BYBS - A Pattern of Love

My dearly beloved husband bought me a brand new laptop last Saturday. Oh, that's such a blessing for me!

I supposed I've thanked him around hundred thousand times for that. He knows how I yearned to have my own laptop and he made it happen for me! And, the wonderful one is the reason behind it. He told me that he just wanted to make me happy. Oh, that's so lovely.. how I thank God for giving me him as my hubby...

For a certain moment, big idea came across my mind. I was just compared him with my God, and suddenly, I got my aha moment!

To be frank, from my dad I learned many things about God. And it was such something not too good. My father was very emotional, impatient, rude, hard to satisfied, and such a type that uneasy to understood. I didn't have a close relationship with him. (Now I'm really sorry for that!).

I believe it wasn't by accident, his personality showed me how The Lord was in my sight (at least, I used to suppose that if that was my dad's personality, so it might be God's personality also!). I supposed He was hard to pleased, He was rude also, oh, and He was.. any bad character my dad had within himself! So, when somebody told me that God is love, I couldn't take it for granted. I couldn't take this fact as something real in my life. I couldn't take it as a real personality of God. Cause as long as my dad lived, I knew about bad things rather than good things through his life.

But, as I married my hubby, my point of view has changed. I see another side of God I haven't known before through him. My hubby showed me much about love, about passion, patience, understanding, meekness, faithfulness and .. how to smile. He got me back my smile and I love him so much for that. From him, I learn about goodness and don't know why, my way of thinking about God was changed day by day..

Maybe I'm not perfect yet in my knowing about God, but I thank Him for opening up my eyes to see Him more clearly. I thank Him for showing up Himself through somebody I love most. I know that nothing happens accidentally in Him. He manages every single thing in every single day in my life. He takes the lead, and He'll do anything He wants in His way.

I'm just grateful to have Him as my Lord God Almighty. Cause whenever I've no power to get closer to Him, He'll take the initiative and He'll do the toil no matter what it may takes to get me back to Him.

He's my wonderful savior.

And my husband is a wonderful pattern to know Him.

Thank you both for never give up loving me..

Let Prayer Change Your Life

Well, today isn't one of my best day. Yet, I try to give thanks to God for what He has done for me. I read Becky Tirabassi's book Let Prayer Change Your Life this evening and got inspired.
She wrote that God can do anything much more than what we can think or imagine. Even, she challenged me to be dare to pray something big in order that God will manifest His glory through all the thing I'm praying.

Yeah, I often suppose that praying is just an obligation, not a nice or wonderful thing to do. Even, it would never become number 1 in my priority list until I read this book. Becky has brought me a new horizon I've never thought about. Now, my way of thinking has changed and I thank God for this book.

I ain't perfect yet and I'm not a good prayer. So often, I pass my quiet times, but through all the testimonies she wrote in her book, Mrs Tirabassi has encouraged me to develop a deeper relationship with God and raise up my faith again in Him.

Have you already read this book? Try it. Read it, and practice the idea within the book, so as I tell you, you'll never be the same. The experience of constant prayer will increase your faith and grow a closeness with God. I hope we all can see all the wondrous and marvelous thing of God that -I believe- are beyond our expectations..

10 Reasons To Love Your Life

Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.
Bil Keane

Today is a gift. We have all the reasons to be excited about today, but too often we forget about it. We may end up complaining and feel bad about today. Don’t let it happen. Let’s count your blessings and see why you should love your life today:

1. Today you are healthy

We are so used to being healthy that we forget how good being healthy is. Sometimes we need to be sick to appreciate the blessing of being healthy.

To continue reading click here.

How To Spend A Day with The Lord

Hey, here's an article I found that very helpful to develop a better relationship with God.
Let's check this out..

Usually our days are filled with the demands of life crying for our attention; that’s why we need to plan personal retreat time to be with the Lord - four, eight, or twelve hours with nothing on our agenda except to bask in His love, to thank and worship Him, to listen to Him, to intercede for others, to lay your life and activities before Him and let Him give directions.

The Bible promises us in James 4:8, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” He is waiting for you!

