...evening...

when i saw this pic this evening...

just felt something about my life...

like the tree on this pic...

want to say many things...

but...

hard to describe...

so...

here it is

an expression about me...

^_^

***

a lesson from my past

A few days ago, I read an article in my friend's blog (little sister). She wrote about "a leader is still a human, too". That article brought me back to my past. There were many experiences between my leader and me. Sweet and sad memories were mixed... so... It has made me become Novita nowadays.

I grew in cell group since July 1995... after I followed one camp, called Leadership Boot Camp module A (Arrow). I met a couple of brother and sister...the brother was the one who became my leader. It's so great to know them. I could know many people in cell group. I felt and found a new family there. I learned to ministry in it, shaped in my characters by them, too....especially by my leader. He's a Sanguin - Choleric person with a little Melancholic temperament. As we know, a choleric person is very Dominant and good in controlling, so was he.

It's different than him, I was a calm person, not too much in speaking, to the point if I said something. So, sometimes I got a trouble with him, but now I know, it's good for me and shaped me to be a better person.

I could learn many things from him, though I had some conflicts with Him. I had a  sympathetic with him... I thought, he was a good model for me. But in other sides, after I recognized him more, I knew some of his fallings and downs... his weaknesses...  I couldn't accept it at first... why? why? and why? it's the question I  asked many times, but I learned to forgive him in many times...(through him I learned about forgiveness, cause I have a sad background with my father). But suddenly the big case came, I was shock for a while, couldn't accept it... hard to forgive him... until I could hear God spoke to me about that case...

God taught me about a total forgiveness...

God taught me about life...

God taught me about : "how perfect a leader that we see, he/she is still a human...who could be fallen and down unpredictably... he/she still needs a caring from us..."

Through that case, I learned about Leadership, too... 

Whenever I become a leader, I couldn't stand alone at the top... as a leader I still need community... need to build good relationship with the people whom I lead... 

A Leadership talks about building a relationship, become a friend for the others.

Those are what I learned from my past leader.

Through that manner, I could be a ready person when entered the working journeys...

I felt, God has prepared me before... I knew something worst than before... Facing the peoples (leaders) whom I couldn't imagine...

But.... those are we could call LIFE...

Nothing's Perfect... No one's Perfect, too...

Always need to Learn...Learn... and Learn (these're 3 words he's taught me, too)...

Learn to accept others...

Learn to forgive...

Learn to love... etc.

It's great to remember past things which bring good impacts for my life.

There's always a quiet quay behind the big storm

Life is a journey that we should enjoy...

So.. whatever journey you're in... enjoy it!!!

It will bring good experience for your life...which could teach you to be a better person.

Have a wonderful Journeys with Him....

God's with you... ^^

***

Be ST!LL...

Last Friday, my leader at office offered me something... She offered me to buy a book... it's an old book which published in 1978. It's about Discipline in Spirit (Celebration of Discipline - by Richard J. Foster). I decided to buy it. And on Saturday afternoon, my friend put it on my desk. When I saw that book, it's rather thick... I tried to open it... as usual if I buy a book, I might see the font, if it's interesting to read or not... and you know? the font of that book's small and no pictures at all.

But.. I still don't know, there's something made me eager to read it. And on that day (Saturday), I started to read it. I was going to Central Park Mal to have dinner and watch cinema with some of my friends in cell group. As long as I waited for watching cinema, I read that book. Wooow... you know? It's like finding something which had been long long time I've ever learned.

And I felt something like booster pushed me to read it more and more...

Actually.. it's a simple thing about Christianity... Discipline in Spirit... it sounds like a classic thing... but it's an important thing to do... I could say that I still do it... but I could say, too.. that I don't do it like before (like the first time I did it)...

I've just read the second chapter... All that I remember is about Meditation. Maybe it's very rare to hear it for some Christians. But, Meditation is always being a main part of Christian Worship, an important thing of preparation of Prayer Ministry. Meditation in Christianity is very different than the others.

In common, meditation is to make empty our minds to get some refreshment in our souls. But in Christianity, Meditation is to release all kind of unimportant thinking, sadness, etc.. and come nearly to His Presence, filling our hearts and minds with His Word which can bring us to be strengthened.

Actually, Meditation is very simple thing, we don't need many hard techniques to do it. Meditation is about waiting upon the Lord (Isa 40:31)... To wait upon Him isn't time to be lazy...but it's the heaviest work than other works for the people who don't do it as a habit. So, must build it as a habit at first.

It's not just a common devotion, but it's deeper than it.

In Meditation, we have to spend the special time for God... we can't do it in hurry... we need time longer than just reading a bible or praying.

When I was thinking about it... I was thinking about the quality of meditation that I have. Honestly... I've lost it... so I decided to build my discipline in waiting upon Him... Obey what He wants from me to do.

Long time I've been disobey when He woke me up at night to pray...

I just could say..."wait a moment, Pa... i still want to sleep..."

When He asked me to pray in tounge in every situation... i've ever refused to do it... "i'm sleepy, Pa.. want to relax for a while..."

