Thank You Lord for the trials that come my way

This notes below, aku tulis more than a year ago (March'11), and so far only sitting on my drafts only (on my FB notes) ( aku lupa kenapa aku ga decide to post it at the fisrt place), and today di saat aku read it through once again...the tears came down for some reason...even me I dont understand why, but I believe God does (tears are prayers too, they travel to God when we cant speak...)

"hi all...hope everyone is ok and everything is well with you...

It has been a while since i wrote my last note on my FB...n today i feel like to write something in this note...ummm, actually not writing sih, to be exact wanna share a song  + sharing guys...
*switch ke indo aja ya, my inggris acak kadut klo dilanjutin* hixxx...

anyway...aku mau share lagu yang aku udah dengerin sepanjang 4 hari berturut2...and it has blessed me a lot...awalnya aku suka lagu ini karena aku suka sama guitaristnya, Graham Choo, ak ga kenal dia, tapi for me dia awesome, dia da mainin banyak lagu, klo kalian cek ke youtube, kalian bisa liat lagu2 yg pernah dia perform di you tube...dan ga hanya perform, tapi dia juga ajarin Youtubers gimana mainin lagunya...so, wlpun aku ga bisa main gitar, tapi hanya denger dia nyanyi n main gitar nya aja, aku da merasa terberkati banget, terlebih yg bisa atau baru bisa main gitar, aku yakin akan ngerasa terbantu n terberkati banget...

ok, itu alesan pertama, and alesan kedua aku suka nada lagunya, karena slow (aku suka lagu slow n easy listening song, yg klo kata orang2 boring, lagu bikin ngantuk, bahkan da yg bilang lagu banci *sigh*) well, same as people have different taste to food, atau ce/co yg punya preference ma co/ce yg dia suka, demikian pula lagu...so, ya respect others taste...manusia diciptakan unik apa danya termasuk taste nya...as i keep saying to everyone, klo semua orang2 sekitaku,klo semua orang punya taste yg sama bisa2 perebutan atau ga laku option yg lain...karena nya, aku sih dont mind mau dibilang lagu banci kek, atau apa ja, yang penting aku suka...^^

lanjut...alesan ketiga, klo aku da suka lagunya, aku akan coba cek lirik nya, apakah itu membangun? kan ada tuh lagu yang enak nada nya, tapi isinya da swearing atau ga jelas gitu deh kata2nya...well, since Graham itu penyanyi rohani, maka I believe lirik lagunya akan 'lurus2' ja...and Im glad I checked the lyric...(normally klo da sekali dengerin sekali enak, aku akan lebih pay attention buat dnegerin second time, n cek liriknya...)ternyata, liriknya has deeper meaning, n juga membangun and memberkati banget...liriknya itu buat aku mikir tentang apa yg aku hadapin selama ini...how unthankful I am with my life...gampang banget complain about this and that...tapi lagu ini ingetin aku buat liat from on the other side of the coin...

Judul lagu yang aku mau share sama seperti judul title note ku...

"Thank You Lord for the trials that come my way"

Thank you, Lord,for the trials that come my way.
In that way I can grow each day as I let you lead,
And thank you, Lord, for the patience those trials bring.
In that process of growing, I can learn to care.

But it goes against the way, I am to put my human nature down
and let the Spirit take control of all I do.
'Cause when those trials come, my human nature shouts the thing to do;
and God's soft prompting can be easily ignored.

I thank you, Lord, with each trial I feel inside,
that you're there to help, lead and guide me away from wrong.
'Cause you promised, Lord, that with every testing,
that your way of escaping is easier to bear.

But it goes against the way, I am to put my human nature down
and let the Spirit take control of all I do.
'Cause when those trials come, my human nature shouts the thing to do;
and God's soft prompting can be easily ignored.

I thank you, Lord, for the victory that growing brings.
In surrender of everything, life is so worth while.
And I thank you, Lord, that when everything's put in place,
out in front I can see your face, and it's there you belong.

here is the link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76zbipme6c8

lagu ini lagu lama sebenernya, tahun 1973 yang tulis liriknya Dan Burgess, theme lagunya tentang Paulus yang di mana dia harus hadapin trials di dalam kehidupan nya...

here is the link to the original version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFVy5P5SNbE

lagunya memang udah tua ya? aku sama lagunya aja tuaan lagunya...tapi apalah artinya tahun, yang penting makna yg mau disampaikan oleh lirik lagu itu...itu yg terpenting....for me, lagu ini bener2 meaningful banget...

to start with sama apa yg mau aku share, mau nanya ma kalian, adakah di antara kalian yg berterimakasih di saat cobaan datang? mungkin ada, tapi pastinya ga banyak di antara kita...trus, sberapa sering kamu mengucap syukur karena itu terjadi? kayanya most of us, di saat trials dateng, kita akan lebih sering complain n bersungut2 deh ma Tuhan, karena di saat trial itu terjadi maka kita akan dihadapkan ma pilihan yg ga nyenengin, problem, dilemma atau diharuskan untuk step out from our comfort zone, and take step in faith...dan kita akan lebih cenderung untuk ngeyel/ngegrutu, nangis, kecewa, marah, atau lari dari Tuhan...jujur aku pun demikian, karena kita lebih liat ke negative side point of view, instead of seeing it from God's point of view.

