by Soo-Inn Tan | Feb 27, 2026 | 2026, Family, Preaching & Teaching, Rest & Busyness, Work & Vocation
“Dad, you love ministry more than me.” Once, one of my children said that to me. Of course life is usually more complicated and resists being reduced to one statement. But, essentially, he was right. I graduated from theological college in my early 30s and began my...
by Soo-Inn Tan | Feb 11, 2026 | 2026, Aging, Family
A few days ago, Bernice and I were at the supermarket. At this time of year, Chinese New Year music was playing, and suddenly I was gripped with melancholy. I thought of the many Chinese New Year family gatherings we used to have in our family home in Penang. Those...
by Soo-Inn Tan | Jan 22, 2026 | 2026, Death & Grief, Spiritual Friendship, Widowhood
They are very dear friends. I preached at their wedding ten years ago. But I preached at her funeral late November last year. Early one morning I received a message from him telling me that his wife was in a coma and it looked like she would not recover. They were in...
by Pauline Loh | Nov 20, 2025 | 2025, Christian Identity, Family, Work & Vocation
“A woman can have it all, one thing at a time.” I learnt this adage at one of the lowest points in my life. As a stay-at-home mum (SAHM) with a baby and a toddler, I had neither domestic help nor parents and in-laws available to lend a hand. I...
by Soo-Inn Tan | Jul 18, 2025 | 2025, Death & Grief, Family
Do dogs go to heaven? We ask again because we just bade goodbye to Toffee — our canine companion, the doggy member of the family — on Tuesday night. I had just come back from a conference in Bangkok the day before. Bernice was on the way back from...
by Soo-Inn Tan | Jan 17, 2025 | 2025, Death & Grief, Spiritual Friendship, Widowhood
Grief is not a disorder, a disease or a sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love. The only cure for grief is to grieve. — Dr. Earl A. Grollman Yesterday (15 Jan) I met up with a friend for coffee. He lost...
