Andrew's Blog

Life's Purpose

2012-01-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

Nurse reveals the top 5 regrets people make on their deathbed

For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives. People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality.

I learnt never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never
became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a
result.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical
details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end.
That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again. When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.

Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.

Road to 2012 : Enlarge My World

2011-12-14T23:33:00.000-08:00

Philippians 2 : 3-5

3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Proverbs 11:24
The Message (MSG)

24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

Romans 12:16
16Be friendly with everyone.

Don't be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people.

Christmas Message: Seek Out The Lost

2011-12-13T23:38:00.000-08:00

Seek Out the Lost

by Jon Walker

“Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people.” (Romans 12:16 CEV)

In The Message paraphrase, 2 Corinthians 5:20b is rendered: “Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you.” That’s the message we’re to take to the world, yet often we limit our influence by seeking and maintaining friendships exclusively among other believers.

Jesus, on the other hand, sought out the lost, deliberately becoming friends with those who needed a friend in God.

The Bible says that when the Pharisees saw Jesus keeping company with the community’s great unwashed, “they had a fit, and lit into Jesus’ followers. ‘What kind of example is this from your teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riffraff?’ Jesus, overhearing, shot back, ‘Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: “I’m after mercy, not religion.” I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders’” (Matthew 9:10-13 MSG).

Jesus knew who he was, according to God’s design; Jesus knew whose he was, according to God’s truth; and Jesus knew his purpose for being here on Earth. All this allowed him to relax and ignore what others thought or said about him.

It meant Jesus wasn’t worried when others accused him of being a friend of sinners (Luke 19:7) because he was doing exactly what the Father sent him to do: persuade men and women to make peace with God (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Likewise, we’re to represent Jesus, speaking on his behalf to those still on the “outside.” Yet some of us are so isolated and disconnected from unbelievers that we rarely have any meaningful conversations with them. The tendency is that the longer we’re believers, the more insulated we become from unbelievers and perhaps the more uncomfortable we become with them.

The result: We no longer have friends who are non-believers.

Jesus’ actions suggest that our witness to a non-believer starts with friendship: We earn the right to share the Gospel through relationship. The old cliché is a cliché because it’s true: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Those who have yet to become friends with God are just like you and me, looking for deep, true, supportive friendships, sometimes especially during the Christmas season.

The Apostle Paul encourages us to find common ground with non-believers: “I do this to get the Gospel to them and also for the blessing I myself receive when I see them come to Christ” (1 Corinthians 9:22-23 LB). Finding common ground is an act of friendship; it guides us to look for the positive instead of the negative in those outside the faith.

When Jesus met the woman at the well, he pointed to what they had in common rather than the things he could condemn (John 4). As a result, she not only became friends with God; she also brought her friends and family into the presence of Jesus.

What does this mean?

Do you know who you are?

This is critical for you to become friends with non-believers. Otherwise, you may overly worry about what others believers think of you, or you may drift into sinful behaviors because you become concerned about what non-believers think about you. Jesus knew who he was and whose he was, and Jesus knew God’s purpose for his life. This allowed him to relax and ignore what others thought or said about him.

Love people, not their values.

God loves people (John 3:16), but that doesn’t mean he loves the values of the world. The Apostle John warns us not to “love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father” (1 John 2:15 MSG).

Building friendships requires:

Courtesy: “Always talk pleasantly and with a flavor of wit but be sensitive to the kind of answer each one requires.” (Colossians 4:6 NJB)

Frequency: You have to spend time with non-believers in order to become friends with them.

Authenticity: “Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it.” (Romans 12:9a MSG)

Be friendly with everyone: “Don't be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people.” (Romans 12:16 CEV)

Road to 2012 : Vision, Priorities, Boundaries

2011-12-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

Those 3 words are the main things that i want to get it clear before I take the first step to 2012 year.

A clear vision of my future : what dream that i want to achieve, what kind of life that i want to have, what kind of person that i will become

A clear priorities in my life : keep the important things important

A clear boundaries in my life : what i am and what i am not, which one to say yes and which one to say no.

I have 3 weeks from now before 2012 to get a clear picture for these areas.

2012 Keywords : To Enlarge my world

2011-11-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
those who help others are helped. - Proverbs 11:24-25 (MSG)

Wow, it is almost 2012 already. how fast the times goes by??!!

I want to make sure that i'm ready for 2012, for my next growth. 2012 year will be a year to enlarge my world.

So the keyword for 2012 will be GENEROSITY, CREATIVE, STEWARDSHIP & NETWORKING.

2012 year will be a year for me to build a huge network, enlarge my circle and capacity as a person to have a greater impact on society in years to come.

8 things to pay attention as i growth and have a good use of my own life

1. Offering
2. Creative
3. Generous
4. Wisdom
5. Responsible
6. Stewardship
7. Enjoy
8. Fruitful

This 2011 is a year for me to lay a good foundation of life, mainly to know my real identity, my role play here & learn to take a good responsible of my own life.

By God's grace, i determined that 2012 will be a year for me to enlarge my world.

yes..2012 is the time for me to enlarge my world!

Generosity

2011-10-24T10:46:00.001-07:00

Generosity
Written by Gail Rodgers
Are you searching for a source of peace? We can pray for you.

Generosity is the currency of life. Generous people generate things… they produce and create. Sometimes it’s in the tangible things of life and other times it’s what their generosity creates in the hearts of others.

Choose today to give. Hold your hands open and offer yourself to God first. Let His wisdom, strength and power flow through you. Offer to be His conduit.

Then give yourself to others. Give your time, give your attention, give your resources and give your care.

God’s word speaks the truth when it says, “The world of the generous gets larger and larger – the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller” (Proverbs 11:24).

Be generous today and just see if your own world doesn’t expand in some way.

Think about stingy-ness. The mark of the stingy person is the attitude of fear that convinces him there never will be enough. Ask yourself if you are stingy in any area. Making a change will enhance your life.

Choose wisely. If you are a manager and have people working under you, be deliberate in having a generous attitude as you respond.

Surprise yourself today as you reach out to make a generous choice in some unexpected way.

Lord, fill my heart to overflowing with gratitude for Your love and faithfulness. Help me to pass Your love on in some way today. Amen.

Inspired by “The Rest of God” Chapter 5 by Mark Buchanan

Questions: Are you a generous person? Are you stingy in any way? What changes can you make to enhance your life?

Life Message

2011-09-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

What is your life message?

All of this time, I have a wrong life message through the way I talk and act. Mainly my life message is " Look at me ". This life message birth from an insecurity that needs an acceptance and approval from others in order to feel good about myself.

I realize now that in order to grow, i have to understand a proper life message that God intend me to have. God is the one who created me and He is the one who know exactly what is my purpose here. What is He trying to say through my life.

Even Jesus Himself didn't speak out of His own will, but out of His Father's will. Jesus' life message is very clear. It's about Father and His will.

John 7:16-18
So Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17If anyone’s will is to do God’s[a] will,he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.

The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.

In the end, i am left with two choices. Who's message that I want to deliver from my life? What or who is that I'm trying to promote with my life? What is my life is all about? is it about me or about God's purpose in my life? It's about my glory or The glory of the One who sent me?

Two choices : it's all about me or God?

Family

2011-07-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

Family is a smallest place of society a person can live. In a family, each of the member are accepted without exception. An ideal family is where all the members are love , support and care each other. Even not all the family suit in an ideal category, but it's a wonderful thing to have a family to belong to.

I'm writing this so that I can remember of how blessed I am to have a family like where I belong to right now. While my family is far from perfect, but I can't denied all the good things that I learn from my family.

My family is a generous family. My father for example, he won't hesitate to help his relatives or his friends when they need a financial help. And just recently I came to realize that my grandmother is a generous person because she has a heart to help her friends in need, took care of them. While one of her friend had already pass away, but her friend's family still remember my grandmother and came to my house to visit her.

Another thing that I can't ignore is a diligent habit from my mother. My mother always want to make sure that every corner in my house is taken care of. That's one of the reason of even my house is quite big with it's level, every corner is clean because of her cleanliness standard. I can learn from her that if I want to see something taken care than someone must take responsible to work on it. A good things like clean and tidy won't happen by itself unless someone willing to put effort on it.

While all stuff about food already taken care of by my grandmother, I can't forget about my khiukung (my grandmother's younger brother that accompanied her since my grandfather passed away) that also in charge of helping her about the cooking since early in the morning everyday. My Khiukung, he is the one who taking care of my grandmother since my grandfather passed away. He learned kung fu in his young age but he is not practised it anymore since long ago. What I can learn from him is the courage that he has to protect what he cherishes in his life, one of them is my grandmother.

Another thing that I can't overlook is how my parents invest their sweats, hardworks, tears, disciplines, rebukes, angers, time, countless efforts, money, sacrifices and love to take care of me and my sister. They spent countless sacrifices to make sure me and my sister got the best things that we can have in our life. I can be what I can be today is because of their hardworks.

When I saw a photograph of my small age with my family, I suddenly think of how big is their sacrifice that they put for me and my sister.

From this writing , I want to say that I love my family and will learn to respect them, value them and cherish them. In whatever season that I went through, my family is really what I still have from God. A place to belong, to have all the support that I need. Thank God for my family, they are the best that I can have in this life!

Trust

2011-07-01T04:12:00.000-07:00

Trust is the main foundation in any kind of relationship.

Without trust, it is difficult to keep a relationship that will last for a long period.

To really trust someone, we have to :
- Know the character of that person
- Know the person good enough as a result of quality time with him or her

And the result of trust is:
- We can be confident on the person when we expect the person to do something for us
- We are confident with his or her intention toward us that it will have no harm for us.
- We can believe the best of that person to be what he or she can be, even we still can't see it in a present time. To have this kind of trust, we have to have courage.

Another quality of love is to always trust. This apply in any kind of relationship,
A relationship with God, family, life partner, best friend, and all people around.

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NIV)
It (Love) always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I write this to remind myself as well, that to love is equal with to trust.

What do you want?

2011-04-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Matthew 20:32
When Jesus heard them, He stopped and called, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

Many times in this life, I don't know what I really want. Merry Riana, a great young entrepreneur woman once mention in facebook that many people didn't get what they want, because they didn't know what they want. This is so make sense. If we don't know what we want to achieve, how can we achieve it in a first place?

I figured out today that I'm in a serious struggle in this area. To want something in a healthy way, I have to dare expecting something, have a good confident and a good courage to achieve it, have a healthy portion of self-respect that help us know that we deserve to have it.

All of this time, I spent my life until my 30 to do what people want me to do. I found this pattern came from my past background. My family life and my early young age best friend did influence me so much in this area.

I grew up in a family where I have anything that I need and sometimes before I need it my parent will give it to me. Of course they gave out of their good intention as a parent that want to see the best for their children. Without realized that it gave so little space for me to fight for what I want. My early young age best friend, who's name is Jimmy influenced me so much to grow up as a teenage with various desires.

He pushed me to desire a lot things like learn how to drive a car, to have a car, to buy a good computer, to take an english course, to go overseas and study etc. He grew up in a very different situation from my family. His mother died from cancer when he still in young age, his father have to strive all by himself without his mother then.

The situation around him, I believe forced him to have a stronger will and ambition than me. His driving force to do a lot of things is to have respect from people. I learn from him that to get an acceptance we have to look nice, well, rich and educated. In other word, to have a good performance is so important for him. I don't know about him now, whether he change or not. But his way of mind influenced my thinking habit a lot, since I have a less strong ambition and self determination. I learned about a conditional acceptance from him, plus from my father.

Talk about my father, he is a great family man and already did what he knew best to support my family. As a father, he is of course far from perfect, no parent is perfect anyway. My father grew up as an orphan at his very young age. His life is far tougher than me in my generation. He grew up to be a responsible man that have a strong determination to achieve a wealthy life. He is a responsible father, but he also like to compare his achievement with others and think others are less better than him. His comparison habit affected me in my early age to have a strong habit of seek out approval from any authority figure in my life.

As I grew up older now, I know that to be the best that God want me to be, I have to put out all the old value and habit that I have from my early life. But these is easier to say than act upon. Though I know where I get my influence, now I have an ability to learn stand for my own value that I believe. Not because that I have to, but because I want to. I don't want a blind submission that come out from guilt and fear anymore. An insecure habit forced me to always want to know how people think about me. Whether it is good or not good, people's opinion is so important to me that I rely so much from what they said about me.

The proverb mention about the fear of people's opinion

Proverbs 29:25 (The Message)
The fear of human opinion disables;
trusting in God protects you from that.

The fear of human opinion disables, that is exactly what I experienced until now. Because of insecure, I always tend to draw people's attention with what I can do and how my performance looks like. The thing is I'm so addicted to fill up my insecure with approvals from people around me to make me feel secure.

My insecure is so thick that I didn't know what I want then to please people with doing what they want to get their approval. The real cure for insecure is trusting in God. Trust Him of what He said about me, what He has for me and what He promised me.

I have to remember it and remind myself diligently about my true identity. All of this time I rely on the memory of my past and my feeling rather than the Word of God. Sometimes it's so hard because I never work on it before. I never rewrite my own meditation intentionally and just learn it recently. Now I realized that if I seriously want to follow Jesus, I have to do it with His word established as a core foundation of my life. I can't claim that I follow Him but rely on my feeling in my everyday situation. I can't rely on my past habit that happened because of my lack of confident let them in.

In this present, I have to stand with my own value that I choose for live. I have to choose from what I want, not from what people want.

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

29 As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. 30 Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
31 “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.

But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

32 When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”

33 “Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” 34 Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.

The two blind men, they know what they want from God. If they followed the crowd that yelled at them, they would not receive their healing. It's the expectant faith from the blind men that attracted Jesus and made Him stopped at that moment. The blind men are bold enough to speak out what they want from God. What they want God to do for them and what they want from God to give to them are the attitude of expectant faith that makes God stopped and call on me.

From the fact that the two blind men received their healing because of their faith, I can learn that :
- The blind men knew who is Jesus. They called Jesus "Son of David". They knew His reputation and position.
- They shouted aloud out of their desperation to receive mercy from Jesus.
- They are clear about what they wanted from God. (What do you want me to do? What do you want from me? What can I do for you?)
- They confidently speak out their desire ( “Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” )
- They received their healing out of their expectant faith.

Have faith means have confident (no doubt) in doing something.

Now God asks me the same question

"Andrew, What do you want Me to do for you? What do you want from me?"

2011 Keywords

2011-04-08T07:37:00.001-07:00

I know it's a bit late now to post keywords for 2011, but better late than never.

for this year, my keywords for personal growth are:

Secure, Responsible, Content

Secure with who I am, according on my true identity in Christ

Responsible for my own life. Take charge of my own thinking, feeling, belief, value, choices, attitude, words, behavior, and heart.

Content with whatever that I have right now. This is the biggest secret of life that I still yet try to discover its full meanings.

I believe my biggest breakthrough is lying behind the door that only can unlocked by Gratitude.

If I fully content with what I have, than I can see the possibility to start from it and take my responsible to use well what already given to me.