Tetapi ga demikian dengan Paulus, seperti yang dia tulis di suratnya ke jemaat Korintus...

“Dan supaya aku jangan meninggikan diri karena penyataan-penyataan yang luar biasa itu, maka aku diberi suatu duri di dalam dagingku, yaitu seorang utusan Iblis untuk menggocoh aku, supaya aku jangan meninggikan diri. Tentang hal itu aku sudah tiga kali berseru kepada Tuhan, supaya utusan Iblis itu mundur dari padaku. Tetapi jawab Tuhan kepadaku: "Cukuplah kasih karunia-Ku bagimu, sebab justru dalam kelemahanlah kuasa-Ku menjadi sempurna." Sebab itu terlebih suka aku bermegah atas kelemahanku, supaya kuasa Kristus turun menaungi aku. Karena itu aku senang dan rela di dalam kelemahan, di dalam siksaan, di dalam kesukaran, di dalam penganiayaan dan kesesakan oleh karena Kristus. Sebab jika aku lemah, maka aku kuat.” 2 Korintus 12:7-10

Paulus pun waktu awalnya sama kaya kebanyakan dari kita...dia ga suka ada di dalam 'duri', ya iya lah ya, mana da yg suka ma duri, kan sakit...so, dia minta ma Tuhan buat lepasin duri itu dalam hidupnya sampe 3 kali, so dia da berusaha minta buat dicabut durinya, tapi ternyata Tuhan berkehendak lain, Tuhan nolak. Dan Tuhan nolak bukan karena Tuhan ga kasihan atau ga sayang  ma Paulus di dalam rasa sakit akan durinya itu...tetapi Tuhan punya rencana lebih besar di dalam kehidupan Paulus, Tuhan mau bentuk Paulus to be like Him in His characters nya, Tuhan mau kalau Paulus bener2 andelin Tuhan di atas kelemahan nya itu...dan akhirnya dia pasrah ma Tuhan buat terima duri itu, bahkan ga hanya itu dia end up seneng ma 'duri' yang tadinya dia minta dicabut itu...
Biasanya klo orang seneng itu pasti di dalamnya da sukacita dong ya? n i believe, klo Paulus dia suka cita, tentunya dia juga punya ungkapan syukur donk ya sama yg kasih 'duri' itu?  kan ga mungkin klo dia ucap syukur tapi ngedumel2 ma yang kasih 'duri' itu? ini hanya my interpretation ya, di kala ak renungin tentang ayat itu...suka cita and syukur ada di dalam diri Paulus...

So, da bisa lebih nangkep donk ya, kenapa lagu di atas itu merupakan lagu yang gambarin pa yg dialamin ma Paulus...n di dalam kehidupan setiap orang, pastinya kita semua ada trials yang harus kita alamin...trials itu bisa macem2 bentuknya, u name it, apapun itu yg maybe km anggap sebagai 'duri' di kehidupan kamu...

waktu aku renungin lagi tentang trials yang dia harus hadapin, dipenjara berkali kali, shipwreck, mau dihukum mati, dicambuk, kelaperan, etc (aku akan coba cari referensi nya ya, so lebih easy buat direfernya, will take some time tough, bear with me^^)
I cant imagine how Paul could do that, ga easy...

Even, salah satu definisi 'trial' dari Webster dictionary aja udah 'ingetin' kita kalau trial itu butuh iman, kesabaran dan kekuatan fisik karena ada penderitaan...

"a test of faith, patience, or stamina through subjection to suffering or temptation; broadly : a source of vexation or annoyance"

pastinya banyak yg harus Paulus hadapin untuk trialnya itu, ga hanya fisik, tapi juga spiritual (aka imannya) untuk  lawan keinginan dagingnya (flesh-human nature nya) yang buat dia lemah, putus asa atau lari/quit...TAPI dia ga lari dari semua trialsnya itu, dia went through all of it, God enabled him to do so...as he believes kalau pencobaan2 itu ga melebihi kekuatannya...

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Cor 10:12) AWESOME!

Maybe, banyak dari kita familiar sama ayat2 di atas yg aku bagiin, tetapi pertanyaan nya, sudahkan kita 'walk the talk'? sudahkan kita jadi doer? atau hanya sebatas listener aja? jujur, di saat aku bilang beginipun, bukan berarti aku udah sempurna....aku pun masih struggle...masih banyak ups and downs yang aku hadapin...seringkali aku liat trials (aka my limtations) itu sebagai batu yg besar yg harus aku lewatin/hadapin...and I tend to choose easy way, aku lebih suka ignore atau run from it...i choose to be in my comfort zone, and of course reason nya karena comfort and familiar with the zone (aka surounding atau situation), atau males buat fight atau struggle over it...

