Fresh fire: A memorable encounter with God

Helloooo guys :)

It's post-thanksgiving period and everyone ought to switch gears from the relaxing break to our hectic days.. school.. work.. bla bla.. I feel good to be back, but at the same time I am already missing the days spent in Alpine Meadows (Healing Movement Camp). It's amazing how 3 days can change your entire life. God is truly mysterious yet awesome in His ways.

I've heard of how testimonies can bring blessings to others and I believe in that, so here goes my experience.

Before the retreat? 1) I dwell in my struggle to forgive ppl who have hurt me, 2) I was lukewarm in serving God and 3) I was afraid of testifying / sharing my encounter with God (just because I have a poor self-image and carry little confidence)

After the retreat? I am a changed teenage girl. Restored in spirit and healed at heart. I not only had my broken heart mended, but I've regained a healthy self-image, all thanks and glory to God. Aku sudah pulih skrg ^^ !!!

I'm also amazed at how God can touch the soul of every personality --- how He has picked me up and hugged me during altar call. It was an encounter too good to be missed.. For those of you yg ga datenk retreat, it's okay.. NEXT YEAR IKUT YAA!! ^_^ bener2 ga nyesel deh.. hehee.. As for those yg udah ikut, I'm sure we're all ready to transfer that fire to everyone else around us.. let us keep the fire burning as we encourage one another in prayer and good deeds :)

Also, God spoke to me about our youth generation during the camp. He wants to use us young people more.. He longs for us to come back to Him hungry and ready to be used in any way we can. If you are one of those who've been fervently asking God to use you, but haven't felt like you've done anything, congratulations. The good news is even without you realizing, the little things that you've done have actually affected someone else's life.. be it the simple act of smiling or asking "How are you?" when you meet somebody, or even your comment about something which you'd deemed as useless. Believe me, Kenji proved it to Olivia & me in his testimony :) Jadi, jgn pernah ragu kalo Tuhan tuh bener2 mao pake & sudah memakai kita..

One more thing.. we should start thinking far ahead beyond our time.. karena Ps. Benny reminded us that our generation is a "father" to the younger generation after us, and so are they to the generation after them.. so let us be a generation with burning spirit and insane passion for God, so that we can transfer this "wave" to our younger generation :) Semangaaaaatttt !!!

GBU.

Perfect Peace

There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell, in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest ... perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize?

The King chose the second picture.

Do you know why?

"Because," explained the King, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."


Addendum -- John 16:33 (NLT) "I have told you all this so that you may have 'peace' in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

-love, Nova :)

Life: Before HMC and After HMC

I’m sure that you’ve seen those before and after pictures in ads for diet pills. The before picture always features some tremendously out-of-shape obese guy. The after picture then shows him looking trim, sculpted, and usually holding out the waistband of his old pants, which are now many sizes too big. The ad then tells the story about how this particular diet plan melted off the pounds in record time.

Whether or not you believe those amazing testimonials, there is an even more amazing before and after picture that is not only believable but available as well. It’s the picture of your life before and after Jesus.

The before picture would show how purposeless, sometimes burdened, often confused, searching, and sinful your life really was. The Bible is pretty clear about our condition before we met Jesus. It describes us as being lost, broken, guilty, condemned, and even “enemies” of God.

But then we met Him. Realizing that He wasn’t chasing us down with the sheriff’s posse to lock us up for our sin, we repentantly responded to His amazing offer of mercy and grace. Thanks to Jesus, our before picture now lays in pieces amidst the rubble of our past lives, and we have the privilege of stepping up to have our after snapshot taken.

But, I wonder—what would that picture look like?

When Scripture talks about “good works,” it’s a lot more than going to church every Sunday and tithing. Good works are actions that reflect God’s mercy, grace, compassion, and righteousness. It’s the action of loving others, even when they aren’t all that loveable; forgiving; reaching out to the poor and disadvantaged; caring for the lost and the losers; being patient and tolerant with the faults and failures of others; serving the needs of others without clamoring for applause; providing the fruits of righteousness for those around us to be blessed by.

Here’s a good way to think of it. Our after picture ought to be a duplicate picture of the good works that God has so generously showered on us. In fact, His good works in our lives are like a workout seminar on how to treat and respond to others.  