Meditation of Heart

2011-03-23T02:00:00.000-07:00

Psalm 1:2-3 (NIV)
but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

According to Dictionary.com, meditate means to think about something deeply, to engage in thought or contemplation; reflect.

I come to the point in my life that what I meditate will determine my attitude. Since what I am is what I am thinking, my meditation will dictate my behavior and respond toward this life.

If I meditating anger thought, I will become a person with resentment. If I meditating gloomy thought, I will become a gloomy person. If I meditating a positive thought, I'm more likely become a positive person.

The powerful truth is we can choose our own meditation.

When we listen to something, we can choose to repeat the information in our mind and meditate it or we can choose to not meditate it. As I think more about this, I realize that if that information is not went through my meditation, I will soon forget about it. This principle is apply in creative area, if I see some inspiration or idea and not take it enough as a meditation in my heart, it's easier for me to let go the idea. What I meditate, I will grasp it within!

To meditate God's word night and day is a good practice as it will strengthen my root in Him. If I want to explore more about myself, I can meditate on my true identity based on His words. If I want to have a better confident & understand more what I really have in Him, I can meditate on God's character and His promises to me, who I am in Him and through Him.

Listen and see are not enough. I have to take it further with meditation and take time to reflect back on what I listened and saw.

Proverbs 3:1
My child, never forget the things I have taught you.
Store my commands in your heart.

Stand Firm

2011-03-07T02:00:00.000-08:00

2 Thessalonians 2:15 (NIV)

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings. we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

To stand firm and hold fast to what we believe needs courage and strength.

That believe must be rooted deep enough in our life to a degree that we want to guard it no matter what is the situation.

What we believe must get deep enough in changing our life. It is also depend on how far we permit the teaching to affect our life. If the word of God that have been taught penetrate deep enough unto the very center of my core value, most likely I won't be hesitate to stand for it.

To stand firm and hold fast to God's teaching, I have to let it be the very center of my core value. Open my heart to be change by it and it must be done continuously.

Colossians 1:23 (NLT)
But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

To be a good representative of Christ in this world, we need to be able to stand firm by faith. It is a crucial characteristics for the disciple of Christ.

To be honest, to stand firm for my own value is something that really needs a lot of confident and courage from me. This has to do with how I look at myself and feel of myself. Healthy self image make it easier to stand for what I value in life, a poor self image do the opposite.

Boldness and confident are important to stand firm.

Mark 13:13
Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Luke 21:19
Stand firm, and you will win life.

1 Corinthians 1:8
He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

To stand firm for God, it is not possible to do it with human strength. It only can do by His strength.

2 Corinthians 1:21
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us,

2 Corinthians 1:24
Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.

Explainable & Answerable Life

2011-03-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13

Each of us have a responsibility for our own life. Whether we accept it or avoid it, we still hold responsible for our respond toward a responsibility.

Romans 14:12
So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

Like it or not, have a victim mentality or a victor mentality, God will ask about what we do with our own life in the final day. And that time, there will be no weak excuses can be tolerate like when we are here on earth. I think it will be a real thick tense moment in the history of the universe!

1 Corinthians 7:24
Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.

1 Peter 4:5
But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

It will be a wise decision if we choose to take responsible of our own life, take charge of area in our life that needs work. No one will work our life for our own behalf. God will help and do His part..but I may choose to work with Him, follow His way or do my own way.

If I work with Him, I will have a better growth even it is not always easy. If I do my own way, I will have a slower growth and not an effective one. In the end, we are as an individual will be ask to explain what we do with Jesus in our life and what we do with what God already gave for each of us.

God already gave His words, resources, strength and wisdom if we ask. So actually there's no reason to hold back and give up..but real life sometimes is really not easy and it's easier to dodge the responsibility. However good we avoid and dodge it, the responsibility is still there and waiting to be work on before its too late.

Life with every minutes and seconds is count!

Deuteronomy 30:19
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live

A life that is explainable and answerable in the end definitely is a life that walked by what we believe rather than what we see. To grow bigger, better and mature..there is no shortcut.

Live by faith and not by what see see is the key to have a life that is satisfying and alive!

Contentment & Responsibility

2011-03-04T01:45:00.000-08:00

Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Matthew 25:24-30

Contentment can lead to a true sense of responsibility. If we are grateful with what we have in hand rather than focus on what we don't have, we can have a contentment inside that lead to a freedom life & healthy sense of responsibility.

Discontent with what we have will lead to an attitude like the last servant, who fail to look the opportunities to multiply what he had from the one talent in his hand.

Start from what we have, be grateful for it and multiply it to share it to many people.

Contentment and The Peace of mind

2011-03-03T22:09:00.001-08:00

Most of the problem in the society right now can be concluded as a result of an insecurity and an abundant of inadequate feeling.

Too many relationship problem has it's root on how we feel about ourselves.

If we feel insecure and discontent with ourselves, most likely we will treat other people like we treat ourselves. If we don't like ourselves, there's no way we can like other people in a healthy way.

Content with ourselves can produce a peace of mind. Knowing who we are, what we have and our purpose will produce a sense of confident and peace of mind.

I still can remembered when I employed at one company in Singapore, I had a difficulty to have a work pass to work there. My employer is very kind and try to do what she can to help me get the pass. She told me that if this thing is not settle yet, I will have a difficulty to work with a peace of mind there. I have to admit that because of this situation, many times I tempted to worry, afraid and have a self-pity. In the end, I didn't get the work pass, but I learned a valuable lesson.

I think myself back then that to have a peace of mind, is it about to have an outside situation to be just like what I want or is it about to not let the outside situation to affect my inside.

I came to realize that peace of mind is not depend on the situation, but depend on how I feel and see about myself. Do I have a confident in who I am and what I have, Do I know what is my purpose and why I'm here in this earth, Do I content with myself, How I see myself and how I want people to see me.

If I confident with myself, do everything with confident, I'm more likely to have a peace of mind. That's because I'm sure with what I do that I already give the best that I can. However, talk about the real peace, it is only the peace that comes from Heaven that is genuine and unshakeable.

Jesus said to His disciples that :
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

His peace is not like what the world gives, His peace is the one that will keep us steady in the midst of storm.

Matthew 8:24
Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.

Up until now I still learn to keep and maintain peace that I have from Him. Being employed in my previous company made me realize that most of the time I did my work with fear. Instead of did everything with faith, I did everything with fear, worry, not confident, double-minded, doubt. To be honest, I'm tired of having a life like that and think of myself, there's must be a better way to do work. I know skill and technique, but If I didn't have confident and peace..I won't enjoy my day work!

In fact, Jesus already gave each of us His children who believe in Him to have an abundant live, a rich and satisfying life.

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Jesus want me to enjoy life! That's why He came, to give us life and have it to the full. What a great confirmation and what a pity to live below what He already gave and claimed for us!

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you.

I have learned to really have a peace from Him, I have to:
1. Trust in Him in everything
2. Learn to relax in Him based on my true identity in Him
3. Have peace with myself : confident and sure with my decisions
4. Content with what I have and decide to discover it carefully and use it properly.
5. Content with myself :)

Where is your brother? (part 2 of 2)

2011-03-03T09:18:00.000-08:00

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[b] is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister[c] lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. 1 John 2:9-11

As a christian, I have a responsibility to my neighbor, who is my brother and sister in Christ. I have to show my responsibility by love them with a genuine affection.

"Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other." Romans 12:9-10

God bestow blessings in a fellowship (church).

Psalm 133:1-3 (New Living Translation)

1 How wonderful and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in harmony!
2 For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil
that was poured over Aaron’s head,
that ran down his beard
and onto the border of his robe.
3 Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon
that falls on the mountains of Zion.
And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing,
even life everlasting.

Here's the beautiful example of early church living style

Acts 2:42-47 (NLT)
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper[a]), and to prayer.

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.

And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.

They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.

They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.

all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

It is important to give a hospitality toward other people, escpecialy for brothers and sisters in Christ, despite of any their condition. To love my neighbor and accepting responsibility to know where they need is.

Galatians 6:2
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Showing a spirit of family in the family spirit by interest in people's forgiveness rather than people's judgement and stand for the family (Galatians 2:11-16)

I hold a responsible to God by showing responsibility to my family in Christ.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-21

Where is your brother? (part 1 of 2)

2011-02-24T07:04:00.000-08:00

Genesis 4:9

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

An ability to take a responsibility is a sign of maturity of a person. I have to admit that many many times I deliberately avoided to take a responsibility. To take a responsibility I have to be ready for the consequences. It is such a bad habit to avoid take charge of my own life, my portion in my family life, work life and especially in my christian walk.

It is not what I don't have that hinder me to release my full potential, but failed to take charge of what I already have in my hand that made me missed out several opportunities to fulfill my life's purpose.

God has entrusted me so many things in my life. All of that included time, money, informations and revelations, relationships with family and friends, talents and skills, opportunities, last but not least..the Good News! It is not that I don't have, the sad thing is..failed to recognize that I already have what I need and "take for granted" attitude toward what I already have.

Now I realize how important is to appreciate ourselves in a healthy way so that we can really have enough confident to take charge of our own life. To take charge of what we need to do especially as God's people with a lot of tasks while we're here on earth.

All of us have to hold responsibility, give a personal account to God on the final day.

Romans 14:12
So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

I think the great discovery that I can come up with until now as a christian is knowing that:
- I am not my own god, but Jesus is the God of my life, I'm belong to Him. Take charge of my own belief system by choosing to stand for the truth.
- I already have all that I need, only thing that really count is a serious responsibility use of it and become a trustworthy servant (steward) by multiplying it.
- I can choose to become a victim or a victor, doubt or believe. The main issue is not when feeling of doubt is come, but fail to accept His words and still trust my doubt that dangerous. The important thing here is..I CAN choose!
- I am responsible to God by showing my responsibilities to others especially my brothers and sisters in Christ.

What I want to emphasize in this blog and the next one is about my relationship with my fellow neighbors, brothers and sisters in Christ, with people around me. For my relationship with my brother is a good indicator of how my relationship with God.

"If you want to evaluate how close is your relationship with God then look at how close you are to others, especially those to whom you relate on an ongoing basis"
- A.W. Tozer

Confident and Responsibility

2011-02-23T07:20:00.000-08:00

Galatians 6:4-5 (The Message)

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

A true confident is ready to hold a responsibility. A confident without a responsibility is simply an empty pride. In other word, a healthy confident walk hand in hand with true responsibility.

Here's a confession from my heart. I always struggle to have a true confident, because I barely have an important responsibility in my own family. It is sad to say that my family love me too much until they even take charge of things that I supposed to take myself. This situation has been happened for years and years that it became a habit to me to always leave my family to take charge of my life and choices. It is a shame and hurt in the same time because as a man that turn to adult, I still have lack of confident to take charge of my own life.

My habit turn until a deep self consciousness level that makes me always want to leave my responsibility there and hoping someone will take care for it. I know it's a dangerous value system and belief, but I can't deny it that it is there. A weak self responsibility led me to compare myself with others, feels insecure with my self, deceived myself by self complacency according to my own opinion on myself and avoid to appear on surface in this real life.

A lack of self responsibility can lead to a victim mentality kind of life. Means that instead of taking consequences from every of our own choices, we put blame to other people when something bad happened to us. No matter how great is the pride and insecurity, fail to take responsibility of own life means one word... immaturity.

To have a healthy self confident, we have to take charge of our own life. Knowing that with a strong boldness and healthy confident, it came along with responsibilities to meet other people's needs. Sometimes the greater a confident is, the heavy also the responsibility to be meet.

The best confident that we can have to have a healthy confident in ourselves is a confident in God. Have a confident in God on how is His character and what He says about us.

With confident in God , we can:
1. Advance against a troop and scale a wall (Psalm 18:29)
2. Put our trust in God's character. (psalm 37:3)
3. Have a perfect and constant peace in our mind (Isaiah 26:3)
4. Find strength (Isaiah 30:15)
5. Approach God's throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help me in time of need (Hebrew 4:16)
6. Look for a great and glorious compensation of reward (Hebrew 10:35)

Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Be Confident and take charge!

Idleness

2011-02-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

Idle is a state of doing nothing, or it's doing something but no real worth or significant. What surprised me is idleness can be a synonym with avoiding works or move without a purpose.

To be honest, after acknowledge the meaning of idleness, I realize now that my real problem in my life all of this time has to do with idleness. I like to avoid jobs, because I'm fear of what's going to happen if I take the responsibility.

Thessalonians 3:11
We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.

One of my bad habit is because I'm so afraid of a new jobs and it's challenges, I choose to keep busy with my previous project that I found safe and predictable.
I have to admit, if I choose the be idle, that means my mind is not productive enough to make things happen.

1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

There's a state that Idle is the devil workshop.

Confident

2011-02-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

The difference between knowing and a real result is doing.

To know is one thing, to do is another thing.

This is truly what happened to me. I know a lot of knowledge based on book reading but lack of confident in apply it in real life. The main block that hinder me to take a further action is insecure. To be honest, this is one of the major issues in my life..insecurity.

Lack of confidence in myself produce an indecisive act, doubt, unreliable and waver.

To overcome this major issues, I need to really know my true identification, my purpose and my strength. It takes time, an incredibly strong determination, and of course..courage.

1 John 2:28 (New Living Translation)

And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

Confident is important. Jesus comes for His confident church!

Take Responsibility, Take Ownership

2011-01-19T09:04:00.000-08:00

Take Responsibility

2011-01-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

Loved by God

2011-01-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

1 John 4:19 (NIV)

We love because He first loved us.

Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)
The LORD appeared to us in the past,[a] saying:

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

A deep understanding that we are loved by God is very important. It is not enough to know that God sent His only son to save this world from sin, but to understand that God sent His own son for each one of us personally for the sake of love is the most important revelation we can get.

God sent Jesus for each of us personally as a gift of love.

Therefore, what we can do is to believe and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior in our life without feeling guilt or condemned.

I have been a christian for 8 years and yet in the same time I still have guilt deep inside my heart. I secretly felt inadequate and not worthy, still have doubt that He really loved me and appreciated me as His creation.

A little portion of doubt and an unhealthy self-image, lead me to live with a sense of insecurity, though in the spirit I've already been saved by God. A lack of understanding of what He said about me through His word has made me to live not to the fullest according to my real value as His dear son.

Entering this new year 2011, I want to stop live with this kind of misunderstanding anymore. I don't want to doubt my value anymore. This is really the time to live agreeing with the Word of God or not at all.

So this is my main goal in 2011, I want to know more about God with a proper understanding and revelation..about who He really is according to His word, what He said about me in His word, what He has and promised for me as His children. To have my mind renewed by His word, so that I can walk in line with His purpose that He has for me according to His design and fulfill what I've called for in this life time.

I want to be alive and give significant contributions while I live!

Ephesians 3:17-19 (Amplified Bible)

May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love

That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

I am loved by God, We are loved by God!