Di kala aku tulis notes ini pun, I have a battlefield in my mind...so many things yg jadi pergumulan aku...ya aku ambil salah satunya ya, my weaknesses...lately i keep asking God...what talent do i have, kok kayanya aku ngerasa i have nothing, ga da yg menonjol, kok semua nya pas2an, bahkan da yg below 'normal'...di kala aku liat others (I know aku ga boleh compare ke others, tp as you know tendency itu selalu ada *sigh*), aku selalu ngerasa kagum karena they have something (s) that they can be proud of...aku apa ya? musik ga bisa, pelajaran pas2an, kerjaan biasa2 aja, prestasi biasa ja, inggris pas2an, suara juga sering 'dibully', fisik juga apa adanya, and many more...dan di saat aku punya pikiran seperti demikian, Tuhan selalu ingetin aku kalau He chooses the weakest/foolish/insignificant, and even nothing from this world (and I believe klo I might be in one of those categories) to glorify Him (refer to 1 Cor 1:27-31). Joyce Meyer called orang2 in those categories as "jars of clay" or "cracked pots", yang di mana karena mereka imperfect, so di kala Tuhan use mereka dan melihat perbuatan tanganNya di dalam kehiduapn orang2 itu, maka nama Tuhan akan dimuliakan...karena orang2 di sekitarnya tahu kalau amazing things happening, it must be God/God must be at work...

aku quote apa yg Joyce Meyer bilang di bible yg dikomentararin di ayat ini ya:

"Imagine  a claypot with a lamp in it and a lid on it. even tough it may be filled with light, no one can see the light within it. Yet if the pot is cracked, the light will shine through the cracks. In the same way, God works through you, inspite of your imprefections."

Hope, analoginya bisa bantu pengertiaannya ya...

jadi, wlopun banyak banget kekurangan di dalam aku, aku bersyukur di dalam ketidaksempurnaanku, di dalam apa adanya aku...karena aku mau tetep percaya kalau He can do something gerater in me, selama aku mau punya hati yang mau dibentuk and obey akan Dia...maka Dia akan bisa use me...Tuhan bisa pakai Musa yg da ga muda lagi di kala itu, and ga ointer ngomong jadi alatNya, atau Daud yang ga dianggep ma keluarga buat jadi alatNya, aku percaya Dia juga bisa use me...^^ if I have a willingness to be used by Him...

Before I conclude this note, aku mau ajak kita semua untuk ga cepet judging tentang trials yang sedang kita hadapin itu sebagai tanda kalau God ga sayang ma kita, karena God ga bantu kita buat keluar dari 'duri' itu...belajar sperti Paulus di mana dia trust God fully, Paulus punya kehidupan yg let God take control over his life, dia rela suffer untuk pekerjaan Tuhan, dia rela untuk dibentuk Tuhan lewat proses yg sakit or ga enak itu...indeed, he is a man of God...Paulus chose to have a meaningful life journey with God by fulfilling God's calling di kehidupan nya...he knew God's vison in his life...

Bapa, ajar aku untuk menjadi seperti Paulus yang mau punya kerelaan hati untuk dibentuk olehMu, yang juga punya hati dengan penuh rasa syukur dan sukacita akan setiap trials yang I need to face di dalam proses pembentukanku...amin"

sola gratia,
Ingrid

10 things before 30

Terinspirasi dari ci Lia and juga karena Marcella's tagging, so here I am sharing what I wish to do or have before turning 30 (masih da kurang lebih 4 tahun lagi sampai di umur ini...>.<) List di bawah ni ga berdasarkan order, tetapi berdasarkan yg muncul di pikiran ja...=p

1. Salvation for my family
aku bener2 rindu agar my family got saved, this is one of the prayer yang aku terus doain everyday...I am longing for that day to come, where me n my BIG family could gather together to share the goodness of God in their life...selama ini kita hanya gather together waktu CNY, tapi this has been my desire di mana aku n my extended family bisa juga kumpul bareng2 waktu Natal, Paskah, kenaikan Tuhan Yesus, etc... aku terus pegang ayat Kisah Para Rasul  (Acts) 16:31

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Aku percaya one day my faith shall be my eyes...amin

2. Get married n have my own family
Wlopun status saat ni masih single, but I believe God will send me a right man at the right time...sampai saat sekarang ini aku percaya kalau aku dan dia sedang di dalam proses pembentukan sebelum aku dan dia unite together in husband wife relationship...Tuhan masih menulis cerita cinta aku dan dia...

3. Have child/children
tentang yang no 3 ini, it depends on dengan no 2...n aku mention children juga di statement ini karena entah napa aku pengen ja buat anak kembar..kayanya seru gitu...apalagi klo dapet nya ce-co...^^

4. Continue studying
tahun ini harusnya aku akan selesai my Cert 3 in Pastry at TAFE, tapi plan akan lanjut study part time tahun depan ambil combined baking, so hope in few years time (tentunya before 30) aku da slese, plus with my cert 4 in Pastry

5. Be where God wants me to be
sekarang ini aku memang masih ada di benua kangguru, dan aku ga tau di mana Tuhan akan tempatin aku next...mungkin masih di Sydney? atau Melbourne? atau other state? atau back to my hometown, Jakarta? atau another part of Indonesia? atau another side of the world? aku ga tau di mana God akan place me...tp to be honest sampai saat sekarang ini my heart still belongs to my home country, Indonesia...wlopun aku da 8 years away from Indo, tapi cant lie to myself klo this heart still belongs to Indo...but let His will be done in me...

