Guilin Tour, 18 - 25 June 2010.

Awesome Scenery

Inside Crown Cave.

Outside Crown Cave.

City tour.

Annointing of ease.

Taken from Joel Osteen "its your time" book:

Brian told me about his own experience with an annointing of ease. He is an honest, hardworking man who believes that business are built on trusting relationships. So he was very discouraged when he learned that his bosses were cheating one of their best customers.

After mulling it over, Brian decided that he could no longer work for a dishonest company. He didn't have a college degree. He didn't have another job lined up. He and his wife had just become parents for the first time. Still, he couldn't cheat people who trusted him.

Before he turned in his resignation, Brian told the customer that he was being overbilled. The customer was upset but thanked Him for his honesty and wished him well.

It was a challenging time for Brian. He'd work hard to learn the business and to build up his list of clients. He worried about his family's future. Then, a few weeks after he'd quit his job, Brian received a phone call from the client who'd been cheated.

"I'd like to help you start your own company," the client said. "I'll finance your start up, and I will be your first customer."

Brian stepped into an annointing of ease. What he couldn't make happen on his own, God made happen for him. He made a tough decision to do the right thing. He weathered hard times. He endured sleepless nights. Then, God stepped in and turned off the pressure.

Maybe like Brian, you have struggled in some aspect of your life. Let me assure you that if you stay in faith, you will come into your own annointing of ease. God has promised He will go before you and smooth your path. He will make your life easier.

In hard times, know that God is still on the throne. Know He is working things out for your good.

Amen.

The Pearl.

This is the title of a poem in the book of "Lady in Waiting" by Jackie Kendall & Debby Jones. I have read this book some months ago, and I re-read it again for a reminder and tried hard to apply what have been taught from the book. Chapter four uses the analogy of life being like an Oyster.

The following are some paragraphs I quote from the chapter:

"One of life’s most costly and beautiful objects is born out of pain and irritation–the pearl. A tiny piece of sand slips into an oyster’s shell and begins to rub against the soft tissue, causing irritation. In response to the irritation, the oyster produces a hard substance. This substance eventually develops ino one of the world’s most beautiful jewels–a lovely luminous pearl. In fact, the greater the irritation, the more valuable the pearl! "

"Many single women view themselves as ugly oyster shells lying on the beaches of life, beset with the trials and problems thaat come with not being married. To make matters worse, they compare their crusty exterior to all the beautiful seashells around them and wonder how any man could ever give his attention to them. "

Like the oyster and pearl, think of James 1:2-4, “Consider it all joy, my brethen, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Instead of the sands of your life causing bitterness, allow the trials to change you into a pearl.

The book also described two Godly women, Ruth and Rebecca (Genesis 24:16-25) who had been put in to unpleasant condition, but they persevere and kept their focus on God, which allow God through trials, change themselves into Pearl.

The Pearl (by Sylvia Hannah)
In every oyster there lies the ability

to produce something rare.

Truth like a grain of sand will produce

the pearl that is hidden there.

Young woman you are often mocked and scorned.

And told you never should have been born.

You want to run away, to hide your hurt.

Your heart is wounded, bleeding and torn.

God makes not mistakes

every life is special,

every life is planned.

Seeds can sprout in sand.

Open yourselves up to the Spirit of God

Grow in grace and maturity

Be what He wants you to be

Your beauty your strength lies deep within you.

Young woman, young girl,

open yourselves up to God.

Allow Him to reveal your pearl.

Welcome to Safari..

Berpelukan...

Bergantungan...

SPA outing: Taman Safari Trekking, 1-2 May 2010.

Depart to Taman Safari

Warming up before trekking


Go trekking.. go.. go..

Dare you game..

The winner group

Systems and Process Assurance - SPAers

God will provide. - by Mark Patterson.

The time has come to journey and go where God leads me
And though the road may seen to long
I know God's love will keep me

I may not know how the road will turn or where God will send me
So by Faith i'll trust and with grace i'll learn
God's mighty hand will defend me

I may not see all the things that are waiting just ahead
but I know God's watching over me
and in God's strength i'll stand

Gof will provide strength for the journey
bread for the morning and shelter for the night
God will provide hope for the weary
God will sustain me all the days of my life

Waktu luang (by JMK).

Waktu luang,
Tidaklah tersia-sia olehku,
Penggunaan waktu luang,
Hanya untuk melayani-Mu.
Kusadari betapa sementara waktu luang ini,
Takkan kusesali satu kesempatan yang terlewat
Agar orang-orang lain diberkati lewat penyerahanku.

Becoming the woman God wants me to be (Proverbs 31:10-31).

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.
16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in the fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdow and faithful instruction in on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her;
29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Sebab memang segala sesuatu bermula dari Dia, kita diciptakan untuk memenuhi panggilan-Nya, yaitu untuk memuliakan dia dalam apapun yang kita lakukan.

He never sleeps.

By Claire Cloninger and Don Moen.

When you've prayed every prayer that you know how to pray
Just remember the Lord will hear and the answer is on it's way
Our God is able, He is mighty, He is faithful
And He never sleeps He never slumbers
He never tires of hearing our prayer
When we are weak He becomes stronger
So rest in His love and cast all of your cares on Him

Do you feel that the Lord has forgotten your need
Just remember that God is always working in ways you cannot see
Our God is able, He is mighty, He is faithful

Still. By Reuben Morgan.

