A song's lyric pushed me to share some things with you all.
I never believed that my literary skills could justify the severity of the problems of this world. I never believed myself when I stand up on the stage to perform. I never believed that I could ever be a person I ever dreamt to be. I cannot even have faith in myself when writing this. Confidence is just a delusion to me.
“It’s the soul that’s afraid of dying, that never learns to live”
There was a man, afraid of everything. This man was afraid of angering others; he was concerned with his performance. And he was never positive about the world. Worst of all, he was afraid of being true to himself. As a result, he cannot live, for he has lost his very heart. He prayed to God frequently, but since he cannot be true to himself, he failed to be truthful to God. One day, he questions himself: “What is the meaning of existence, if one doubts everything?” And God answers him: “It is the heart that loves, that cannot fail to live. It is the power of the divine that releases the heart from doubting. But it is also the heart that doubts, which never stops beating.” The message of the God soon jolted him from his senses. He now understands the meaning of life: to search for the meaning and purpose in life. One cannot completely grasp one’s purpose in life, for it is only achievable in the divine realm, but it is the quest for meaning of life that keeps one from dying.
“Live by faith and not by sense; thy search through faith, not through sense.”
Then this man wondered, what if an evil divine temporarily controls the minds of people. Would it be rhetorical to question the validity of our senses? What if our sense of sight fools us? If our senses were an illusion, then searching for the meaning of life would be futile. Then he remembers, “It is the heart that loves, that cannot fail to live.” Love is the answer to humanity. After all, human is equivalent to humane, which in turn is equivalent to love. Love is a quality that the evil divine cannot give and it is the gift from our Father in heaven. Only through love can you find truth in life and only by expelling the qualities conferred by the evil can you start searching for the meaning of life.
"Search continuously and love"
It is never easy to understand the meaning of life and it seems far away from the day, our world starts loving one another but it is the dream that does not fear waking, that learns to sing.
“Beneath the snow, lies the seed and with the sun’s love, becomes The Rose.”
Friday, August 29, 2008
In search of life
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Running A Good Race
Welcome Back
Bagi kalian yang baru datang, selamat datang kembali ke LA! Hope y'all had a great vacation =) Study hard from now on and get good grades for the glory of God and the joy of yourself and your parents okay. Altho' u may not feel like studying/revising, let's do it for God, ok?
1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
Selain mendapat nilai yang bagus/gelar, kita juga harus juga tambah dekat, tambah bersandar kepada Tuhan. Jadi ayok mari kita sama2 lebih sungguh sungguh lagi mengejar Tuhan dan kebenaran-Nya! Start to improve the way you worship God, increase the time you put in to pray and to read the Bible =) Here are a couple of powerful verses that you may like:
"I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." ~ John 6:35
Man shall not live by bread alone , but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God... Matthew 4: 4
Giving Your Life to Jesus
2 Samuel 22: 21-25
God made my life complete
when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I cleaned up my act,
he gave me a fresh start.
Indeed, I've kept alert to God's ways;
I haven't taken God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works,
I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
and I'm watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.
Upcoming Events
1. Bring It On (welcoming party) - 6 September
2. CYR (youth service) - 14 September
3. Purpose Driven Life Campaign - 21 September
Values and Vision
(You have to know the BIGGER purpose of these events)
1. Growth in Christ - spiritual, personal and professional (Psalm 1: 3)
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
2. Unity in Spirit (1 Corinthians 12)
12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
3. Proclaiming God's Kingdom (Matthew 28)
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
4. Integrity - truth, righteousness, honesty, forgiveness, meekness, compassion (Matthew 5)
RUNNING THE GOOD RACE OF FAITH!!!!!
Finally, as somebody involved in God's plans, you must be prepared to face mounting challenges, the temptations of the world, bad influences, mockery, false testimonies, pain, *proses etc. All of us will go through this phase in life, called the refining stage.
1 Peter 1: 7 -- 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.
Despite all that look through the eyes of faith and know that Jesus will be there with you through all these situations that may seem bad or tough - but are actually - part of a greater plan to refine you as a person worthy of God's calling.
Hebrew 12: 1-3 -- let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Aside from that, also bear in you heart that you have your friends in Christ to bring you through your times of need :)
GBU
Monday, August 25, 2008
HUMOR - Business & Marketing Logics
BUSINESS LOGICS
Father: I want you to marry a girl of my choice
Son: 'I will choose my own bride!'
Father: 'But the girl is Bill Gates's daughter.'
Son: 'Well, in that case...ok'
Next Father approaches Bill Gates.
Father: 'I have a husband for your daughter.'