6. Work and gain experience
mau banget kerja di pastry selama aku da di Australia...so far i havent done any jobs yet in this field...may God lead and provide me...

7. Have my own business
I wish aku punya own business in hospitality (ie: cafe, pastry or cake shop)...so far kepikirannya di Indo...not overseas...

8. Wake up early in the morning before the sun is up - be a woman after His own heart
mau banget bisa bangun pagi sebelum matahari terbit, buat sate, to have an intimate time with my God...so far masih jadi wish aja...hixxx please wake me up Lord...

9. Could write blog more often
tahun ni akhirnya terealisasikan blog ku...tapi kayanya I have been slacked, havent been that active in posting, so ya aku berharap bisa lebih banyak lagi post2 di blog ku...share what God has been doing in my life...I am blessed to be a blessing

http://cherished-ingrid.blogspot.com.au/

10. Travelling - quality time with my fam
I love travelling...aku mau jalan2 bareng2 ma my fam, either dalam negeri ataupun luar negeri...so far terakhir kali aku jalan bareng ma mereka itu 3 tahunan lalu klo ga salah...aku mau mereka could enjoy and relax di masa tua mereka, setelah sekian tahun they look after me n my siblings, I really think that it's now our turn to look after them...I also wish I could visit Israel, Europe, and America...

I hope it's not just stay here as my hope or wish or dream only...but, I pray may God bring me through it...amen...

sola gratia,
Ingrid

1 Corinthians 13 for mothers

I Corinthians 13For Mothers
Adapted by Jim Fowler

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,
but have not love,
I am a housekeeper ­ not a homemaker.
If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,
but have not love,
my children learn cleanliness ­ not godliness.
If I scream at my children for every infraction,
and fault them for every mess they make,
but have not love,
my children become people-pleasers ­ not obedient children.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.
Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.
Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love accepts the fact that I am the ever-present "mommy,"
the taxi-driver to every childhood event,
the counsellor when my children fail or are hurt.

Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, and runs with the child,
then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection.
Now I glory in God's perfection of my child.
All the projections I had for my house and my children
have faded away into insignificance,
And what remain are the memories of my kids.

Now there abides in my home scratches on most of the furniture,
dishes with missing place settings,
and bedroom walls full of stickers, posters and markings,
But the greatest of all is the Love
that permeates my relationships with my children.

Life on earth is a test

Hi all,

this morning I found a quote about the difference between a school and life, the quote was like this below:

The difference between school and life?

In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test.

In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.

~Tom Boddett~

This quote just caught my eyes and reminded me about what Rick Warren said earlier in his book 'Purpose Driven Life'. I found a devotional about "life on earth is a test" from Rick Warren's website. Please have a read and ponder about it...

God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart.2 Chronicles 32:31 (NLT)

"When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life. "

Over your Decade of Destiny, you will be tested by God as he develops your character, faith, obedience, love, integrity, and loyalty.

Words like trials, temptations, refining, and testing occur more than 200 times in Scripture. God tested Abraham by asking him to offer his son Isaac. God tested Jacob when he had to work extra years to earn Rachel as his wife.

Adam and Eve failed their test in the Garden of Eden, and David failed a test from God on several occasions. But the Bible also gives us many examples of people who passed great tests, such as Joseph, Ruth, Esther, and Daniel.

"Character is both developed and revealed by tests, and all of life is a test. "

Character is both developed and revealed by tests, and all of life is a test. You are always being tested. God constantly watches your response to people, problems, success, conflict, illness, disappointment, and even the weather! He even watches the simplest actions such as when you open a door for others, when you pick up a piece of trash, or when you're polite toward a clerk or waitress.

We don't know all the tests God will give you, but we can predict some of them, based on the Bible. You will be tested by major changes, by delayed promises, by impossible problems, by unanswered prayers, undeserved criticism, and even senseless tragedies. In my own life I have noticed that God tests my faith through problems, tests my hope by how I handle possessions, and tests my love through people.

A very important test is how you act when you can't feel God's presence in your life. Sometimes God intentionally draws back, and we don't sense his closeness. A king named Hezekiah experienced this test. The Bible says, "God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart." (2 Chronicles 32:31 NLT)

Hezekiah had enjoyed a close fellowship with God, but at a crucial point in his life God left him alone to test his character, to reveal a weakness, and to prepare him for more responsibility.

When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life. Even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.

The good news is that God wants you to pass the tests of life, so he never allows them to be greater than the grace he gives you to handle them (1 Corinthians 10:13).

source:

http://www.purposedriven.com/blogs/dailyhope/index.html?contentid=5198

Have a blessed week all!

Sola gratia,

Ingrid

He does answer prayer

Today, I stayed at home all day, so I decided to listen to my pastor's sermon (Ps. Daniel Prajogo) while I was sorting photos for my assignments, and God amazed me once again...

