Thursday, January 27, 2011

Faith Is.....



Faith Is……dependence On The Certainty That God Has A Pattern For My Life When Everything Else Seems Meaningless

Faith Is……Remembering I Am God’s Priceless Treasure When I Feel Utterly Useless

Faith Is……Depending On The Fact That God Is Love – Not On My Ability To Figure Out Why, In The Midst Of Smashed Hopes, Reversal And Tragedy

Faith Is……Keeping On When I’m Dog Tired, Discouraged, Disillusioned, Deserted, Dusty, And Dry And I Cast On His Strength Alone

Faith Is……Realizing That I Am Useful To God, Not In Spite Of My Scars, But Because Of Them

Faith Is……Confidence That God Is Acting For My Highest Good When He Answers “No” To My Prayers.

Faith Is……Accepting The Truth That, In Spite Of The Wreckage And Grief I’ve Caused, God Has Wiped The Slate Clean And Delights In Me!

Faith Is……Recognizing That God Is The Lord Of Time When My Idea Of Timing Doesn’t Agree With His

Faith Is……Not An unclear Hope Of A Happy Here After But An Assurance Of Heaven Based On My Trust In Christ’s Death As Payment For My Sins

Faith Is……Remembering That, Though My Way Is As Dark As Night To Me, God Can See And Guides Me Unerringly

Faith Is……Doing The Right Thing Regardless Of The Consequences Knowing God Will Turn The Ultimate Effect To Good

Faith Is The Conviction The Promiser Keeps His Promises

Author Unknown


Iman adalah mengakui apa yang Tuhan katakan adalah benar dan melakukan dengan taat apa yang Tuhan katakan.
Iman adalah menyadari kelemahan dan kemungkinan gagal namun tetap percaya pada kekuatan Tuhan.
Iman adalah menyadari semua kebutuhan kita hari ini dan masa depan sudah disediakan oleh Tuhan.
Iman adalah melangkah di dalam dunia yang tidak pasti bersama Allah yang pasti.

-Ps.Gideon Sihombing-


Source : 
http://gideonidea.wordpress.com/2010/11/08/faith-is/

IF, By Rudyard Kipling



If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; 


If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools; 

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on"; 

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son! 

--------------------------------------------------
Jika
 
  Jika Anda dapat menjaga kepala Anda ketika semua tentang Anda
Apakah kehilangan mereka dan menyalahkan itu pada Anda;
  Jika Anda bisa percaya diri ketika semua orang meragukanmu,
  Tapi membuat penyisihan mereka meragukan juga;
  Jika Anda bisa menunggu dan tak lelah menunggu,
Atau, dibohongi tentang, tidak berurusan dengan kebohongan,
  Atau, dibenci, tidak memberikan cara untuk membenci,
  Dan namun tidak terlihat terlalu baik, atau bicara terlalu bijak;
Jika Anda dapat bermimpi - dan tidak membuat impian master;
  Jika Anda dapat berpikir - dan tidak membuat pikiran tujuan Anda;
Jika Anda dapat bertemu dengan kemenangan dan bencana
  Dan memperlakukan kedua penipu sama saja;
Jika Anda bisa tahan mendengar kebenaran Anda sudah bicara
  Dipelintir oleh knaves untuk membuat perangkap bagi orang bodoh,
  Atau menonton hal-hal yang Anda berikan hidup Anda rusak,
Dan bungkuk dan mereka membangun 'dengan alat wornout;
  Jika Anda dapat membuat satu tumpukan dari semua kemenanganmu
  Dan resiko pada satu giliran pitch-dan-undian,
  Dan kalah, dan mulai lagi dari awal
  Dan tidak pernah napas kata tentang kerugian Anda;
Jika Anda dapat memaksa hati dan saraf dan otot
  Untuk melayani giliranmu lama setelah mereka pergi,
  Dan begitu terus pada saat tidak ada di dalam kamu
  Kecuali Kehendak yang mengatakan kepada mereka: "Tunggu";
  Jika Anda dapat berbicara dengan orang banyak dan menjaga kebajikan Anda,
  Atau berjalan dengan raja-raja - atau kehilangan sentuhan umum;
  Jika tidak musuh maupun teman penuh cinta dapat menyakiti Anda;
  Jika semua orang menghitung dengan Anda, tapi tidak terlalu banyak;
  Jika Anda dapat mengisi menit tak kenal ampun
  Dengan nilai enam puluh detik 'run jarak -
  Anda adalah bumi dan segala sesuatu yang di dalamnya,
Dan - yang lebih - Anda akan Man anakku!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Older Woman, Younger Man

