What my God thinks of The Da Vinci Code

God has been watching a box office movie, lately, as I did this afternoon. I have to confess that I had been such a coward not to dare reading Da Vinci Code book. I was afraid that I might get lost in the "stories" told in the book. Until, then, I was sure God gave me this courage to start reading it so that I can understand what people are going through at this very moment.

I am glad that I am not trapped in the story. I even went to the movie.

John Fischer sent this devotional reading to my inbox this evening. Thank you, Mr. Fischer.

With The Da Vinci Code enjoying another weekend at the box office, the debate about the story's outrageous claims continues. What makes them outrageous is not that they haven't been presented before, but that they are presented with such convincing aplomb and supported by “mountains” of documentation. Of course the whole story is a fast fiction ride, documents included, but people who aren't careful about their history may not know that. Herein lies the concern of many Christians: How will people find out these claims are lies, and who will tell them?

The answer to that question lies more in the way God has set up the universe than anything. It's not an unusual question, nor is it new on the scene. It has actually been a valid question for as long as we have recorded history.

According to the Bible, God created this planet, put human beings on it, and let evil loose in the place as well as good (at least this is the shortened version of the story). Why he did this is only up to speculation as far as we are concerned, but it means that, from the beginning, we have existed surrounded by truth and error and with limited ability to tell one from the other. One could easily panic over this, but it appears that God hasn't. He seems to have a way of knowing that those who truly seek him will reach their destination, and he not only knows this, he guarantees it.

For this reason he is not too concerned about all the lies floating around. Nor does he seem to be running around nervously trying to correct every new falsehood that surfaces. In fact, some of these falsehoods appear to be getting along quite well in the world. God trusts an innate ability to recognize truth that he has placed in people, and the drama of finding that out seems to be part of the unfolding story.

Yes, people are going to be led astray by The Da Vinci Code just as they have been led astray by countless other fictions and fabrications of the truth throughout history, but the people who are led astray are the ones who are going to be fooled anyway, if not by this, then by the next thing to come along. These are people, in fact, who move from one thing to another and never alight on the truth precisely because they are not seeking the truth while those who truly are seeking are given the ability to see.

This does not mean that we don't make intelligent attempts to uphold the truth and discredit falsehood. But these will do more to confirm those who are honestly looking than to get anyone to radically change his or her mind about things. There are other factors at work here beyond our control.

To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them. (Matthew 13:12 NLT)

I am so glad that I am given the ability to see.
I heard that many Christians do not oppose this movie. They stick a headline on its poster: 'seek the truth'. Yes, seek the truths, my friends. Do not let Langdon and Neveu decrypt the cryptex for you, decrypt it by asking God's wisdom to see.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)

Count on me, girl! - no, count on Him!

I have been enjoying Yahoo Messenger Radio and You Tube.
Seriously,..
With YM Radio, I can listen to all types of music, depending on my mood, especially oldies music: Beatles, Johnny Cash, Sinatra, all the Big Bands, etc.
With You Tube, I can see a video clip and bring back memories about my childhood or high school. Like this song below,..

I loved Whitney Houston, especially when she sang this song.
I think I was in my last year of elementary school,..
Hm,.. probably in the beginning of my junior high school.
Anyway, I loved this song; although, at that time, I only spoke some broken English and I could hardly understand what this song really meant.

Read this lyric through, and bring back your memory, if you have any.
Or just enjoy the lyric.

Count on me- Cece Winans & Whitney Houston

Count on me through thick and thin
A friendship that will never end
When you are weak, I will be strong
Helping you to carry on
Call on me, I will be there
Don’t be afraid
Please believe me when I say
Count on...

I can see it’s hurting you
I can feel the pain
It’s hard to see the sunshine though the rain
I know sometimes it seems as if
It’s never gonna end
But you’ll get through it
Just don’t give in cause you can...