God does confirm to me about questions that I have on my mind a month ago (I shared my thoughts with my friends when I went to Melbourne), these questions popped out in my mind after I heard a sermon from the same pastor about 'born again'. In his sermon, he emphasized that it is grace of God if you and I could believe in God today, because He was the one who opened our eyes. He gave an example from one of the criminal who was crucified next to Jesus, one of them could 'see' Jesus as a King (Luke 23:41-42), how so? We might not be able to answer this, and we only could seek answer from God alone, and believe it must be God's work in him. As John 16:8 stated that the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts our heart, therefore no matter how wicked a man is, the Holy Spirit could change heart.

The next day, I was pondering about this and the verses on Romans 9:15-23

¹⁵ For God said to Moses,

“I will show mercy to anyone I choose,
    and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”

¹⁶ So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.

¹⁷ For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.”^[j] 18 So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.

¹⁹ Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”

²⁰ No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” ²¹ When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? ²² In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. ²³ He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory.

From these 2 parts of the bible, I was kinda wondering if some people already 'predestined' by God to have their heart hardened like Pharaoh, and suddenly I refer this 'Pharaoh' to my parents. I was thinking if they were 'Pharaoh' then it would be a mission impossible for them to receive salvation from God. If it's impossible, then should I still bother about their salvation. I should admit that I was nearly gave up on them, but one of my friend encouraged me not to give up just yet, as you will not know the end result, and he even suggested me to keep praying to God and have hope in Him. I was strengthened and God reminded me about the verse from Acts 16:31

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

I was a bit relieved and not thinking about it anymore, and continue to keep praying for them everyday.

And today from the sermon, Ps. Daniel reminded me once again there is not any stubborn hearts or minds that God cannot change, for He is able. When you and I say that  there is no hope for that person(s) to repent; it is indirectly saying that it is impossible for God, and when we said so it means we shut the door and opportunities for the Lord to work in their life. God doesn't ask us to be 'responsible' for their salvation, as salvation belongs to the Lord (Psalm 3:8), what He requires us to do is to be His messenger in this world.  Use every opportunities that available to introduce God to the unbelievers (including my parents); do our own part as His messenger, and let God do the rest of it. As for faith comes from hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17), how they would have faith if the word of God never been preached or introduced to them?
In addition, from this message, I got another confirmation from God about the theme of this blog ''seeds of life"; whatever seeds that we sow, will never be in vain (Isaiah 55:11), we may not know when it grows, but keep believing that in God's timing it will grow.


Therefore, dont give up just yet, if God could change wicked heart of Niniwe to a repentance heart (Jonah 3), then I must believe that He also could change people's heart. Keep asking God for His mercy...His heart is longing for everyone of us to believe in Him.

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. ¹⁷ For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,^[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  (John 3:16)

"The church of our Lord Jesus Christ is not a pleasure boat, but a life boat for saving souls... ...and every hand is needed on deck." (Reinhard Bonnke)



Sola gratia,
Ingrid

The Three Bears and Cactus

Dear Grandkids,

I love you and miss you s-o-o-o-o-o much! I can’t wait to see you again.
I wrote a story for you.

Once upon a time there were three bears. Daddy Bear, Mommy Bear, and Baby Bear. They lived in a house in the woods. They loved each other s-o-o-o-o-o much and they loved God.

Every day they went for walks in the woods to learn about God’s wonderful creation. Daddy bear wass-o-o-o-o-o smart. He knew lots about the animals, plants, and rocks. He also loved to learn new things. If he didn’t know something, he would try to learn about it.

One day they went for a long walk. They saw s-o-o-o-o-o many pretty birds, animals, and plants. They walked so far that they walked out of the woods and into a place with very few trees. It was getting pretty hot too.

“Where are we, Daddy?” said Baby Bear.

“This is a very special place called a desert,” said Daddy Bear. “It’s a place where it doesn’t rain very much.”

“Why is this a special place, Daddy?” asked Baby Bear.

“I used to love to come here when I was a young bear,” said Daddy Bear. “The desert shows us how smart God is. All plants need water to live, but it is really dry here. It only rains a tiny bit. S-o-o-o-o-o, God made some really special plants and animals that can live here. Every one of them is amazing to study! Each one shows us that God can provide a way even when it is hot and dry and looks impossible. There will be times in your life when bad things happen to you, Baby Bear. God will always provide even when it looks impossible. When I was sad, I would come to this desert to study something that lives out here.”

“What was your favorite plant, Daddy?” asked Baby Bear.

“That’s a hard question. I like them all, but I guess the cactus plant was one of my favorite ones,” said Daddy Bear. “They are s-o-o-o-o-o amazing!”

“What do they look like, Daddy?” asked Baby Bear.

“Well, there are about 2,000 different kinds of them. If you have only one of them it is called a cactus. If you have more than one, they are called cacti,” said Daddy Bear. “Let’s walk over this little hill and I’ll show you some,” and off they walked.

“Oh, there’s a cactus now,” said Daddy Bear. “It’s called a prickly pear cactus. Let’s go look at it.”