When I see the after pictures in diet ads, I often wonder what the person looks like now. Believe me, I know what it’s like to trim down only to lose sight of the goal and chub back up again. So, let’s not lose sight of the goal.

You’ve been saved to be an ad for the glory of God’s goodness in your life and His good work through you to the lives of others. So what’s your after picture looking like today? Shed the excess fat of your past and let His glory show because KAMI SUDAH PULIHHH!!!

My dear friends, I once blogged about the difference of life with and without God before. But again I still want to share again…

"hidup tanpa Tuhan membosankan in the long run.. hidup dengan Tuhan is always full of surprises…"

p.s: I wanna take this oppurtunity to apologize to everyone; all of you my friends, for all the unbiblical deeds I did since we met.. I apologize for the words/language I use is sometimes unethical and hurt your feelings; I apologize for I’m selfish, ignorant, boastful, overboard, stubborn, disappointing, vulgar… (and of course the list goes on). But, at this point of time, I really want to start afresh like a newborn baby. I promise I’ll do my outmost best not to hurt you again.. so that our relationship will get even better and stronger. My dear beloved friends, will you forgive me?

2.34 AM Tuesday

Hey guys,

So, here i am... awake in the middle of the night, almost on the dawn of today... hehe :)

Just wanna say happy pre-thanksgiving to all of YOU!

Oh by the way, I've just sent out a MASS e-mail to all of the CYR people about da new forum: http://cyrgen.forumsland.com/cyrgen.html

If you didn't receive my e-mail, I owe you an apology: "SOrry dude, I missed out on you".

Anyway, I'd like to encourage you to keep reading our beloved Purpose Driven Life. We'll be doing an assessment on where you stand in your reading next week (after the thanksgiving week) so that the leaders can help you reach your reading goals.

Besides that, I also wanna encourage all of you who are facing problems, uncomfortable situations out there: keep your faith strong in Christ, know that He is God, and let Him taking the driving seat of your life. If you've been falling down, believe that you fell so that you could get back on your knees again.

finally, i'd like to share this incredibly encouraging video about the greatness of God. remember: God is not as big as your problems/situation/blessings; HE IS MUCH BIGGER THAN THEM!

enjoy:



Take care.

God's Mysterious Plans [The Tale of 3 Trees]

Alkisah, ada tiga pohon di dalam hutan. Suatu hari, ketiganya saling menceritakan mengenai harapan dan impian mereka. Pohon pertama berkata, " Kelak aku ingin menjadi peti harta karun. Aku akan diisi dengan emas, perak dan berbagai batu permata dan semua orang akan mengagumi keindahannya."

Kemudian pohon kedua berkata, suatu hari kelak aku akan menjadi kapal yang besar. Aku akan mengangkut raja-raja dan berlayar ke ujung dunia. Aku akan menjadi kapal yang kuat dan setiap orang merasa aman berada dekat denganku.

Akhirnya pohon ke tiga berkata, Aku ingin tumbuh menjadi pohon yang tertinggi di hutan di puncak bukit. Orang-orang akan memandangku dan berpikir betapa aku begitu dekat untuk menggapai surga dan Tuhan. Aku akan menjadi pohon terbesar sepanjang masa dan orang akan mengingatku.

Setelah beberapa tahun berdoa agar impian terkabul, sekelompok penebang pohon datang dan menebang ketiga pohon itu. Pohon pertama dibawa ke tukang kayu. Ia sangat senang sebab ia tahu bahwa ia akan dibuat menjadi peti harta karun. Tetapi doanya tidak menjadi kenyataan karena tukang kayu membuatnya menjadi kotak tempat menaruh makan ternak. Ia hanya diletakkan di kandang dan diisi jerami.

Pohon ke dua dibawa ke galangan kapal. Ia berpikir bahwa doanya menjadi kenyataan. Tetapi ia dipotong-potong dan dibuat menjadi sebuah perahu nelayan kecil. Impiannya untuk menjadi kapal besar untuk mengangkut raja-raja telah berakhir. Pohon ketiga dipotong menjadi potongan-potongan kayu besar dan dibiarkan teronggok dengan gelap.

