therefore, the big ribbon was truly a big surprise and a wonderful cheer!!
My favorite memory of being in the country
My favorite memory of being in the country is seeing my children growing up on a land that is wide and beautiful.
Being raised up in a concrete forest, and living more than 150 feet high in the sky as a child myself, I am always fascinated by how my children explore in the nature. My heart sings when I see them rush through the back door and run out to the open land, as if there are tons of treasures waiting for them out there somewhere. And there are.
I suppose climbing trees is a common activity throughout centuries, but it’s never a part of my childhood. I am very thankful that my children are able to enjoy the fullness of a maple tree freely. When I look up at them in the tree, their looks tell me that they have conquered the world. And I rejoice with them.
I have never made friends with crawlies. My whole body trembles if I have to touch one! Therefore, I am absolutely bewildered to see my children playing with all these tiny little animals with their bare hands. They keep saying to me, “Mom, it’s so fun! You should try it!!â€Â Argh… Sometimes, I really wonder if these children are mine… However, certainly I am glad that they do not inherit my weakness, and have the opportunity to grow up on dirt and grass rather than concrete.
Being in the country, my children are able to keep their 4H project lambs on our own land. One afternoon, I looked out from the kitchen window to the pasture while the lambs just dashed out real fast from the barn and ran wildly on the pasture. Then, I saw my children popped out of the barn one by one and chased crazily after these lambs. The scene was so hilarious that I literally laughed out loud!! The children told me that they were going outside to train their lambs for the Sutton Fair Sheep Show, but it seemed to me the lambs were training them for the upcoming track and field!!!
My favorite memory of being in the country will always be seeing my children growing up here on this land. It is exactly where they should have their childhood.
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We have survived the first 10 years in the country. There were many great and new experiences. Unforgettable memories.  However, do not ever imagine country living is romantic and relaxing. Smelling the fragrances of the lavender and listening to the birds’ chirping while lying on a hammock with a glass of lemonade in your hand under the shade of a big maple tree, certainly is not something that happens here. At least not yet.
When Derek first mentioned the idea of moving to the country, having a garden, and raising animals, I was excited and thought it would be great if we could have a horse too. However, I told him I did not think I would ever want to butcher a chicken. And he assured me that he would not force me to, but earnestly suggested that I should try. Today, we still do not have a horse.  And honestly, I do not wish to have one anymore. It’s just too much work for now. As for chickens, God bless me with wonderful children that actually know how to butcher them and are eager to do it!!  Thus, as of today, I still do not have to butcher any chickens! YEA!!  And I did have good excuses too as I needed to hold the camera and looked after the three-year-old! =)
On a Saturday morning in late March this year, a girl rushed back home from the barn yelling, “We found a lamb!!! A lamb was born!!! A lamb was born!!!† We couldn’t believe our ears and had our mouths opened wide upon the news. We were not expecting a lamb that month!! We had no idea the ewe was actually pregnant before she came to our place!!!  Sunrise, the first lamb born in our barn.
Sunrise
Excitement did not stop there. The next day evening, two girls went to the barn again to feed the chickens and sheep, one ran back home yelling, “White is giving birth!! White is giving birth!! We saw the head of the lamb!!!â€Â WHAT??? White is another ewe. We all dashed out to the barn. What a sight! The ewe was walking around with the head of the lamb swinging at the back!! “Is the lamb alive??â€Â “What should we do???â€Â “It’s better to do nothing, just wait and see!â€Â My six-year-old girl then anxiously asked, “Really?? Should we do something? Is the lamb dying? What should we do??â€Â Derek was thinking if he should pull the lamb out. But the elder girls insisted that we should wait. We waited, and witnessed the amazing birth of the lamb. Our very first time.
Needless to say, the children had a lot of fun with the two lambs the following week.