Remain at the same context. Usually I listen to radio program while I am driving. Today when I drove home, I don't know what make me prefer to listen to a CD rather than a radio program. I randomly took a Doen Moen CD and played it during my journey home. I hardly listened to the Songs until the last song, which made me astonished (OMG this the third times within three days). The following is the lyric:

Hide me now
Under Your wings
Cover me
Within Your mighty hand

CHORUS:
When the oceans rise
And the thunders roar
I Will soar with You
Above the storm
Father You are King over the flood
And I will be still
And know You are God

Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know His power
In quietness and trust
Be still and know
That I am God
I am the God
That healeth thee

Lingkupiku dengan sayap-Mu
Naungiku dengan kuasa-Mu
Lingkupiku dengan sayap-Mu
Naungiku dengan kuasa-Mu

REff:
Di saat badai bergelora
Ku akan terbang bersama-Mu
Bapa kau raja atas S'mesta
Ku tenang s'bab kau Allahku

Lesson from God (Part 2).

While the passage below (Psalm 46:10a - Be still, and know that I am your God) is still fresh in my mind, yesterday I went to SMS with Vivi, we planned to buy some books at Halleluya. During the journey from BSD to SMS, Vivi shared some of her experiences with God and she gave me a passage

Lamentations 3:22 - Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

I seldom or maybe never read Lamentations book, this morning I was a bit curious what this book is about, and I read through the passage, continue to 3:22-26

22 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness
24 I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him".
25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the the one who seeks Him.
26 It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

You see the verse 26, QUIETLY, confirmed what Novi told me before. Can't believe it, every words has the confirmation... I am stunned. Speechless..

Psalm 46:10a - Be still, and know that I am God.

As I have shared before, I felt anxious these past few weeks. Felt so many uncertainty. Somehow don't know what to do or have nothing to do, give me more pressure rather than being busy. Having discussed with Novi, she shared that she has been through this situation before and advice me this verse. Doing nothing is not a sin, sometimes we need to surrender and give chance to God to reveal His way, His plan and His will fo us rather than we try to make up everything for ourselves. No wonder, we always feel tired, because we lean on our own strength only.

I found this song in Youtube, very inspiring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEXRgkW8oh8

The writer comment:
In this verse, God's people are commanded to "be still", to cause ourselves to "let go", or let ourselves become weak. We surrender ourselves in order to know that God is in control. Too often, we believe that we can do all things on our own, without God's help. Personal initiative is no substitute for reliance upon God. We are also to "know that He is God". We need to meditate on His attributes - Holiness, Perfection, Majesty, Mercy, and infinite Wisdom ... to name a few. He has adopted us as His children, and looks after us always.
{Romans 8:14-17}

Know that He is God! He is the all-powerful Creator of the universe! Be still because of what you know about God. Consider all that He has done, for ones in the past and for each of us in our own lives. Rejoice in the calmness and serenity that comes when we trust in the One that took our sin upon Him, and gave us His Peace that surpasses all understanding ... and everlasting life in Him.

Allah berdaulat atas hidup anda. (Taken from Warta Gereja)

Ester, seorang wanita biasa yang memperlihatkan kesederhanaan dan kerendahhatiannya dipakai Allah menjadi pembebas bagi kaumnya. Allah berdaulat atas hidup seseorang, rancanganNya tepat pada waktunya. Mari kita renungkan kedaulatan tuhan yang telah mengubah kehidupan Ester menjadi orang yang luar biasa dalam sejarahnya.

Roma 11:33 "O, alangkah dalamnya kekayaan, hikmat dan pengetahuan Allah! Sunggung tak terselidiki keputusan-keputusanNya dan sungguh tak terselami jalan-jalanNya!"

Filipi 4:6-7 "Janganlah hendaknya kamu kuatir tentang apapun juga, tetapi nyatakanlah dalam segala hal keinginanmu kepada Allah dalam doa dan permohonan dengan ucapan syukur. Damai sejahtera Allah, yang melampai sega akal, akan memelihara hati dan pikiranmu dalan Kristus Yesus.

Worriness antidote.

A lot of thing came into my mind, sometimes I just couldn't help to stop my mind working. The more I think the more the worriness I had. During this anxious time, one of my niece, Clarabelle came to me and asked me to read her a book, the title is "Molly wants more".

I read through it outloud for her. The story is about a five years old Molly and her little brother. Both of them are having a tea time, their mum gave them two cookies each. However, Molly wants more and she grabs her little brother's cookies. Her little brother cry outloud when he knows Molly take over his cookies. Their mum come in and give Molly advice. full stop. I took a breath and want to continue the reading, suddenly Clara said outloud "The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need". Ta da.. I was slapped by her words. I shouldn't worry to much about anything, my future, soulmate and many many other things. Surely God will provide.

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Lesson from God.

Last saturday night I really felt uneasy and unable to sleep, and I tried hard to sleep but couldn't. Hence, I found something to do, accidentally I read Gema (our church devotion book) and got passage PSALM 37:5 "Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will do this".

When I was home on the Sunday night, I really felt uncomfortable, my thought was very messy, and I tried to calm down and found something to read, I don't know what drove me, I took "Lady in waiting" book once again and flip through the last chapter, title "Patient Woman". I read this chapter once again and found out also discuss about PSALM 37:3-5.

