The Fern Vs The Bamboo

I dedicate this posting to a friend, who is momentarily feeling bored and tired with his life. I hope it can be a great encouragement to you.

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One day I decided to quit.... I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. ...

I wanted to quit my life.

I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me...

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.

I gave them light. I gave them water.

The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor.

Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.

And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed.

But I did not quit on the bamboo".

He said. "In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.

But I would not quit.

In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed.

I would not quit."

He said. "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.

Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant.

But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 Feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.

I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."

He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots. I Would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you. Don't compare yourself to others."

He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the Fern, yet, they both make the forest beautiful."

"Your time will come, "God said to me." You will rise high!"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned.

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and brought back this story.

I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you........


source: Free English Course - Yahoo Group!
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so do I hope that you will never give up, friend

Are you David?

Seeing Adversity The Right Way

Anytime God is about to take you to a new level you’re going to face opposition. There will be new battles to fight and new obstacles to overcome. It’s easy to get discouraged and think, “Why is this happening?”

But we have to change our thinking and focus on the fact that on the other side of those challenges is a new level of victory—a new level of success. David would only be known as a shepherd boy if it weren’t for Goliath. David’s enemy became the tool that God used to promote him. And God will do the same in your life today. He’ll use those challenges and difficulties in your life to catapult you towards success!

If you are going through a hard time today, if things look impossible, don’t give up now. Change your perspective and believe that God is working behind the scenes. Put a smile on your face and stand in confidence knowing that you are a child of the Most High God. When all is said and done, you’re not just going to come out of that difficulty, but you’re coming out stronger, wiser, and better than you were before! That problem is going to be the catalyst for God to open supernatural doors of opportunity for you! Stand strong in the Lord today and trust that what the enemy meant for your harm, God will turn around and use to your advantage.

He’ll take you places you never dreamed and cause you to rise higher and higher in every area of your life!

Are you the new 'David'? Do you dare to be him? Trust the Lord, for He is good.


source: Joel Osteen's Live like champion

“The earth was formless and void…and God said, Let there be light.”

Are you believing God for something today that seems impossible?

We serve a great and mighty God and He can create something out of nothing. He can make a way when there seems to be no way! Genesis tells us that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. But before He spoke the world into existence, it was formless and void.

If God can make the world out of nothing, He can take the empty places in your life and create something beautiful, too! He can speak light into your darkest hour. He can take your formless dreams and give them shape. He can resurrect your dormant gifts and talents! He can make your crooked places straight! Remember, you are created in the image of almighty God.

There’s power in your words, and there’s power when you’re in agreement with Him. Start saying what God says about your situation. Speak life to your broken dreams, today. Stay in an attitude of faith and expectancy. As you do, God will take you places that you’ve never dreamed, and you’ll live in victory all the days of your life!

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I hope that this devotional reading, taken from Joel Osteen's daily e-mail above can give you some encouragement to go through this day. Happy working day and God bless your coming week.

(Don't) Stop Watching Fitna

Many people are still against Government's decision to band YouTube and other sites. They talk it over the phone, on the website, forum and send their thoughts to local or national newspaper. I reckon, most Indonesians don't like it.

Mr Wimar Witoelar mentioned in perspektif.net that Indonesian people accesses YouTube everyday NOT for watching Fitna; yet for other reasons, such as pleasure, just for laugh, witness their friend's engangement ceremony :P

Thus, banning YouTube is the wrong thing, especially if what the government wants is to make people stop thinking, talking, and seeing it.

It's like during Soeharto's era when the government was always so suspicious, Wimar told the Jakarta Post last Thursday.

Yes, I truly agree. When M Nuh was seated on the throne of Menkominfo (Head of Communication and Information Department), he promised the freedom of ICT. He was, himself, attending Blogger event and announced a Blogger day. All of these actions had been the proof that Indonesia was growing toward freedom of speaking, writing, and expressing oneself. Wow,..! I used to admire M NUh.

Yet, now, he is no longer my favorite politician. First, his action launching UU ITE and then banning YouTube & Friends, had made me very upset. Yes, disappointed! What does he want? Has someone behind me tried to steer him?

I don't know.

A political expert, Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, from the National Institute of Sciences, had made a good point, saying that the block could be interpreted as evidence of the government's support for minor extremist groups.

He said the ban on the film and its maker Dutch politician Geert Wilders spoke volumes about the government's immaturity despite the democratic era.
"The government's intervention will impede its citizens from becoming mature. The public will never be able to tell good from bad because the government always dictates to them," Ikrar said.

He said the ban would not work, but rather would ignite public curiosity about the film and encourage people to find alternative ways to watch it.

"If the government is seriously concerned that movies could destroy this country, it should ban TV soap operas, which often teach young people negative behavior," Ikrar said.

Yes, I truly agree with him.