Bill Gates: 'But my daughter is too young to marry!'
Father: 'But this young man is a vice-president of the World Bank.'
Bill Gates: 'Ah, in that case...ok'
Finally Father goes to see the president of the World Bank.
Father: 'I have a young man to be recommended as a vice-president.'
President: 'But I already have more vice- presidents than I need!'
Father: 'But this young man is Bill Gates's son-in-law.'
President: 'Ah, in that case...ok'
This is how business is done!!
Moral: Even If you have nothing, You can! get Anything. But your attitude
should be positive
What is Marketing?
You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and say, 'I am very rich. Marry me!'
That's Direct Marketing
You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl.
One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says, 'He's very rich. Marry him.'
That's Advertising.
You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and get her telephone number.
The next day you call and say, 'Hi, I'm very rich. Marry me.'
That's Telemarketing.
You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl.
You get up and straighten your tie; you walk up to her and pour her a drink.
You open the door for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her a ride, and then say, 'By the way, I'm very rich 'Will you marry me?'
That's Public! Relations.
That's Brand Recognition.
You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and say, 'I'm rich. Marry me'
She gives you a nice hard slap on your face.
That's Customer Feedback
Saturday, August 23, 2008
The Garden of Friendships
Hi guys,
Last night I had a walk with a Best Friend of mine, Christ. He said He wanted to give me a gift, so I couldn't resist. I was taken to this garden called, "The Garden of Friendships", the best place to pick a friend, so I've heard.
"All the friends in this garden are sorted and labeled by characters and personalities, you may pick as many as you want," Christ smiled.
"Hmm. I'd rather have them sorted by height, weight, race, skin colors. It's easier that way."
"It's not how The Owner does it."
"OK."
So I looked around. The first friend I saw labeled, "Fun. Sanguine. Talk behind your back."
"Hahaha.. I have plenty of this kind already," I smirked.
"How is it going with them?"
"At first.. It was ok. They were fun to hang out with, they cheered me up during my low moments.. But as the time went by, knowing them in the inside is very much a pain. They talked behind my back more than they breathed. I don't want that kind of friends, Christ."
We walked through the aisle, and there they were. A group of friends labeled "People pleaser."
"What is this kind?"
Christ sighed, "The one who do things according to your wants. Always there to please you."
"Nice. I want one."
"Really? But they do the exact same thing to everybody else they meet.. Even if what they say to them later contradict what they said to you earlier."
"Ah. That kind. I had too many."
"Bad experiences?"
"Tell me about it."
"That's why we need forgiveness, you know. Try to forgive them."
"I'm done forgiving! I'm done with people stomping on my hearts way too many times, Christ. I seriously have a high expectation for this next gift You want to give me. I hope this next friend will be a true friend."
"What do you expect? A kind a friend who will never hurt you?"
"Yes! Especially when I have already tried so hard to become one for everyone."
Christ looked deeply into my eyes, He held my hand as we kept walking.
"Supportive, but a back-stabber. Sweet talker, but a liar. Passionate, but ambitious. Loving but judgmental. How come there's always the 'buts'? Is it so hard to find a good friend around here?" I stepped back and starred at Christ with a hopeless set of eyes.
"Well, they are human. And so are you."
"Christ.. You are my One and only Best Friend.. And I think I only need one best friend in life. I can live without them, and simply be with You.. Right? Can we just get out of here? I feel sick looking at all of them."
Christ stood in front of me with that look.
The same look I had when I met that "back-stabber" friend.
The same look I had when someone crushed my heart over and over again.
The look that says, "It hurt me deeply, but I have forgiven and love you anyway."
"Why do you have that look? What did I do to you?" I asked.
He smiled bitterly. Suddenly a man came running towards us.
"Christ!"
"Yes?"
"The next batch of friends has just arrived. You ready to meet them?"
I was shocked. What has Christ got to do with "The Garden of Friendships"?
"Christ, what is this all about?" I asked Him.
"Beloved.. I took you here because I am The Owner of the garden."
"What??? Are you saying that you know all of these liars.. Back-stabbers.. Sweet talkers.. and you want me to be friends with them?"
"Yes. I KNOW THEM. They are My best friends. I once died for them.. And also did for you."
I was stunned. I was heart broken. I cried.
Christ wiped off my tears, and then He hugged me.
He whispered, "Everything is going to be okay.. Just hang in there, My dear. As I have forgiven you, forgive them."
* * *
The more I meet those who break my heart, the more I witness His sovereign love. His love is so deep and so wide until He'd give His only Son to die for such imperfect people like us.