3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this

I mean lately God has taught me a lot of things, If I come closer to know him, the guidance is getting more obvious, and it seems no way I can run from Him.

In His Time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

In His time, In His time
He makes all things beautiful
In His time

Lord, please show me everyday
As you’re teaching me your way
That you do just what you say
In His time

In Your time, In Your time
You make all things beautiful
In Your time

Lord, my life to you I bring
May each song I have to sing
Be to You a lovely thing
In Your time

Some Quotes.

"Without risk there is no faith. Faith is precisely the contradiction between the infinite passion of the individual's inwardness and the objective uncertainty. If I am capable of grasping God objectively, I do not believe, but precisely because I cannot do this I must believe." - Soren Kierkegaard.

"The important thing is not to think much but to love much.. only in praer we learn to love God with heart, mind and soul." - Theresa Avila.

"Prayer is our response to God's interest in us and his love for us. To pray is to become aware of God's spirit living within us. Through prayer, we explore a deeper and more intimate relationship with God." - James M. Houston.

"If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself." - Augustine of Hipp0.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon:
where there is doubt, faith ;
where there is despair, hope
where there is darkness, light
where there is sadness, joy
O divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen. - Francis of Asisi.

Mountain Story.. (Unknown Author)

Another inspired story... Enjoy..

A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh! !!"

To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh! !!"

Curious, he yells: "Who are you?" He receives the answer: "Who are you?"
And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"
The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"
He receives the answer: "Coward!"

He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"
The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."
Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"
The voice answers: "You are a champion!"
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence. This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life; Life will give you back everything you have given to it."

YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!"

South Korea Tour.

7 kiat bekerja menurut amsal Salomo.

1. Andalkan Tuhan
Amsal 3:5-6 berkata, "Percayalah kepada Tuhan dengan segenap hatimu, dan janganlah bersandar kepada pengertianmu sendiri. Akuilah Dia dalam segala lakumu, maka Ia akan meluruskan jalanmu." Sertakan Tuhan di dalam segenap pekerjaanmu karena banyak yang harus kita kerjakan tetapi tidak diajarkan di bangku sekolah dan banyak yang terjadi yang tidak pernah kita duga sebelumnya.

2. Carilah Pengetahuan
Amsal 19:2 berkata, "Tanpa pengetahuan, kerajinanpun tidak baik ; orang yang tergesa-gesa akan salah langkah". Ilmu pengetahuan, cara bekerja yang benar & efisien perlu kita cari. Jangan sungkan belajar dan meminta petunjuk jika tidak mengerti.
Amsal 19:20 berkata, "Dengarkanlah nasihat dan terimalah didikan, supaya engkau menjadi bijak di masa depan."

3. Rajin dan Cekatan
Hanya orang rajin dan cekatan yang akan diingat oleh pimpinannya, terutama waktu menetapkan promosi jabatan & kenaikan gaji.
Amsal 10:4 berkata, "Tangan yang lamban membuat miskin, tetapi tangan orang rajin menjadikan kaya".
Amsal 14:23 berkata, "Dalam tiap jerih payah ada keuntungan, tetapi kata-kata belaka mendatangkan kekurangan saja."

4. Berlakulah Jujur dan Benar
Amsal 16:8 berkata, "Lebih baik penghasilan sedikit disertai kebenaran, daripada penghasilan banyak tanpa keadilan".
Amsal 10:9 berkata, "Siapa bersih kelakuannya, aman jalannya, tetapi siapa berliku-liku jalannya, akan diketahui ".
Amsal 10:16, "Upah pekerjaan orang benar membawa kepada kehidupan, penghasilan orang fasik membawa kepada dosa."

5. Jaga Mulut
Mengerjakan tugas-tugas adalah suatu pekerjaan yang berat, jangan Ditambahi lagi dengan masalah lain karena mulut kita yang bocor.
Amsal 21:23 berkata, "Siapa yang memelihara mulut dan lidahnya, memelihara diri daripada kesukaran".
Amsal 10:19 berkata, "Di dalam banyak bicara pasti ada pelanggaran, tetapi siapa yang menahan bibirnya, berakal budi."

6. Sabar dan Tenang
Amsal 16:32 berkata, "Orang yang sabar melebihi seorang pahlawan, orang yang menguasai dirinya, melebihi orang merebut kota".
Amsal 14:30 menambahkan, "Hati yang tenang menyegarkan tubuh, tetapi iri hati membusukkan tulang."

Forgive is a verb, we can do it.

In our social life we have made many relations with other people, family and friends. Without our consciousness when the relation becomes closer, we usually build specific expectations from those people. We often disappoint when those expectations cannot be met. That what’s I experienced lately. That also made me realised that nobody is perfect including me. We need to learn to forgive and accept other people including their strengths as well as their limitations. Somehow it is difficult to apply it in our daily life, with a big heart I believe we can do it.

Quiet Time.

A simple thoughts during an extraordinary time...

by Daniel W.

Love is never easy...
For sure, you will find many obstacles and hard time.

But

Love brings happiness...
For sure, you will find happiness
when you're falling in love or being loved by someone.

However, the happiness is a different story...

Happiness is something that sometimes come and go easily...
It is a pleasant emotion... a greatest moment of a lifetime...

You could find it in love, friendship, family...
or you could create it beneath your mind, day by day...