Don’t rush. The objective is to spend relaxed, uninterrupted time with God, not to go through a format. These are mere guidelines. Let God be your guide.

Preparation

• Find a place where you can be alone and free from distractions.
• Bring your Bible, a notebook and pen, and worship music.

Thanksgiving

Begin with thanksgiving. Psalm 100:4 tells us, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.”

• Thank Him for His patience and forgiveness.
• Thank Him for the privilege of coming into His presence.
• Thank Him for what He has done in and through your life in the last year.

Take time to list what God has done for you. Be specific. Think through every area of your life.

Confession

Ask God to search your heart. Psalm 139: 23,24

• Confess any sins the Holy Spirit reveals. Psalm 19:12
• Remember the certainty of forgiveness. 1 John 1:9
• Make certain you are walking and praying in the Spirit. Ephesians 5:15-20

Praise

Become still before the Lord. Psalm 46:10

• Consider who God is. Psalm 103
• Praise Him for His attributes. Psalm 145
• Rejoice in your fellowship with Him and that He delights in you. Proverbs 15:8
• Read passages of Scripture and pray them back to God. Psalms 146 - 150
• Sing to the Lord.

Intercession

Pray your way around the world with unhurried, detailed intercession for others. Ask God to reveal the world to you from His point of view as you read Psalm 33.

• Begin with your non-Christians, friends, relatives, neighbors and others the Lord puts on your heart.
• Pray that the people who have never heard about Jesus would have an opportunity to hear and understand the gospel. 2 Peter 3:9
• Pray for those in authority - federal/national, provincial/state and municipal/county government leaders.
  1 Timothy 2:1,2
• Pray for Christians ,using Paul’s prayers in Philippians 1:9-11, Colossians 1:9-12, Ephesians 1 :16-19.

“By intercessory prayer we can hold off Satan from other lives and give the Holy Ghost a chance with them. No wonder Jesus put such tremendous emphasis on prayer!” - Oswald Chambers

Personal Life Evaluation

• Ask for understanding as you read an entire book of the Bible. Record insights God gives you.
• Ask God what He thinks of your life. Wait. Listen for His answer.
• Evaluate the use of the time, talent, treasure, education and experience God has entrusted to you. Are they glorifying to God? Do you need to change what you are doing?
• Discuss with the Lord your joys, your sorrows and decisions you are facing. Find promises and directives in the Bible which you can record.

“The greatest answer to prayer is that I am brought into a perfect understanding with God, and that alters my view of actual things.” - Oswald Chambers

Concluding Your Day With God

• Praise and thank God for the fellowship you had today.
• Schedule the next “Day with the Lord” in your appointment book.
• Share with someone about your day.

by Katherine J. Kehler

Resource: thelife.com

You're The Result of Yourself

Don't blame anyone, never complain of anyone or anything

Because basically you have made of your life what you wanted.

Accept the difficulties of edifying yourself

And the worth of starting to correct your character.

The triumph of the true man arises from the ashes of his mistakes.

Never complain of your loneliness or your luck.

Face it with courage and accept it.

Somehow, they are the result of your acts and

It shows that you'll always win.

Don't feel frustrated of your own failures, neither unload them to someone else.

Accept yourself now or you'll go on justifying yourself like a child.

Remember that any time is good to start

And that no time is so good to give up.

Don't forget that the cause of your present is your past,

As the cause of your future will be your present.

Learn from the brave, from the strong,

From who doesn't accept situations

From who will live in spite of everything.

Think less of your problems and more of your work.

Learn to arise from your pain,

And to be greater than the greatest of your obstacles.

Look at the mirror of yourself and you'll be free and strong

And you'll stop being a puppet of circumstances.

For you yourself are your destiny.

Wake up and stare at the sun in the mornings and breathe the sun of dawn.

You're part of the strength of your life now,

Rise up, fight, walk, be sure and you'll win in life.

Don't ever think of 'fate'

For fate is the excuse of failures.

Pablo Neruda

Ressurected Faith

"Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son" (Gen 22:10).

