A Little Suggestion for Parents

My goodness.. maybe this will be my most ridiculous post ever!
But, I keep pushing to write here. Just wanna share with you my suggestion about how parents should be. No, I don't have any certain purpose. I even have no children yet to give you an advice or two, I just want to speak out my insight as a child, not as a wonderful parent..

As a child, I was raised well, in fear and love of God. I have to admit it. But, sometime, I felt that my father was too hard pushing me to be discipline, ignoring that I was too young to understand what was taught to me.

My father was so temperamental. He wouldn't be 'hesitate' to punish his children if we made mistake. Yes, he would punished us, no matter how little mistake we did! I knew eventually that his intention was for our goodness. But, his way of punishing won't be vanishing from our memory (especially, me!). And, if I recall those moments, I can see that the way parents treat their children will impact the way the children see God.

If the parents raised their children in love and understanding, this will be the foundation for the children to know God. They will see God as love and full of understanding, just like the way they see their parents are! But, if the parents raised the children with careless, never forgive them, and always punish them, this also will be the basic doctrine the children learn about God. They will think that God is like their parents: careless, never forgive, cruel, and sort of it!

Yeah, this is my real experience. No, I've no intention to hurt anyone, especially my father (he is in peace in heaven right now!:)). But this is true. Probably, as parents you may not feel it. But, as a child, I knew it well. The way my parents treat me as a child built an image in my head about who God was and how His nature was. No matter how many times you told your children that God loves them, if you don't treat it that way to them, they won't feel it that way. Your actions speak louder than your speech..

Please, parents, watch out your attitude to your children. Preach will be nothing without actions. Don't let your children become like me, who learn many things about God from the way her parents treat her, and just found that her paradigm has definitely wrong right after she was already grown up. So it's a little uneasy to change it ..

Please, no offense. I am not judging anyone. I'm so sorry if I made mistake here. Please take this as a little reminder to you. Just share my experience, my friend..

Blessings!

Extraordinary Challenge for Extraordinary People

Have you ever asked Lord the question 'why do this happen to me?' when you face a big problem? Or when you face something you think you can't handle by your own power?

Yeah, we tend to blame our circumstance whenever we encounter hard times. We think that we can't handle it, we are inadequate, we aren't strong enough, wise enough, and so many reasonable statement will be spoken out from our mouths.

Joel Osteen said in his sermon that our problems define our greatness and our future. We aren't average, we aren't ordinary people so we won't face average or ordinary problems. God won't allow us facing an extraordinary problem if He knew that we can't handle it. But, because He knew that we're extraordinary, and we aren't average so He puts extraordinary problems in front of us, so that those problems won't becoming our obstacles, but our stepping stone toward our successful.

I have to admit that it was so true for me. For so many times, I always measure my problems with my own power. I always think that I wasn't able. I didn't have great wisdom to face big challenges that often come into my life. I wasn't experienced enough. I've been feeling so young, stupid and immature. I used to forget that God is always 'behind the scene' to set everything for my goodness. Everything comes into my life has its own purpose to shape and mold me in order to be an extraordinary person in God's hands.

The bigger is the challenge, the bigger should our hearts become. The harder is the problem, the great also will our characters become. We can't deny the rule. No extraordinary people will face average problem. No, because our measure isn't our own power, because we're limited indeed, but we are walking with The Extraordinary God who isn't limited by our borders.

Anytime you feel that you're facing an extraordinary problem, just remember that you are an extraordinary person. All you need is simply putting on the whole armour God has given to you.
Put on the helmet of salvation: change your mindset. You're not a victim, but a victor. Don't blame it to your pasts, your family or your circumstance. No, one thing we can control freely in life is our mind, so ask The Lord to change your mind to understand His pathways.

Put on the shoe of peace, so you can take a walk with peace over your heart. People may talk about you behind of you, but you can let it go and your eyes keep looking right on, toward your bright future.

Put also the shield of faith on, because without faith we can't see The Lord. I believe that God has so many wonderful and mighty things for us in store. But all depends on our way of thinking. So let's keep our mind positive so we can see the great things God has prepared for us to enjoy in life.

Don't be afraid of the future. If you know for sure Who is walking with you, and you have asked Him to take the lead all along your journey, you'll be sure that your journey will be safe and blessed. You may fail, you may be stumbled, but God never fails. He holds you in His hands, He keeps you safe and He guarantees your future..

From now on, let's face the extraordinary problems with our new mindset by looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, that we are the extraordinary people of The Extraordinary God!


Inspired by Joel Osteen's sermon.

The Freedom Writers

I believe everyone has a story to tell. And the story will depend on how you look at the life.

I, myself, at some certain points, finally realized that what I used to do in my past was just looking back and regretting my life, even for something I should proud of and thankful for instead of doing something useful through all experiences I had!

Few days ago, I watched 'The Freedom Writers' (a film based on a true story) and felt inspired. How could this Erin Gruwell took the hardship as an opportunity instead of 'just hardship' to change her students' lives? When I watched the movie, I intended to change my point of view. I wanted to change the way I see my life.

Probably, like most of us, I always demand from my surrounds. I demand other people to understand me, forgive me, and try harder for me. I felt like I was drinking the water from the well of Jacob, although I definitely knew it would never have satisfied me. What I did was just to draw attention for me, and anything I did or thought or felt or what really matters was all about me. Myself. I have trapped in doing 'something good, not something godly'. I've run millions of miles without ever gain something important, because I have just run on a treadmill, in other words, I went nowhere ever since.

I realize now that the way we can make something happen isn't the way we ask or take from life, but the way we give. It does what really matter.

I admired Ms. G (the name her student called her)'s courage and strength and constant intention to make a change on everybody's lives (in her class). And she made it. I recently got the idea that life isn't all about us. It's about cope with the problems, about fighting, about asking for God's will, about helping other people and about give a contributions to others' lives. Sometimes life isn't about asking what you will, but about accomplishing God's purpose in your life. Without these things, we'll feel empty eventually.

Oh, if only more people have willing to contribute a little more effort, passion and time in others' lives, probably this world will never be the same. As Paulo Coelho wrote on his novel, 'one happy soul will make the world better'.

If you are one of those who are asking for what to do in your life, don't just look for what you can do or what needs in this world you can meet, but please, ask for what God has specially provided for you to do. It's far more better, important and fit for your life and for your ministry. Don't just be trapped there doing something you can do well, but do something you can do the best.

If you haven't watched this movie, I highly recommend it for you. Let's get inspiration from anything inspiring and let see what we can do to 'make it happen'.

If you should write your life's story, what kind of story you'll tell the world?

Let's make this world a better place..