Once you know the way to grab happiness,
I believe it will not come and go easily.
Just believe that God will always give you the best,
not the worst...

Be positive...

Lady in waiting.

That is a book's title by Jackie kendall and Debbie Jones. A few months ago a church friend, Novia, recommended me to read this book. Both of us involve in the same ministry in a young mature single community in our church. As a young single lady, sometimes waiting can be very challenging, especially in this information era almost everything are instant. Somehow we also want God to fulfil what we want right here right now, regardless we are ready or not. This book has given me a lot of new perspectives how to be a Godly woman while waiting for prince charming.

The most important principle that I learnt from this book is "my earthly father, my future husband, or anyone else could not provide security--only God can". Hence, we have to put our hope in God not in human. Let's God make everything beautiful in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). A very recommended book to read !

Preview from the authors.

This is not just another book for singles! With humor, honesty, and biblical truths, the authors help point women to being the right woman and not just finding the right man. By studying the biblical character Ruth, women learn the characteristics that every woman of God should develop. Learn how to become a lady of purity, faith, contentment, patience, and more as you pursue a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus. You'll discover that only a relationship with your Heavenly Bridgegroom will satisfy!

Busyness drift away our soul from God.

This morning devotion talk about the following passage Luke 10:38-42

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

This passage remind us that we often get distracted very easily, busy with our work, task after task, routine and etc. Without our conscious it also drift away our priority. Somehow based on my experience, sometimes we ourselves that keep ourselves busy, in order to look important, dilligent, good, smart and etc. Hence, we often say no time for pray, fellowship and especially a quite time with God.

If we look back what all the activities and busyness are for? sometimes end up with nothing. Maybe we need to give some thoughts and re-arrange our priority, but the most of all put God in the first place. He only asked us to have sometime with Him, may be only 30 minutes or 15 minutes per day. If we calculated one day 24 hours, amounted for 1440 minutes, then we spent 30 minutes out of 1440 minutes. It is only 2% of our total time per day. Is that too much?

This message is also a warning for me, to slow down a little, put aside worriness and quiet listen to Him.

Ku Tak Akan Menyerah.

by Jonathan Prawira.

Dalam segala perkara, Tuhan punya rencana
Yang lebih besar dari semua yang terpikirkan
Apapun yang kau perbuat, tak ada maksud jahat
S'bab itu kulakukan, semua dengan-Mu Tuhan

Reff:
Ku tak akan menyerah pada apapun juga
Sebelum kucoba, semua yang kubisa
Tetapi kuberserah kepada kehendak-Mu
Hatiku percaya Tuhan punya rencana.

Life is good ?

I wondered how many people who live in this earth have a courage to admit this simple truth. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves about it. The past few weeks have been a terrible time for me in the office. Everything were overwhelming, have tried hard to manage all the works, felt frustrated and nearly want to give up. It seemed that I've used up all my energy and have nothing else to keep it continue.

Thank's God, He always knows and be there when we need Him. This morning devotion have reminded me about the slogan again "Life is good". It says we always overwhelm by our daily activities and struggles : work, family, health, relationship, but somehow it's good to think how tiny our part in the universe really is. During our obsession over our work, in fact God quietly does His. Everything in this universe keep working: sun rise, sun set, earth rotating, the planet revolving and season changing, without we need to pray about it or tell God that it's time to do what. All that He does remind us He is good (Acts: 14:17). How comfort the words are.

"Life will at time be difficult, often it is painful, and for now it is imperfect. But still it is good, for in all these things nothing can separate us from God's lavish expressions of love - Rome 8:39". (Julie Ackerman Link).

A piece of cake. - Author Unknown -

(Have you ever thought: "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did God have to do this to me?" Remember this story the next time you do.)

A daughter is telling her mom how everything is going wrong: she is struggling in algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.

Meanwhile, her mom is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack. "Absolutely, Mom, I love your cake". "Here, have some cooking oil," her mom offers."Yuck," says the daughter."How about some raw eggs?" asks the mom."Gross, Mom!"

"Would you like some flour on them?" asks Mom."Mom, these are all yucky!" says the daughter. To which the mother replies,"Yes, all these things seem bad by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully, delicious cake.

"God works the same way. Many times, we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts all these things in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and eventually, they will all make something wonderful.

Hope your day is "a piece of cake"!

Trust and Obey. (By John H. Sammis)

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Comforting Message.

Received an sms from a friend, which I think very comforting. Here is the message:

The secret of life is letting go. The secret of love is letting it show. The power of prayer is a humble cry. The power of changes is giving our life. Let it in time and you will see. The journey of life is a search for a chance. The journey of faith is following God. Every step of the way.. Through the joy and the pain, lift up to Him completely. Let God Works in our life. Just believe and surrender everything to His control.. And you will see how amazing our God. Start each day to hold His hand and walk in His love. God know you and never leaves you. Jesus Love us!

Eventhough you can't see Him, God is there!

Once upon a time at lunch time.

Bali Adventure - FS xLos outing 30 May - 1 June 2009.

This was my fifth time to visit Bali. I was still exciting about it. This also my third time went for rafting, I still felt thrilled with the experience... Looking forward for next year outing.. :)

Stretching Creativity.

Being a sunday school teacher sometimes can be quite challenging for me. Currently I am taking care of a class of ten of 4-5 years old children. These children sometimes can be so cute and awesome, but on the other time can really be very annoying. I take that challenge as an exersice to strech my patience and emotion.

