My prayers

What’s new?
1. I still miss my Pa
2. We just bought our first apartment. Just paid the down payment. It will be finished in 2010. Hopefully in February.
3. I got sick. My back hurt a lot. After several physiotherapy, feels better. It’s been more than a month. I hope the healing process is faster.
4. Told my wife that I really really want to study at Seminary.

What I’ve been praying?
1. My wife and me a little bit low on stamina. So the strength for each day.
2. Money so that I can study at Seminary, pay mortgage, and pay insurance premium.
3. The wisdom from God so that I know which is His way.
4. The permission from God that I can live a simple life, ie. Simple city, less stress.
5. The strength to concentrate on what I’m doing. I can’t think hard enough because of my pain.
6. Well being of all my families, Mami with all her worries, all my bros are abroad, my little sis’ problem on deciding her future, and Tine’s family.

My dream on fine noon day!

Well, today I have a wonderful nap.
I dreamt that I met my father. It was at some place but much more like at my home now. We talked about financial things and my father smiled.
I don’t remember details of the conversation but I left my father a little bit dissatisfied.

As I walked down the stairs, my father caught my arm and showed me his financial statement from the bank. My eyes caught on the number around 150 million rupiah. My heart sank. It wasn’t enough to pay the store’s debt.
I argued my father that it wasn’t enough but he said I must have miss the other number on different currency. Yes, I was and the number showed more than USD60,000. Somehow it didn’t calculate in my head.

So my father asked me, “What’s wrong?” I just burst in tears, ran to him, and tell him that they are throwing us out from our present home.

Unfortunately, I woke up. To my surprise, my eyes have running tears.

I really miss my father!

As I analyzed the dream, I noticed that my father was not what he should look like while he was alive. A lot different actually, but I can still recognized him as my father. Maybe this is what Jesus has in mind when we are given a new body.

This gives me assurance that my father already with Jesus. Thank you, Jesus!
I miss you, Pa!

Me and my Chinese heritage!

This year Chinese New Year will be my first year as a married person and that means I have to give out Angpaos. Well, this time of year always raises some conflicts between my Christian values and my Chinese heritage.

This morning my grandpa already set up a prayer table in front of the house. I always try to avoid meeting him that early. He will suggest me to pray in front of the table. But already 10 years I’ve been living with him and every time I managed not to pray.

Why pray in front of the altar? As far as I know, we pray to our ancestors for blessings on this New Year. This contradicts with my Christian believes.

The Bible teaches me to only ask blessings from God not ancestors. Alright, I’ve been taught to honor my parents, and that include my ancestors. But praying for their blessings is against the first rule : You shall not have another god but God alone.
That’s why I can’t pray in front of the altar.

My grandpa (from father side) never gives up to making me listen to his words on praying to ancestors. I also never gives up on saying no. So today is going to be a wonderful fight for me to stand on my believe, my faith to Jesus.

----

Well, nothing significant happened this year!
My family just gather together and just eat and talk!

Thank you Jesus!

Blessed me

I love my wife!



The other day, I talked to Wijaya and shared my depression. Well, he listened well and I really felt uplifted.

One thing he mentioned that I need to take some time off and really leave my routines, even to take some time off alone just by myself.



I discussed this with my wife and told her that I need my space and time. She really upset, because she thinks that I don't love her enough and that she's the one that causes me to depress.



I told her that I just need my relax time without being interupted. My relaxation is really simple. I just need to play with my games. I am blessed that my big brother left his Sony PSP to me. I just upgraded it so I can play straight from memory card.



I spent hours playing games, just to take my mind off from routines. Like last Saturday, while I was waiting for my wife, I played Pirates! on my PSP for 3 hours. (I really love PSP battery that can last longer than 3 hours). I felt a little bit refreshed after that.



I felt I'm ready for anything. So I asked my wife so that we can read more Bible. I can't take any chances while I was sharp but to read Bible.

We started this reading, one year Bible reading, so that we be able read from cover to cover.



We really love it. But of course the devil could not stand still. We face many obstacles, like tired, good movies on TV, etc. With the strenght given by God, we still catch up with the schedule.



I am blessed! I have beautiful wife, good home, good job, good friends, my brother's PSP and PS2. I am now planning to buy a little apartment just on the border of West Jakarta.

I love the place there. Hope this is the right decision.



Help me Jesus, so that I can have the wisdom to discern which is Your will and which isn't.

Sisihkan Waktu untuk Berdoa Setiap Hari

Sisihkan Waktu untuk Berdoa Setiap Hari
---------------------------------------

Raja Damai yang besar,
Surya Hidup yang benar,
menyembuhkan dunia,
dalam naungan sayapnya.
- Kidung Jemaat 99:3

Jadikan minggu-minggu sebelum Natal sebagai waktu untuk
memusatkan diri dalam doa.
Buat komitmen dalam waktu dan kasih Anda untuk berdoa.

* Berdoalah setiap hari. Jangan biarkan diri Anda
 terperangkap dalam aneka perayaan dan "melakukan"
 kegiatan Natal sampai Anda melupakan Dia yang
 memungkinkan adanya Natal.

* Berdoalah dengan sikap penuh syukur. Temukan sesuatu
 setiap hari yang dapat membuat Anda bersyukur.
 Pikirkan kembali tahun yang telah lewat.
 Dalam hal apa Anda bersyukur?
 Dalam hal apa Anda merasa diberkati?