“What are all those needles on it, Daddy? They look like they would hurt if I touch them,” said Baby Bear.

“Those are called the spines,” said Daddy Bear. “Each one is like a little needle with a hook on the end. If you get stuck with one, it will hurt pretty bad. Most cacti have thousands of them so nobody will try to eat them. Those needles also make a special kind of way to keep the cactus cool when it gets hot. They make broken shade that makes the air move around. They also reflect sunlight away from the cactus to help it stay cooler. The air next to a cactus can be twenty degrees cooler than the rest of the air.”

“Wow! That’s real smart for God to make those little spines all over the cactus,” said Baby Bear. “Where does a cactus get water out here, Daddy?”

“Oh, that’s really amazing, Baby Bear!” said Daddy Bear. “Do you see how fat the leaves are on the cactus?”

“Yes, they are really thick,” said Baby Bear. “Why?”

“When it does rain a little bit, the cactus will soak up all the water it can and save it inside those fat leaves for all the days it doesn’t rain,” said Daddy Bear. “When I was little, I learned we should save up when things are good to have what we need when things are bad. It’s smart to save a little food and money when you can. Don’t spend it all. The cactus also has hundreds of little tiny roots that go way out to collect as much water as it can. This plant helped me learn that I should have lots of ways to get food, not just one way. That’s why we bears eat almost anything like nuts, berries, fish, moose, and even grass! God provided lots of ways for us to eat. He loves us s-o-o-o-o-o much!”

“How big do cacti get?” said Baby Bear.

“I think the littlest ones are about two inches tall, but the biggest ones…well, there are some over the next hill. Let’s go see them. You won’t believe it,” said Daddy Bear as they started walking again.

“Is that a funny tree, Daddy?” asked Baby Bear.

“No, that is a saguaro cactus,” said Daddy Bear. “They get fifty feet tall! One of these cacti can hold enough water to fill a bath tub.”

“Wow! That’s a huge cactus! Does it have poky spines too?” asked Baby Bear.

“Go over and touch it,” said Daddy Bear, “but be careful.”

“Ouch! They are sharp!” said Baby Bear as he touched one of the cactus spines. “It’s covered in them, Daddy! There are millions of them!”

“Look at those holes up by the top of the cactus, Baby Bear,” said Daddy Bear. “Some birds peck holes in the cactus to make their nest. It’s a real safe place for their babies to grow up. Do you think any animals would ever try to climb up there to get them.”

“No way!” said Baby Bear. “They would get poked all over their body!”

“Baby Bear, did you know that some books teach that cacti slowly evolved from other plants and that they learned to live in the desert all by themselves?” asked Daddy Bear.

“Plants don’t have brains to learn things! God designed plants to do the special things that they do. Why would someone come up with such a funny idea, Daddy?” asked Baby Bear.

“Son, some people just do not like to admit that God created the world, and some have been confused by their teachers. Those who are afraid to admit God created the cacti are afraid God may expect something of them. They want to do bad things, and so they just pretend that God is not real,” explained Daddy Bear.

“But, Daddy! God d-i-i-i-d make everything!” exclaimed Baby Bear.

“Yes, Son, everything we study in God’s creation points to Him as the Creator and just how w-o-o-o-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l a creator He is!” agreed Daddy Bear.

“Well, Baby Bear, let’s go back home and pick some cactus fruit on the way for Mom,” said Daddy Bear.

“What is cactus fruit?” asked Baby Bear as he wrinkled his nose.

“Almost every cactus makes beautiful flowers after they get a little rain. The flower turns into a fruit that Mom will use to make jelly,” said Daddy.

“Cactus jelly? Is it good?” said Baby Bear.

“You won’t believe it!” said Daddy Bear. “I will be really careful when I pick the fruit off so I don’t get poked. Mom will cook them to make jelly and you can put some on your supper. God was s-o-o-o-o-osmart to make cactus plants!”

“What’s for supper, Daddy?” said Baby Bear.

“Why, porridge of course,” said Daddy Bear, “with cactus jelly on top.”
“Oh, goody! I love porridge!” said Baby Bear, and they walked home.

THE END

Source: The Three Bears and Cactus

Faith that Glorifies Him

This post was written by me on summer last year (Dec 2011) on my published notes on FB

https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150228458076419

TRUST ~ why is it so hard to trust?