Tokens of Memory for 2011

2010-12-31T23:07:00.000-08:00

Psalm 105:5 (NIV)
Remember the wonders He has done,
His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced,

Psalm 77:11 (NIV)
I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

Today is a new chapter, by the grace of God..it's a brand new fresh beginning for the year 2011.

2010 has been a great year for me with it's ups & downs, good & bad, delight & confusion. Despite of anything that happen in 2010, God still showing me up until now His faithfulness and His unfailing love till the very end of my last day in 2010.

It is a great practise to always remember His goodness in the past, to always contemplate His faithfulness and meditate more of His Word. It will makes a differences when facing a dark moment & an uncertain situation.

Entering 2011, I don't know what is the situation and the challenge will be. But I can only face it it with a confident hope based on what God said about my future.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Its not because of my condition,situation or people around me. But simply because He said so. Because the one who said it is a God that faithful with His own word and love us so much.

I can rest with a full assurance in His words and His character.

Welcome and Happy New Year 2011 :)

This year will be a better year and a fruitful one!

Living with a Clear Conscience

2010-12-27T01:43:00.000-08:00

"Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life;
don't for a minute lose sight of them.
They'll keep your soul alive and well,
they'll keep you fit and attractive.
You'll travel safely,
you'll neither tire nor trip.
You'll take afternoon naps without a worry,
you'll enjoy a good night's sleep.
No need to panic over alarms or surprises,
or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner,
Because God will be right there with you;
he'll keep you safe and sound." - Proverbs 3:21-26

Living with a clear conscience (clear mind and thinking) seems needs a serious work since the bible said we have to guard it with our own life.

1 Timothy 3:9
They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.
It takes a clear conscience to live with a true value and hold faith with a firm grip.

To live with a clear conscience requires a person to have a clear purpose and self identity. Clear conscience has to do with how we feel about ourselves. If we really secure with who we are with a clear mind, the better we feel about ourselves.

"I am convinced, after many years in ministry, that about 85 percent of our problems
stem from the way we feel about ourselves" - Joyce Meyer from "Battlefield of the mind"

2 Timothy 1:3
[ Thanksgiving ] I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.

From the verse above, we can see that Paul serve God out of clear conscience, that means he knew whom he serve and why he serve Him.

Hebrews 13:18
Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.

A clear conscience can helps a person to live honorably in every way.

1 Peter 3:16
keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

A clear conscience is a better reminder of why we do what we're doing in a first place and help us to walk with a confident step on it.

1 Peter 3:21
and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ

God saves us so that we can have and live with a clear conscience before Him. That means..know without no doubt who we are in Christ, why we are here, and what we have in Him.

Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

A clear conscience can help us to live with a better value and motivation, knowing the very reason why we do a certain thing in a first place.

"since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving".Colossians 3:24

A clear conscience can keep our mind to remember whom we work for and what is the reward. With that in mind, it can help us to work with a better work ethic, value and
approach.

"Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him". John 13:3-5

Living with a clear conscience is like Jesus. He knew he had everything under His power, He knew He had come from God and was returning to God. The result of His clear conscience is He humble Himself to was His own disciples' feet.

This is an amazing example of living with a clear conscience. The result is humility in character as a person secure with who he/she is and fully understand that his/her real purpose is to serve.

Lord, please help me to have a better and clear conscience..amen!

What do I have in hand?

2010-12-20T20:10:00.000-08:00

"Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart;
a wise person draws from the well within. " Proverbs 20:5 (Msg)

Recently, I read a book about Speed reading. It's a book on how to read faster and maximize our brain potential to absorb all the information that we need effectively within 1 second. That book help me to realize that human brain has a great capacity for learning and store information. For example, even Einstein hadn't used his brain potential to the max. Research by Prof. Sean Adams from Max Planc Institute conclude that human brain will achieve its maximum potential if we learn a new information every 1 second for 30 million years. That's unbelievable!

The bottom line from this fact about our brain is God really already created human being with a great potential within. But the thing is, how we can live according to that great potential is depend on how we can corporate with ourselves which include on how we look on ourselves, we think about ourselves, we say about ourselves and how we want to become. All of these needs a healthy self-respect and confident toward self and the only reason on how to do it right is to understand "who I am" from God's point of view.

It's the most logical thing we can have, to know about ourselves is to start from God who created us.

God created us with a lot a lot of gifts inside us, but it takes a wise and considerate person that really care about life to open it up. A person that wise enough to acknowledge that he or she already had everything they need inside them without trying to compare with others unique gifts.

It takes a person to value himself or herself to really find their own real value inside. In other word, those people that can work on their own potential to the max are those who content with themselves and have a healthy self-respect.

Proverbs 14:16
The wise watch their steps and avoid evil; fools are headstrong and reckless.

Dictionary.com define the word "wise" with : having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right; possessing discernment, judgment, or discretion.

There are so much things to draw from a wise person, but yet so little to get from those who fail to pay respect even for their own self.

Proverbs 13:14
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, so, no more drinking from death-tainted wells!

Proverbs 15:2
Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise; fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.

To give the conclusion, as a human, we already have everything we need in hand. But takes great efforts to work it out. The more gratitude we have toward that gift inside us, the more easier for us to focus on use it and maximize it. The more we use and maximize it in a healthy way, the easier for us to help others to achieve theirs and share what we have from within us.

I still try to understand this, that life is not about getting..but its about giving.

Proverbs 21:26 (The Message)
Sinners are always wanting what they don't have;
the God-loyal are always giving what they do have.

A Responsive Heart

2010-12-04T08:55:00.000-08:00

"And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations".- Ezekiel 36:26-27

"Good friend, take to heart what I'm telling you; collect my counsels and guard them with your life.
Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom;
set your heart on a life of Understanding.
That's right—if you make Insight your priority,
and won't take no for an answer,
Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold,
like an adventurer on a treasure hunt,
Believe me, before you know it Fear-of-God will be yours;
you'll have come upon the Knowledge of God. " - Proverbs 2 : 1-5

To be able to receive good advices and instructions, carry it without reduce the values of it really is a strong skill that requires a responsive heart, clear mind and strong focus. The skill to respond itself worth to guard with life.

"Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you;
never forget what you learned at your mother's knee.
Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair,
like rings on your fingers." Proverbs 1 : 8-9

A good respond toward good advices is take it to heart.

"Good friend, don't forget all I've taught you; take to heart my commands.
They'll help you live a long, long time,
a long life lived full and well. " Proverbs 3:1-2

Up until now, I still struggling in this area. These has been my weaknesses for a very long time. To respond carefully, to guard the messages well, to apply it my own, to deliver it or share it with others in time without reducing it's value, these skills sounds simple but its like out of touch for me. To have those skills in hand, I think..really requires a mighty determination, which is I really can't do it with my own strength.

When I fail to respond, it has to do with my pride, stubbornness and ego. When I fail to guard a message well, it has to do with failing to recognize the real value of that message. When I fail to apply, it has to do with my lack of discipline or disobedience (either one or both). When I fail to deliver that good message or share it with other, it has to do with my insecure and lack of confidence. In all, these weaknesses are about selfish pride and fear.

Dear friend, take my advice;
it will add years to your life. - Proverbs 4 : 10

Selfish pride and fear can lead to a dead end.

"I don't want you ending up in blind alleys,
or wasting time making wrong turns.

Hold tight to good advice; don't relax your grip.
Guard it well—your life is at stake!" Proverbs 4 : 12-13

To be able to respond better toward a good advice and guard it as well as applying it, I really have to understand first it's real value. Because it is easier to guard something that we understand is valuable and worth to guard.

"For sound advice is a beacon,
good teaching is a light,
moral discipline is a life path." Proverbs 6 :23

"Dear friend, do what I tell you; treasure my careful instructions.
Do what I say and you'll live well.
My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it!
Write it out on the back of your hands;
etch it on the chambers of your heart." Proverbs 7:1-3

"So, friends, listen to me,
take these words of mine most seriously." Proverbs 7:24

"Fools are headstrong and do what they like;
wise people take advice. " Proverbs 12:15

"Know-it-alls don't like being told what to do;
they avoid the company of wise men and women. Proverbs 15:12

"Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail;
take good counsel and watch them succeed. "
Proverbs 15:22

"Listen carefully to my wisdom;
take to heart what I can teach you.
You'll treasure its sweetness deep within;
you'll give it bold expression in your speech.
To make sure your foundation is trust in God,
I'm laying it all out right now just for you." Proverbs 22:17-19

Give yourselves to disciplined instruction;
open your ears to tested knowledge. Proverbs 23:12

Dear child, I want your full attention;
please do what I show you. Proverbs 23:26

After respond well, it is important to share and deliver the messages well too. Which is really require a good skill in communication and connecting with people (my real struggle up until now since I have a serious issue about a healthy self-confidence).

"Son of man, I've made you a watchman for the family of Israel. Whenever you hear Me say something, warn them for Me. If I say to the wicked, 'You are going to die,' and you don't sound the alarm warning them that it's a matter of life or death, they will die and it will be your fault. I'll hold you responsible. But if you warn the wicked and they keep right on sinning anyway, they'll most certainly die for their sin, but you won't die. You'll have saved your life." Ezekiel 3:17-19

This will be quite a journey to go, but with God..anything can happen!

Perfect Love

2010-10-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

1 John 4:18 (Amplified Bible)

18There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love [a]turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear [b]brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection].

John 4:18 (The Message)

To Love, to Be Loved

17-18God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.

Making Allowance for Others Faults

2010-09-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 4:2

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love

Colossians 3:13

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Lessons from Swimming

2010-08-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

Recently, I just swam with Frankie at Pantai Mutiara. I've been not swimming for quiet a time and to be honest, I'm not too interest in it too.

When I swam, I found myself so easily to get tired and felt uncomfortable in the water. I always look down when I swam and not really focus to reach the other edge. While Frankie, he targeted himself to swim for 20 times back and forth, which is he finally surpassed his own target.

There are several precious lessons from this fun moment that we enjoyed that afternoon.
Why it is hard for me to swim more and reach the finish edge, while for Frankie it's easier. Most important, both of us also have a same period of time not swimming since the last we swam together.

Those important lessons are:
1. I always looked down, when I tried to look forward instead of look down, I can swam more confident and faster, because I focus on the target! This remind me to always focus on the finishing line / the reward that I will get while still in the process to get there.

2. Lack of mental preparation and confident make me feel hard to reach the target. I said "feel" because a good mental preparation can make me feel more confident and easier to reach the finish line. I saw that Frankie had this quality when he swam.

3. Don't know the target or purpose that lessen my driven force/ motivation. Frankie knew that he want to reach 20 times back and forth, he got and he passed it! While I didn't targeted myself at first and only realized it later, I think I achieved 15 times back and forth..more or less.

4. When Frankie set a target, he knew that he want to pass the target, and he did it!
The one that able to limit myself is myself! I set the bar myself, and as the result..I got what I wanted!

If I could aim higher, have a better mental preparation, confident, determination and a clear target..I think I will have a much more different result!

A clear target and a clear sense of purpose are very important. It can drive me to move faster and more confident! And as a result..I will get whatever target that I already set in my mind.

I'm the one who responsible for my own improvement!

If I can realize it, God will help me to be the best that I can be and suppose to be!

Compromise Value

2010-07-14T22:16:00.001-07:00

Do a stupid thing that compromise my value cost me :

1. My time : I can't turn back the time, what already done is done. If I regret and change..I can continue to move forward. However, the amount of time for doing the stupid thing can't redeem back again.

2. My Confidence : Do a stupid thing that intention is cost me my confidence and my integrity. It creates a flaw to my character. This one really cost me so expensive.

3. My Relationship : If I'm not quick to change..all the stupid thing that I've done will affect my relationship with God, people around me and myself.

4. My reward : Suppose I will have a reward if I maintain a healthy character and attitude all the way, but to compromise my value means moving backward. It will hold me from getting the reward that I suppose to get if I keep my value all the way.

There are 3 responses that I can choose after do a stupid things :
1. Regret and do nothing about it, just pretend it is not there.
2. Regret and condemn myself. Punish my self with a pity party and draw back from normal activity as well as social live.
3. Ask forgiveness from God, Learn from it, forgive myself and move on.

Never..never again compromise value even from the smallest thing in life that no one can see.

God sees it and I see it myself. That kind of attitude will determine what kind of person I can be in the future.

one stupidity is enough to ruin a lifetime construction.

Drawing

2010-07-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

In order to secure with my calling, I really have to emphasize the importance of the thing that I'm trying to do now. It is to "Design"

Here's an important article from FZD school of design written by Feng Zhu, the founder of the school.

------

The Importance of Drawing

Long before written language was invented, early man told stories by drawing on the surfaces of rocks. And throughout the centuries, countless masterpieces were created by artists and designers around the world. Each year, millions of visitors flock to the Louvre museum in Paris to get a glimpse of these creations. They come to admire the art and the technical skills required to produce them. It is therefore a mystery as to why the act of drawing is so shunned upon by our society. This is especially true among parents.

Most kids love to draw during their adolescent years. And during this phase, both schools and parents highly encourage it. Elementary schools are filled with drawing and creative classes. However, by the time these kids reach their early teens, most parents step in and tell their kids to not draw anymore. In fact, most see drawing as a complete waste of time. Reading comic books, sketching on paper and playing video games thus became signs for “bad behavior.” Instead, students are encouraged to go down an “academic” path which leads to perceived prestigious careers such as doctors, lawyers and architects. On the other hand, any careers linked to drawing is abandoned and thrown away. A lot of this has to do with the superficial notion of money. A career in design and art is often associated with words such as “starving” and “struggling.” In reality, this notion is simply false.

Imagine how many creative ideas and artworks are lost simply because young kids are steered away from pursuing their passion.

Why is drawing so important

The act of drawing is one of the most important fundamental skills developed by humans. For designers, it is vital way for us to communicate our ideas. This is especially critical for those of us working within the entertainment design industry. Our job is about conceptualizing cool visuals for video games, television commercials, theme parks and films. The fastest and most reliable way to communicate these ideas is by using drawings.

Throughout my career, I’ve visited numerous design schools around the world. Their classrooms are always filled with young and eager designers. However, I’ve noticed more and more of them simply cannot draw. What’s worse, they don’t even have a basic understanding of drawing. Most of these students communicate their ideas by using examples from other designers and “sourced” materials. Presentations become a series of hand waiving and word based descriptions. Rarely do I ever see nicely drawn designs during these presentations. A lot of students use 3D as a way to communicate. But designers are not born 3D artists, and as a result, the technicality of the 3D software can sometimes prevent the design from reaching its full potential. 3D modeling is also a slower process (and thus expensive from an employer’s point of view) when compared to hand-sketching. In my experience, 3D is best utilized by professional designers who already know how to draw.

The root of the problem lies not within the students (in fact, the ones I’ve spoken to all want to draw well), but within education. As mentioned earlier, drawing is discouraged by society when these kids reach the average age of 10. By the time they get into college or a design school, they have completely forgotten how to draw. What’s worse, many of these schools don’t even offer the correct types of drawing courses.