* Berdoalah agar Tuhan menyembuhkan Anda dan membuat
 Anda kembali dalam Natal kali ini. Mintalah agar Tuhan
 membantu Anda menyusun prioritas dengan benar,
 memusatkan pikiran pada-Nya, dan pernyataan kasih Anda
 dilakukan dengan tulus.

* Berdoalah untuk orang-orang yang Anda kasihi.
 Berdoalah agar kebutuhan mereka terpenuhi, hati mereka
 dihiburkan, kehidupan mereka penuh dengan hal-hal baik
 dari Allah.

* Berdoalah bagi mereka yang belum mengenal Tuhan,
 mereka yang belum pernah mendengar berita kelahiran-Nya.
 Berdoalah bagi mereka yang tidak mengharapkan
 kedatangan-Nya yang kedua kali.

* Berdoalah bagi perdamaian dunia.
 Berdoalah bagi orang-orang Kristen yang berada
 di bawah penindasan di seluruh dunia,
 supaya mereka bisa mengalami kehadiran-Nya
 dalam masa-masa sulit itu.

* Berdoalah bagi orang-orang dalam gereja dan persekutuan
 Anda yang sedang dalam kesulitan.
 Ingatlah mereka yang kesepian ,sakit, tunawisma,
 menganggur, berduka, atau sedang dirawat di rumah sakit
 selama masa Natal.

* Berdoalah bagi mereka yang memimpin gereja Anda.
 Sebutkan nama pendeta Anda dan anggota keluarga mereka
 dalam doa.

* Berdoalah agar Yesus lahir kembali
 di dalam palungan hati Anda.

* Pujilah Tuhan, karena seperti kata Alkitab,
 Ia akan mendengar dan mejawab doa Anda.

Doa mempertahankan pusat perhatian kita pada kenyataan
bahwa Yesus datang untuk hadir di tengah kita, supaya
melalui Dia, dan di dalam Dia, dan oleh Dia
-- untuk kemuliaan Allah Bapa --
semua kemuliaan patut kita berikan,
sekarang dan selamanya.

Dialah yang datang pada kita.

Marilah kita membuat Advent sebagai waktu untuk datang kepada-Nya.

Diambil dari:
Judul buku   : 52 Cara Sederhana Membuat Natal Menjadi Istimewa
Judul artikel: Sisihkan Waktu untuk Berdoa Setiap Hari
Penerbit     : Interaksara
Penulis      : Jan Dargtaz
Halaman      : 47 -- 49

Live Well!

I don't know what happened to me. My quiet time is much less than I usually have. I seldom pray, I don't have the joy to go to church, I miss my fellowship with Jesus.

Strange for someone that already declared want to study in Theology and probably become a pastor?

I don't think so. I still am a human being who have my own struggles.

I want to serve My Lord with all my heart and my soul and my mind, but I keep on being bugged by the thought of how to provide for my family.
I still don't have a house for my young family, don't know if I should have children, don't know where to find a lot of money.

Of course money can not bring happiness and bla, bla, bla... but everything needs money.

I keep being reminded of Matthew 6:33-34 "But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient."

I am still very anxious. I don't want to become a pastor because it is the easiest way to make money, rather I really love God and choose this road because I want to completely use my ALL to His Glory.

Right now, I feel like losing all my strength. I always don't want to get up from bed and doesn't enjoy working in the office and always come home tired and exhausted.
I can not think clearly and have difficulties remembering things.

I want to have a relax and quiet life. Is it out there?
Live well is enough for me as long as Jesus name is being Glorified.
I am looking forward to this Christmas holiday to rejuvenate my life and fellowship.

Bandara Tjilik Riwut, Kalteng

Aku bersyukur karena diberi kesempatan utk ke Palangka Raya.
Di sana ngeliat satu kota yang luar biasa rapi untuk kelas Indonesia.
Tata kota yang didesain sebagai ibukota negara tetap dijaga.

Tenang dan damai.

Secara ekonomi memang jauh tertinggal dari Jakarta, tetapi potensinya luar biasa.

Gereja ada di mana-mana. Kebanyakan orang yang saya ketemu adalah Kristen.

Tuhan menunjukkan kasihNya dengan membuat Palangka Raya menjadi daerah yang mempunyai potensi luar biasa sebagai pusat ke-Kristenan.

Hanya ada cerita tentang Madura-Dayak yang tetap membekas di hati penduduk Kalteng.
Madura dibunuh habis oleh orang Dayak. Tidak jelas alasannya apa. Banyak sekali versi. Tetapi sebagian besar cerita yang beredar adalah orang Madura memang 'bertingkah'.

Hati saya jadi sedih melihat dengan mudahnya manusia saling membunuh. Apalagi di kalangan orang Dayak, ilmu gaib masih dipakai. Konon hanya 11 orang Dayak yang membunuh ratusan Madura pada saat kerusuhan di Sampit.

Sedih sekali.

Tetapi di tempat yang tenang ini, saya diingatkan lagi oleh Tuhan. Saya pernah berjanji untuk menjadi hamba Tuhan yang setia. Dan ditanyak kapan mau sekolah teologi?

Bingung jawabnya.......