I know sometimes it seems as if
We’re standing all alone
But we’ll get though it
Cause love won’t let us fall

There’s a place inside of all of us
Where our faith in love begins
You should reach to find the truth in love
The answers there within, oh
I know that life can make you feel
It’s much harder than it really is
But we’ll get through it
Just don’t give in

***
I have a friend: a very good one, actually.
She has been through a very difficult moment.
What she probably saw was dark clouds and rain falling down, non-stop, from the sky.
She had stolen a glance on her neighbour, whose sky is blue with extra sunshine.

You know what tragic was, I, as so-called her best friend, has not been around.
I knew she has been facing this; yet she seemed enjoying the torture;
She enjoyed standing in the rain, drinking sour water mixed with polluted air.

Who am I telling her not to do it when she enjoys doing it?
Ah, what are friends for?

As I (back again) watched the fifth season of Scrubs, J.D. was saying that everyone has a different method to learn. As for me, I expected that she would ever realise that standing in the rain won’t bring any good. Move on, and find the right shelter!

My friend, if you had a glimpse of my absence, I am sorry for not being around. It is just I want you to make your own move without my meddling. Since I ain’t any gods who know what your future might bring, I chose to be distant. I believe our God will give you a clue what your next step is.

As J.D said, "no matter what comes around, as long as you have friends around you.." Yes, you can count on me, on us, especially on HIM.

*I dedicate the song above for you*

Forces of Nature

Kami umatMu rendahkan diri sujud dan berdoa Mencari wajahMu berbalik dari jalan kami yang jahat Oleh AnugrahMu ampunilah
Oleh AnugrahMu pulihkanlah

Tuhan pulihkan, Bapa pulihkan
Kembalikan bangsa kami kepadaMu
Bapa pulihkan ampunilah bangsa kami
Dan pulihkan kembali neg'ri kami

(pulihkan negri kami - nikita feat. glenn)

translation:

we are Your people, humble ourselves and pray
we seek Your face, turn from our wicked ways
through Your grace, forgive us
through Your grace, heal our land

God heal our land, Father hear our land
Bring our nation back to You
Father, please heal our nation
and forgive our land.

My condolence to all who are facing difficult time or lossing someone they love.
"Have comfort in the knowledge that sunshine will return to the lives of those who grieve"

I pray for you, from here.
I send my prayer and love to you.
May God watch over you and comfort you.

THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.

Ah girl - poem to a friend, a very best friend.

Background Music: Why does it hurt so bad - Whitney Houston
Time: 12.16 AM

Why does it hurt so bad
Why do I feel so sad
Thought I was over you
But I keep crying
When I don't love you
So why does it hurt so bad
I thought I had let you go
So why does it hurt me so
I gotta get you outta my head
It hurts so bad
Oh it hurts so bad baby

My life's been better
Since the day I left you boy
I must admit life's been kind to me
I went and did the things I said I would boy
I found someone who loves me for me
Haven't had much drama since the day that we split boy
My heart's never been more at ease
And when I think of all the things you put me through
Leaving you has been the best thing for me

"Never again" that's what I said to myself
I never wanna feel kind of pain again boy
Just when I think it's over
Just when I think it's through
I find myself right back in love with you

Oh why, you hurt me so bad
Bad...

***

A girl falls in love so bad. I admire her; she is faithful.
Ah girl, you are just in the wrong dimension.

A girl cries; she cries him a river.
Ah girl, he went away again.
Do you think that he would go back?

A girl questions, is that it?
Sometimes she revises her questions: is he not the one?
Ah girl, you would still have a bright future without him.

A girl asks her friend.
Her friend has been quite –ah, she must feel miserable.
Ah girl, say your prayer.

A girl is bewildered.
What should I do, she once asked.
Ah girl, cast your anxiety on your Daddy.
Ah girl,..

Finally,..

Ho,..
Finally I cannot hide this anymore.
I can't!

I think I have to confess, everything.
Yes, everything, Nia!
Sorry, I have been hiding something from you.
Sorry.

I just needed my own space
so-called privacy.
Yet, sooner or later, I reckon everybody will find out.
Thus, it is better that I admit everything now.