There are times in our lives when God brings a test to see if we are ready to put to death the very thing that God promised we would have. Such was the case in the life of Abraham with Isaac. Isaac was the promised son. Yet, God said to raise the knife to sacrifice him in obedience God.

When God brings such a test into our lives we usually have a choice. Neither choice is attractive. One choice will often salvage some aspect of the vision. The other choice will totally kill the vision from our perspective. However, that is the faith decision. That is the only decision from God's perspective.

If we choose the faith decision that kills the vision - we will witness the resurrection of the vision supernaturally by God. Our own faith will be launched into a whole new dimension. He will raise us up in order to speak through our lives in that experience. God often brings that person into a very public ministry.

However, if we choose the lesser decision, we will reside in a lesser walk with God. God will accept the decision but there will be consequences to our faith journey. He cannot trust us with a bigger vision because He sees our obedience is movable based on our perceived consequences.

If we choose the lesser decision then God will often orchestrate other events in our lives that are designed to develop our faith to a level that will allow us to make the right decision the next time.

Do you have resurrection faith that will trust God to raise your situation from the dead?

The devotionals I receive daily from Church Growth Institute have always been wonderful for me (amongst my other devotionals!). I've always been being inspired and encouraged by reading them. So I always look forward to read them every time I check my emails.

If you are like me, love to read this kind of devotional daily, just subscribe by clicking here. You'll get a free spiritual gift analysis also -if you take the test- there. They have a beautiful website!

Happy visiting!

BYBS - Remembering God Moments

I thank God for our Sunday Service this morning. The praises and worship were so great. I sensed God's presence and that was so wonderful. Even, the sermon was beautiful, interesting and I could feel as if it was God Himself spoke through to me personally. Well, this may sound uninteresting for you, but oh, the Words were so simple yet so true, encouraged and conformed me. To be frank, I almost lost my faith to Him, but through His affirmation words this morning, I feel I've got the new strength I've been searching for..

Our reading was taken from Matt 28:5-9. But I emphasize at the verse 7 'Behold, He goeth before you into Galilee, there shall ye see Him: lo, I have told you' (KJV).

Why did Jesus told the disciples to go to Galilee?
1. Because there was the place He showed up Himself for the first time (Matt 4:12-17).

2. In Galilee Jesus did His miracle for the 1st and the second time (John 2:11, John 4:54) and manifested forth His glory. He just wanted His disciples to remind about His marvelous works there. When we are facing something hard so that our faith seems to be 'half past dead', just remember His wonderful works in you to raise up your faith..

3. In Galilee Jesus called His first disciples. He just reminded them to remember about their calling. The moment wasn't as simple as we can imagine, cause before He called them, the fishermen had toiled to fishing all night long with no result, but when Jesus told them to launch out into the deep, and let down their nets for a draught (Luk 5:4, KJV), they did it anyway, and they got a big catch that day. So was the day when Jesus died, Peter who was disappointed and afraid intended to go back to fishing (and all of his friends were went with him), but the same story repeated. They caught nothing, until Jesus stood on the shore and told them to cast the net on the right side of the ship.

I believe when Peter knew that He was Jesus, he might be remembering his failure. The same story, failure changed to succeeded, nothing changed to many things, that's all because of Jesus.
This all reminded me about all of my failures without Him. Anyhow, there were times I try to do many things as if I can. I've just realized who was I till I met the failures. Till I saw Him stood somewhere close to me, looking at me in His wonderful grace..

I am blessed to hear His Words. Especially to be reminded about His goodness and His great, mighty and marvelous works in me. I know for sure that His love is such an unending and unconditional love. Can't show you clearly how The Words has blessed me. I was thrilling. I was trembling. I was speechless before Him. Because He understands me much more than any other people, He knows exactly what I need and He comes through for me, whatever my circumstance is, and He sends me His word to direct me, in order that I won't be distracting out from His way. Every way He does, He always be perfect in timing. Am wondering how can He does all the perfection for each of us!

Oh, thank God for sending me His words. That makes my life different!

Don't forget to blog your blessing!
Happy Sunday..

