Blessings

This song has brought me to a deep reflection on the matter of "Blessings"
 Hope it could as well teach you something.. :)

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near

And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win

We know that pain reminds this heart

That this is not, this is not our home

It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise

- Laura Story

I WAS HERE

Imagine a day where 1 billion people choose to do something for someone else. To make their mark on someone else’s world. To say I WAS HERE. Here I am..so glad to take part of World Humanitarian Day (August 19, 2012) - making a mark so that the world can see that I do care; that I do want to make a difference; that I do want to change the world and bring a message of HOPE. ;)  My small simple action is that I helped kids at Bukit Harapan Orphanage cleaning the yard and giving them milk and snacks that they may not always have on a daily basis. What's more satisfying than to see others happy with what we've done for them? Indeed, no action is too small. What's your story? :D

Where my heart is at..

Claya with the children at Bukit Harapan Orphanage

Yep. This is where my heart is at. 
The kids and teens at Bukit Harapan Orphanage.
My prayer is that God will continue to water what is within my heart to achieve.

Be blessed and let’s continue to make His name and goodness felt across the earth! ♥

Mission isn't accomplished yet.
Someone gotta ensure that they are anchored to positive values of life.
Yes, they need YOU! :)

[interest to help these kids, feel free to contact me via email]

Si Tou Timou Tumou Tou

One afternoon in Times bookstore, I was stupefied for few minutes while filling the form for a membership card. You know why I was like that? It's because I don't know to answer my occupation whether it's student or employer. Sigh. -.- It's been almost 3 months after my graduation.. and as you may guessed, I'm not signed in in any company, school or institution you could mention. Yep, I'm temporarily unemployed but I'm not jobless. 

This is why I said I'm not jobless, it's by reason of "I work every day." The first month after my hats-off-day I'm free from the questions from people nearby askin "What are you doin now?" or "Where are you working at?". It's because I was with some friends working as Interpreter for Pacific Partnership 2012 featuring US Navy. Indeed, it was an super INCREDIBLE experience. I would have say that was a vacation instead of working.  We travelled to Talaud, the island close to Phillipine. We met incredible people from USNS Mercy Ship and the amazing local people. We had fun in few AWESOME beaches there.. It's just WOW..

The second month after my graduation was a lightly different story. I was busy doing this and that. I took part as a committee in an international seminar held by my university. I joined Indonesia Youth Pioneer Competition held by Manado Department of Sport and Youth (and I won xD ). I participated in Future Leader Summit in Semarang (and not to mention - travelling around the city of Semarang as well as my 'bolang' moment in Jakarta and Tangerang by myself :D ). I took a driving course (Finally,huh? ><). I had a day vacation in Bunaken and snorkeling for the first time. Yeah, last July was golden month! I had a lot of precious experiences and even life lessons :)

Here it comes to August.. it's another exciting month, actually.. It's just I encounter more people asking classic questions above "What in the world are you doing now, cum laude student?" " What company are you working at?" and oh.. tbh it quite sucks to answer. That 'cum laude' stuff is becoming a burden, now..

Well, encountering those questions I used to answer I'm preparing for an AusAID scholarship, yet for now, as that desire sorta dies down (due to the delay of my transcript printing that holds up my way to apply before the deadline) I start to change my answer. I start to 'publish' my voluntary project at the orphanage. Some of my friends know it. Some doesn't. I was voluntarily teaching these kids since the last days I'm claiming myself as a high school student.. which is around 5 years ago (wow.. time does fly) tho there are times I pulled myself up from activities at this orphanage, but I kept these children in mind. Always.

This month as I intensify my visit, I sense greater joy inside. I'm glad to partake in this ministry (so I call it). I never been this enthusiastic before. I look forward impatiently for the next meeting. Tho physically, i feel worn-out because my teaching schedule is from 7pm - 9pm and sometimes from 5pm - 10pm, but it paid off knowing that I was not wasting or simply spending my time but i'm investing it. I reminded by some of my students who finally get scholarship to study in Uni and I pray that there'll be more of them. It's my job to sow the seed and let God makes it grows..

Si Tou Timou Tumou Tou a philosophy from Dr. Sam Ratulangi would be a wonderful reflection for me while workin on this.. a man live to make others live.. as Bible also said.. When you filling other people's cup, God will not let your cup left empty.. and you know, when God fills someone’s cup, He'll fill it abundantly cause He’s the Provider. He’s Almighty God. He’s My Shepherd, and I shall not be in want (Psalm 23:1). J I like reflecting in this truth to keep myself motivated in doing this heavenly task. One day, I’ll reap what I sow.

As for now, I avoid those classic questions no more. I’m proud of what I’m doing. I may not gain money like if I work in certain company but if it’s the time to help these people, I better do what God wants me to do. I want to get my Master Degree somewhere abroad. I want to work with professional company. I simply believe there’ll be time for everything.  

Proverbs 19:17 (MSG)

Mercy to the needy is a loan to God, and God pays back those loans in full.

James 1:27 (NIV)

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Jeremiah 22:3,16 (NIV)

This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. ¹⁶ He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the LORD.