Drawing for design is very different from drawing for art. In our industry, drawing is another form of language. All professional designers understand how to speak and use this language. It is a set of universal rules and formulas developed throughout history to help communicate ideas. This type of understanding is very hard to learn on your own because there just aren’t enough materials out there to source from.

If the schools are not providing this type of training, the students really don’t have many options left. As a result, young designers are graduating with portfolios filled with theories, research papers and written ideas, but very little design sketches. Ninety percent of what we do in the entertainment design industry is visual based, and if that’s not represented in a portfolio, then there’s very little chance to obtain work. Design studios don’t pay for hand-waiving; they want to see actual results.

Key Elements

There are two parts to drawing. One is the technical execution of drawing itself – a pure mechanical skill. This is the hand-eye-brain coordination which can be trained and perfected over time. For example, by drawing something everyday in a sketchbook for 1 year straight, you will definitely draw better at the end of the 365 days. Therefore, it’s no wonder young students who drew “all their life” tends to accelerate quickly and learn much faster in school. They’ve had 10+ years of training their eyes, hands and brain to work together as one.

The second part has to do with understanding and building of the visual libraries in your brain. A designer’s job is to solve problems. But to solve a problem, you first have to understand the subject matter. By analyzing what you are drawing, you fill your brain with potential solutions and visual ideas. Some of these elements include the understanding of forms, perspective, materials, lighting, and composition. On the visual library side, by sketching subjects such as birds, plants, airplanes, cars, insects, people, etc. you slowly introduce your brain to the shapes and proportions which make up these subjects.

----------------

and for the comparison, here I included verses from bible about the importance of "know how" to design

Exodus 35 : 30-35 The Message:

Moses told the Israelites, "See, God has selected Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He's filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and know-how for making all sorts of things, to design and work in gold, silver, and bronze; to carve stones and set them; to carve wood, working in every kind of skilled craft.

And he's also made him a teacher, he and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He's gifted them with the know-how needed for carving, designing, weaving, and embroidering in blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics, and in fine linen. They can make anything and design anything."

I pursue my calling now : Drawing to Design!

Higher Road

2010-07-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

"But a principled individual takes that idea to a much level by purposefully solving problems for others and then trust in the power of that seed to bring a harvest of solutions for his problems" - Robb D. Thompson

"Do to others what you want others do to you" - The Golden Rule

There is a solid law of sow and reap in this universe.

The higher road is to take everything further ahead!

The State of Mind

2010-07-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Isaiah 26:3 (New Living Translation)

You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Enjoy the Fellowship

2010-07-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

Romans 12 The Message

4-6In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.

9-10Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

11-13Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

14-16Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.

17-19Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."

Romans 14

1 Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.

2-4For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ's table, wouldn't it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn't eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God's welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.

10-12So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren't going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture:

"As I live and breathe," God says,
"every knee will bow before me;
Every tongue will tell the honest truth
that I and only I am God."
So tend to your knitting. You've got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.

13-14Forget about deciding what's right for each other. Here's what you need to be concerned about: that you don't get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is. I'm convinced—Jesus convinced me!—that everything as it is in itself is holy. We, of course, by the way we treat it or talk about it, can contaminate it.

19-21So let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault. You're certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God's work among you, are you? I said it before and I'll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don't eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love.

Romans 15

1-2 Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?"

Galatians 5

25-26Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.

Galatians 6
1-3 Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.
4-5Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

Galatians 6 NLT

We Harvest What We Plant

1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer[a] is overcome by some sin, you who are godly[b] should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

Romans 12:16 NLT
Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

Sharp and Confident

2010-06-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 18:9 (Amplified Bible)

He who is loose and slack in his work is brother to him who is a destroyer and [a]he who does not use his endeavors to heal himself is brother to him who commits suicide.

Proverbs 18:9 (New International Version)

One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.

Proverbs 18:9 (New Living Translation)

A lazy person is as bad as
someone who destroys things.

Proverbs 18:9 (The Message)

Slack habits and sloppy work
are as bad as vandalism.

Proverbs 18:9 (New King James Version)

He who is slothful in his work
Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.

Communicates to Connect

2010-06-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some great point from the newest book of John C.Maxwell "Everyone Communicates Few Connect"

The more I learn, the more I realize that to achieve big dream, I will meet a lot of people. To have a skill to connect with other people is very important.

To connect:
- Focusing on others
- Finding common ground
- Making communication simple
- Capturing people's interest
- Inspiring them
- Being authentic

3 Questions from the people:
- Do you care for me?
- Can you help me?
- Can I trust you?

3 Things to include in communicate:
- Thought : Something we know
- Emotion : Something we feel
- Action : Something we do

Connection Checklist:
- Integrity : Did I do my best?
- Expectation : Did I please my sponsor?
- Relevance : Did I understand and relate to the audience?
- Value : Did I add value to the people?
- Application : Did I give people a game plan?
- Change : Did I make a difference?

4 Components of Connection:
- What people see - Connecting visually
- What people understand - Connecting Intellectually
- What people feel - Connecting Emotionally
- What people hear - Connecting verbally

5 Proactive ways to use energy for connecting:
- Connecting requires Initiative..Go first
- Connecting requires Clarity..Prepare
- Connecting requires Selflessness..Give
- Connecting requires Patience..Slow down
- Connecting requires Stamina..Recharge

What makes people listen?
- Relationships - Who you know
- Insight - What you know
- Success - What you have done
- Ability - What you can do
- Sacrifice - How you have lived

Barriers to finding Common Ground :
- Assumption : "I already know what others know, feel and want"
- Arrogance : "I don't need to know what others know, feel and want"
- Indifference : "I don't care to know what others know, feel and want"
- Control : "I don't want others to know what I know, feel and want"

Cultivating a Common Ground Mind-set:
- Availability - "I will choose to spend time with others"
- Listening - " I will listen my way to common ground"
- Questions - I will be interested enough in others to ask questions"
- Thoughtfulness - " I will think of others and look for ways to thank them"
- Openness - "I will let people into my life"
- Likability - "I will care about people"
- Humility - "I will think of myself less so I can think of others more"
- Adaptability - "I will move from my world to theirs"

4 points to be a better connector :
- Ask "Do I feel what you feel?" Before asking "Do you feel what I feel?"
- Ask "Do I see what you see?"Before asking "Do you see what I see?"
- Ask "Do I know what you know?" Before asking "Do you know what I know?"
- Ask "Do I know what you want?" Before asking "Do you know what I want?
(What do you dream about? What do you sing about? What do you cry about?)

The art of Simplicity
Keep it Simple, Say it slowly, Have a smile.
- Talk to people, not above them.
- Get to the point.
- Say it over and over and over and over again.
- Say it clearly.
- Say less.

How to be interesting:
- Take responsibility for your listeners.
- Communicate in their world.
- Capture people's attention from the start.
+ Start with a comment about the situation or setting
+ Introduce yourself
+ Relax
+ Begin with humor
+ Create a sense of anticipation
- Activate your audience
+ Ask question
+ Get people moving
+ Ask people to interact
- Say it so it sticks
+ Link what you say with what people need
+ Find a way to be original
+ Use humor
+ Use a shocking statement or statistic
+ Say things in an interesting way
+ Learn to pause
- Be visual
- Tell stories

What people need to know?
- People need to know that you understand them and are focused on them
+ What are they thinking?
+ What are they saying?
+ What are they doing?
- People need to know that you have high expectation of them

What people need to see?
- People need to see your conviction
- People need to see your credibility
- People need to see evidence of your character

What people need to feel?
- People need to feel your passion for the subject and them
+ Do I believe what I say?
+ Has it changed me?
+ Do I believe it will help others?
+ Have I seen it change others?
- People need to feel your confidence in yourself and them
- People need to feel your gratitude for them

When communicator put these three things together:
What they know + what they see + what they feel = Inspiration

Action :
- Say the right word at the right time
- Give people an action plan (ACT)
+ Apply
+ Change
+ Teach
- Make a commitment to continually inspire others

Credibility : Connectors live what they communicate

Daily Growth

2010-06-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

1. It is never too late to start.

2. I have a great resources, one of them is called " TODAY"

3. Daily discipline is never fail for greater result.

4. Start now or never.

5. The more time I put for a dream, the more value is the dream.

6. NOW is the time that I have.

Speak to create our world

2010-06-12T00:57:00.000-07:00

Mark 11:23 (Amplified Bible)

Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.

This is the power of speak out. Believe what he says, not he thinks!

Says!

Speak!

Waiting

2010-06-11T03:40:00.001-07:00

Romans 8:23 (The Message)

22-25All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us.But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.

Realized

2010-06-05T11:55:00.001-07:00

Luke 17:11-19 (The Message)

11-13It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

14-16Taking a good look at them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."

They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus' feet, so grateful. He couldn't thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan.

17-19Jesus said, "Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?" Then he said to him, "Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you."

Only one of ten, from all the lepers men that realized that he was healed and give thanks to God. The others just went on without came back to Jesus and maybe as they became clean on their way, they thought in their mind that it is a part of a natural process of being healed.

Only one person that realized/acknowledged his condition (before & after) and the rest are not.

This is another example of how important the acknowledgment, that has been set apart the one samaritan person from the others. The King James version stated that his faith has made him whole, not just physical but also spiritual.

While the other nine missed out this great blessings because they simply not come back and give glory to God. Gratitude unlock the door to greater blessings.

Willingness

2010-06-05T00:35:00.000-07:00

Willingness can make a difference. Willingness can give energy for the work.

Exodus 36:2
Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work.

Judges 5:9
My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 51:12
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Isaiah 1:19
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land;

Mark 14:38
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Romans 12:16
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

2 Corinthians 8:11
Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

2 Corinthians 8:12
For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

1 Timothy 6:18
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

1 Peter 5:2
Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve;

Willingness is an attitude that the Lord can use, otherwise..its ineffective for Him.

God's Image

2010-05-31T00:11:00.000-07:00

"Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:26

God created the light, the sky, all the living element and creatures on the earth by His word! When He speaks..it is created.

But when He created the first human, it is different.

God speak to the concept and the purpose of the human first, before He molded Adam by His hand.

In other words, God created the concept first, before He created the first human!

Here are the concept:
1. Human being is God's image
2. Human being is like God, reflect God's nature.
3. They will reign over the fish in the sea.
4. They will reign over the birds in the sky.
5. They will reign over the livestock.
6. They will reign over all the wild animals on the earth.
7. They will reign over the small animal that scurry along the ground.

After finished with the concept, than God started to mold with His hand.

So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. - Genesis 1:27

God created human with a deep passionate and it is really personal for Him.

After finished created human, God started to bless them.

1. Be fruitful and increase in number.
2. Fill the earth and subdue it.
3. Rule over the fish of the sea.
4. Rule over the the birds of the air.
5. Rule over over every living creature that moves on the ground.
6. God give them every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth.
7. Every tree that has fruit with seed in it and all are their's to eat.

After man fall into sin, God sent Jesus to redeem them back to Him, and reconcile them back to Himself. (2 Corinthians 5:18)
How I think is important than what I think. I have to have the right mind concept about myself.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

Self Image

2010-05-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

To realize and understand my real identity especially if I'm in Christ is very important. It is the key to release my potential freely. It is the key to use what I already have in my hand to be fruitful and multiply.

The key for every success in life is acknowledge my real position.

Here is the parable of the lost son from the gospel of Luke. The younger son ask about a share from his father even before his father died (Luke 15:12). He didn't really value his own position as the son of his father. As the result, he lacked gratitude, didn't really honor his father by ask the share before the right time.

Didn't acknowledge one self-worth/real identity can cost take life for granted, don't like to give thanks (especially to those who have authority above us - Luke 15:12), lack of knowledge on how expensive is the value of a grace and don't really value the resources/money that he has in his behalf (Luke 15:13b - "..and there he wasted all his money in wild living"-).

When there is a situation of recession and great crisis (Luke 15:14), the value of money become more significant in his eye. Luke 15:16 "The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything."

When he came to an end of himself (Luke 15:17 - "When he finally came to his senses..."), That time..he finally realized his real position and his previous wealth in his father house. He began to speak to himself ("he said to himself")about his position.

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! - Luke 15:17

Here he acknowledge:
1. His own "home", where his true identity came from.
2. The condition in his home. Now he can view from the lowly position of a servants and how even the servants like them have enough food to spare.
3. "Here I am dying of hunger" - finally he fully realize, how better his condition was when in his father's house.

In chapter 18, he came to an end of his rope.
I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ - Luke 15:18-19
This is more than just an emotional statement. But in that point, he really no longer have a self-dignity to be called "son" by his father. He became more aware of how valuable is the position as his father's son, yet he crushed enough to say it. In fact, realize his own sin, he was willingly to work as a servant.

Out of his realization of his real self-concept, he took an action to go to his father's house. This is the power of realization own self-concept, it is enough to move him and encourage him to go back home!

In the next chapter, we can see an act out of grace from his father. He wanted to become a servant, but his father's love and compassion treat him differently.

The younger son found his true identity now. While in other place, the older brother didn't happy at all to found his brother back. This is the price of legalism..love and self identity.

"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' Luke 15: 28-30

It is the older brother that remain in his father house all of this time, yet he didn't acknowledge his real position and identity as a son. Insecurity and lack of self-concept can cost a person to be so legalism. While without a proper self concept, the older son didn't acknowledge about his true riches in his father's house.

“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. " - Luke 15:31

The price of insecurity are limited himself to free his great potential and decreased his ability to use all of the resources that (in fact) he already had. This is so sad! From Luke 15:31, we can see that the father needs to re-confirm about his son position and right. The lack of self-concept from the older son cost him to spare himself from celebrated his younger brother's return, it cost him to lost a love like his father.

An act of legalism by the older brother is base on deeds, his goodness and self righteous ( Luke 15:29 = 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends). But the love of his father is not based on that.

The father is pleased when he always stayed by him and got close/unity with him (John 17:23). Therefore, what the father have is the same resources for what the older brother have.

But what important for his father is the unity and the common ground from all of the people (Romans 12:15). The lost son had came back and it is worth to be celebrated by all.

"We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

The Power to Shape the Future

2010-05-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

I believe all of us already have the ability to shape our own future.

1. Visualization : vision, dream and imagination.

2. Speak word : Our word frame our future.

3. What do you have in hand : talent , skill and ability.

4. Character : Courage and determination.

5. Habit : Discipline and undivided focus.

6. Attitude : Persistence and have confident hope.

Visualization

When God made a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:5), God took Abraham outside and told him to look up count the stars. It is obvious that the stars confirmed the promises that God gave to Abraham. If we can see it, we can get it.

Speak Word

God Himself spoke the word when He created the earth. His Holy Spirit was overing hover the surface of the waters (Genesis 1:2), until God spoke His word (Genesis 1:3) and then there was light (Genesis 1:3-5)

Waiting

2010-05-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

Habakkuk 2:3 (The Message)

Full of Self, but Soul-Empty

2-3And then God answered: "Write this.
Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
so that it can be read on the run.
This vision-message is a witness
pointing to what's coming.
It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!
And it doesn't lie.
If it seems slow in coming, wait.
It's on its way. It will come right on time.