WWJD - What Would Jesus Drive

Most people assume WWJD is for "What would Jesus do?" But the initials really stand for (grin) "What would Jesus drive?"

One theory is that Jesus would tool around in an old Plymouth because "the Bible says God drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden in a Fury." But in Psalm 83, the Almighty clearly owns a Pontiac and a Geo. The passage urges the Lord to "pursue your enemies with your Tempest and terrify them with your Storm."

Perhaps God favors Dodge pickup trucks, because Moses' followers are warned not to go up a mountain "until the Ram's horn sounds a long blast."

Some scholars insist that Jesus drove a Honda but didn't like to talk about it. As proof, they cite a verse in St. John's gospel where Christ tells the crowd, "For I did not speak of my own Accord... " Meanwhile, Moses rode an old British motorcycle, as evidenced by a Bible passage declaring that "the roar of Moses' Triumph is heard in the hills."

Joshua drove a Triumph sports car with a hole in its muffler: "Joshua's Triumph was heard throughout the land."

And, following the Master's lead, the Apostles car pooled in a Honda... "The Apostles were in one Accord."

Friendship is not a Product

by Catherine Pulsifer

To be a true friend means being there not when it is convenient to you but being there for your friend. To be a friend means that you are willing to give yourself not only through the good times, but also during the bad times. There is a Turkish proverb that says this so well: "A wise man remembers his friends at all times; a fool, only when he has need of them."

To be a friend means encourage strengths in others and accepting their weaknesses; in other words, accepting them for who they are. A friend encourages us when we doubt ourselves. They can sometimes see what we can not. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "A true friend is somebody who can make us do what we can."

In the end, to be a friend means giving freely and not expecting anything in return. William Arthur Ward sums it up the best with his wisdom in the following quote:

"A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths;
feels your fears but fortifies your faith;
sees your anxieties but frees your spirit;
recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities."

What is your definition of a friend?
Do you live up to your own definition with your friends?

Source: wow4u.com


I dedicate this post to my friend Sue: thank you for being such a wonderful friend for me. God bless you!

10 Reasons God Created Eve

1. God worried that Adam would always be lost in the garden because he knew men would never ask directions.
   
   
2. God knew that Adam would one day need someone to hand him the TV remote because men don't want to see what's on television, they want to see WHAT ELSE is on television.
   
   
3. God knew that Adam would never buy a new fig leaf when the seat wore out and therefore would need Eve to get one for him.
   
   
4. God knew that Adam would never make a doctors appointment for himself.
   
   
5. God knew that Adam would never remember which night was garbage night.
   
   
6. God knew that if the world was to be populated there would have to be someone to bear them, because men would never be able to handle it.
   
   
7. As "Keeper of the Garden" Adam would never remember where he put his tools.
   
   
8. The Scripture account of creation indicates that Adam needed someone to blame his troubles on when God caught him hiding in the garden.
   
   
9. As the Bible says, "It is not good for man to be alone." He only ends up getting himself in trouble.
   
   
10. When God finished the creation of Adam, he stepped back, scratched his head and said, "I can do better than that."

A Dog's Letter To God

Dear God,
How come people love to smell flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another? Where are their priorities?

Dear God,
When we get to Heaven, can we dogs sit on your couch? Or is it the same old story?

Dear God,
Excuse me, but why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar, the mustang, the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not one named for a dog? How often do you see a cougar riding around? We dogs love a nice ride! I know every breed cannot have its own model, but it would be easy to rename the Chrysler Eagle the Chrysler Beagle!

Dear God,

If a dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad dog?

Dear God,
When my foster mom's friend comes over to our house, he smells like musk! What's he been rolling around in?

Dear God,
Is it true that in Heaven, dining room tables have on-ramps?

Dear God,

More meatballs, less spaghetti, please.

Dear God,
When we get to the Pearly Gates, do we have to shake hands to get in?

Dear God,

We dogs can understand human verbal instructions, hand signals, whistles, horns, clickers, beepers, scent IDs, electromagnetic energy fields, and Frisbee flight paths. What do humans understand?

