somewhere under the rainbow

We had a mother of an electrical storm early this evening, complete with awesome zigzags of lightning ripping the sky apart which were accompanied by reverberating booms of thunder that would have sent our dog Churchie running under the bed to hide, were he still alive.

The cosmic rock concert lasted all of 10, 15 minutes and then it just rained.

Being Singaporeans used to tropical thunderstorms, most of us didn't think much of it and carried on with our day ... until we made our way home after work.

For the hugest, most perfect and gorgeous rainbow adorned our sky.

Sitting in the car with Brian as he drove along the expressway, we both saw the rainbow at the same time and we both gasped at its size and beauty.

Despite our tropical weather, we don't often see rainbows after a storm here in Singapore. The ones that we do have always appeared more far away and, hence, fainter in colour.

But this one was a gigantic, clearly defined arc with the most brilliant, vibrant colours. It was just so in-your-face, and I've never seen anything like it.

Even through our rain-dappled windscreen, its magnificence was breathtaking. I couldn't take my eyes off it.

When we got home, it was just about 7 and still light (a rare occurrence for me, as I don't often get home till about 8pm). But what made it extra wonderful was that the rainbow was still visible, and now it seemed to arch right in front of our home.

The moment we got out of the car, we could see it in its entirety, in full, glorious technicolour.

We called Jordan out to look at it, and these pictures were taken by him, with his camera phone, from the stoop outside our apartment.

We got even more excited when we saw that the rainbow had a "double" arching over it. Its colours were fainter, and it wasn't a complete arc, but still it was there.



For almost five minutes, the three of us stood gazing up at this beautiful, awe-inspiring proof of God's power of creation and love. I don't know if Brian and Jordan realised it, but we were all buzzed by the high-voltage rainbow energy and light.

We watched some birds fly across the sky, as if trying to touch that beautiful arc of light and colour, and then the sun went down. All too soon, the rainbow "lost" half its arch before swiftly disappearing from view.

I thank God for this very special gift today -- a truly up-close-and-personal healing with rainbow light and energy.

And I believe that all who were beneath this rainbow today, whether we were standing outdoors admiring it or cooped up in cars or buildings, oblivious to it, received a dose of healing energy and light. It was that powerful.

Even now, as I write this, I can still feel the buzz of rainbow energy running through me. What a high.

And oh yes, I've fallen in love with God all over again.

More pictures (taken by me)!!

happy birthday, sweet 16

My son Jordan turned 16 today.

Where has the time flown?

I see this lanky young man standing before me, and images of a newborn baby with a full head of hair and tiny, long fingers flash before my eyes. I can still hear him, as a toddler, clapping his hands and singing when we were on the bus home after an outing one day, entertaining the other passengers with his infectious joy and little chipmunk voice.

I miss the long, curly ponytail that he'd had to have cut off when he started primary school -- a lock of hair that we'd left uncut since he was a baby.

I miss the little boy who used to quietly slip his hand into mine or his Dad's whenever he needed reassurance, the child who would unhesitatingly climb onto our laps for a kiss and a cuddle whenever he wanted because he was so confident of our love.

The young man who stands before me today won't let me hug him in public because it's uncool and embarrassing. But every night before he goes to bed, he willingly gives me a goodnight kiss, and returns the occasional hug that I manage to steal.

This young man no longer tells us everything, and there are things in his life that we do not know about. But while we've taught him that privacy is to be respected, he also knows that it is not to be abused; that truth and trust are to be held in even higher regard. So I'm grateful that he still willingly tells us about his day, choosing to share with us the things that matter -- his friends, his thoughts, his fears and his dreams.

As I look at Jordan today, I still see my baby, my little boy. But I also see the sensitive, compassionate, peace-loving and intelligent teenager that he is, and the wonderful man that he is becoming.

And I am grateful for this very precious gift that God entrusted into our care.

Happy birthday, son.