Isaiah 30:18 (The Message)

18But God's not finished. He's waiting around to be gracious to you.
He's gathering strength to show mercy to you.
God takes the time to do everything right—everything.
Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.

Psalm 5:3
In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

Psalm 10:8
He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims.

Psalm 10:9
He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

Psalm 27:14
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 33:20
We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

Faithfulness

2010-05-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

Paul emphasized a man's faithfulness, not his ability, achievements or gifts.

1 Corinthians 4:17 (New International Version)

For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

Ephesians 6:21 (New International Version)

Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing.

Colossians 1:7 (New International Version)

You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[a] behalf,

Agreement

2010-05-24T09:31:00.001-07:00

Psalm 133

A song of ascents. Of David.

1 How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.

3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.

Distraction

2010-05-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

Distractions are a big problem for the self-employed, self-managing freelancer. Because of distractions, we waste our precious time. Our productivity is diminished. Rushing to meet deadlines means we enjoy life less. Ultimately, distractions reduce our profitability.
We don’t like that. Freelancers want to squeeze the most work from every minute that we’re working.
Therefore, the sooner we can become the bosses of our distractions, the better for us.

Internal vs External Distractions
As we’ve learned from the Pomodoro Technique, there are two main types of distractions: external and internal.

External distractions are pretty much out of our control. They arise from our environment in the form of a person or a situation demanding our attention (such as, in my case, a toddler who wants a snack).
Other examples of external distractions are:

the phone ringing
your neighbor coming over unexpectedly
a package arriving at your door
a fire suddenly starting in your kitchen
your dog whining to be let out

External distractions are unexpected and unpredictable, and you have limited control over them. However, you can manage them in a way that causes the least disruption in your work, as you’ll see later on.
Internal distractions arise from our own minds and therefore originate from ourselves. These are thoughts that spring forth while we’re in the middle of typing a sentence.

Thoughts like:
“I wonder how many RTs I have now.”
“I should check my email.”
“I’m hungry for a snack.”
“Let’s see what’s on TV.”

In many cases, internal distractions are little ways we sabotage ourselves and keep ourselves from doing our work.
It’s in every freelancer’s best interest to get to the root of his or her internal distractions and learn how to avoid them, minimize them, or eliminate them altogether.

But, how?

What Internal Distractions Really Mean
I’m no psychologist, but I will venture some theories on why we distract ourselves. All this comes from my experience of battling my inner demons every single day. Read them and see if you agree:

You’re afraid. You distract yourself because of fear… of failing, of succeeding, of finishing, of moving on. I know that every time I sit down to write a sales letter, I wonder if I’m going to produce a dud. I wonder if my client will really sell stuff with the words I’m writing. I’ve been writing sales letters for two years and I still feel this fear. I hear you never really get over it.

You’re bored. You distract yourself, because you’re not enjoying what you’re doing anymore. Sure, you started freelancing so you could do what you love, be it writing, designing, coding or whatever else. Honestly, when you’re doing it for somebody else, it can be a drag sometimes. Besides, we’d rather play than work. It’s totally understandable.

You’re resisting. I’m currently reading The War of Art, and author Steven Pressfield says resistance is a negative force that prevents us from doing anything “that rejects immediate gratification in favor of long-term growth, healthy, or integrity.” Its only purpose is to keep us from moving to our higher nature.

You feel inadequate. Another reason you may be sabotaging yourself is because you don’t feel up to the task. Perhaps you think you’re not good enough, you’re ill prepared, or not as good as the others.

You’re doing the wrong thing. This is where I going to get airy-fairy-woo-woo on you. I can’t really explain it, but sometimes, I believe our intuition is telling us NOT to do something, because it isn’t in our best interest to do it.

Let me give you an example of that last point. I once had a big project for one of my regular clients. For some reason, I was feeling a big resistance to doing it. I wanted to do it. I would sit in front of my computer and try to work on it, but there would always be this block, so that it felt like I was running uphill.

A couple of days later, I get an email from my client telling me he has decided to go in a different direction, and gives me a new set of instructions.
See what I mean? It’s like my subconscious knew what was going to happen and was trying to stop me from pouring work into the project–work that would become useless because of the changes my client wants.

This has happened to me enough times that I believe in it completely. However, you don’t have to. Most importantly, don’t use this thinking as an excuse for not getting your work done.

Now that we have a better idea of where distractions come from, the next question is: what do we do with them?

Managing External Distractions

For external distractions, you have several options:
Protect yourself from them. You accomplish this by getting your phone off the hook and letting your answering machine take care of your calls. You can also turn off the email notifications on your computer. Shut yourself in your home office, away from other people, the refrigerator, and entertainment devices. You can even use apps to keep external distractions at bay.

Handle distractions as quickly and unobtrusively as possible. I like the two-minute rule by David Allen of Getting Things Done. If you can do something in two minutes or less, then do it. However, if something comes up that requires more of your time and attention, then simply add it to your to-do list. Include a date and time when it needs to get done. If it’s more urgent and needs your attention now, then you’ll just have to drop what you’re doing and switch to the emergency.

Being the Boss of Your Internal Distractions

Internal distractions are not as easily managed as external ones. But, it is possible. Here are five techniques you can use:

For fear: Train yourself to forge ahead in spite of your fears. Remind yourself that you will make mistakes, and that you will have duds. So what? Nobody’s perfect. You learn from your mistakes and move on.

For boredom: Reward yourself. Bribe yourself with a small reward after you complete your work. Or, reward yourself first. Take a break and do something fun for a limited time and then get back to work. (The operational word here is “limited.” Set a timer for your break.)

For resistance: Act like a professional. According to Pressfield, you just have to treat your work as a job. You know, show up every day, put in the time, and just do it!

For feeling inadequate: Give it your best shot. What else can you do? Just do your best with the task at hand. And then go out and get better. Get training, seek more opportunities to apply your skills. Remember, the more you do, the better you get.
For doing the wrong thing: Wait and see. If your deadline permits, just stop and do something else. Sleep on it. Let your subconscious work on the project while you’re asleep.

Maybe something will turn up to let you know that you shouldn’t have done the task in the first place. Maybe not. Either way, leave yourself time to get the task done promptly.

Bonus Tip

The ultimate distraction buster is to remember your “reasons why.” Why did you become a freelancer? Why did you choose to work at home? Why did you quit your job?
When I don’t feel like working, I just look at my three kids and my hubby, and I remember my Four Reasons Why. It’s all I need to get myself back into action.

Fight a Good Fight of the Faith

2010-05-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

1 Timothy 1:18 (New International Version)

18Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight,

1 Timothy 6:12 (New International Version)

12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

2 Timothy 4:7 (New International Version)

7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Fight the good fight means keep the faith, remain in the life calling and take hold for the ultimate destination which is eternal life.

Faith is worth to fight with the good fight!

Talking as Communication

2010-05-13T01:41:00.000-07:00

This article based on Larry King's book "The Secrets of Good Communication"

The basics of successful conversation:
- Honesty
- The Right Attitude (The willingness to work on it)
- Interest in Other person
- Openness about myself

"I never learn a thing while I'm talking...if I'm going to learn a lot today, I'll have to do it by listening" Larry King. Listen and ask relevance questions.

What the best talkers have in common:
- They look at things from a new angle.
- They have broad horizons.
- They are enthusiastic. (passion in what they are doing)
- They don't talk about themselves all the time.
- They are curious. ("Why?..)
- They empathize.
- They have a sense of humor.
- They have their own style of talking.

"Every successful businessperson I can think of is an effective talker" Larry King

Be prepared, Know the audience, think positive, speak loud and clear.

learn, learn and learn...

A Way of Mind by A.R. Bernard

2010-05-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

God has intends that you be an ambassador for Him, an enthusiastic, hope – Filled Christian. But God won’t force you to adopt a positive attitude.

It’s up to you to think positively about your blessings and opportunities… or not.

So’ today and every day hereafter, celebrate this life that God has given you by focusing your thoughts and your energies upon “things that are excellent and worthy of praise”

Today, count your blessings instead of your hardships.

And thank the Giver of all things good for gifts that are simply too numerous to count.

Positive thoughts are the seeds for great achievements, our life is what our thoughts make it.. Grace & Peace

Boldness and Confidence

2010-05-03T22:35:00.000-07:00

"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness[a] he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. - Luke 11:7-9

From the verses above, the man supposed not to get the bread from his friend. Only because of his boldness when asking, he got what he needs!

Boldness is so important and it can make a differences!

Faith

2010-04-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation." Hebrews 11:1-2

Faith is something that we can't see, but we can feel it. it's a confidence inside us.
Even we can feel it, faith is more than a feeling. We need faith to believe in something that already happen but we didn't see it and for something that yet to be happen in the future.

If I say to a person that I have faith in him, that means..I trust him and put my believe in him..even if he doesn't yet perform a result that I desire.

A genuine faith to God is only can be given by God.
Ephesians 2:8
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God"

Faith is a core value in a christian life. God pleases with faith (Hebrews 11:6). As a christian, we are made righteous by faith, not by good works. The righteous will live by faith (Galatians 3:11), not by what they can see (2 Corinthians 5:7).

As a couple, I want my spouse to trust my word. I want her to have faith in me. But many times in a relationship area, my partner will always want a continuous confirmation, even when I already said once to trust me. Now I can see the biblical truth behind all of this. Christ is a groom for His church, and His church is a bride for Him. It is very possible when Christ said "Trust Me", I will act like a female (as a bride for Christ) that need a lot of confirmation words. Even though "need a confirmation" is still count a faith, but it's not an active kind of faith.

How if God doesn't give a confirmation at the moment? Then I can only put my faith in His promises that already written so many in the bible and continue to move on.

Hebrews 6:12
"We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."

Faith can be increase through pressure in this life.
James 1:2-4 (The Message)
"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way."

James 1:3 (NIV)
"because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

James 1:12
"God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

Faith is like a gold (even greater worth than it), and need to be purify by fire.
1 Peter 1:7
These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

When we are in the midst of testing, we are to stand firm and be courageous.
1 Corinthians 16:13 (NLT)
"Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong."

Our faith conquer the world.
1 John 5:4 (The Message)
"Every God-begotten person conquers the world's ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world's ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God."

Faith is like a treasure that can enrich people.God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith.
James 2:5 (Amplified Bible)
Listen, my beloved brethren: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and in their position as believers and to inherit the kingdom which He has promised to those who love Him?

Only by faith we can stand firm.
2 Corinthians 1:24
Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.

Faith has to do with an understanding.
The Centurion from Luke 7:1-10 had a better understanding about authority and it caused him had a better level of faith in Jesus, compare with those in Israel that time.
Jesus even amazed and praised his faith. Even in Israel, Jesus found no one had a great faith like him (luke 7:9).

When Jesus come for the second time, He will look to our faith.
Luke 18:8
I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Faith can grow and increase. I pray that together with all the brothers and sisters in Christ, we will continue to have a strong faith until the very end.

Chai Ling converts to Christianity

2010-04-23T19:19:00.001-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Chai Ling converts to Christianity

View more documents from shanghaiist.

Ministry to the Lost

2010-04-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

"On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17

In my christian life, I have to admit that there are times I tend to be safe and exclusive. Busy with my own schedule, companionship with my fellow christian and didn't gave much space for reaching out to the lost. Even worse, now it is really come to light what is my real attitude to this kind of ministry, do I really a servant in God's kingdom?

A servant don't have much choice than to obey his master.

"FROM PAUL, a bond servant of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) called to be an apostle, (a special messenger) set apart to [preach] the Gospel (good news) of and from God" Romans 1:1 (Amplified Bible)

A servant doesn't even deserve a word "Thank you" from his master.

This verses are from Luke 17:7-10 that described how low is a position for he or she that called as a servant:
"Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field or tending the sheep. Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, 'Sit down and eat'?

Wouldn't you be more likely to say, 'Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I've finished my coffee; then go to the kitchen and have your supper'?

Does the servant get special thanks for doing what's expected of him?

It's the same with you. When you've done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, 'The work is done. What we were told to do, we did."

To be a servant, definitely need a heart to serve. But to be an effective servant, it is important to be secure of who I am. To be an effective servant, it is crucial to secure enough that I can take all the duty even without a "Thank you" word. A servant can't expect to be listed in a credit list and to be appreciated. The master may has a freewill to give appreciation or credit to a servant, but in the end, a servant doesn't has a right to expect for it.

A servants are to realize that they are ..unworthy servants who have simply done their duty (Luke 17:10)

"If you want to claim credit, claim it for God." What you say about yourself means nothing in God's work.
It's what God says about you that makes the difference." 2 Corinthians 10:18

Doing what expected from him without desire to get the credit, give all the talent he has to serve the purpose of his master, serve with a respect for detail and speedy movement. A genuine servanthood attitude is needed to really reach out to the lost.

Knowing this is really not easy for me. Once I was really on fire for God and really seek all the opportunities that I can to serve Him. As time goes by, a real life taught to a naive person inside me and I became more careful to expose my faith. Without realize, I limited my capacity to serve..especially in reaching out!

Maybe I seem still serving, but when there's an opportunity to extend my service capacity..most of the time I try to hinder and dodge from that chance. This is no good at all! I serve..but serve in my safe zone!

Paul had a mind set that he had an obligation to all the people that he met

"Everyone I meet—it matters little whether they're mannered or rude, smart or simple—deepens my sense of interdependence and obligation. And that's why I can't wait to get to you in Rome, preaching this wonderful good news of God." Romans 1:14-15 (The Message)

If I place other people that they're always have an obligation with me, than I will always have a disrespect and disgrace attitude toward them. Things will be different if I look on it an opposite way. If I place myself always have an obligation to them...than with or without their "thank you" , it can't stop me to always serve their need out of my obligation.

Friend of God

2010-04-16T20:28:00.001-07:00

Somewhere in Milaor, Camarines Sur, there lived a fourth grader boy who would follow this route to school everyday: He has to cross the rugged plains and cross the dangerous highway where vehicles are recklessly driving to and from..

Once past this highway, the boy would take a short cut, passing by the Church every morning just to say Hi to God, and faithfully say his, "Magandang umaga po" in Bicol dialect. He was faithfully being watched by a Pastor who was happy to find innocence so uplifting in the morning,

"Kamusta, Andoy? Papasok ka na?"

"Opo pastor ... "he would flash his innocent grin, the pastor would be touched. He was so concerned that one day he talked to Andoy.

"From school...", he advised "Do not cross the highway, you can pass through the Church and I can accompany you to the other side of the road...that way I can see that you are home safe...."

"Thank you pastor ... "

"Why don't you go home ... whydo you stay in this church right after school?"

"I just want to say 'Hi' to my friend, God,"and the pastor would leave the boy, to spend time alone, talking to himself, but the pastor was hiding behind the walls to listen
to what this boy has to say to his heavenly FATHER.