Once again, I am sorry.
Would you forgive me?
.
.
.
.
.
Hueee,..
what have you been thinking of?
hoo,.. don't judge me too quickly?
Don't think anything nasty, peepz!!! :P

I have another blog,..
this is only for Indonesian readers,...
but don't worry not-Indonesian readers,... you don't miss out anything.
This blog is mostly full of jokes, my crazy thoughts,..
just the real me,..
but,.. I will not forget this one,.. :)

Thus,.. Indo peepz,.. here it is
http://me-nie.blogspot.com


enjoy!

How to Write a Thesis

[Scene: It's a fine sunny day in the forest, and a rabbit is sitting outside his burrow,tippy-tapping on his typewriter. Along comes a fox, out for a walk.]
Fox:	``What are you working on?''
Rabbit:	``My thesis.''
Fox:	``Hmm. What is it about?''
Rabbit:	``Oh, I'm writing about how rabbits eat foxes.'' (Incredulous pause)
Fox:	``That's rediculous! Any fool knows that rabbits don't eat foxes!''
Rabbit:	``Sure they do, and I can prove it. Come with me!''
[They both disappear into the rabbit's burrow. After a few minutes, the rabbit returns, alone, to his typewriter and resumes typing. Soon, a wolf comes along and stops to watch the hardworking rabbit.]
Wolf:	``What's that you're writing?''
Rabbit:	``I'm doing a thesis on how rabbits eat wolves.'' (Loud guffaws)
Wolf:	``You don't expect to get such rubbish published, do you?''
Rabbit:	``No problem. Do you want to see why?''
[The rabbit and the wolf go into the burrow, and again the rabbit returns by himself, after a few minutes, and goes back to typing.]
[Scene: Inside the rabbit's burrow. In one corner, there is a pile of fox bones. In another corner, a pile of wolf bones. On the other side of the room a huge lion is belching and picking his teeth. ]
The End MORAL: It doesn't matter what you choose for a thesis subject. It doesn't matter what you use for data. What does matter is who you have for a thesis advisor. p.s. Good that we have Marien v.d. Boom :P

Am I the next caller?

Hold Voice: Please, stay on the line. Your call is important to us.

Monica: Okay, wait, you gotta hang up ‘cause we’re gonna be late.

(Phoebe starts to hang up the phone, but.) 

Hold Voice: Thank you for your patience, you’re the next caller.

Phoebe: Yes!! Yes!! I’m the next caller! You were gonna have me
hang up.

[Scene: Monica and Rachel's, Monica and Rachel are returning. Phoebe is still on hold.]

Phoebe: Oh, is the play over?

Monica: Yeah. Where were you?

Hold Voice: Thank you for your patience, you’re the next caller.

Monica: You were the next caller five hours ago. You must be
going crazy.

I am not really a Friends-fan, but everyday, Monday till Friday, 8 o’clock is Friends-time for DieKa 85 (read: Diemerkade 85) citizens. We will sit in front of our teli. Some will have their dinner with them, some will still browse something on the internet while watching, and others will just watch the program.

I usually join them. It is fun to laugh together, although Friends doesn’t really make me laugh. Scrubs does. I love J.D.

Last week, I watched an episode, titled “The one with the screamer” (322). There were some scenes showing Pheobe calling a telephone company to fix her telephone; yet she was put on hold the whole time.

It was funny watching her silliness keep waiting to get helped from the phone company. Why on earth she wanted to wait for almost two days? Like Monica said, she must be going crazy.

* * *

On the way home from church this afternoon, I was cycling, enjoying the nature, the beautiful day. The sermon was quite hard to understand. If I think again, it wasn’t that difficult; yet it was difficult for me to digest it. It was like there was a big shield covering the Word of God.

I felt empty, distant.

Referring to Friends’ scenes I told you, I go through similar thing as Phoebe did. I have been put on hold, not by Phone Company, but by God.

I am now in a situation where I feel exhausted, tired.
I have been crying out to Him, asking for His helps, asking Him to do something. I and my family have been doing it for almost four years!
I am now in the point where I don’t know what is actually happening and what will happen.