Where is the government when there are so many useless Soap Opera showing glamour life style, hatred, evil doing, silly behavior?

Where is the government when there are numerous murder, stealing, and lying scenes being showed during Prime Time, when children and teenagers are having their dinner?

Where is the government when TV stations show stupid quizzes with so-many-millions prize for the winner that make Indonesian poor, uneducated people being dumb and dumber?

All I could say, It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt?

So, my suggestion is, do watch Fitna and see that what this guy, Geert Wilders, wants is only popularity and attention. And, stop watching those stupid soap operas: Cinta Bunga, Chelsea, Cahaya, and so on. Watch Metro TV! 

Some quotes are taken from Perspektif.net

Anyway,..

I have been pretty discouraged lately due to a lot of things happening surround me: illeness, failure, being put on hold, disappointment, catching my dream, and many things. Honestly, I can't do it on my own. I have to be couraged, supported again and again. I need to hear, again and again, that I can or that I am able to reach my dream!

Watching American Idol last week was a real blessing for me. Kristy Lee Cook, although she wasn't my favorite, sang a very beautiful song that moved my heart and gave me goosebump, titled 'Anyway'. This song is originally sung by Martina McBride.

Glad this song can give me another encouragement and enlightment. Really need to download this song!

Enjoy. Hopefully this song can help you, too.

You can spend your whole life building
Something from nothin'
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway

You can chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might never come your way
Dream it anyway

God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway

This world's gone crazy
It's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway

You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
In a moment they can choose to walk away
Love 'em anyway

You can pour your soul out singing
A song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway
Yea - sing it anyway

Why YouTube?

Indonesia's Information Minister Mohammad Nuh has ordered internet providers to ban access to popular sites like YouTube and MySpace.

The ban aims to prevent Indonesians from accessing a Dutch anti-Islam film.

A signed letter from the minister says: "[The] broadcast of the Fitna movie through the internet by the Dutch politician Geert Wilders might cause disturbance in relations between religions and civilisations around the world."

"We ask you to immediately use all effort to block all sites and blogs which post the Fitna movie," it added.

The letter was copied to Indonesia's Police Chief.

source: abc.net.au

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Stopping people from seeing something or hiding any information, without any clear explanation may cause various things:

1. Curiosity
2. Disappointment/Upset
3. Backstreet action

I reckon it is ridiculous to ban Youtube, Myspace, Multiply, rapidshare, and other useful websites just because they are accused of "spreading" Fitna the movie.

There are thousands useful information in those websites, apart from Fitna film.

What needs to be done is educate Indonesians about what the movie is about and whose it is for (in fact, it is dedicated to Muslim, who are in the Netherlands, not Muslim across the world). Moreover, government needs to teach about what they should do. Educated people, hopefully, will know how to react; yet, how about uneducated, "small", people? They are mostly provoked by the others, who are more dominant or powerful. Thus, I think our President needs to speak in a big forum (live) about how Indonesian anticipates and reacts in regards to Fitna film.

Banning Youtube, burning down Dutch Consulates, and hating Dutch people will not solve any problems. There will be a lot more Geert Wilders, who will provoke us. What we should do so that we won't get provoked is determining our attitude.

As it is said by Stephen Covey, it is not the circumstances around us that determine our attitude; yet it is our attitude that determines what will happen around us (90/10 principle).

So, government, what's your attitude?

Get Engaged/Get Married?

Guess! :P

- before the ceremony -

- the ceremony (Chinese Tradition) -

- the Blessing by Pak Nathanael -

- the singing for MY FIANCEE ('It Might Be You') -

- WE ROCK!! -

Surprise,.. surprise!!!

You may be a little bit disappointed because you are not up-to-date about this news; yet, so you may know, we LOVE surprises!!

The event was held:
on 29th March 2008
at XO Suki, Surabaya

Thank's God for all your supports, prayers, and encouragement so that we may go through these 7 years of ups-and-downs relationship. Please pray with us and for us so that we may enter the Wedding Gate with His blessing, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE :P

Will (NOT) keep you updated :P because, WE LOVE SURPRISES!!!!!

Just One Paragraph!

After spending some times living in denial, disappointments and sadness, I finally have to face the truth. Instead of "why me again?" statement, I am really striving to rephrase my question to "what do YOU want me to learn again and again?"

This following text is really encouraging, at least for me. I hope you will, too, be encouraged.

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Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983.

From world over, he received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed: "Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease"?

To this Arthur Ashe replied:

" The world over -- 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis,
500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam,
50 reach Wimbledon , 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals,
when I was holding a cup I never asked GOD 'Why me?'.
And today in pain I should not be asking GOD 'Why me?' "

Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrow keeps you Human,
Failure keeps you humble
and Success keeps you glowing,
but only Faith & Attitude Keeps you going...

source: Sangkakala.org