Tahun demi tahun berlalu, dan ketiga pohon itu telah melupakan impiannya. Kemudian suatu hari, sepasang suami-istri tiba di kandang. Sang istri melahirkan dan meletakkan bayinya di atas tumpukan jerami di kotak makanan ternak yang dibuat dari pohon pertama. Orang-orang datang menyembah bayi itu. Akhirnya pohon pertama sadar bahwa didalamnya diletakkan harta terbesar sepanjang masa.

Bertahun-tahun kemudian, sekolompok laki-laki naik ke atas perahu nelayan yang dibuat dari pohon kedua. Ditengah danau, badai besar datang dan pohon kedua berpikir bahwa ia tidak cukup kuat untuk melindungi orang-orang didalamnya. Tetapi salah seorang laki-laki itu berdiri dan berkata "DIAM!" Tenanglah! dan badaipun berhenti. Ketika itu, tahulah bahwa ia telah mengangkut Raja diatas segala raja.

Akhirnya, seorang datang dan mengambil pohon ke tiga. Ia dipikul sepanjang jalan sementara orang-orang mengejek lelaki yang memikulnya. Laki-laki ini kemudian dipakukan di kayu ini dan mati di puncak bukit. Akhirnya pohon ketiga sadar bahwa ia demikian dekat dengan Tuhan, karena Yesus yang disalibkan padanya.

Moral of the story:
KETIKA KEADAAAN TIDAK SEPERTI YANG ENGKAU INGINKAN, KETAHUILAH TUHAN MEMILIKI RENCANA UNTUKMU.
JIKA ENGKAU PERCAYA PADA-NYA, IA AKAN MEMBERIMU BERKAT-BERKAT BESAR.
KETIGA POHON MENDAPATKAN APA YANG MEREKA INGINKAN.
TETAPI TIDAK DENGAN CARA SEPERTI YANG MEREKA BAYANGKAN.
KITA TIDAK SELALU TAHU APA RENCANA TUHAN BAGI KITA.
KITA HANYA TAHU BAHWA JALANNYA BUKANLAH JALAN KITA, TETAPI JALANNYA ADALAH YANG TERBAIK.

Jer 29:11 (NIV) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

God bless u!! ^^

The God Who Gives and Take Away

An uplifting song by Matt Redman - Blessed be Your Name

An excerpt

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Whenever you face challenges and are in need of comfort, remember this song which
says that our God is the god who gives peace and joy, in exchange for your sorrows.
Many times, we depend on our own selves to get out of sticky situations, or the
comforting words of our friends to make us feel better.

Been there, done that. I can tell you that none of those is comparable to the peace
that God gives when we sing His praises wholeheartedly, even in bad times. God sees
that as a precious sacrifice and He rewards those who seek and praise Him with
abundant peace and joy.

Blessed be the Name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob forever and ever, amen!

Renungan: Jalan Dengan Keong

Hey guys,
I wanna share this piece that I got quite a looongg time ago in my email.
Indonya rada anehh gt sih pas aku baca, but I think it really answers some of the questions that I've had for quite sometime :)
So, I hope you'll get something from it-

Tuhan memberiku sebuah tugas, yaitu membawa keong jalan-jalan.
Aku tak dapat jalan terlalu cepat, keong sudah berusaha keras merangkak,
Setiap kali hanya beralih sedemikian sedikit
Aku mendesak, menghardik, memarahinya,
Keong memandangku dengan pandangan meminta-maaf,
Serasa berkata : 'aku sudah berusaha dengan segenap tenaga !'
Aku menariknya, menyeret, bahkan menendangnya, keong terluka.
Ia mengucurkan keringat, nafas tersengal-sengal, merangkak ke depan.
Sungguh aneh, mengapa Tuhan memintaku mengajak seekor keong berjalan-jalan.