May is a month when our church celebrate as a family month. Every sunday in this month, we have a moment during the service to show respects to our parents. For sunday school we got a task to make a greeting card to show these kids' love to their parents. In other words, I as a teacher need to prepare a card template which is doable by a 4-5 years old kid. As a not talented in Art person, I went straight to google and found some websites to facilitate card crafting. Finally, I came out with a card template and angel pattern doll complete with its ornaments that can be glued and coloured by these children. Hmm, thank's to the google.. :)

Fireproof.

Another inspirational film from the creators of Facing the Giants. This film remind us that sometimes we can take our family for granted and feel that they do not have any meanings in our life anymore, which we shoud give more appreciation to them.

Along the story there is one sentence that really hit me is "don't follow your heart". That's also remind me with a reflection that I heard some years ago (http://gracia-triana.blogspot.com/2004/11/follow-your-heart.html). Yeah we are easily tempted by our circumstances and forget to seek God's will. Thank's God I was reminded again.

Life of Pi.

That was a title of a novel that I read recently. It is a fantasy adventure story, which was written by Yann Martel. In the story, the protagonist Piscine "Pi" Molitor Patel, an Indian boy from Pondicherry, explores issues of religion, sprituality, and practicality from an early age. He survives 227 days after a shipwreck, while stranded on a boat in the Pacific Ocean. In this ocean where the story mostly talk about. An amazing story, full of miracle, and like Pi said, through his experiences made him believe to God.

How about us? Do we put our life in His hands ?

John 10:28 "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."

SPA outing: Ayer Island 16-17 May 2009.

Enhancing relationships - some wise words.

I got it from a mailing list, I thought these words are worthed to be shared because it is very inspirational.. enjoy to read..

TRUST is a very important factor for all relationships. When trust is broken, it is the end of the relationship. Lack of trust leads to suspicion, suspicion generates anger, anger causes enmity and enmity may result in separation.

A telephone operator told me that one day she received a phone call. She answered, "Public Utilities Board." There was silence. She repeated, "PUB." There was still no answer. When she was going to cut off the line, she Heard a lady's voice, "Oh, so this is PUB.Sorry, I got the number from my Husband's pocket but I do not know whose number it is."

Without mutual trust, just imagine what will happen to the couple if the telephone operator answered with just "hello" instead of "PUB".

NO POINTING FINGERS

A man asked his father-in-law, "Many people praised you for a successful marriage. Could you please share with me your secret?" The father-in-law answered in a smile, "Never criticize your wife for her shortcomings or when she does something wrong. Always bear in mind that because of her shortcomings and weaknesses, she could not find a better husband than you."

We all look forward to being loved and respected. Many people are afraid of losing face. Generally, when a person makes a mistake, he would look around to find a scapegoat to point the finger at. This is the start of a war. We should always remember that when we point one finger at a person, the other four fingers are pointing at ourselves.

If we forgive the others, others will ignore our mistake too.

CREATING PERFECT RELATIONSHIPS?
A person visited the government matchmaker for marriage, SDU, and requested "I am looking for a spouse. Please help me to find a suitable one." The SDU officer said, "Your requirements, please." "Oh, good looking, polite, humorous , sporty, knowledgeable, good in singing and dancing. Willing to accompany me the whole day at home during my leisure hour, if I don't go out. Telling me interesting stories when I need companion for conversation and be silent when I want to rest." The officer listened carefully and replied, "I understand you need television."

There is a saying that a perfect match can only be found between a blind wife and a deaf husband ,because the blind wife cannot see the faults of the husband and the deaf husband cannot hear the nagging of the wife. Many couples are blind and deaf at the courting stage and dream of perpetual perfect relationship. Unfortunately, when the excitement of love wears off, they wake up and discover that marriage is not a bed of roses. The nightmare begins.

NO OVERPOWERING

Many relationships fail because one party tries to overpower another,or demands too much. People in love tend to think that love will conquer all and their spouses will change the bad habits after marriage. Actually, this is not the case. There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that "It is easier to reshape a mountain or a river than a person's character."

It is not easy to change. Thus, having high expectation on changing the spouse character will cause disappointment and unpleasantness.

It would be less painful to change ourselves and lower our expectations..

RIGHT SPEECH
There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that "A speech will either prosper or ruin a nation." Many relationships break off because of wrong speech. When a couple is too close with each other,we always forget mutual respect and courtesy. We may say anything without considering if it would hurt the other party.

A friend and her millionaire husband visited their construction site. A worker who wore a helmet saw her and shouted,"Hi, Emily! Remember me? We used to date in the secondary school." On the way home, her millionaire husband teased her, "Luckily you married me.Otherwise you will be the wife of a construction worker.." She answered ,"You should appreciate that you married me. Otherwise, he will be the millionaire and not you."

Frequently exchanging these remarks plants the seed for a bad relationship. It's like a broken egg - cannot be reversed..

PERSONAL PERCEPTION
Different people have different perception. One man's meat could be another man's poison. A couple bought a donkey from the market. On the way home,a boy commented, "Very stupid. Why neither of them ride on the donkey?" Upon hearing that, the husband let the wife ride on the donkey. He walked besides them. Later, an old man saw it and commented, "The husband is the head of family. How can the wife ride on the donkey while the husband is on foot?" Hearing this, the wife quickly got down and let the husband ride on the donkey.