But last week, something has woken me up, I couldn't sleep when I needed to sleep for along my way home... I felt something strange in my heart... it just made me pray in tounge... I didn't understand what I felt... I just obeyed what the Spirit guided me to do... prayed in tounge... and suddenly, I saw in my spirit... I saw my friend and her mom... reminded how she couldn't sleep for a few nights... reminded about her mom which had been from a place to seek a fortune... I saw that her mom brought something from that place.. it's a kind of little amulet... So... i told my friend about what I saw, and it's true.. Then, I asked her to pray more for her family and home.

After I experienced it, God told me... "Vi... I want to make you know more and more things... but I need your time.. just give Me your time.. just a few hours.."

I said to Him that I wanted to do it...

It's my prayer I've ever said... "Don't make me feel comfort until I find You"

It sounds extreme, maybe... but it is what I experience these days... getting out of my comfort zone and all of my tired.

Thanks God for my experiences You've given me these days.

Be StiLL... it's what I've to do...

In spirit and mind.

***

Lovely Vacation

After waiting for long long weeks... it came the day to leave all of my office activities for a while... I've planned it since June 2010... when someone told me about the cheap tickets of a flight... I booked it directly on that day without too much thinking... planned to fly to Surabaya, the city of heroes, the city of memories... I planned to depart Jakarta on Aug 13th and come back on Aug 18th, 2010...

It's crazy and venture thing, I thought... because I didn't ask permit to my leader first... just planned what I wanted... arranged the steps to do before going to the vacation... ^^ (including how to ask the permit from my leader)... hahaha... ^^

Well... all steps were done... "It's time for vacation!!! to meet all of my beloved friends in Surabaya...", I said....

On Aug 13th, i asked permit to go home earlier to take my baggage at home before going to the airport. Arrived in Juanda Airport at 21.30, took the baggage and waited for Linda. She picked me up with Hendro...then we ate noodle of Makassar, dropped Hendro to his home, then went to Linda's house. Woow... I felt great to be there again. It's like a dream... hahaha...

Aug 14th... had breakfast at Bu Rudy Resto... Rice + Empal (spiced and fried chunk of beef) + Crispy Shrimp... then went to Pasar Genteng, Pasar Atum and ITC Surabaya... I tried eating Bubur Madura at Pasar Atum... it's too sweet for me...

At night, Linda took me to have dinner with her cell group at Food Festival - Pakuwon City... woowww... i liked it very much... I'd planned to eat Mie Kluntung Pak Mo... and it was done...plus Ote-ote Porong.

Glad to meet Kayla when I was still at Food-Fest... Longing to meet her... and surprise!!!

She came, too...^^

The Journey of Food was continued at that night...

Kue Pancong Pasar Atum & Sate Klopo

Aug 15th... going to Sunday Service at Mojoarum... woooww... met many peoples there... welcomed by them...  After that, Veve and Lanny took me to Galaxy Mal... met dr. Chris and Fam... treated by them at Food Court... ^^

The journey was continued at the evening with Linda, Joy, Yori... rather long way to West Surabaya... D'Loop and G-Walk...

Aug 16th... at 8pm Linda dropped me at Mc-D Basuki Rahmat before she went to office...  then 9.30pm, i went to Tunjungan Plaza... as I planned before, I wanted to work, online at Starbucks... hehehehe... ^^

I thought that I'd be alone all day long... but my friends... Lia & Merry came to TP and we had lunch together at food court on that day....

Linda picked me up to have dinner with Mei Hong and sis. Hanna (the elder of GBI Kristus Pencipta)... Unfortunately, I forgot to take the pic of Soto Cak Har... it's delicious Soto I've ever eaten... After that, we went to Pasar Atum to eat Es Kacang Ijo (small green bean ice) and Kue Pancong... hehehe... =p 

Aug 17th... The time to play with cute Kayla and Sheena... I bought a rabbit doll for Kayla, and a few days ago I heard from her mother and father that she loves to hug it when going to sleep... ^^ how lucky I am... hahaha... ^^  I had lunch with ko Sanyoe and Finley at Padang Resto, then went to Alwyn's house to see his new baby....

After that, Linda and I went to Galaxy Mal to meet sis.Lois... then had our last dinner

at Jade Imperial Palace...

That night, we went home earlier than before... because I had to wake up earlier, because my flight at 6pm on Aug 18th. Wooww... great vacation, though I felt not enough... sad to leave that city and friends... but I hope, I will come back again... ^^

***

it's a new day...

Every day is a  New Day...

New day with new  Experience...

New experience with new  Challenge...

New challenge with...

New  Enthusiasm...

with

New  Faith... Hope...and  Love...

- nv -

the other side of LOVE

Love is Kind

Think about Love... Think about Giving...

Giving... it's a simple thing..

but... sometimes...

it's hard to do..

What is to give?

it doesn't just talk about money...

it's about everything...

times..

thoughts..

responsibilities..

even our lives..

God has proved it

He gave His life for us...

so we might have eternal life...

the beautiful exchange

His life for we might live

What could we do?

do something... everything...

as we can do our best for Him...

Start to give what we can give...

caring for others...

times to share...

ideas...

creativities...

money...

and everything that we can say in one word only

LOVE...

***