Ya Tuhan! Mengapa ? Langit sunyi-senyap
Biarkan saja keong merangkak didepan, aku kesal dibelakang.
Pelankan langkah, tenangkan hati....
Oh? Tiba-tiba tercium aroma bunga, ternyata ini adalah sebuah taman bunga.
Aku rasakan hembusan sepoi angin, ternyata angin malam demikian lembut.
Ada lagi! Aku dengar suara kicau burung, suara dengung cacing.
Aku lihat langit penuh bintang cemerlang. Oh?
Mengapa dulu tidak rasakan semua ini ?
Barulah aku teringat, Mungkin aku telah salah menduga!
Ternyata Tuhan meminta keong menuntunku jalan-jalan sehingga aku dapat mamahami dan merasakan keindahan taman ini yang tak pernah kualami kalo aku berjalan sendiri dengan cepatnya.
'It's here and with me for a reason'

Saat bertemu dengan orang yang benar-benar engkau kasihi,
Haruslah berusaha memperoleh kesempatan untuk bersamanya seumur hidupmu.
Karena ketika dia telah pergi, segalanya telah terlambat.
Saat bertemu teman yang dapat dipercaya, rukunlah bersamanya.
Karena seumur hidup manusia, teman sejati tak mudah ditemukan.
Saat bertemu penolongmu,
Ingat untuk bersyukur padanya.
Karena ialah yang mengubah hidupmu
Saat bertemu orang yang pernah kau cintai,
Ingatlah dengan tersenyum untuk berterima-kasih .
Karena ia lah orang yang membuatmu lebih mengerti tentang kasih.
Saat bertemu orang yang pernah kau benci,
Sapalah dengan tersenyum.
Karena ia membuatmu semakin teguh / kuat.
Saat bertemu orang yang pernah mengkhianatimu,
Baik-baiklah berbincanglah dengannya.
Karena jika bukan karena dia, hari ini engkau tak memahami dunia ini.
Saat bertemu orang yang pernah diam-diam kau cintai,
Berkatilah dia.
Karena saat kau mencintainya, bukankah berharap ia bahagia ?
Saat bertemu orang yang tergesa-gesa meninggalkanmu,
Berterima-kasihlah bahwa ia pernah ada dalam hidupmu.
Karena ia adalah bagian dari nostalgiamu
Saat bertemu
orang yang pernah salah-paham padamu,
Gunakan saat tersebut untuk menjelaskannaya.
Karena engkau mungkin hanya punya satu kesempatan itu saja untuk menjelaskan.
Saat bertemu orang yang saat ini menemanimu seumur hidup,
Berterima-kasihlah sepenuhnya bahwa ia mencintaimu.
Karena saat ini kalian mendapatkan kebahagiaan dan cinta sejati.

treasure!` every moment, every passerby, every circumstance, every t h i n g!

Reason vs Season vs Lifetime friends :)

hello guys..
I got this from my email. It is something really interesting to make you ponder about the ppl God puts in your lives :)

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a reason, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a season, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

Lifetime relationships teach you lifetime lessons,
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant (able to see beyond the range of ordinary perception).

So, let us treasure the people around us now.. whether they come for a reason, a season or lifetime :)

[Ephesians 4:2]
with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.

Everything happens for a Reason

Setelah peristiwa 11 September, sebuah perusahaan mengundang karyawan dari perusahaan lain yang selamat, sedangkan sebagian besar meninggal saat terjadinya serangan atas WTC - untuk menceritakan pengalamannya. Pada pertemuan pagi itu, pimpinan kemanan menceritakan kisah bagaimana mereka bisa selamat ... dan semua kisah itu adalah hanyalah mengenai : HAL-HAL YANG KECIL.

Kepala kemanan perusahaan selamat pada hari itu karena mengantar anaknya hari pertama masuk TK.
Karyawan yang lain masih hidup karena hari itu adalah gilirannya membawa kue untuk murid di kelas anaknya.
Seorang wanita terlambat datang karena alarm jamnya tidak berbunyi tepat waktu.
Seorang karyawan terlambat karena terjebak di NJ Turnpike saat terjadi kecelakaan lalu lintas.
Seorang karyawan ketinggalan bus.
Seorang karyawan menumpahkan makanan di bajunya sehingga perlu waktu untuk berganti pakaian.
Seorang karyawan mobilnya tidak bisa dihidupkan.
Seorang karyawan masuk ke dalam rumah kembali untuk menerima telpon yang berdering.
Seorang karyawan mempunyai anak yang bermalas-malasan sehingga tidak bisa siap tepat waktu
untuk berangkat bersama2
Seorang karyawan tidak memperoleh taxi.
Sedangkan satu hal yang menahan saya sendiri adalah : sebuah sepatu baru.
Saya memakai sepatu baru pagi itu, dan berangkat kerja dengan bersemangat.
Tetapi sebelum sampai di kantor (WTC), sepatu itu menyebabkan luka di tumit...
Saya berhenti di sebuah toko obat untuk membeli plester.

