Look At The Birds...

Matthew 6:25-34

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I Thank you, Lord that Your Word will stand forever because You, Lord are the Living Word who always was and forever will be.

Autumn 2007.

Midnight Thought - The Perfect Label

Inspired by the words of Amartya Sen in his book Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny, he described himself as an Asian, an Indian citizen, a Bengali with Bangladeshi ancestry, an American or British resident, an economist, a dabbler in philosophy, an author, a Sanskritist, a strong believer in secularism and democracy, a man, a feminist, a heterosexual, a defender of gay and lesbian rights, a Hindu with a nonreligious lifestyle, a non-Brahmin, and a nonbeliever in an afterlife. Sen (73) is a Nobel Prize winner in economics. He is a global man and his works has inspired many people in this world.

There are million people who get trapped in a small corner of their potential life, and live their life without doing something really meaningful even for their personal life. How far can we go with our life? What is the limit? Where is the border line?

When I reach 60 or 70, what would be the perfect labels to describe me? At this point of time, I only have few labels that I know for sure will remain the same until I die: an Asian, an Indonesian citizen, an Indonesian with Batak ancestry, a Jesus follower, a Christian, a man, a heterosexual.

Midnight Thought - Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

It's past midnight already. Here I am facing my notebook and dancing with my imagination. Again, it is all about great accomplishment and great achievement. I guess, these words what bring me to Tokyo for the second time after three years back home in working life.

It was a great working life, dealing with strategic things, setting up companies, executing successful acquisition projects. It was fun and unforgettable!. But the thing is it wasn't the ultimate goal that I set when I got scholarship in 1999. It was just part of the qualifying game, just another one step before I really start the real journey - a journey that according to God's plan. The only key to start it is to finish this project. Only few months to go and I will get it.

God uses unlikely people for His purpose.
How is God pushing you to use your talents for Him? Will you do it?

God often uses difficult circumstances to accomplish His will.
What difficult circumstances do you face? Will you trust God to fulfill His purpose through these circumstances?

Pathros and Hafid

By October this year, my long journey will be reaching the toughest stage. This is my last chance and I don't want to repeat the same mistake again like I did in winter 2003. I must win this. Period.

"Victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats" Taken from The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino. A great story for everyone, a story about wisdom, knowledge and success. This book is a good reminder that we all have to work every day and fail every day to reach our ultimate goal and that is the only way and there is no other way.

God Alone Gives Wisdom, Knowledge and Happiness

"A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God"

人には、食べたり飲んだりし、自分の労若に満足を見いだすよりほかに、何もよいことがない。これもまた、神の御手によることがわかった。実に神から離れて、だれが食べ、だれが楽しむことができようか。なぜなら、神は、みこころにかなう人には、知恵と知識と喜ぶを与え、罪人には、神のみこころにかなう者に渡すために、集め、たくわえる仕事を与えられる。これもまた、むなしく、風を追うようなものだ。

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 (In Bahasa: Pengkotbah)

Once again, through several occasions God reminds me to remember that Money, Power and Knowledge would not give me a meaningful life nor a true victory – it would be a chasing after wind.

Everything I undertake should involve God. All my plans should include Him. For only when God is the reason for my behavior; only when God is the purpose of my victory and only when I do what God wants me to do – my life would be meaningful.

Without His wisdom, all of my best efforts and pursuits can be a snare in life.
Without His wisdom, what would I do with my knowledge and would it lead me and my family to the true happiness?

Only God alone gives us wisdom, knowledge and happiness.

Summer Christmas 2005

Just two days before Christmas, here I am, thinking about my achievement and Christmas joy. Bit disappointing that I can't get all of my to achieve list that I wrote end of last year, I wish I could go few months back and fix everything up.

Even I know from my own experience that achievement doesn't yield lasting joy. True that sometimes great achievement during the year would make you feel better at Christmas in the earth's value. Anyway, I feel that I have done the best and for that I should say thanks God for this great year!!!

I think, Joy simply comes because God intervenes. Joy is something that is profoundly much deeper than simply breathing-in fresh air. Joy comes because God has done something spectacular in the world.

(Working) Life can be very dark and painful and when it comes, I will remember God's past actions of restoration. I will retell those good stories and I will remember and rejoice because I know that His joy will come to me again.

When life is difficult. When I am in trouble, misfortune, hurting and struggling; losing ground, surrounded by evil. What I have to do is pray and pray and pray.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2006. May God bless us forever.