Everybody is a Genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree. It will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

 - Albert Einstein

A story of my never-wear-jeans Daddy

My Dad with his big belly in Liberty Statue,USA

                Here’s a story of an awesome man. A husband to a stunning woman and a Daddy to two gorgeous daughters. He’s been living for ± 21170 days on earth (plus 9 months in his mother’s womb) until today. Yep, today he’s celebrating his 58 of age. Hence, I want to write a story of him and how he inspires me in around 20 years of my age (minus the first 3 years of my ‘babyhood’ when I couldn’t recall any memory of it). Yeah, this is a story of a man I call Daddy.

·                 In my childhood, the only thing I can remember is I was closer to Dad than to Mom. It was because Dad was my place of refuge in my time of need. Dad was there to fulfill my needs when mom says no ;).  You may experience some moments in your childhood when your Mom forbids you to buy some stuffs, then you run to your Dad to ask the very thing and he accedes your request.  I experienced that in my childhood. A nice part to remember. J

The thing that I realize is that, despite of his kindness, he’s not a YES MAN. There are some things that he strictly hindered me doing for the sake of my safety and for my good. Often time his decisions are quite perverse like when he didn’t want me to ride a bike to avoid me having scars or had accident (well yeah, my house was in area where cars and motorcycles often pass by but that couldn’t be a reason for me to not be permitted to learn how to ride bike, right?). In the flip side, he allows me to learn to be independent since my very young age. He let me fly from Manado to Jakarta (transit in Ujung Pandang) by plane and by myself. I was around 8 or 9 at that moment. As a result, I have such confident to do things on my own tho I’m the last in series (read: anak bungsu). J

·         Around my years in Junior High, I admit that I was inspired with the way my Dad works his best for our family. We were living in abundance for God’s grace. Rolling back the time, there is one lowest point of our family life when my Dad got arrested for the case of corruption he didn’t commit. It was right at the time our Governor about to promote him as the head of regency in South Minahasa. I wouldn’t blame those people who didn’t like him. I knew God has plan through that tribulation. My point is, I thank God to see how my Dad and our family respond to this case when we pray together for those who treated us wrong and forgave them. At the end of the day, this case closed and my Dad has been proven true and not committed anything wrong. My dad has a chance to suit or claim the court for putting him in jail, but he didn’t do so. He demonstrated how Christian should love (even our enemies) and should as well forgive. Epic!

·         I was even mesmerized with his faith. It was in the mid of my study in university. It was when my Mom did a medical check-up in some hospitals in Penang, Malaysia and doctors stated that she had a colon cancer. It was another great issue in our family. Another shocking moment, since my Mom spent 3 times going to hospital in Manado and doctors there said it was only gastric inflammation or something. -.- Phew..

Let me get to my point, my mom, my Dad and one care-taker need to fly back and fro Manado-Penang for cemotherapy and some check-ups. And it was costly, for heaven’s sake. So far we spent almost a billion rupiahs. Yet, we can see the hands of God at work in this financial problem. I heard a testimony of my Dad about God’s miracle: One time in a plane to Jakarta, he has a misunderstanding with my mom and finally found out that they didn’t bring enough money to another cemo in Penang. They prayed together in the plane, asking for God’s favor. And you know what’s happen? Just after they arrived in Soe-tta Airport, they met the Head of Talaud regency that quickly gave them around ten millions rupiahs. I believe that’s not a coincidence. More story of God’s favor, when they were still walking in the airport, they met our Governor, to make the long story short, Mr. Governor also hand them the same amount of money right at that time. In another day, the wife of our Governor also hand my mom US$1000 for the sake of her treatment. And many more from some unnamed heroes and givers that God sent to help our family. It’s not our family connection with some well-known people that I want to emphasize here, It is man’s faith and God’s favor that we should pay attention of. (later, I should write another awesome story from my stunning Mom ;) )

·            One last thing about him that inspires me is his habit of giving. My Dad is a cheerful giver. He never considers loss and profit when it comes to giving.. and I start to think that I have that very habit in my DNA. I give generously (and so does my sister).  Our family believes in Proverbs 11: 24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. We do believe that it is happier to give than to receive. Thank God that I was born in this family which has a big concern with the poor, the needy, the unemployed, the sick, and the homeless. <3

In conclusion, although my Dad wasn’t a perfect Dad. He does many things that I dislike, but he still my great Daddy with a big belly and never wear jeans. Haha. I wouldn’t ask God for another Dad. I love him. I love my family.

Happy birthday, PAPA!

Much love from your pretty daughter

*hug&kisses*

The Way of Love

I posted this exact same thing on my tumblog a couple of months ago.. and am feeling like wanna post it on my blogspot page as well. This is called..The Way of Love

I love how The Message translated 1 Corinthians 13. I opine this is the best translation of this verse. Moreover, it helps me dive deeper into what’s behind these powerful awesome verse which leads me on the thought to post this that you may also being reminded as well as blessed by reading it through.. :)

1 Corinthians 13

The Way of Love

 ¹ If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. ²If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. ^3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. 

   Love never gives up. 

   Love cares more for others than for self. 

   Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. 

   Love doesn’t strut, 

   Doesn’t have a swelled head, 

   Doesn’t force itself on others, 

   Isn’t always “me first,” 

   Doesn’t fly off the handle, 

   Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, 

   Doesn’t revel when others grovel, 

   Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, 

   Puts up with anything, 

   Trusts God always, 

   Always looks for the best, 

   Never looks back, 

   But keeps going to the end.

 ^8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

 ¹¹When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

 ¹²We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

 ¹³But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Be blessed,

- claya