Further on the way home, they met an old Lady. She commented, "How can the man ride on the donkey but let the wife walk. He is no gentleman." The husband thus quickly asked the wife to join him on the donkey. Then, they met a young man. He commented, "Poor donkey, how can you hold up the weight of two persons. They are cruel to you." Hearing that, the husband and wife immediately climbed down from the donkey and carried it on their shoulders.

It seems to be the only choice left. Later, on a narrow bridge, the donkey was frightened and struggled. They lost their balance and fell into the river. You can never have everyone praise you, nor will everyone condemn you. Never in the past, not at present, and never will be in the future.

Thus, do not be too bothered by others words if our conscience is clear..

BE PATIENT
This is a true story which happened in the States. A man came out of his home to admire his new truck. To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint of the truck. The man ran to his son, knocked him away, hammered the little boy's hands into pulp as punishment. When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to the hospital.

Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy's hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery & saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, " Daddy,I'm sorry about your truck." Then he asked, "but when are my fingers going to grow back?" The father went home & committed suicide.
Think about this story the next time someone steps on your feet or u wish to take revenge. Think first before u lose your patience with someone u love. Trucks can be repaired.. Broken bones & hurt feelings often can't. Too often we fail to recognize the difference between the person and the performance. We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge.

People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever.

Professional Looks.

This picture was taken we were going to have a proposal presentation for a potential clients. All of us looked so formal.. :)

When I (God) say that I love you (human being)....

lyric by Franky Sihombing

You feel that you're lonely
It doesn't prove that you are alone
You feel that nobody want you
It doesn't mean that no one cares about you

Reff:
Listen to the words I say
that I will always by your side
You mean everything to me
that I will never leave you
cause I love you so

If you think that you're nothing
but for Me you are something beautiful
You think you can't do anything
but you can do a lot of things with me

When I say that I love you
It's mean I give the best for you
When I say that I love you
I will give everything for you

No more fear about the future
and blame for the past
I'll give everthing when I say that I love you
I want you to know that I died for you
I want you to know that I'll give all My life for you
When I say that I love.. say that I love you
When I say that I love you, I really do.

John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends."

What would you do, if you know your time won't be long..

During the Christmas and New year holiday, I finally have time to spend my time to read for pleasure again. By coincidence the two books that I read this time related to death. One of them is a fiction another one is real story. Having read both of them, I come to realise that we have to appreciate every minutes and every second in this life. Life is so short, instead of complaining, why don't we focus on thing that we can do to fulfil our dreams. The following is the title and short description of the book:

• Ways to live forever. This book was written by a young talented author Sally Nicholls. She was just 23 when she wrote the book. The book describes an 11 years old boy, who may not make his dream come true because he would die by lymphoblastic leukemia. With the encouragement of his tutor, he starts to write a bit about himself, then more, until he is using his writing to sort out his death.

• The last lecture (Real Story). A lot of professors give talks titled The Last Lecture. Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy? When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. What would a dying person give in a lecture? suprisingly Randy did not talk about his health condition and his family struggles to cope with the situation, instead he talked about how to achieve childhood dreams, overcoming obstacles, enabling dreams of others, and seizing every moment (because time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living. This lecture recorded as one of the most inspiring lecture ever.

Something that worthwhile to read and think about.

I got the following illustration from my philiphino friend. I think it might be useful to share with others. I hope someone read this and realise that what the most important thing in this world and do not take it for granted again in the future. Something that good to start with in the 2009.

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you

'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

The Rain - by Thomas Kinkaid.

One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick. Suddenly, my daughter, Aspen, spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. "Dad, I'm thinking of something."

This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear.

"What are you thinking?" I asked.
"The rain!" she began, "is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away."

After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond. "That's really good, Aspen."

Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take this revelation? So I asked... "Do you notice how the rainkeeps on coming? What does that tell you?" Aspen didn't hesitate one moment with her answer:
"We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us." I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on. Isn't it distressing to know that when you forward this message you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

In order to see the Rainbow, you must first endure some Rain.

READ THE FIRST LINE CAREFULLY.
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Happy moments, praise God.

Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit".

May the spirit of first christmas is always kept in our heart.

Ebenezer.

That day was Friday. I was so stressed with everything on my shoulders. Fortunately I woke up in that morning, I read a passage from our daily bread booklet with a title "Ebenezer". The term is derived from 1 Samuel 7:12 which means "The stone of help - thus far has the Lord helped us". Yeah sometimes we may easy to get weary, and forget that so far God always look after us.. Nothing are missed from God's eyes. Hence, believe and put your burden and hope on Him. Happy Christmas !

Take a break is required.

These few weeks I am very exhausted, having so many things that need to manage inside and outside the office in the same time. Sometimes I felt being as Marta in the bible story.. Put so many concern at the daily routine, work and other business and forget the most important part.. hmm you know the answer.

I need to put my focus back in to the right track. Habit 3 - Put first things first.

Perspective.

A few days ago I read a reflection begin with a question: When is a bird bigger than a mountain? The first word that come into my mind was impossible, whatever kind of birds will never bigger than a mountain. Then I read through the article and found out the answer: When the bird is closer than the mountain. Hmm, the answer is truely correct. I never thought about it this before. That's also the way we see our problem. Sometimes we perceive our problem is bigger than anything even bigger than God. It is because we are closer to the problem than God. As such times, God seems as far away as a distant mountain, an we perceive Him as being small and unreachable.