We met in 1985 during a rainy winter in San Francisco.
We were neighbors on a tiny street near the historic Mission Dolores. The worst storm of the season was on its way and my roof was leaking profusely. I was in dire straits financially, having been newly divorced. I was preparing to fix it myself. Unfortunately my ladder wasn't tall enough. I needed help. None of the folks I knew were home that Saturday morning but I noticed an open door directly across from my house. I hurried upstairs to the second story flat in the azure painted duplex and walked down the long corridor to the living room. There on the sofa was a guy watching the football game on T.V. I introduced myself and then proceeded to ask for his assistance. He looked at me like I was crazy. The silence was deafening. How often does a stranger enter your apartment with a request for help with a major repair? I was flushed with embarrassment but was in too deep to recover. Fortunately he agreed to help me.

This uncommon beginning signaled the magic that lay before us. The sparks flew. We went on our first date within days of this meeting. Bryan's car was broken so we took the bus across the city to an authentic Moroccan restaurant where we sat on paisley cushions and ate with our fingers. I remember clearly how primitive this felt and how natural it was to be with him. He didn't seem the least bit concerned about my age. I, on the other hand, was more sensitive. I was healing from a codependent relationship of 12 years and had never experienced true intimacy. I wasn't sure it was the proper thing to do but I couldn't help myself; I was falling in love. I was scared because these feelings were coming so quickly.
Bryan moved in with me within weeks of our first meeting. I remember thinking if it didn't work out it would be easy to ask him to leave because all he owned was a T.V.

For Valentine's Day he created a hanging wire mobile in the shape of intertwined hearts and presented it to me with flowers and chocolate.

This type of thoughtful gesture is typical of Bryan. He has never missed a special occasion and has often surprised me with jewelry when he returns from a business trip.

One evening in the spring we were waiting to board a dinner train in Mendocino. A drunken man approached us and said, "How come you two are dressed up? Are you getting married?" Bryan looked at me and said, "Yes, we are aren't we?" That was his proposal. It was decided we would plan a wedding for later that year. But, first I needed to meet Bryan's mother.

Just the thought of it terrified me! Bryan and his mother, Sharon, have a truly special bond. He insisted he would not tell anyone about our engagement until she and I met. We drove to southern California where Sharon was visiting her sister, Bryan's aunt. I felt sick the entire trip. I knew in advance he was going to take his mother shopping the next morning alone to break the news to her. I couldn't sleep at all that night. What felt so "right" to Bryan and me was unusual, especially in the eyes of a parent. When they returned from their excursion Sharon looked like she had just come from a funeral. Fortunately, for me, Aunt Toby accepted the situation and eased the tension by giving me a white angel ornament. His mother is a wonderful woman. In spite of her disappointment, she welcomed me into their family. Over the years our relationship has evolved into a unique friendship, a cross between a peer and a sister.

December 7, 1986, dressed in an ivory colored Victorian gown, I was driven to our wedding in a horse drawn carriage. I remember the sensation well. As I heard the clip-pity clop of the hoofs hitting the pavement I felt it was the happiest day of my life. The ride was several miles long and I enjoyed cars honking loudly at every turn. When we arrived at the elegant Alamo Square Inn Bryan was waiting to escort me inside to the nuptials. It was a good thing he took my hand, for as I exited the carriage, my knees collapsed from shaking so hard. The day was spectacular marking a lifetime of love.

Both Bryan and I had always wanted kids. By the time we met my biological clock had run out. He told me he would rather marry a woman he loved deeply than to wait for someone to bear his children. For several years we were content to be a unit of two. After my dear Aunt Letha died in 1992 I longed for a child. I knew we would be good parents. Bryan agreed to adoption. It was an arduous experience requiring patience and resilience. We had several birthmothers who changed their minds for different reasons. This process took three years and a great deal of money. Ultimately we were blessed with a baby girl we named Mariah. Our daughter is now 8 years old and the light of our life.