The next Saturday morning, the two girls that went to the barn came back shortly after. This time, they were literally screaming in the mud room. We could hardly hear what they were trying to say, except something is dead. Someone heard, “Joshua is dead.â€Â What?? We all rushed to the mud room and a seemingly frozen lamb was in one of the girl’s arms. All tears on her face. The lamb was Sunrise, and it looked as hard as a sculpture. Then, for all morning, we tried to revive Sunrise before the woodstove. The hope was frail, but I knew we had to go through all the possible steps, or else the girls would always think we had buried a lamb that could have lived. We read a lovely story called “Mountain Born†by Elizabeth Yates, which in the first chapter a very tiny special lamb was revived by the farmer wife. This story is always in our hearts. Therefore, we flipped books, searched on youtube, and tried a few things to warm Sunrise. I even tried a glucose injection to the stomach of the lamb. I have to admit my hands were a bit trembling. A few hours later, everyone agreed it’s gone. Sunrise was buried.
It was quite a dramatic week to say the least.
Let me share with you some other moments we had on this land.
Digging or pulling root from the dirt is always fun. “You never know what you’re gonna get!!†(As in shape, size, and quantity of course)
Harvesting garlic looks like fun too!
And we have firefighters on site, watering our trees!?!
See what a three-year-old can do!
Derek surely had fun with the rental bobcat skid steer.
One tough job here, moving the hay and straw bales up to the barn loft.
Sheep sheering using hand sheer.
Fun time with the rental riding compactor and roller.
Snow forts
Endless creativity with snow. Snow horses.
Skating on our pond.
There are often birdies born on our land.
Beauty of nature…
We are truly thankful to our Creator for His grace, mercy, and love.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty.
Without His love,
we would not have life to see the beauty of His creation.
Without His mercy,
our lives are without hope but to perish.
Without His grace,
laughter and joy would be words that are unheard of.
Psalms 150 : 1 – 6
Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary:
praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts:
praise him according to his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the sound of the trumpet:
praise him with the psaltery and harp.
Praise him with the timbrel and dance:
praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
Praise him upon the loud cymbals:
praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
This is a link where you can watch a documentary called AGENDA: Grinding America Down . Communism is growing in America..find out why and how they are after our children!!
We are greatly blessed that we can celebrate the birth of our Lord Saviour Jesus Christ again! It’s the true reason that we are rejoicing and sharing our love with each other in this season. John 15:12-13 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” What love can be greater than this? That God is willing to become one of us and die for us on the cross to pay the price for our sins, so that we can be as white as snow again, and be able to enjoy God for ever and ever. Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
However, this great love was being despised by the majority, including our nation, which once was founded by great Christian fathers.
“God keeps our land, glorious and free” we sing in “O Canada”, and yet, some people wish to remove the word ‘God’ from our anthem. Just like removing The Lord’s Prayer, banning the Bible, and prohibiting the name of God from our public schools, without realizing this is deliberately removing blessings from our nation, asking for judgement from God. And yes, we see proofs.
Our society now encourages homosexuality, which is clearly a sin in the Bible. Our children are taught that they do not need to decide whether to be a boy or girl when they are young. How ridiculous is that? Truth is distorted and teachings are corrupted. And yes, we sure need repentance.
Romans 1:21-22 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools”,
Romans 1:26-27,32 “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet………Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Besides, our government partners with companies like Monsanto, hydro and telecommunication companies, deliberately harm us for money. The Bible says in 1Titus 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil…”. Yes, we see lots of proof. GMO (genetic modified organism) food is a total disrespect to our Creator, a product of greed and pride. It’s entirely evil, whether the process that causes thousands and thousands of people to suffer, or the outcome that is harming millions daily. And yet, our government says it’s safe for us to consume. Also, with the dramatic increase in the number of cancers and sickness that links to wireless frequency pollution, our government still says it’s OK to use cell phones, install WiFi and smart meters everywhere.
Saddest of all, we live in an era where children are not blessings which people are looking forward to, to a point that even killing them in exchange of freedom and pleasure, including Christians. We believe life begins on the day of conception. And there are just way too many children being killed every day through pills and abortions. What are we thinking? And our future generations are disappearing…….
Are our churches fighting for the Word of God, for the glory of God? Are we upholding God’s principles in our teachings, or just striving to be attractive to the society? Are we caring for the poor, widows and elderly? Are we protecting our children from temptations and distorted teachings?