Surely God is always there and give us strength to face our struggle, as He promises to "gives strength to the weary, and young men stumble and fall" (Isaiah 40:29). Just as a bird is never bigger than a mountain, no problem is ever bigger than God. It's all a matter of changing our perspective.

New Managers Conference, Bali.

All in One

Team Work n Fun

Gala Dinner

Mejeng ria..

Mulailah percaya. (Believe).

Rasa khawatir adalah pedang bermata dua. Rasa khawatir bukan saja tidak dapat memberi nilai tambah bagi hidup Anda, tetapi juga melenyapkan banyak hal dalam hidup Anda :

· Kesehatan – rasa khawatir menuntun pada ketegangan, yang merusak fisik Anda.

· Waktu – waktu yang Anda habiskan untuk menghawatirkan sesuatu itu memakan waktu yang seharusnya Anda gunakan untuk melakukan hal-hal lain.

· Produktivitas – pada saat Anda mengurangi waktu yang digunakan untuk melakukan hal-hal yang perlu, mak produktivitas Anda menurun

· Iman – Anda tidak dapat memiliki rasa khawatir dan memiliki iman pada saat yang bersamaan.

Satu-satunya jalan untuk memberi nilai tambah dalam hidup Anda adalah dengan berhenti khawatir dan Percaya.

Not my will, but Your will.

It was approximately three months ago, I felt so confident that's would come true. One step by step seemed went so smooth as I expected. However, suddenly it stopped and no continuance of progress. Part of it was my mistakes, I was so get into it, and put almost my whole energy and focus to the "project". It made me so disappointed, which then continued affect my mind performance. As a result, I become reckless in some perspectives, which end up with losing my wallet.

I was so desperate, why everything turning upside down. I was not only losing my wallet, but everything such as my ID card, driving license, ATM card and Credit card. What made me so mad was the next three day I had to go out of town in order to attend a conference in Bali. Felt really hopeless. I tried to calm down and figured out what to do. I called bank call centre to block out all of credit cards and ATM card. Then re-issued my ID card and ATM on the next day. After a bit relief, three days later when I was ready to go to airport get caught in the traffic jam, which made me late for my flight. I was really nuts. Everything seemed so wrong. Nevertheles, I could take the next flight. After the conference over, I get my driving license re-issued. Then one by one was recovered.

This occasion made me remembered one of the sermon during our fellowship service. The Evangelist said, "Whenever we want to go out from our home in this city, we never forget to bring our wallet. However, do we remember to pray and ask God protection ?". It seems that we put our faith more in our wallet and everything in it when we want to go around the city rather than God. And It is also made me realised, that everything I did, God who has the authorisation to make it success or failure. Whatever He allows to happen are for our own good. Maybe the project was not meant to be for me, it failed so I can realise my limited capabilities and have more a reliance on God rather than my own strength. After all God is greater than everything.

"Lord, give me the courage to change the things which can and ought to be changed, the serenity to accept the things which cannot be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference". - Alcoholics Anonymous Prayer.

Carry your own weather.

Having been trained on 7 habits for highly effective people about one month ago. These 7 habits can only be applied if we succeed to apply the first habit and go on to the next habit. If we cannot apply the first habit then we cannot go on to the second habit and so on. The most basic habit is be proactive. Proactive is more than having initiative. Be proactive means take responsibility on our attitude (in the past, present and future), and can make a choice based on principles rather than our mood or feeling or condition.

Based on the definition above, being angry, stress, happy or sad is a choice. We determine our circumstance. I think this principle is really true indeed. However, somehow it is really difficult to be applied. What do you think ?

SPA families and friends BBQ - 2 Aug 2008.

The settings

Tukang makannya Tukang masaknya

The latest participants

Share The Secret. (by Anon)

One day, one friend asked another, "how is that you are always so happy? You have so much energy, and you never seem to get down." With her eyes smiling, she said, "I know the secret!" "What secret is that?" To which she replied "I'll tell you about it, but you have to promise to share the secret with others." "The secret is this: I have learned there is little I can do in my life that will make me truly happy. I must depend on God to make me happy and to meet my needs. When a need arises in my life, I have to trust God to supply according to His riches. I have learned most of the time I don't need half of what I think I do. He has never let me down. Since I learned that 'Secret', I am happy."

The questioner's first thought was, "That's too simple!" But upon reflecting over her own life she recalled how she thought a bigger house would make her happy, but it didn't! She thought a better paying job would make her happy, but it hadn't. When did she realise her greatest happiness? Sitting on the floor with her grandchildren, or other children, playing games, eating pizza or reading a story, a simple gift from God.

Now you know it too! We can't depend on people to make us happy. Only God in His infinite wisdom can do that. Trust Him! and now I pass the secret on to you! So once you get it, what will you do?

You have to tell someone the secret too! That God in His wisdom will take care of YOU! But it's not really a secret.. We just have to believe it and do it... Really trust God!

During trial circumstances.

2 Cor 12: 9 - But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

James 1:3-4 - "because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything".

1 Cor 10:13 - "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

1 Peter 1:6-7 - "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed".

We Need Each Other: To Walk With. (by Rick warren)

Received the following reflection from an email.. just felt it is good to be shared.. and realised that the advantage of having community.

Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in Him. Colossians 2:6 (NIV/NKJV)
*** *** *** ***
The Bible often compares life to a walk, because life is a journey; we’re not sitting still. Throughout the New Testament, we are told to walk in wisdom, love, light, and obedience. We’re told to walk as Jesus walked. We’re also told to walk alongside other people. Here are three reasons to walk with other people:

1. It’s safer. Have you ever walked alone at night through a dark alley or down a lonely country road? It’s a little scary. But if you have another person with you, you immediately feel safer.
2. It’s supportive. Life is not a fifty-yard dash; it’s a marathon. Walking with other people gives you the energy to keep on going until the end.
3. It’s smarter. You learn more by walking with others than by walking alone. If you’re walking alone in the wrong direction, you may never realize it. But if you have a friend alongside you, one of you is likely to recognize you’ve veered off the path and need to find the right direction.

We also learn some important lessons when we walk alongside other people. We learn how to get along with others, how to cooperate. We also learn how to love. Genesis 2:18 tells us, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (NIV). God hates loneliness, and community is God’s answer to loneliness. When we walk alongside other people, we find a community where we learn how to love.

Walking alongside other people also teaches us hospitality. 1 Peter 4:9 says, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (NIV). What’s your grumble? What’s your excuse for not opening your home to friends? Maybe you’ve said, “My home is dirty!” Well, clean it up! Or perhaps your excuse is: “My home isn’t big enough.” Can you put three people in it? Jesus says, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20 NIV).

Everybody has a longing for belonging because God made us for relationships. When we walk alongside other Christians in community, we find that longing satisfied.

SPA Outing 2008 - Bangka Belitung.

Old and New of the firm's financial year.

This July our office began new financial year 2008/2009. The subsequent event before the new financial year, there always a promotion and bonus performance announcement. This year was also a blessing for me. I was promoted to a manager. Even so I felt very frustated these days.

Like I have shared before that the past few months I was so stress out with my last project, even until now it hasn't fully closed yet. It took so much of my energy, physically and mentally. The coming year I can foresee that the next coming year would be much more demanding, I don't know whether I am ready with the situation.

At one moment, I had a thought to submit resignation letter. Even a few weeks after the promotion. While thinking what decision that need to make:

• Daniel shared with me for his financial struggles after his marriage. In every move God has guided him and sufficiently look after his needs so He never lack of anything.
• I read through my blog archive, I could see that God has so faithful and never let me down. He looked after me during my post grad study until I could finish it smoothly, looking for job, CISA exam, helped me to let go "thing" and many many more.
• Just realised that in every situations that was me who made everything were so stressful, me who always want to solve everything by my own. No wonder I felt so much pressure.
• I had a sharing with some church friends. Listened to their stories and struggles, after all my situation is much better than them.

Eventually I realised the problem is on myself, always feel so over confident and rely on my own strength. Resignation maybe a shortterm solution, but who can guarantee that I would not face the same situation in other workplace.. Hence, at the moment I would stay at where I am, do my best and keep in faith that He will never fail us.

Psalm 23

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you arewith me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Ku di tanganMu.

By Joseph Jafar.

Ku ditanganMu Ku dihatiMu
Di pikiranMu di rencanaMu
Tak pernah kusendiri
Ku ditanganMu ku dihatiMu
Di pikiranMu di rencanaMu
Tak pernah ditinggalkan

Lord I’m in Your hands
Lord I’m in Your hearts
In Your thought
In Your plan
Never be alone
Lord I’m in Your hands
Lord I’m in Your hearts
In Your thought
In Your plan
Never left alone

The Statue of Life.

The following story was forwarded by a friend, which I thought interesting and good to share with others. Hope this story can give you or other readers inspiration.

Here they go:
Once there was a sculptor lived in a country. He worked fro a well-known king who ruled over a huge land. It made everyone knew the king and respected him.

The sculptor had worked for a long time. He made many statues that placed in the palace. They were so beautiful and the king trusted him. A lot of other kings admired the statue when they visited the palace garden.

One day the king had a big plan. He wanted the sculptor made some statue of his family and his best guards and servants. They were 100 statues. The statue of king and his family will be placed inside the palace. His best guards and servants were inside the garden. He wanted the statues in the garden were looked to protect him.

The sculptor started to work hard, days and nights. Some months later, he almost finished his works. The king came to his workshop and checked the progress. "Good, very good", the King said "I want you make your own statue to complete that monument, before I forget".

He began to work again after taking the king's comand. After a while, he finished his self own statue. Unfortunately it looked roughed. Its side wasn't polished well. He tought what the benefit for him to make a good statue if it only placed inside the garden. "The statue will be damaged soon because of sun and rain", he said to himself.

The time was over. The king came again to check his work. The King was was so satisfied. But there was a small thing that made him interested. "Why your own statue isn't polished as mine? Whereas I want to place yours beside mine. If your statue is like this, I change my mine and make yours within my other guards outside".

The sculptor was so regret. His own statue was in outside the palace. The sun and rain came toward it, as his hope about it.

The morality:
How far we appreciate ourselves? God has made us perfect with unique talent and character. And do we care to create our own statue as perfect as God's creation? Our carving that we made now will determine our place later. Create your own "Statue" well and lovely.