Bryan continues to be my rock, strength and loving support. During our years together I have had many tragedies including: my brother John's suicide in 1988, my ex- husband Joey's death from alcoholism in 1989, and my girlfriend Debra's suicide in 2002. I was hospitalized with a potentially life threatening blood clot in my lungs in 1998. Bryan stood by me through all of these. I married a great guy! I am a fortunate woman to have found true love in the heart of a younger man.

Age is but a notch on the tree of life. Does it really matter that I have more than he. We are all on a spiritual path. We choose lovers, friends and family to mirror our soul's development. Partners of different ages can accelerate this growth. These diverse emotional experiences are opportunities of a lifetime. Let's enjoy them.

Source :
http://www.mental-health-matters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=455

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

40 Ways to Life Without Regrets , By Jenny Nichols


“The saddest summary of life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.” ~ Unknown~


We all have something stored in our memory banks of the past that we wish we could have done differently, or something we wish we didn’t do.
As we get older we learn and grow. But that doesn’t mean we have to regret what we did before we learned how to do things differently. If we didn’t go through those experiences we might not have grown into the strong and knowledgeable people we are today.
So what I’m proposing is that we get rid of the negative thoughts—the could have’s, might have’s, and should have’s—and start living a life that won’t make us feel regretful. Not even at an older, wiser age.
Here is a list of 40 things you can do to practice living life with no regrets:

1. Realize that it’s okay to make mistakes. Just make sure to learn from your past mistakes, forgive yourself and move on.
2. Make your health and wellness a top priority and always take care of yourself so you’re ready to take care of others.
3. Follow your own path—not one that others want you to follow.
4. Find the humor in life and laugh like there is no tomorrow.
5. Relax and move with the flow of life by being unafraid of change.
6. Be adventurous by trying new things and taking more risks.
7. Have more intellectual curiosity and embrace creativity.
8. Try to find happiness with as many different people as you can.
9. Think for yourself instead of letting other people’s opinions influence you too much.
10.Try not to judge people before you get to know them.
11. Be thankful for what you have now instead of thinking about what you don’t have.
12. Wish well upon everyone equally and try to admire without envy.
13. Share your happiness with others instead of hoarding it all for yourself.
14. Don’t try to change someone—love who they are now.
15. Enjoy the journey, not just the destination.
16. Know that happiness is bigger than any bank account.
17. Control negative thoughts so that they don’t contribute to the outcome of your life.
18. Use your energy wisely because spending energy complaining, worrying or being impatient is just wasted energy.
19. Be bold. Find the courage to change things that should be changed and accept that there are some things that cannot be changed.
20.Love your work. If you don’t currently love what you do, figure out what you would love, and take the first step toward that life.

21.Turn your discontent into a mystery and enjoy trying to solve it.
22. Face problems from different angles in order to find solutions.
23. Gain independence by realizing that on this earth we are all dependent upon each other.
24. Change your perspective by taking on a wider view of things.
25. Don’t waste time trying to bring disagreeable people around to liking you.
26. Become the person you would like to spend the rest of your life with.
27. Be honest with yourself and others by saying what you mean and meaning what you say.
28. Treat people with respect and compassion.
29. Live in the now by loving the present and being aware of your thoughts and actions. Think happy thoughts and speak powerful words.
30.Try not to put things off until later.
31. Never hold grudges.
32. Face your fears head on and try to do the things that you think you cannot do.
33. Spend time with people who make you happy while also not depending on other people for your own happiness.
34. Stand up for yourself and others and don’t let anyone or anything hold you back.
35. Be yourself and love who you are now.
36. Be a participant in life rather than an observer.
37. Do the things that you love to do as much as you can.
38. Write out a list of goals and achieve them by doing them step by step. Don’t give up when things get difficult.
39. Do something every day that makes you feel proud of yourself—commit random acts of kindness whenever you get the chance.
40. And always keep on moving forward.

Source :
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/40-ways-to-live-life-without-regrets/

Saturday, January 1, 2011