Dear God,
Are there dogs on other planets, or are we alone? I have been howling at the moon and stars for a long time, but all I ever hear back is the beagle across the street!

Dear God,

Are there mailmen in Heaven? If there are, will I have to apologize?

Dear God,
Is it true that dogs are not allowed in restaurants because we can't make up our minds what NOT to order? Or is it the carpets again?

Dear God,

When my family eats dinner they always bless their food. But, they never bless mine. So, I've been wagging my tail extra fast when they fill my bowl. Have you noticed MY blessing?

Resource : skywriting.net


Remembering my dearly beloved dog, Dolce which is in the heaven of the dogs now. He passed away on June 12th, 2007, right a week after my wedding last year..

Here are the picts

my sweet Dolce
November 25, 2000 - June 12, 2007

I've Learned That...

Here are some sample entries from H. Jackson Brown's book 'Live and Learn and Pass It On'. What a wonderful idea to collect about anything people have learned on each stage of their life...

1. I've learned that a strong code of ethics is as reliable as a compass. -- Age 43

2. I've learned that you can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk. -- Age 7

3. I've learned that if I eat donuts today I wear them tomorrow. -- Age 39

4. I've learned that goldfish don't like Jello. -- Age 5

5. I've learned that I don't feel my age as long as I focus on my dreams instead of my regrets. -- Age 83

6. I've learned that deciding who you will marry is the most important decision you'll ever make. -- Age 95

7. I've learned that it's easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble. -- Age 14

8. I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decisions. -- Age 66

9. I've learned that it always makes me feel good to see my parents holding hangs. -- Age 13

10. I've learned that life is like a blind date. Sometimes you just have to have a little faith! -- Age 23

To be honest, I haven't read the book yet, but I've already read the quotes somewhere (I don't remember), till I found this through the search engine! :)

What you've learned about?

Source: instructionbook.com

Within You Is The Strength To Meet Life's Challenges

You are stronger than you think~
Remember to stand tall.
Every challenge in your life
Helps you to grow.
Every problem you encounter
Strengthens your mind and your soul.
Every trouble you overcome
Increases your understanding of life.
When all your troubles weigh heavily
On your shoulders,
remember that beneath the burden
You can stand tall because you are never

Given more than you can handle
And you are stronger
Than you think.

~ Lisa Wroble ~

Getting Picked

Here's another devotional from Prime Time with God by Os Hillman. Actually I wanted to post it few days ago but my internet connection got some technical difficulties and I couldn't access my Blogger, so here I share this with all of you. So simple yet so useful, inspiring and.. oh, you won't believe how I thank God for this article.

This came so personally for me. Seemed to feel that these words came directly from God.. :)

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last" (John 15:16).

I will never forget the day in junior high school when I went to the gymnasium to view the list of those who would make the basketball team. Several of us went excitedly to see who was on the list and who was not. I made it! The feelings of exhilaration were beyond description for a fourteen year old. Those who didn't make it were sad and downcast.

Most of us growing up either landed on "picked" or the "unpicked" side of life. I often hear my wife say, "I never got picked for anything. I wasn't very good in sports or music." (She wanted to play in the marching band but couldn't play and walk at the same time).

It is awesome to be picked by the God of the universe to be on His team. When God chose you, He knew what He was doing. God doesn't always pick those who have the greatest skill, the greatest aptitude, or even the greatest personality. However, He always has something in mind for those He picks.

There is one thing He requires of those He picks. They are to be fruit-bearers. They are not to be fruit-makers, but fruit-bearers. Our goal should not be to bear fruit. Our goal should be to know the One who chose us and makes the fruit. When we really know the one who chose us, fruit will be a natural by-product.

Today, as you begin your workday, consider where you will drop some fruit. It might be by praying for a co-worker. It might be by simply greeting someone cheerfully during lunch. It might be by leading someone to the Savior today. Share your fruit freely.

My Prayer Journal

I read Becky Tirabassi's book 'Let Your Prayer Change Your Life' and got inspired. She motivated me through her book to take certain time to get connected with God. To be honest, I read my Bible daily, not because I love it, but because I think that is an obligation I have to do daily, so I read and read and read my Bible everyday, over and over but often I forgot what I've just read or fell asleep.. oh my.. (feel guilty).