God puts me on hold.
I feel like God is saying “Please hold the line, you are the next caller” or “Your call is important to me, please hold”

When will be my turn?
When will be our turn to feel Your touch, to experience Your help?

"Don't talk like a fool! If we accept blessings from God, we must accept trouble as well." (Job 2:10)

Haven’t I accepted these troubles?
Haven’t I learned something from these days?
What should I learn more?

* * *

I, now, know why I felt distant.
Why I couldn’t easily digest the sermon.

I have an unfinished business with God.
I dislike His authority.
I dislike His decision to make I and my family go through this path.

I forgot that God is love.
I forgot His unfailing love.

God, what’s wrong with me?
I evaluate my days: what have I been doing these days? What do I feel?

Suddenly, a picture came to my mind; an image, a vivid image seems to capture my feelings, all my feelings.

It is a picture of me standing on the top of the mountain, spreading my two arms: one is holding on to God’s hand, but at the same time trying to let loose God’s hands and another one is holding on to the earth, holding on tightly. My face is shunning, turning away from God, and I am looking to the earth. The background is dark blue, rainy sky.

* * *

No.
I am not fading away.
I will not let loose God’s hands.

When I am writing this post, I typed on Google: +hold +hand +God. I was looking for Bible verse to accompany this post. Yet, I found Whitney Houston old song: Hold on, Help is on the way.

When you're down and in despair
Don't be uneasy because he'll be there
Say don't you worry, no don't you fret
The Lord has never, never failed you yet

[Chorus:]
So hold on, help is on the way
Hold on, God is on his way
Hey hold on he's on his way
He told me to hold on
He's on his way
Hold on he's coming soon
Pray, he'll be there
Cmon now, yeah

Now when it seems that you can't stand
Just hold on to God's unchanging hand
Yeah, weeping may, yes, endure for just one night,
But joy will come in the morning light

He may not come when you want him
But he's right on time
But he'll be right there (on time)

Help is on the way (3x)
The word told me
If I ask he's on his way
I'm thankful cause I know he is

Come on just say, help
Come on just try, help
Ask him for a little bit, help
He'll give it to you right away, help
Help, Believe he's on his way now, help
Help, Know the help I know, help
I've called him before, help
He said his help on his way, help
Help is on the way
So glad to know

* * *

God, let me know that I am really the next caller.

I am the LORD your God.
I am holding your hand,
so don't be afraid.
I am here to help you.

(Isaiah 41: 13)

p.s. for you who have this song, please let me know. I would like to listen to it.

I fed a baby monster!

Imagine,..

You were a huge fan of Il Divo, or a rock band, Blink 182.
Or probably Coldplay.
Or some chicks like Pussycat Dolls.

One day, you happened meet someone at your college and he was a good friend of one of the band members.

Your Friend: I will introduce you to him or her.

I can bet that you would certainly not refuse his offer.

Now Nia, you imagine,..

You met a cute artist whom you have been a fan of for such a long time.
He asked your number, and from that point, something great could happen.
I honestly wouldn’t dare to imagine that kind of moment.

I used to be a huge fan of a soap series actor in Indonesia, called Teuku Ryan
or Bass player of Kahitna, Andry.

When I was 15 or something, I would imagine meeting one of them at some point.
But, more than that? I wouldn’t dare.
Because I know it would never come true.

When we think about doing something and play it out in our thoughts, it makes it that much easier to engage in the behaviour.

I was and still am a fan of Christian group band in Indonesia. I like it very much because its songs are different. The songs are usually pop, but with Christian touch. I like it! Especially, because I have ever met some of the members in a Christian conference in East Java, long time ago.

From that conference, I always went to see this band playing when it held concerts in Surabaya, a city where I am from. My favourite spot was, and is still the drummer.
He is cute.

In that Christian conference, it almost happened I would introduce myself to him. But yeah,.. I was just a loser. I didn’t dare!
(Would you dare introducing yourself in front of J.T? I don’t think so!)

Surprisingly, my close friend, in the Netherlands, happened to know him personally, because they were sitting in the same high school back home. He introduced me to him.

Wow!