pertanyaan di atas crossed my mind waktu 1.5 tahun lalu tepatnya waktu aku ada di Indo n waktu lagi gunting rambut and juga ke dokter gigi (ga samaan tentunya, beda ocassion XD)...entah napa tiba2 aja in the middle waktu ke tempat itu ada kepikirn, 'kok aku bisa ya percayain rambut n gigi ku ma salon n dokter ini?' n hatiku langsung jawab pertanyaan ini...'ya tentu aja lah kamu bisa percayain gigi n rambut kamu ke orang2 dengan profesi di atas, karena itu memang kerjaan mereka, they know what they do, so I can trust them to look after my hair or my teeth'. Tapi, ada jawaban lagi di hatiku yang bilang, 'how about ur life? can you fully trust God?' Ideal answer buat pertanyaan ini 'iya donk, tentu ja aku bisa percaya Tuhan'. Tapi, coba deh jujur ma diri kita (including me tentunya), seberapa sering sih kita kuatir atau raguin Tuhan, bahkan mempertanyakan kemampuan Tuhan untuk look after kehidupan kita? Padahal, He is the Creator of my life lho, He is the writer of my life...n logika nya seharusnya dengan 'gampang' nya lho kita percaya Tuhan secara fully, karena Tuhan itu Creator kita, sedangkan salon atau dentist itu bukan...tapi kenapa ya kenyataan nya ga selalu demikian? yg ada...kita 'struggle' buat percaya Tuhan (ya bisa diliat dr seberapa sering nya kita kuatir, ragu atau tanyain Tuhan)? n seringkali kita 'remind' God to look after us, to fulfill our wishes, etc...ini bisa diliat seberapa seringnya kita doa n dateng ma Tuhan dengan our 'shopping list' instead of dateng ma Tuhan n ask Him 'what is His will in us?'. N lately aku mikir kok klo kita keep coming to Him with our 'shopping list' and  asking God to what we want, kok seakan kita ini yg jadi 'tuan' ya n Tuhan yg seakan jadi 'hamba'? n pada kenyataan nya harusnya it supposed not to be that way...Dia yang harus jadi 'Tuan', dan kita yang jadi hambanya (tapi bukan 'hamba-Tuan 'relationship yang aku mau cerita sekarang ini, next time probably kalau Tuhan berkehendak)

 N beberapa bulan terakhir, Tuhan ingetin aku untuk punya iman seperti anak kecil (child like faith), yang hanya perlu percaya ma Daddy nya...n story di bawah dr John Piper maybe bisa kasih gambaran tentang how to trust (punya iman) n gimana trust itu glorifies Him.

"Your daddy is standing in a swimming pool out a little bit from the edge. You are, let’s say, three years old and standing on the edge of the pool. Daddy holds out his arms to you and says, “Jump, I’ll catch you. I promise.” Now, how do you make your daddy look good at that moment? Answer: trust him and jump. Have faith in him and jump. That makes him look strong and wise and loving. But if you won’t jump, if you shake your head and run away from the edge, you make your daddy look bad. It looks like you are saying, “he can’t catch me” or “he won’t catch me” or “it’s not a good idea to do what he tells me to do.” And all three of those make your dad look bad.  

But you don’t want to make God look bad. So you trust him. Then you make him look good–which he really is. And that is what we mean when we say, “Faith glorifies God” or “Faith gives God glory.” It makes him look as good as he really is. So trusting God is really important. 

And the harder it seems for him to fulfill his promise, the better he looks when you trust him. Suppose that you are at the deep end of a pool by the diving board. You are four years old and can’t swim, and your daddy is at the other end of the pool. Suddenly a big, mean dog crawls under the fence and shows his teeth and growls at you and starts coming toward you to bite you. You crawl up on the diving board and walk toward the end to get away from him. The dog puts his front paws up on the diving board. Just then, your daddy sees what’s happening and calls out, “Johnny, jump in the water. I’ll get you.” 

Now, you have never jumped from one meter high and you can’t swim and your daddy is not underneath you and this water is way over your head. How do you make your daddy look good in that moment? You jump. And almost as soon as you hit the water, you feel his hands under your arms and he treads water holding you safely while someone chases the dog away. Then he takes you to the side of the pool.  

We give glory to God when we trust him to do what he has promised to do–especially when all human possibilities are exhausted. Faith glorifies God. That is why God planned for faith to be the way we are justified." — John Piper

source: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show/199597

n belakangan ini Tuhan juga ingetin aku tentang artikel yg pernah aku baca di glorianet beberapa tahun yang lalu, waktu aku masih tahun pertama di Australia (aku coba retrieve artikelnya, tapi ga bisa ketemu, tapi aku masih inget kurang lebih inti dari artikelnya). Artikel yang aku baca itu ditulis oleh Derek Prince, and di sana Derek Prince cerita tentang relationship 'ayah and anak'. Di artikel itu digambarkan kalau sang anak lagi main di park yang ada panjat2 dan ternyata anak ini manjat2 nya ketinggian, so dia takut buat ke balik lagi ke bawah, and anak ini minta tolong ma daddy nya buat selamatin dia...daddy bilang 'let go of your hold', tapi anak ini terlalu takut untuk let go, justru dia pegangan makin kuat sama tiang nya..daddy nya keep saying buat let go n trust him, as he will catch him/her...without him or her let go of the hold, daddy nya ga akan bisa buat catch anak ini...at the end anak ini let go, n trust daddy nya untuk tangkep dia..

So, inti dari story yg di atas yg Derek Prince ingetin aku di kala itu adalah 'serahkan dahulu baru percaya'; let go n let God take control...ya klo aku tetep genggam kuat, gimana Tuhan bisa berbuat (Tuhan bisa aja maksa, tapi inget Tuhan kita bukan Tuhan yg pemaksa, Dia Tuhan yang lembut and Dia adalah Tuhan yang kasih kita freewill untuk kita milih). Karenanya, Dia hanya tunggu kita untuk let go of what we hold and trust Him, so He could look after it...n again sama seperti yg John Piper bilang tadi di atas 'faith glorifies God';  when we trust Him, we glorify His name...