Now I try to be more discipline in spending my quiet times. I record my prayer (hopefully I can record the answer also for my own progress. At least, it'll support me to prepare more time to be in God's presence, wait for His will and get closer to Him and increase my faith upon Him). Also I record the verses that grab my attention. I'm sure those are the words God is speaking to me personally, anytime I need it. And I keep a journal of written conversations with Him instead of my daily journal (yes, as you may know, I like to write about anything!).

I encourage you to do what I've been doing. No, not because I'm worthy to do it or I supposed that I've achieved a great achievement or what, but I just think that it's such a great idea to record our prayers and verses that come personally for us. The journal will record our faith's progress and we'll discover much more things about our real selves. In what things usually we fall, what things make us be thankful, or how the way God works in our life personally (these are just a few things we can discover about our relationship with God). So -in my opinion- it will be easier for us to make a self introspection. How do we know how long usually it takes for God to answer our prayers without recording it? (I believe God has a certain pattern for each of us!). Or how do we know how to 'repair' our bad habits without knowing or understand all of those one?

After all, when I started to record all of my ponderings, feelings and experiences I got in Him, I feel that I'm growing a deeper relationship with Him. Isn't it wonderful? I promise myself to spend more time to be in God's presence and record any wonderful thing He has done for me. (Unfortunately, journaling isn't a habit here in Indonesia! People here don't use to read and journaling) .

I wonder how God can work through everything to give His mercy and goodness for us. I am thankful for all the spiritual books I've read. May God bless all the authors who have shared their experiences in Christ with me..

Jacob's Defining Moment

"So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, 'It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared'" (Gen 32:30).

Every believer in Jesus Christ must have a defining moment in their lives. Jacob is about to meet his brother Esau in the desert after years of separation. The last time he saw him was when he manipulated the birthright from him years ago. He assumes Esau is going to try to kill him. He sends gifts ahead as a peace offering. And he spends a restless night in prayer asking God to spare his and his family's life.

Jacob has lived a life of control and manipulation. Yet, there is something in Jacob God finds worthy of redemption. He has a heart that genuinely wants to serve and be used of God. But God must do something in him to chisel away the bad traits in his life.

He sends an angel in the form of a man to wrestle away the striving in Jacob. The only way to remove the striving in Jacob is to injure his physical abilities. "When the angel saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man'" (Gen 32:25-26). Jacob's natural abilities were so great that God literally had to make Jacob a weaker man physically in order for God's power to be manifested in his life. When this happened a turning point took place in Jacob. A new nature was birthed in him that required a total trust in God. His name was changed in recognition of this defining moment. "Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome'" (Gen 32:28).

My friend Bob Mumford once said, "Beware of any Christian leader who does not walk with a limp." If a leader has not wrestled with God over their natural abilities and come to a place of total dependence on God, that leader will live a life of striving and manipulation.

Let go and let God do the work needed in you. When this happens even your enemies will be a peace with you.

Well, this is a devotional I've just received a little while ago from Prime Time with God.

Oh, this message is very true. I absolutely agree with this. Sometimes I think God should send an angel to wrestle away the striving in us. Cause we like to count on our strength and our understanding, we often forget that we are limited. That's why we need to stop striving, realize our weaknesses and let God manifests His power within us.

I love the statement above ' Let go and let God do the work needed in you. When this happens even your enemies will be a peace with you'. Doesn't this mean something for you?

When is your defining moment?

Source: my daily devotional from Prime Time with God

I'm Back!

After around a week of disappearing, I'm back.
Thank you to Sue who has left me a sweet comment and encouraged me to write again. Oh, I almost be bored about this blogging stuff:) Yet, I wrote on my journal instead. Your comment means so much for me, Sue!

Last week I also celebrated my 1st wedding anniversary (no, it's not the reason why I didn't write anything on my blog). Just an announcement :).

Hmmh.. don't know what to write about anymore.

Probably I am facing what may call as a writer's block.
Please understand me..