Could you imagine how happy I was?
I had never thought that I would EVER know this drummer, or meet him.
I didn’t dare to dream.

Because I knew it would never come true.
Amazingly, this drummer reacted quite quickly.

I finally found myself, regularly, chatted with him on MSN.

If a woman cannot control herself while alone, what hopes does she have when some smooth-talking hunk of a man starts whispering sweet nothings in her ear?

He is a very nice guy.
He likes football.
It is very cool to chat with him.

I, unexpectedly, found myself very into him.
Bad,..
Bad,…
Bad,…

I promised to myself, Nia, you will not go further than this.
Just chatting! And confess everything to Stefy.

Also, no lust can ever be satisfied; once you begin feeding baby monsters, their appetites grow bigger and they require more!

I stopped signing in on MSN for a while. Just to resist the temptations.

It went very well.
Although, sometimes when I needed to be online on MSN, but appear offline, I saw him signing in.
Sighing,..
I admitted that I was not yet ready to chat with him.

One afternoon,
After a long jog,..
I signed in on MSN, because my mom wanted to chat.

R> sign in

R> : Hallo

Once you begin feeding baby monsters, their appetites grow bigger and they require more!

I thought I was ready.
I thought after a long jog, I have refreshed my mind.

I was wrong.

You are better off never feeding those monsters in the first place!

I am now in rehabilitation.

Actually, I shouldn’t have fed my dreams in the first place.

I though I was just a big fan of him.
I hate to admit that in the end I found myself attracted to him.

What a disgrace!

some parts are adapted from the book "Every single woman's battle"

No Woman No ...

One night,
I prayed.
I was very curious how God created a woman.
Why did he create a man first? Why not a woman?
Was it because God is a male being?
or was it actually true that God gave men more power than women so that they can rule women?
I don't get it, Lord! I said.

Suddenly, a bright light entered my room.
I didn't remember what happened next,
I just heard a voice, calmly explaining these things to me.

When I created man, I formed him and breathed life into his nostrils.
But you, woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man because your nostrils are too delicate.
I allowed a deep sleep to come over him so I could patiently and perfectly fashion you.
Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the creativity.

From one bone I fashioned you.
I chose the bone that protects man's life. I chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs and supports him, as you are meant to do.
Around this one bone I shaped you.
I modeled you. I created you perfectly and beautifully.
Your characteristics are as the rib, strong yet delicate and fragile.

You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart.
His heart is the center of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life. The ribcage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart.
Support man as the rib cage supports the body.

You were not taken from his feet, to be under him, nor were you taken from his head, to be above him.
You were taken from his side, to stand beside him and be held close to his side.

You are my perfect angel.
You are my beautiful little girl.
You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence, and my eyes fill when I see the virtues in your heart.
Your eyes - don't change them.
Your lips - how lovely when they part in prayer.
Your nose, so perfect in form, your hands so gentle to touch.
I've caressed your face in your deepest sleep; I've held your heart close to mine.
Of all that lives and breathes, you are the most like me.

Adam walked with me in the cool of the day, and yet he was lonely.
He could not see me or touch me. He could only feel me.
So everything I wanted Adam to share and experience with me, I fashioned in you:
my holiness, my strength, my purity, my love, my protection and support.
You are special because you are the extension of me.

When the voice was gone, I suddenly woke up.
It was an overwhelming moment.
Indeed.
God talked to me like that.

He left a note.
He said I should post this to my blog, and if I still remember, I should also write what He had just told me.

Man, you represents my image, woman my emotions.
Together, you represent the totality of God.
So man-treat woman well.
Love her, respect her, for she is fragile.
In hurting her, you hurt me.
What you do to her, you do to me.
In crushing her, you only damage your own heart, the heart of your Father, and the heart of her Father.

Woman, support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion I have given you.
In gentle quietness show your strength.
In love, show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self.

I hope I didn't miss out anything, Lord.
Thus, women, we should be proud of being ourselves.
and of course, support our fellow brothers, our partners.

Men, treat us, well! :)

p.s. This is adapted from a poem titled Woman, from this website: http://www.christianpoetry.org/