"You know my math exam was pretty bad today, but I did not cheat although my seatmate is bullying me for notes... I ate one cracker and drank my water, Itay had a bad season and all I can eat is this cracker.

Thank you for this! I saw a poor kitten who was hungry and I know how he feels so I gave my last cracker to him ... funny but I am not that hungry. Look, this is my last pair of slippers...

I may have to walk barefoot next week, you see this is about to be broken... but it is okay....at least I am still going to school.... Some say we will have a hard season this month, some of my classmates have already stopped going to school .... please help them get to school again, please God?

...Oh, you know, Inay hit me again, it is painful, but I know this pain will pass away, at least I still have a mother.... God, you want to see my bruises? I know you can heal them.... Here... here and .... oh ...blood... I guess you knew about this one huh? Please don't be mad at Inay, she is just tired and she worries for the food in our table and my schooling that is why she hits us....Oh, I think I am in love ... there's this pretty girl in my class, her name is Anita ... do you think she will like me? Anyway, at least I know you will always like me, I don't have to be anybody just to please you, you are my very best friend! Hey your birthday is two days from now!!! Aren't you excited? I am! Wait till you see, I have a gift for you. but it is a surprise! I hope you will like it! Oooops, I have to go ..." then he stood up and calls out, "Pastor, pastor, I am finished talking to my friend.... you can accompany me to the other side of the road now"

This routine happens everyday. Andoy never fails. Pastor Agaton shares this every Sunday to the people in his church because he has not seen a very pure faith and trust in God, a very positive look at negative situations.

One Christmas day, Pastor Agaton was sick so he could not make it in the Church, he was sent to the hospital. The Church was left to 4 elders who would pray and fast for days, would not smile and would always find fault in what you do, they were also very well versed in cursing if you irritate them!

when Andoy, coming from his Christmas party, playfully dashed in.

"Hello God! Ayy ......"

"P----!! (a curse) bata ka!! Alam mo nang may nagdadasal!! Alis!!"

Poor Andoy was so terrified, "Where's Pastor Agaton? He is supposed to help me cross the street ... and to be able to cross the street I will have to pass by the back door of this church. not only that, I have to greet Jesus. It is His birthday, I have a gift right here....
" Just as he was about to get the gift out of his shirt, the elders pulled his shirt and threw him out of the church. "Susmaryosep!!!

Alis kang bata ka, kung hindi matatamaan ka!!!

So the boy had no choice but to cross the dangerous side of the road in front of the church. He crossed. A fast moving bus came in.

There was a blind curve. The boy was protecting his gift inside his shirt, so he was not looking. There was so little time. Andoy died on the spot. A lot of people crowded the poor boy, the body of a lifeless young boy ...

Suddenly, out of nowhere a tall man in a pure white shirt and pants, a face so mild and gentle, but with eyes full of tears... He came and carried the boy in His arms. He was crying. Curious bystanders nudged the man in white, and asked,

"Excuse me sir, are you related to this child?

Do you know this child?"

The man in white, His face mourning and in agony, looked up and answered,

"He was my best friend . " was all he said.

He took the badly wrapped gift in the bloody chest of the lifeless boy, and placed it near His heart.

He stood up and carried the boy away and they both disappeared in sight.

The crowd was curious ...

On Christmas Eve, Pastor Agaton learned of the shocking news. He visited the house, and wanted to verify about the man in white. He consulted the parents of Andoy.

"How did you know that your son died?"

"A man in white brought him here." sobbed the mother.

"What did he say?"

The father answered, "He did not say anything. He was mourning. We do not know him and yet he was very lonely about our son's death, as if he knew our son very well. But there was something peaceful and unexplainable about him.

He gave me my son, and then he smiled peacefully. He brushed my son's hair
away from his face and kissed him on his forehead, then he whispered something... "

"What did he say?"

"He said to my boy..." the father began,

"Thank you for the gift ... I will see you soon ... you will be with me..."

and the father of the boy continued, "and you know for a while, it felt so wonderful ... I cried, but I do not know why....all I know is I cried tears of joy .... I could not explain it, Pastor, but when that man left, something peaceful came over me, I felt a deep sense of love inside .... I could not explain the joy in my heart, I knew my boy is in heaven now but...tell me, Pastor, who is this man that my son talks to everyday in your church, you should know because you are always there ... except at the time of his death ......"

Pastor Agaton suddenly felt the tears welling in his eyes, with trembling knees, he murmurred, " ... He was talking to no one ..... but .. GOD...."

Weary & Burnout

2010-04-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

Weary and burnout are very real in this life. They are not only a mere feeling or emotion. They can cost someone to give up on trying and stop pursuing his/her dream.

Put it on the other side, dreams are waiting for some people to make them come real. When dreams are realized, many needs will be meet, satisfaction will take place and perhaps another new vision will birth. But in the process of pursuing the dream, weary and burnout are inevitable. They come in a high price if we are not careful, that is..our own dream.

When someone feels weary and burnout, he is ready to put aside all of his dream..unless there is someone that still believe in him and give a fuel of encouragement for that person who is weary.

The relieving truth is..Jesus is the one who never giving up on us, even if we are at a very low condition.
Here are some evidence from the Gospel of John:
1. Before we know it, Jesus appear to those who are already lost in hope. (John 20:1-29)
- When Mary Magdalene was crying because she couldn't found Jesus' body, Jesus appeared to her and for her surprised...she didn't know that He is Jesus. (John 20:11-18)
- When the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they are afraid of the Jewish Leaders, Jesus was not asking for their permission first to show His loving presence and that really encouraged them. (Scripture says They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord. What a great encouragement in a situation that seems no more hope at that time because of Jesus' death) [See John 20:19-23]

2. Before we even realize, Jesus already prepare to provide (John 21:12) and ready to serve (John 21:13) our needs in time of our desperation . [See also 1 Kings 19:5-6]
The scripture says "When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them - fish cooking over a charcoal fire and some bread"(John 21:9). Jesus Himself prepare to provide and serve His disciples needs in person.

3. Jesus never lose faith in us (John 21:19). When we are recover from our weary and heavy burnout feelings, He will continue to use us for His mighty works. [See also 1 Kings 19:7-8]

There is a saying that when we feel weary and burnout...rest if we must but never give up. A proper rest is very important. From 1 Kings 19:5-6, we can see that God gave Elijah a chance to have a good rest. God even provided him with food to eat and let him lay down again a bit more.

After a proper rest, most of us will be able to come back with a clearer mind. When we are ready to move on, God's strength (Isaiah 40:31) and wisdom (James 1:5) are always ready for those who are willing to ask from Him.

If we never give up, we will find our new strength from The Lord (Isaiah 40:31). Even if we feel like giving up, we can be sure that Jesus is never giving up on us.

God will never forsake us (Hebrew 13:5b) and He will never giving up on us!

A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering (dimly burning) wick He will not quench, till He brings [a]justice and a just cause to victory.- Matthew 12:20 (Amplified Bible)-

Understanding

2010-04-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

un·der·stand·ing [uhn-der-stan-ding] Show IPA
–noun
1.mental process of a person who comprehends; comprehension; personal interpretation: My understanding of the word does not agree with yours.

2.intellectual faculties; intelligence; mind: a quick understanding.

3.superior power of discernment; enlightened intelligence: With her keen understanding she should have become a leader.

4.knowledge of or familiarity with a particular thing; skill in dealing with or handling something: an understanding of accounting practice.

5.a state of cooperative or mutually tolerant relations between people: To him, understanding and goodwill were the supreme virtues.

6.a mutual agreement, esp. of a private, unannounced, or tacit kind: They had an understanding about who would do the dishes.

7.an agreement regulating joint activity or settling differences, often informal or preliminary in character: After hours of negotiation, no understanding on a new contract was reached.

8.Philosophy.
a.the power of abstract thought; logical power.
b.Kantianism. the mental faculty resolving the sensory manifold into the transcendental unity of apperception.

–adjective

9.characterized by understanding; prompted by, based on, or demonstrating comprehension, intelligence, discernment, empathy, or the like: an understanding attitude.

Detail Determines Destiny

2010-03-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. Lukas 16:10

Just learned today that attention to detail is so important.

My attitude toward small thing show my real character.

Detail is important.

Those details will determine my position and my place in future.

How I will spend my life later, determines by all the details in my life now. (How I spend money, How I use my time, How I manage time and money, How I spend one day at a time, Do I value minute after minute in my life, Do I care of every second in my life)

Those details determines where I will go.

Those Details determines my destiny.

Passion

2010-03-16T01:10:00.000-07:00

Do everything with passion.

Make everyday counts.

Passionate commitment.

do it..now!!

Centre of The Universe

2010-03-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

Too often I view my self as a centre of this universe. I view my problem as an important thing that deserves attention and concern while I myself put less concern to other people. I often hide behind my talent to cover my insecure and that makes me fall even deeper to a pit of insecurity. False identity like that hinder me to make a higher level of relationship with other people. Because my insecurity will always search a way how to make people to be more concern to me, add value to me and that will make me end with no breakthrough as a person.

To commit to grow..I have to lay off my insecurity, and start to place value to other people around me.

Everyday Growth

2010-03-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

Growth is to do it intentionally...every day.

and here is my target for everyday growth...add value for people around me. Value them, respect them, put them first.

Value people, add value to society, become value to society.

Value people!

Passion to Learn

2010-03-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

Now I know why my learning progress is not fast. Because of my insecurity that caused me like I know-it-all and hide behind my talent. I realize about it now and decided to change.

To learn more..I have to listen more from other people. Secure enough and consider other better than myself. I can learn something from them. Every meeting with people are equal with opportunity to learn something from them.

Put others first, listen to their need and story, look for other interests not only my interests. All of these needs a passionate commitment to do it!

"People with humility don't think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less" - Ken Blanchard & Norman Vincent Pale.

If I want to learn more and absorb as much things as I can..than I have to make sure that I am secure enough to listen a lot from others, place high value (respect) to each one of them, make sure they win first in a relationship and learn continuously!

Emotional Secure

2010-03-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

Am I emotionally secure?

People who lack confidence and worry about their status, position or power tend to reject the ideas of others, protect their turf and keep people at bay.

It takes a secure person to consider other's ideas.

Hurting people hurt people.

Do I place value on people?

If I value people:
- I want to spend time with them
- I listen to them
- I want to help them
- I am influenced by them
- I respect them

If I don't value people:
- I don't want to be around them
- I neglect to listen
- I don't offer them help
- I ignore them
- I am indifferent

Before I go further..I better settle this important issue first.

Place value on people!

From John C. Maxwell book " How Successful people think" - chapter 9 : Benefit from shared thinking -

Thinking

2010-03-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

"Good thinkers are always in demand. A person who knows how may always have a job, but the person who knows why will always be his boss." - John C. Maxwell

Eleven skills on Thinking:

1. Seeing the Wisdom of Big-Picture Thinking
2. Unleashing the Potential of Focused Thinking
3. Discovering the Joy of Creative Thinking
4. Recognizing the Importance of Realistic Thinking
5. Releasing the Power of Strategic Thinking
6. Feeling the Energy of Possibility Thinking
7. Embracing the Lessons of Reflective Thinking
8. Questioning the Acceptance of Popular Thinking
9. Encouraging the Participation of Shared Thinking
10. Experiencing the Satisfaction of Unselfish Thinking
11. Enjoying the Return of Bottom-Line Thinking

From "How Successful People Think" by John C. Maxwell

Hidden Power

2010-03-01T07:36:00.000-08:00

Luke 10:19
I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Luke 9:1
[ Jesus Sends Out the Twelve ] When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,

Recently, I played a magic card with my friend used a deck playing card from Frankie.
Magic the gathering is a very strategic playing card and required serious attention to build the deck if really want to win. My friend Frankie has a very strong deck but I was not realized it. When I played against my other friend, Sugi..I lose several time and really can't understand why I can lose like that.

Frankie said that the deck I was using supposed to be a very powerful deck, in fact..it is his number two most powerful from all of his decks. I couldn't understand, why with that powerful deck I still lose inevitably with Sugi.
The answer is because I didn't realize and understand enough the true power from the deck that I used.

Lack of knowledge about that powerful deck made me lose several time. When Frankie enter the game play with the same deck, everything changed! He know how to use it, he understand and realize its full power and potential from the deck. As the result, He won!

This important lesson apply in every area of this life.

Money will be an important tool for multiplication, but only for those who know how to use it and realize the value of money..or else..money will be easily to spend out and gain little value because of bad management.

Authority and power will be an important tool to serve and add value to society if those who have it really know how to use it, really responsible with it or else it will bring terrible to society and worse if use only to serve personal desire.

For a believer, Jesus says that He has given us authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm us. This is no exception and to not realize it or understand it would be a great pity.

Luke 24:49
I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

It is important to realize, to understand, to acknowledge what God already provide for each believer with His Holy Spirit. The unlimited and great resources of power dwell within us, His children. His Holy Spirit is the unlimited resources of power.
And all the power should be use to bring back glory to Him and only Him!

Hiring a designer: a client’s perspective | David Airey, graphic designer

2010-02-01T21:40:00.000-08:00

Hiring a designer: a client’s perspective | David Airey, graphic designer

Growth

2010-02-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

"Growth is not an automatic process" Kurt Kampmeir

Growth is an intentional and a strategic, with commitment and discipline.

Daily growth is important.

Today's Growth gives me potential.

Value & Understand People

2010-01-31T20:24:00.000-08:00

Place a high value on people, Expect the best from everyone.

I just want to include some good points from the book "Today Matters" by John Maxwell, especially from the chapter 11 "Today Relationships give me fulfillment"

This chapter makes my eyes open. I can learn to understand people by knowing and fully realize that:
- People are insecure...give them confidence.
- People want to feel special...sincerely compliment them.
- People desire a better tomorrow...show them hope.
- People need to be understood...listen to them.
- People lack direction...navigate for them.
- People are selfish...speak to their needs first.
- People get emotionally low...encourage them.
- People want to be associated with success...help them win.
- People desire meaningful relationship...provide community.
- People seek models to follow...be an example.

I have to realize that every human being deserves to be treated with respect because everyone has value.

"I also have observed that giving people respect first is one of the most effective ways of interacting with others. However, that doesn't mean you can demand respect in return. You must earn it. If you respect yourself, respect others, and exhibit competence, others will almost always give you respect. If everyone treated others with respect, the world would be a better place." - John Maxwell

Adding value to others by:
- Looking for ability in others.
- Helping others discover their ability.
- Helping others develop their ability.

Value Others, Value Myself

2010-01-29T09:10:00.000-08:00

Today, I've got a lesson that if I genuinely value others, that means in the same time, I value myself also. If I value myself healthily, I can value others better.
In contrast, If I underestimate or underrate myself, I can't value others healthily and as a result, it is easier for me to take others for granted.

To value others also means that I have to realize that they deserve a goodness and favor that I can give for them. Anybody without exception. This kind of treatment will require a big heart from me. It will be not easy to do that, it is surely a learning process that remains as long as I still live.