Inilah yang menyebabkan saya bisa tetap hidup sampai hari ini.
 
Sekarang, jika saya terjebak dalam kemacetan lalu lintas, ketinggalan lift, harus masuk ke rumah lagi untuk menjawab telpon ...
dan semua HAL KECIL yang mengganggu - sekarang ini saya sangat memahami, bahwa Tuhan benar-benar menginginkan saya berada di sini untuk saat ini ...
 
Suatu pagi jika saudara merasa semuanya terlihat sangat kacau, anak-anak lambat berpakaian, saudara tidak bisa menemukan kunci mobil, selalu sampai di perempatan saat lampu merah menyala; jangan terburu-buru marah atau frustrasi, karena Tuhan
sedang bekerja untuk menjaga kehidupan anda!

Kiranya Tuhan selalu memberkati saudara dengan semua hal-hal kecil yang tampaknya mengganggu - dan semoga saudara mengingat akan maksud dari semua peristiwa kecil itu terjadi.

untitled

Who compares to You
Who sets the stars in their place
You who calm the raging seas
that came crashing over me

Who compares to You
You who bring the morning light
The hope of all the earth
is rest assured in your great love

You are Magnificent
eternally wonderful, glorious
Jesus...
No one ever will compare to You
Forever and ever!

This song is wonderful in many ways
it describes His greatness and His unconditional and indescribable love..
The truly magnificent God
Oh.. who compares to You?

God, My Friend

Hi teman2, aku mau sharing sdkt ttg menjadi teman dengan Tuhan... setelah aku baca purpose driven life day 12 dan bener2 think about the verses, the things Rick Warren said, I was enlightened...

Selama ini mungkin ada dari kita--incld myself--yang pkir bahwa Tuhan cuma mencari orang yang sempurna. jadi kalau kita sudah berdosa, kita pikir kita nggak layak lagi untuk doa/datang ke Tuhan, tetapi kenyataanya bukan! Tuhan nggak pernah menaruh barrier yg mencegah kita utk menjadi temanya! teman2 Tuhan yg di Alkitab--seperti Abraham, Daud, Moses...semuanya nggak ada yang sempurna! they are humans--they complained to God, resented God, committed sins... and yet God called them His friends! amazing huh?! Justru Tuhan suka orang yang sering complain ke Tuhan--yang honest toward Him about their feelings. Buktinya Tuhan tdk pernah bilang ke David or Job, "SHUT UP!!!! STOP COMPLAINING! You're sooo irritating... man, don;t u know I can flick you to death with my fingernail?!"

No, no, no... Our God is a loving God! He desires that we KNOW Him! Many of us who've known God for a really long time--who have served Him at church--being involved in all sorts of things, thinking that we please God by doing all these things: Well, we are wrong! He wants us to serve Him because we love Him, not out of duty.

So, if you need a break from serving to get closer to God, take that break...don't let the ministry bring you down in misery and distance from God. He wants us to be intimate with Him, to know His word (by reading the bible), and obey Him :)

One powerful truth I learned today is that to become a true friend of God, I have to make that choice myself. Do I really want it? Am I willing to sacrifice some things to become His friend?

So friends, esp for you long-time Christians: let's not lose our first love (the burning zeal and intimacy when we first know God)! Let's reflect on our lives-what have we done wrong that stretches the distance between God and ourselves? I encourage you to take one BIG step to pull ourselves back to God. Let's not lose sight on Him =)

GBU

"Some of these people [us] have missed the most important thing in life-- they [we] don't know God"

Youth Service 16 Nov'08

Helloooo guys..

I know most of you have been waiting for the brochure of our next youth service that's coming up on Nov 16.. so here it is :) Thanks to the designer.. Olivia hehe :P YOUTH IGNITEEEEE.... uuuu I'm already feeling the heat.. hehe join us guys ^^ Also, pls check out the facebook link here for more info. See ya there!

By the way you can watch the TEASER TRAILER here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEaL37cZNeE

thanks and God bless you!!