We need to repent as a family, as a church, as a community, and as a nation.
This Christmas, may we all kneel down before our Lord, be thankful of the salvation that He had planned for us even before the world was created. May we also repent for our sins, proclaim Christ is Lord, and seek God for direction on how we can lift up His name and glorify Him in the years to come!
Despite all of these tragic happenings around us, we should still rejoice and celebrate! As we know, the God we serve is the “KING of kings and LORD of lords”!!
“…and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever….And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.…And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” – Revelation 11:15, 19:6,16
Merry Christmas! And may God bless your family abundantly!
In Christ,
The Chan family, 2012
Derek, Kay, Tiffany, Odelia, Sonia, Viviana, Shoshana, Melody, and Joshua
"Dandelion!!! Dandelion!!!", the children shouted excitedly, jumping back and forth between me and the spot that they picked the flowers, busy showing me their treasures. It was last Saturday when we went to Markham to have lunch with grandparents. And these flowers were along the roadside where we parked our van.
"Yes, dandelion! Ok, children, we have to go, get in the van now.", I said.
"But I want to get more! Get more!!"
"It's OK, we will have a lot in our backyard!!"
Our children finally got in the van unwillingly….
Yesterday, the day was warm, and we spent some time outside. And my children were busy like bees!
"Dandelion!!! Dandelion!!!", they shouted. Busy picking this and that…. The older ones were thinking of eating them, and the younger ones were thinking of putting them in a jar with water.
It's really interesting when you compare their response with most of the adults, "OH, NO!!!! More dandelions AGAIN!!!"
The children see, they see the beauty of these flowers, as their hearts are pure. They admire the beauty of nature as it is, but not trying to conform the nature to their own way of thinking. And I believe, God talks to the little children, and let them know that these little yellow flowers are treasures, gifts from God.
The first time I learned about the amazing properties and nutrients these dandelions have, I was bewildered. I was in total disbelieve. "Is that true? Is this really talking about the little yellow flowers that we see everywhere? Basically just EVERYWHERE?!? And the very flowers that we had a hard time trying to get rid of??" I think I was also having a hard time to believe that something that good can actually be reached so easily, and for free!!
That's the nature of God. He loves us so much that He, indeed, gives us many treasures for free! The sunshine, the rain, the air, the songs of birds, the dandelions…….most importantly, salvation.
Spring is here, and dandelions are already greeting us along with robins. May I challenge you to google the benefits of dandelions, and be amazed by it every day this coming warm season!
Last week, I shared some of my thoughts on facebook. I would also like to share these thoughts with my friends who are not on facebook, therefore, I copy and paste them here…. The last section is my husband's response to one of these posts.
"When you are thinking back of how your life had been on your birthdays, that might be a sign of getting old…=) Well, I didn't do it on purpose (hehe)….but after knowing someone implied that I had never work a day in my life, and do not understand the struggle of money for my family as other working women do….that get me to some thinking…
Have I ever worked? oh well….if a job has to have a paycheck, health benefits, sick leave, vacation time, job description, specific working hours, professional meetings with no one yelling in the background……no, I guess I never work then! And what a wonderful husband I have!! That he's able to support our family and I do not need to work! God, thank you very much =)
At first, I feel a bit sad with a comment like this (the comment is not even pointing at me specifically, silly..) But then, I realized I am actually very happy and content at this stage of my life, though nights are broken, days are swirling..
Oooops, just got a call from one of my clients, Mr Joshua, maybe I should find a chance to explain to him what vacation time means!! =)"
Another one :
"I'm so moved by what Josh Romney said about his mother after his mother was being attacked by the words 'never worked a day in her life'!
He tweeted, “@AnnDRomney“ is one of the smartest, hardest working woman I know, could have done anything with her life, chose to raise me.”
Isn't this such a beautiful picture as said in Proverbs 31:28,
"Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her."
All mothers who chooses to raise her own children, be encouraged!!"