So, sekarang ini balik lagi ke my initial question, kenapa trust itu susah? sebelum bahas lebih lanjut, aku coba cari pa sih definisi Trust itu...according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, definisi dr trust itu ada 5, tapi aku ambil 3 aja yg relevant ma notes ku...

 
Definition of TRUST1
a : assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or somethingb : one in which confidence is placed2
a : dependence on something future or contingent : hopeb : reliance on future payment for property (as merchandise) delivered : credit <bought furniture="" on="">trust></bought>


5 a (1) : a charge or duty imposed in faith or confidence or as a condition of some relationship (2) : something committed or entrusted to one to be used or cared for in the interest of another

N ya kata2 di atas yg aku bold, itu adalah karakter dari 'trust', so ya trust itu harder dari believe, karena in trust itu involved 'dependence'...n kebayakan dari kita ga mau do this (including me), karena it seems kaya kita lost control and juga 'weak' karena kita akan depend ma others...n just a few weeks ago, Tuhan ingetin ke aku lewat kotbah dr pendetaku (Pdt. Daniel Prajogo aka Ko Dan) di gerejaku, Ko dan da mention klo waktu kita bergantung sama Tuhan sepenuhnya itu menyenangkan hatiNya; it pleases Him when I come and totally dependent on Him...karena di saat kita depend on God, dengan kata lain kita entrust our life to Him and have confidence in Him...n di saat kita bilang kita trust Him, we should not feel worry atau doubt Him...karena worry and doubt are not walking hand in hand...

so, di saat kita bilang kita percaya Tuhan, kita haruslah punya iman dengan terms and conditions  "meskipun/sekalipun", bukan "tetapi"...seperti Habakuk:

Sekalipun pohon ara tidak berbunga, pohon anggur tidak berbuah, hasil pohon zaitun mengecewakan, sekalipun ladang-ladang tidak menghasilkan bahan makanan, kambing domba terhalau dari kurungan, dan tidak ada lembu sapi dalam kandang, namun aku akan bersorak-sorak di dalam TUHAN, beria-ria di dalam Allah yang menyelamatkan aku.  ALLAH Tuhanku itu kekuatanku:  Ia membuat kakiku seperti kaki rusa, Ia membiarkan aku berjejak di bukit-bukitku.(Untuk pemimpin biduan. Dengan permainan kecapi).  Habakuk 3:17-19

 Dan di saat kita mempunya iman seperti ini, kita memuliakan namaNya...

And my last point, trust itu tidak hanya terjadi secara instan, believe bisa terjadi instan, karena di dalam believe (diambil dari Merriam-Webster) tidak ada karakter 'entrusted' ataupun 'dependence'... 

Definition of BELIEVEintransitive verb
1
a : to have a firm religious faithb : to accept something as true, genuine, or real <ideals we="">believe in> believes in ghosts></ideals>
2
: to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something believe in exercise>
3
: to hold an opinion : think believe so>transitive verb
1
a : to consider to be true or honest believe the reports><you wouldn="">believe how long it took>b : to accept the word or evidence of believe you><couldn>believe my ears></couldn></you>
2
: to hold as an opinion : suppose believe it will rain soon>— be·liev·er noun— not believe: to be astounded at n't believe my luck>

dan kita baru akan bisa entrust dan juga depend on someone itu takes time to grow, yang berarti adanya relationship di karakter 'trust' itu...n Tuhan mau kita punya continous relationship in ourwalk with Him (in our faith), to know and trust Him...so, one day di saat kita ga mengerti apa yg terjadi di dalam kehidupan kita, kita boleh terus bilang and percaya akan janjiNya dan karakterNya...

~So when you don't understand, When you don't see His plan, When you can't trace His hand, Trust His heart~ Charles Spurgeon) 

my reflection: Tuhan, aku mengerti sekarang kenapa lately Engkau keep reminding me about 'child like faith' and 'trusting You'. Thank you Lord for reminding me once again tentang faith glorifies You, ajar aku Tuhan untuk mempunya iman seperti anak kecil yang hanya percaya akan Bapanya, dan tidak bergantung pada pengertianku sendiri. Ajar aku juga Bapa, agar imanku seperti Habakuk yang mau tetap bersorak sorai di dalam Engkau walaupun keadaan sekitarnya tidak mendukung imannya..Bapa, enable be Lord untuk let go what I hold tightly in my hand, dan mau menyerahkannya dan mempercayakannya kepada Engkau...aku mau mengenalMu lebih lagi di hidupku...to taste and see the goodness of You, not just be a 'second-hand', yang hanya mendengar tentang kebaikan Tuhan dari kata orang...tapi let me taste and see more of You in my life...amen

Will you let go what you hold and let Him to catch you?

~Thank God for what you have and Trust God with what you need~

~Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God~ Corrie Ten Boom

Sola gratia,
Ingrid ^^