I am working as a freelancer in 3D design. I desired to be a top digital artist that will gain an international recognition in the future. My purpose is to really meet the people needs, give them the services that they deserve and add value to their requirement in the way that they want it to be. Recently, just like the other freelancers out there, I experienced to be underrated by the client. I realize now why they can underrated me like that, because I also lacked put value to myself. When I fail to put a heavy value to myself, Others will hardly to put a higher value for me.

What is my capacity in my own thingking, how I value myself, will determine on how much I will get in the future and how other people will value me.

If I think small, expecting small, I will get small.

If I think big, expecting big, I will get big.

And today, I decide..firmly decide..that I want to extend my capacity in thingking, in expecting and start to put value to myself healthily as I value others and treat them the best from me that they deserve.

If I treat people as I take them for granted, that means something wrong with my own perspective for myself.

If I value others genuinely, that means I also value myself healthily.

Power to Understand

2010-01-26T19:43:00.000-08:00

In this life, what differentiate a success people with a mediocre people is their mind. It is their own thinking that sometimes really make a huge gap between one person with another. These include how far they can see themselves for their own future, how deep they value themselves, how far they dare to visualize their own vision.

I have witness with my own eyes how a person with greater vision in his or her mind can be so difference with another person who in the same time don't have that same capacity of vision. A woman in her young age already had a greater vision for her future later, while in another place a man in the same age may not realized yet his vision for his own future, as a result..several years later their position and capacity as a person are so different. They started with the same condition, zero condition! Only the difference is their way of thinking, their state of mind..yes!! it's their "Mind" that makes a huge different!!

Sometime I notice that a different between the boss of one company and his staff is obviously..their mind. This issue cover know and don't know, realize and not realize, understand and not understand. The boss is more know and aware, therefore the staff who don't know and aware can just follow. The boss is more understand about the situation and condition, therefore..the staff who don't understand can just follow.

Between boss and his staff, because of their level of understanding is different, that differentiate their position!

Now I just realize, how important is to understand, to aware, to know, to realize and to choose my own thingking.

Understand and not understand, knowing and not knowing not only differentiate each person in a work place..but I believe in this general life as well.

"And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is." Ephesians 3:18 (NLT)

Some real examples from the experiences in the bible because of the different level of understanding and knowing are:

- Jesus was crucified by the people who didn't know what they are doing. (Luke 23 : 34)

- Paul was agreed completely with the killing of Stephen and persecution among the believers that time, because of his misunderstanding (Acts 26 : 9)

- Solomon asked an understanding heart from God and that made him so riches and fame that absolutely differentiate him with the other king in all the world for the rest of his life. (1 Kings 3: 9 - 14)

- God chosen leaders from people in Israel's tribe whom had known for their wisdom and understanding. ( Deuteronomy 1:13 )

- In Psalm 40:6 David said :" You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand —you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings". The understanding revealed to David what God desire is.

- People boast because they don't understand. Psalm 42:20: "People who boast of their wealth don’t understand;they will die, just like animals."

- From the book of Proverbs, there are plenty of verses that describe how the wise difference from the fool because of their level of wisdom and understanding!
Proverbs 14:8 : "The prudent understand where they are going,but fools deceive themselves"

- Isaiah 28:26 :"The farmer knows just what to do,for God has given him understanding."

- Matthew 13:23 : "The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
The level of understanding differentiate the end result!

- 2 Corinthians 1:15 : "Since I was so sure of your understanding and trust, I wanted to give you a double blessing by visiting you twice". Because of the level of understanding from the corinthian people, Paul felt that it is worth to visit them twice.

Listen is a crucial part to get an understanding.

Matthew 15:10 : Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand.
Mark 4:9 "Then He said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
Mark 4:23 "Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
Mark 4:25 :" To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”
Mark 7:14 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand."

Understanding is a deeper level from knowing. Understand is surely know but know it self may not yet understand.

Understand differentiate belief and disbelief.

John 16:30 : "Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.”

Matthew 3:2 (Amplified Bible) : "And saying, Repent ([a]think differently; change your mind, regretting your sins and changing your conduct), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

To repent is to think differently, to change our mind & to understand the truth!!

Understanding makes me put value to a knowledge, and when I put value on a knowledge, that knowledge will have a greater possibility to change me and shape me to be a better person.

Proud is the result of misunderstanding. The bible describes it as lacks understanding. Romans 11:25
"[ God’s Mercy Is for Everyone ] I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ."

1 Timothy 6:4
"Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions."

Hardnened heart is a block for an understanding.2 Corinthians 3:14
"But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ."

To understand is such a crucial thing in spiritual journey.
Ephesians 5:17 "Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do."

Philippians 1:9 :"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding."

Philippians 1:10 : "For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return"

Colossians 1:9 : "So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding."

Colossians 2:2 : "I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself"

2 Thessalonians 3:5 : "May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ."

James 3:13 : "[ True Wisdom Comes from God ] If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom."

The bible in Revelation told 7 times about listen to the Spirit and understand, 1 time to listen and understand. This is the important of understanding as well as really listen to get them.

Understanding is really a crucial extention to a head knowledge. Understanding can spare me from being mediocre and fool, as well as deceive myself by being arrogant or proud.

We all really need God's grace to have the power to understand.

Creativity Approaches

2010-01-25T23:01:00.000-08:00

1. Child like curiosity. "Why not?"

2. Problem solver. "How to..?"

3. Dreamer. "I wish.."

4. Builder. "Yes,and.."

5. Imagineer."What if..?"

Know it All

2010-01-13T21:36:00.000-08:00

The question keeps coming up regarding meat that has been offered up to an idol: Should you attend meals where such meat is served, or not? We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions—but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all. - 1 Corinthians 8:1-3

In strict logic, then, nothing happened to the meat when it was offered up to an idol. It's just like any other meat. I know that, and you know that. But knowing isn't everything. If it becomes everything, some people end up as know-it-alls who treat others as know-nothings. Real knowledge isn't that insensitive. - 1 Corinthians 8:7

No people deserve my insecurity.

2010 Keywords

2010-01-13T20:33:00.000-08:00

Keywords for 2010 :

Realize, knowing and understand.

Responsible, Presentable, Approachable and Accountable.

Discipline and measure all in number.

This is the year to build a life that is simple and to be real with a real solid foundation.

2010

2009-12-31T11:50:00.000-08:00

This is 2010.

A year for change to be a better person.

Listen to really listen, open to be teach, walk the talk, constant motion of discipline.

This is the time to be real!

This is the year of breakthrough!

God, i submit this year to You..Thank You for this new opportunity.

Sing

2009-12-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song. -Maya Angelou

Wise men & women speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. -Plato

Wisdom is knowing what to do next; Skill is knowing how to do it, and Virtue is doing it. -David Starr Jordan

Character is like a tree & reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. - Lincoln

Genuine Focus

2009-12-10T21:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it! Genuine focus is really a huge issue in my life! it is a simple to understand but hard to practice.

If only i really reading to what i read, really listening to what i listen, really passionate in everything that i do, I believe things will be so much different.

All of this time, i have to spend so much times..just to be better in focus..a Genuine focus!

If only I really can practice this genuine focus, I can be more effective as a person and will able to save huge amount of time in doing certain tasks.

Passion

2009-12-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

Better to do something with passion or not at all.

Every activity in this life..deserves to has passion inside.

Fruit that produces with passion will taste more delicious.

Customer Service

2009-11-28T07:23:00.000-08:00

Another good article from freelancefolder.com

Do you hate your customers?
“Of course not!” You protest. “My customers are why I’m in business. They keep me going.”
Okay, maybe you don’t hate your customers — but when we freelancers provide poor service to our clients, we are behaving just as though we do hate them.
Poor customer service makes our client’s lives harder and may ultimately even lead to the loss of a client. In fact, good customer service is vital if you want to retain clients and grow your business.

Seven Cardinal Customer Service Crimes

Here are seven common cardinal customer service crimes:

- Delayed Response Syndrome.
“The early bird gets the worm” is a common saying, and when it comes to customers that saying is often true. If you make a potential customer wait before you get back to them, there is a good chance that he or she will do business with someone else. A good rule of thumb is to get back to any potential client within 24 hours – even if you are on vacation or busy.

- Poor or No Support.
If you’ve ever been on the client side of a customer service call, then you probably already know what it is like to receive poor support and you know that it is not fun. Just because you’ve delivered a product or service doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re done. The client may have a question or the materials you delivered may not work as anticipated.

- Curt or Rude Responses.
You’re tired. In fact, you’re exhausted. You’ve been working on this client’s project for hours and hours. While I can certainly empathize, exhaustion is no excuse for being curt or rude to a customer. (And I guarantee that the customer will remember your rudeness long after he or she forgets that you put in extra hours.)
Incomplete Contact Information. When it comes to contacting you, don’t make your client guess how they can reach you. Every piece of communication that comes from you (including bills) should contain your contact information. The client shouldn’t have to work hard to figure out how to find you. Just because the client contacted you once is no guarantee they will contact you again.

- Missed Deadlines.
As a freelancer, your word should be as good as gold. If you agree to have a product or service ready by a certain date, then you should do everything in your power to meet that deadline. Your customer likely set that deadline for a reason. A casual attitude towards client deadlines is a quick way for you to lose clients.
Lack of Communication. Do you have questions about your project? Is the project bigger than you anticipated? Have you had a personal emergency interfere with your work? Let your customer know what is going on. Usually, he or she is more than happy to answer questions and (provided you don’t make a habit of it) willing to be understanding about a crisis.

- Acting as Though You Don’t Care.
Even when you find a client’s project dull and uninteresting, don’t let them know how you feel. Nearly every client believes that his or her own work should be the most important and have the highest priority on your schedule. If you can, look for something interesting in every project. (It’s there if you look, believe me.)

When In Doubt…
Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Ask yourself the following questions:
How would you like to be treated if the situation were reversed?
What sort of customer service would you expect to receive?

A Final Word About Customer Service
I think that many freelancers are afraid to offer good customer service to their clients because they’re afraid of being taken advantage of. While it’s true that there are customers out there who will try to take advantage of you, the majority will not abuse your good nature. Most of your clients just want to get their product or service and have it work properly for them.
And if you do find that a particular client demands much more than he or she paid for, you can always refuse to work for that client in the future or negotiate a higher price.

Have you ever experienced poor customer service? How did it make you feel?

What customer service techniques have you implemented as a freelancer?

Every Clients Deserves Best Service

2009-11-28T07:18:00.000-08:00

A very good article from freelancefolder.com. I decided to feature it in my blog. Here it is:

Recently I have been involved in a few different discussions with other freelance designers in which I have noticed an unsettling trend: at some point in the conversation the topic turns to client horror stories. It usually starts out with some type of question about how the others would handle a particular situation that one is facing, but then it digresses to complaints about clients and the awful things they put us freelancers through.

Yes, we’ve probably all had at least one “nightmare client” experience. In fact, we may have been that experience for someone else (when was the last time you yelled at someone on the phone or chewed out a salesperson?) But witnessing the common direction of these discussions caused me to pause and think about the change of attitude and resulting practice that must occur if a freelancer with previous client malfunctions is going to move forward successfully.

Rather than doing your best to get that nightmare client’s project completed as quickly as possible and off your desk in hopes of never having to deal with them again, allow me to suggest that those clients you consider your “worst” or most difficult should be the recipients of your very best service. Here’s why:

1) Clients Provide Your Paycheck
This is elementary. Without clients, you don’t have a business. We all know it, but perhaps it is taken for granted or forgotten in the heat of a client’s tirade. Clients pay my bills. Clients feed my children. Clients enable my wife to make trips to Ikea on a whim.

I’m not suggesting that you should suck it up and allow yourself to be verbally abused or ridiculed by a paying client, or compromise yourself or your work for the sake of the almighty dollar. But I am encouraging you to keep this thought at the forefront of all of your communications with clients. No matter how much they may yell at you, or disagree with your recommendations, or override your experience, your clients are the foundation for the success of your business, and they should be treated and served accordingly.

2)Clients Are Human Beings
Really. Don’t act so surprised. Clients are people too, just like freelancers. They have good days and bad days just like us, and they also have both short tempers and times of extreme patience. They have unique personalities, deadlines, responsibilities and on and on.

It’s important to remember that you might just be the recipient of their worst simply because they are human. Rather than retaliating, try remembering that you’ve most likely had those moments yourself, and offer sympathy, patience, understanding and your very best service. You may even unwittingly encourage a transformation that removes said client from your “nightmare” category.

3)Clients Can Help Grow or Destroy Your Business
Your freelance business can live or die by the recommendations or complaints of your clients. With the widespread use of social media for word of mouth marketing purposes, this fact is emphasized even more.

Within a matter of minutes a happy client can sing your praises to thousands of people. Contrast that with the realization that fatal damage can be done to your reputation in the same amount of time with a simple Facebook update or a timely tweet by an upset client. But let me challenge you to refrain from being motivated by possible ramifications either way. Instead, try choosing to give your best because of your own integrity and desire to deliver a high quality product and experience for your clients.

4)Your Success Depends On Your Best Service

Consistency. Integrity. Quality Control. First impressions. Customer service.

These are some of the relatively immeasurable elements of your business that appear to go unseen, but are key to its success. Have you ever noticed at successful chain restaurants how the recipe tastes the same no matter what location you are eating at? Consistency in quality and service is obviously a factor in their core values. It is important to determine the core values of your freelance business and then hold to them, regardless of how a client treats you. In the end, your motivation for providing the best service you possibly can is that your business will succeed because of it. But even more important, in my opinion, is the fact that at the end of the day you can rest your head on the pillow knowing with complete certainty that you have given every single client your best.

Your clients will appreciate the integrity of your intent, whether it’s physically made known to them or not. If you impress them, they will most likely share the pleasure of their experience with their friends and associates. They will remember the human element and personal touches that you provide. And they will enjoy, rather than resent, their ability to reward you financially for a job well done.

5)You Can Change How You Deal With Difficult Clients
Looking at the reasons we’ve discussed, think about any that may have struck a nerve with your present or past experiences.

Have you been giving all of your clients your best service, regardless of their response or attitude?

What are some steps you can take to providing better consistency throughout your client base that will not only improve your business but will strengthen you as a person of integrity and character?

Idea

2009-11-14T08:53:00.001-08:00

Idea

Everyone always like a new & fresh idea

Everyone needs it!! they love to see it!!

NO matter how worse the economic situation is, a fresh perspective & idea is always expected!

Everybody always needs a new idea.

Everybody always needs a fresh idea.

Responsive Attitude

2009-11-12T23:41:00.000-08:00

Response is how i get the situation that currently happened and act proper about it.

To response with deep understanding is more important than to just know about it.

To Response proper is crucial and important!

Response well!

Commit to Connect

2009-11-03T10:58:00.001-08:00

To commit to connect, i think its really not an easy thing for me. I know to share something to show that i now, i know to share something to show care or help, but i realize that i rarely share something to show my desire to connect! I like to giving impact and run, its time to change my mind set!