My husband's response :
"For thousands of years in human history, father and mother always have distinct roles in the home. Different but equally important roles. In Scripture, God commands man to be the leader, protector and provider of the home; while woman to be the help meet of her husband, caretaker of the young children and homemaker. If we observe tribal villages around the around throughout history, it is amazing that most people groups follow the biblical pattern. Indeed, the tribal groups may not enjoy the IPAD or xBox of civilized world, but they have emotionally stable children, closer family relationship and much lower divorce rate.
When industrialization and feminism were introduced, mothers started to enter the workforce en mass. The society praises this phenomenon as “more productive”, “women liberation from the bondage of home” and “women equal to men”. However, we observe our modern society now has very high divorce rate, broken family relationship, less children and more violent and disrespectful young generation. Who’s to be blamed? Both father and mother are responsible.
Men had abandoned their God-ordained leadership roles and pursued their career and hobbies, rather than spending time with their wives and children. Women had abandoned their God-ordained homemaker roles and chose to work outside and leave their young children to daycares and public schools. They have fallen into traps of thinking that they NEED the double income. But the reality is that they have assumed a large mortgage or debt, pursued the latest gadgets and refused to live a simple and frugal lifestyle. I can give personal witness, together with other homeschool families, that we have always live on SINGLE income. And we have on average 4-5 children, more than double the national average of 2.1.
I am so grateful to God that my wife Kay chose to stay home and raise our children. She holds double degrees (technically 1.5) of computer science and integrated media. Giving her creativity and talent, she could have made a 6-figure salary after 20 years in the field. Instead, she spent her days and nights changing diapers, cooking, sewing, teaching and feeding the next generation. What Kay is doing is 100 times more important than my job. She is molding and training the next generation for God in this dark world. Without her sacrifice, our children stand a slim chance against the secular worldview. What’s more important, she is submitting to God’s will and plan on a family.
I do not condemn women who choose to leave home and work. There are situations where the mother has to work outside and she is to be respected if she holds a hard and honest job. However, I believe we have to consider these 2 scenarios:
1. Double income. More materials and more debts. Less time as a family. Broken relationship between husband and wife. Broken relationship between parents and children.
2. Single income. Less “stuff” and no debts. More time as a family. Healthy relationship with everyone in the family. More creative because of less resources.
Do you get the picture? Mother who works outside is torn between 2 worlds. She has to please her boss as well as taking care of the children. In the end, she has to choose one over the other; or become bitter and frustrated because it is impossible to “serve 2 masters”. I wish mothers everywhere would listen to God and consider their “career path” more carefully.
It is true that she does not manage a multi-million-dollar project. It is true that she does not manage a team of 20 professionals. It is also true that she does not have pension, benefit, vacation and all the perks a “professional” woman enjoy. It is true that she does not get invited to company functions or “important” conferences. But it is also true that her children and husband rise up and call her “blessed”. It is also true that on the Day of Judgement, God is going to give her a reward, a crown of glory to show the whole world that she has obeyed the Lord by being a mother who “hasn’t worked a day in her life”."
We had a mild winter and thus spring is early this year. Consequently I can start seeds a couple weeks earlier than last year. I planted some peas, potatoes, spinach, Swiss chard and carrots in the garden, covering them with straw or vapour barrier.
After 2 years of failing, we are able to grow sweet potatoes in our garden. I grew the slip directly from a store bought sweet potato (read here and here) and used 6 mil clear plastic film to cover the soil for the entire season. Although most of the tubers are small, I count it as a success because the bed has only 5 inches of soil and the slips were close. Sweet potatoes are nutritious and hard to grow in warm climate countries. They do not need fur tile soil and can withstand drought. It is a wonderful gift from God, same with everything else.
Harvesting garlic looks like fun too!
And we have firefighters on site, watering our trees!?!
See what a three-year-old can do!
Derek surely had fun with the rental bobcat skid steer.
One tough job here, moving the hay and straw bales up to the barn loft.
Sheep sheering using hand sheer.
Fun time with the rental riding compactor and roller.
Snow forts
Endless creativity with snow. Snow horses.
Skating on our pond.