Its time to commit to connect! care to connect! connect is a continuously connection with people, not just once in a while, but continuously. Really share myself to the people or audience to whom i speak.

What i do and like to do is to share my story or knowledge, to show that i know and i want to help but rarely to connect with the person who hear my story. This is really funny. Its a simple thing, but its new to me!!

O Lord help me, this is really not my nature strength, but i know i can do it..with Your help..thank You Lord..amen.

Commit to Connect!

Shallow Learning Method VS Deep Learning Method

2009-11-02T23:12:00.002-08:00

I did a TOEFL test some time ago and unpredictably failed the test. Its quite a shocked for me because the area that i failed is in the area that i'm good when in the preparation exercise. It makes me thing now, how it can happened?

Then i realize that i have the wrong method in learning. Before the test day, i focused on how many questions that i could answer correctly in the preparation time. I measured my success by how many questions but not really tried to understand the proper method to answer the questions. As the result, in the test day, the questions that i faced was so complicated and its really different from what i expected. In the end, i failed the test in the area that i did very well in the practiced.

This time when i retake the TOEFL test, i have to success. Therefore, i have to distinguish the learning method, between the old method and now, the better method.

Focusing and measuring my success on how many questions i can answer is like learning guitar and measuring the fluency in playing by how many song that i can play, or when learning to draw, by how many drawing i can make. Its a shallow measuring for success.

If i do that, than i'm not focusing to the important things which is how much i understand the essential in the learning process, the understanding of the method or technique, the process that more important than the result.

Hmm, Ok..Enough elaborating my past failure and move on!! :)

now, refuting the old method, i have to focus and conceived the different perspective..the deep learning method...which is...Understanding the Process.

Understanding the Learning Process.

Do Learn with understanding. Understand the questions, understand the method, understand the technique and understand the needed answer.

Understand and understand!

"One order & proper method is more faster & effective than the repetitive of chaos custom method" - Andrew Suryadi

If Simple is Effective, why not?

2009-10-31T08:06:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to have a mind set that if i learn a complicated thing than i will be more fluent in the level below that complicated thing. But the true thing is..sometimes if i still can't achieve that level, its better to slow down and loose tight for a while.

Sometimes its better if i learn in my capacity that moment than to force on things that more complicated, that in the end..i'm not learning anything because its too hard for me.

Its ok if i start from the simple thing, and go upward slower with a better foundation, a better essential knowledge.

Simple is great.

Its ok to change to a simpler method if it is more effective.

Its better to communicate the complicated and complex to become a simpler language to be understand better.

Communicate for connect is more better than communicate to show off.

Keep it Simple, Live a balance life

2009-10-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

Keep it simple

Keep it clear

focus and serious on it
focus on one thing at a time is better than many thing in a time.

Keep balance

Discipline and repetitive

Measure the timeline

Don't make excuses

Persistence

Keep communicate to connect

Care to Connect

Listen and understand

Pray more

Keep an active mind

Keep vigilant

Keep produce

If i achieve my greatest potential, all people around me will get the benefit and all will be happy.

Artistic Design

2009-10-22T02:16:00.000-07:00

These verses are about Bezalel and Oholiab that filled by the Spirit of God for an artistic craftmanship purpose.

"Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship.

And He has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers." - Exodus 35 : 30 - 35 (NIV)

It is the Spirit of God that can give ability and wisdom, intelligence and understanding, knowledge and all craftmanship..to create Artistic Design.

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Same verses from The Messages version :

Moses told the Israelites, "See, God has selected Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He's filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and know-how for making all sorts of things, to design and work in gold, silver, and bronze; to carve stones and set them; to carve wood, working in every kind of skilled craft.

And he's also made him a teacher, he and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He's gifted them with the know-how needed for carving, designing, weaving, and embroidering in blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics, and in fine linen. They can make anything and design anything."

Simple is Great, Less is More

2009-10-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

How true that everything in this life that important is sometimes a very simple one.

One Little choice can make a huge different in the end.

But very often, its the simple thing that missed out from my sight.

Its so simple that sometimes i didn't get a serious attention on it.

Its so simple that i'm not doing it.

In the end..i will get surprise of the result because so many simple thing that missed out from my attention.

If only i took serious attention toward those simple things..the outcome would be different.

Now i want to learn, to keep clear and simple.

Simple is Great.

Small is Big.

Less is More.

I'll say Yes

2009-09-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

This writing is from my past blogging last year. I want to include it here so i can always remember what God had done in my life before. Its always amazing to recap God's goodness in my past life and let it always be a memorial stone for me so i can always falling in love deeper with Him in this present and for future life also.

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July 1 ,2008

There’s a time when i’m so emotionally talk to God, "Lord, if you want me to do this..than I’ll do it, if you want me to go there, then I’ll go there". but as I walk and walk in time, i found it’s really not an easy thing to keep that attitude in line.

In past time, I tried to walked with my own strength.."Ok, Lord..I’ll do it" but not fully surrendered to Him and go with my ego. Untill at one time,He show me how weak i am and there’s a lot of wickedness that hide still in my heart..when I found it..i really felt helpless.

So helpless that I began to tired fight for a good thing, tired to obey, I felt not deserved to live. "if i was mean to be like this, than why you created me, Lord? you better let me die!"..and there’s goes the worsest part of my life..losing my self, identity crisis, fall so deep that i lost faith for myself. no longer have a capacity to believe in my own and hardly to get up. This kind of appearance have a side effect to my social life, and i ruin everything..every relationship in family, work place, church, even with my own best friend. I act so badly that moment, broke every law I can broke! Until i tired to behaved like that…!

Time keep ticking, sun keep rising and i think to myself..how long will i be like this? until i bored with this kind of life, I began to do what I love to do..drawing! So, slowly..that time when I realized about my self and tired to rebelled..that time become my turning point. (thank God because it is Him who give me this ability to draw)

Now, after I look back again at the moment, I realized that this is what called "to be broken" or "crushed". just like a bread that broken before it can be shared to other and multiply, just like an old ugly vessel that remade to the new one (jeremiah 18:1-7). Using this moment, God wanted to showed me..that i can only survive if i cling to Him, as well as teached me to be humble..because behind my quietness and steady..theres a lot of pride inside me..and using this process, He want to took it out untill there’s nothing left. (I believe He’s still work with it now).

And now, as I started a new chapter in my life..i know that I must continually cling to Him. A friend in church once said to me..that even if I working at singapore and this mean go to the next level of my career..I must seek God first..because the main purpose of life is not succeess in the eye of world, but..how can i pleasing God more?..and that..my friend told me..is the main purpose of this life. To pleasing God.

Now that I already know, its not easy to say yes to Lord’s will..sometimes i still can undergo it, but sometimes..oh..its just soo hard!! But as I learnt that there’s no other will that best in my life as His will..i want to learn to say.."yes" to His will. its not easy..oh..its really not easy..but Lord, please give me strength and courage to do Your will..it is not with my strength but with Yours..so wherever you lead me to go..I’ll say "yes, Lord".

Understanding

2009-09-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

If i can put myself in other person's shoe, its a lot easier for me to understand them.
this is the attitude that sometimes i find myself still struggle with toward others. I always seek to be understand but i myself lack of understanding for others, this is selfish and i can't keep this behavior remain.

Its important now ,for me to develop understanding toward others and avoid to criticize.

"That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other." Roman 14:9 (The Message)

This is amazing, according to the Message bible version..Roman 14:9 described that Jesus lived and died and then lived again, so that He could be our Master across the entire area of life and death, but also from the narrow minded perspective or behavior that each other may have.

"Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently." Roman 14:1 (The Message)

I want to learn..to always looking from others perspective and learn to be understanding always.

Focus & Serious

2009-08-31T10:16:00.000-07:00

"When I play games, I always play 100% serious" - Frankie Limenta

That is a quote from my friend and thats the reason why i lost more than win when i played with him. He serious, i'm not.

I always take a game as a "not taking it too serious" thing when i'm playing it, and thats would be the reason why i don't put my serious effort in it. While Frankie is different, he is so serious when it come to play. He won't hesitate to pay for buy a guide book to win a game, draw a countless time to play it again and again, and in short time, he become so fluent and skillful in playing that current game. I can learn from him about it.

I am more not too serious when playing game, but this also apply in my other area of life, such as in working to produce something. Sometimes i'm so lacking a focus and not enough serious in it. As the result, i always like hold something in my hand and not produce a full quality for my own work. This is not good and i want to change this attitude.

I want to change the old mind set and throw always my best effort, to produce a value work, focus and serious on it, like i won't have a chance to do the same thing in future.

When i start to serious and focus in one work, put a countless effort and time on it, its always will be an invest and not a waste of time!

Pay the Price

2009-08-27T00:55:00.000-07:00

"No dreams comes true without somebody paying for it" John Maxwell

I realize now, that until now..i always dodge when it come to pay a price to do an extra for something. I think this is the reason why its hard for me to breakthrough to another level, because i'm not realize about the price. One type of questions that sometimes i'm afraid to ask because it cost me to pay the price and do an extra is "what else can i do?". This is really a serious issue of my own attitude.

I always set the ideal purpose but without count the cost that have to pay during the journey. In the same time, its strange to now..that i have a dream to be achieve but i didn't manage a right self confident that needed to achieve the dream. I have to change my own thinking to break the cycle of negative thinking, i have to change my perspective for achieving realistic dreams, and change my habit to do five things everyday that bring me closer to my dream. (in my case, i think..read good books, practice hand drawing, do a tutorial, hmmm...what else..???? oh..i have to think about it again!)

Now i realize, dream always come with the price, and i have to pay to buy the dream realization.

Play Hard

2009-08-21T23:52:00.000-07:00

I just have a holiday with my friends at Ancol seaside and rent a cottage room there. What i'm familiar with them is that my friends are really like to play game in playstation. It's interesting to see them really serious in playing a game and how they put an effort to fight in game until the next level. What inspired me is when i saw my friends set the level for the game to a "hard" level, i can told of how much are the seriousness that they have pay for go through to the next level. Sometimes its really funny to recap that moment, that time i can't stop laughed!

What i learnt is this, the difficulty level of the game is alredy fix, no matter its easy, medium, hard or impossible..but my friends that play the game are never fix. For example, the game is already set in "impossible" level and its fix. While my friends, they kept trying, observed the best method to win the game, learnt from their loses before. And in the end, they growed in a larger capacity and experience while the level of difficulty in the game is already remain fix. They can grow, but the difficulty level of the game can't grow more. First they had been beaten several times, but in the end they won the game!

I think its important to adapt the lessons from playing to the everyday life or in working condition. Play is important as well as work. All the smart method that we find in playing can help us to grow more effective when facing the adversity in real life. (After all, they teach us to never give up, keep determine to win, keep trying for future victory)

As the saying goes "Work smart, play hard"

Buying time concept

2009-08-21T23:50:00.000-07:00

Suppose if i still have time to life in this earth for 20 years amount of time, than i have to pay attention carefully of what activities that i want to do and pay with the amount of time that i have. First, i think i will pay 3 years of my time to buy time for learn and work to increase my income. That would be mean, i still have 17
years of my life that remain to use. I'm free to use it to buy time for any kind of activities that i want, positive or negative, useful or useless. However,in this real life, eventhough i'm free to use it now, i don't know how much is the exactly amount that i have until the rest of my life.

In money concept, if i have 100 dollars in my pocket, i can buy a shirt that cost me 10 dollars. I still have 90 dollars that i can use to buy anything or use it for any activities. But with time, i can use it free, whatever is the cost, i always can pay it with my amount of life. The thing is i don't know how much the amount of life that i have, i only have it in this present and i know i can use it in this present time. I think maybe its like spending money in credit card, i can buy anything that i want and need with it, without always feel pressure of how to cover the debt later. Only, with my amount of life, though i can use it to pay for buying time whatever is the cost, i believe i will be ask about my accountability with it later.

Time is expensive, that i have to pay it with my amount of life in order to use it.

Time is free for everyone, but its not cheap.

I want to learn to buy it wisely.

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Psalm 90:12

Believe in Daily Habit

2009-08-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

" Success isn't an event - it's a lifestyle.
Dreams are fulfilled when someone performs with excellence day after day.
That comes only if you work within an area of strength"
- John Maxwell (Put your Dream to the test - 2009 )

From the picture, i make a conclusion, there are 2 methods for developing a habit. The first method is once a week and do all the necessary things in one day. The second method is everyday but split to small portions for everyday activity and repeat it everyday. I believe the second method is the best, because every small habit that cultivate in day by day activity and also let the habit grow naturally along the timeline will produce more effective result than the first method.

I hope this picture can always remind me to keep developing the supportive habits to support my dreams...everyday!

Believe in Discipline

2009-08-11T02:17:00.001-07:00

Discipline is pain. There is no secret that some disciplines are pain experiences and not easy. But discipline is important. Discipline needs a constant effort and energy. To achieve a purpose, i believe discipline is one of a great key to success.

John Maxwell in his new book "Put your Dream to the test" categorize two type of person in one of the chapter, they are Fantasizers and Dream builders.

The Fantasizers are rely on luck, focus on the destination, minimize the value of work, unhealthy expectations, look for excuses, breed isolation, wait, avoid personal risks and make others responsible. In contrast, the Dream Builders are rely on discipline, focus on the journey, healthy discontent, maximize the work they do, lead to action, promote teamwork, initiate, embrace risk as necessary and make themselves responsible.

It is uncompromisingly true that discipline is one of the core value to success. Able to work under discipline and
discipline in using the time that we always buy in 24 hours per day are high requirement for future success.

Looking from the fantasizer category and dream builder category, i have to admit that being a fantasizer in the past left me an expensive cost. But its never too late to try a new start now, as long as i'm still given a chance to life.

Lord, help me..i want to be a person that..believe in discipline.
amen..

Learning from mistakes

2009-08-05T23:02:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest weakness in my life is not making a mistakes, but not learning from it and keep repeating the same mistakes. I have to admit that sometimes when i got the light correction from others, i tend to took it for granted. But when someone rebuked me so harsh, then it was more like a serious alarmed for me. This is so wrong!

Both light and harsh type of rebuke sometimes is very important. It helps me to know my own flaws and help me to work on it. A small bad attitude that i have is not taking seriously straight to my consciousness all the positive light corrections.

I can't do that again, because its not a smart way and its too serious!

Learning from mistakes...big or small..heavy or light...learn from it!

[Believe in the power of discipline and always measure with number!]

I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever

2009-08-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

Feel like i want to include this lyrics in my blog tonight.

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Over the mountains and the sea,
Your river runs with love for me,
and I will open up my heart
and let the Healer set me free.
I'm happy to be in the truth,
and I will daily lift my hands:
for I will always sing of when
Your love came down. [Yeah!]

I could sing of Your love forever,
I could sing of Your love forever,
I could sing of Your love forever,
I could sing of Your love forever.

Oh, I feel like dancing -
it's foolishness I know;
but, when the world has seen the light,
they will dance with joy,
like we're dancing now.

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