Clear and obvious, but somehow not so

Posted on December 3, 2016 by clay

Tonight I experienced one of those “revelation” of what supposed to be obvious but somehow was obscure at those moments.

When both of us were down, and there are plenty of works to do. After coming back from 1 week holiday, there’re a lot of things i need to catch up with. And the last things that I expected was my girl refused to sleep. When I accompanied her to sleep, instead of sleeping or trying to sleep, she’s just could not sleep.

I prayed with her and for her. Told her to sleep. Reminded her of the event tomorrow morning. Reminded her of the importance of sleeping and that it’s pass her sleeping time…and many more. And my mind rushing to those things that are due, things that need to be done but no time to do, and with this one girl just doesnt seem to be sleeping soon…i feel like wasting my time….

Then she started to cough, which in my heart almost exploded to tell her that is the consequences of her disobedient for not listening to all what i’ve said.

Finally i exploded to her…i told her how i’ve been holding back my anger from this morning with her. How she was naughty and disobedient and i restraint from disciplining her. And i told her that i’d things to do and can’t just be there while she’s not sleeping. But I also prayed for her, for her coughing to be away, for her to be able to sleep. Then i left her.

A moment later, she cried……

And i remembered this morning bible verse:

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.

So i went back, and make sure she slept before i continue to do whatever things i’m supposed to do.

And God showed me that there’re plenty of things, or perhaps even greater things that I could do while accompanying my girl to sleep. That’s to offer my prayers to him. (Ps 141:2). So i prayed for my mum, for my wife, for my work, for the ministry, for myself……there just a lot things came to my mind during those quiet time.

It’s just one of the episode in parenting journey. Thanks be to God for his mercy.

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Lessons learnt for last 1 week

Posted on December 3, 2016 by clay

My stomach is still cramping. This is the 3rd day already. But the lessons are so raw and i better capture them before they’re gone.

First, with my short interaction with my best friend on the car when he drove us to the airport. I see myself there in his weaknesses. The short-temperedness, narrow-mindedness, toughness, stiffness, idealist, to some extent, only God could change us to overcome those things. Yet i’m encouraged by his integrity and principals, certainly i’d recommend him to anyone who’s seriously looking for a good employee, or business partner, or even a life partner.

He has the same issue i’m facing, that’s we don’t trust ourselves enough. We feel inferior in comparison with other people. I could see his skills and talents, and he valued himself too low for such calibre. Are we burying our talent here?

The second thought that came to me is about success. The devils’ third temptation to Jesus is the splendor and glory of this world, which would include success in this world too. I just wonder, if our idea of success, and the way we pursue it, whether at the back of it, is it from God or from the devil?

Example:

Comparing Surabaya & Singapore, no doubt Singapore is more successful in many and various ways. However, something is sacrificed on the altar of success and progress. When taxi drivers just dump passengers belonging on the floor, then goes off immediately rushing for the next passengers as if by doing that they could make a difference. Comparing with those in Surabaya, that they take time to relate to you, and make sure you get all your things unloaded, before they go off.

The week before, I met with my old relative over a lunch. She told me, that these days, the young people like to rush and rush. It’s cultural.

It struck me because I’m a habitual rusher. Many more can be said about this. But i think my point here is when we don’t rush, we could really treat people as person.

To be continued…:)

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The rightness and goodness of it

Posted on November 19, 2016 by clay

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! ~ Luk 15:17

There is something here which struck the mind of the prodigal son. That’s I may suggest, is the kind of uprightness that His father live before him. For from young till now, he has witness the life of his father. How his father has lived and treated his workers, even his own sons. That life suddenly slapped him on the face, awakened something within his heart.

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Birthday Thanksgivings

Posted on November 17, 2016 by clay

This year birthday is special in its own way. Thank God for granting me this year, the day to day. It’s good to be alive and healthy.

Few things that I could give thanks surrounding this year birthday.

  1. I managed to get back my old blog. Using my old email address, somehow managed to reset it. And the whole thing is almost a miracle.
  2. Miraculous rescue of my 2nd daughter, when on Monday night she fell from the bench headlong. I sat next to her and caught her mid air, with her head just less than 5 cm from the floor. The whole thing was God’s grace. If I’m bit too slow, bit not accurate in catching her, or bit too weak…she’ll certainly hit the floor head first.
  3. My wife who managing the house & children well. Cooking dinner almost everyday. It’s a big deal on her parts to do home schooling and also cooking meals for our family.
  4. Sense of contentment and peace with my age. It’s a prime number and meaningful digits too.
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Parenting on Bended Knee

Posted on November 12, 2016 by clay

Today, spent a full day attending seminar on parenting. I’m glad that I learnt and reminded of a lot of important things. Certainly, there’re a lot of smart and experience people out there.

It’s good thing that these people share their life experience in a clear, structured, and systematic way. Hence it’s clearly explained as well as understood.

I do realized also, that I probably belong to the second group of people. Somehow after reading or hearing things explained in such well orderly mannered, still can’t grasped the thing…like there’s a veil / mist that blurring my vision. Certainly the issue is with me, not with the writer or speaker. And if you belong to the second group like me, hope what i share here could be useful…

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Lost of accounts

Posted on November 12, 2016 by clay

Hard to describe…..

I tried to access my old blog, thinking it’s something precious and i wanted to back it up…

And to my sadness, it’s no longer there…

I had been wanting to transfer all my blogs…took so long coz it’s just too many…and been doing it slowly…And now it’s gone…

I tried to contact the webmaster…hopefully he could give it to me……..The last time he wrote was in 2013

And also realize that i’ve lost my hotmail account (in process of recovering my blog)……..

Oh……sometimes i thought the past is no longer important…

Yet i know i’ve written a lot of good stuff…..that it’s worthwhile to recover them back…who knows they would be helpful to someone, including myself….reminding me of my past stories……

Lord, help me to recover this lost….

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The sweet habits

Posted on November 1, 2016 by clay

I thought they’re sweet and won’t last forever. And so i thought to put it down here. One day when i look into it, and the remembrance of it will bring the sweetness again.

My elder girl, used to welcome me at the door when i arrive home. And she always tells me that she’s a good girl for the day. I like the welcoming and her honest report. She made her best effort to be good girl.

My younger girl, would also welcome me home at the door. She ran faster than the older one, and she would smile happily. She has a nice habit of bringing your shoes to you, telling you to wear the shoes to go out. What a sweet girl.

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On child discipline

Posted on September 23, 2016 by clay

This morning as I meditated on this passage, I notice something very interesting. Here the pattern that I observe:

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Story of Hope

Posted on July 12, 2016 by clay

This morning, a colleague shares from the book of Ruth. It’s a beautiful book of the Bible which speaks volumes. And I thank God that He tells us such moving story.

Starting from the context “in the days of Judges”, it was a very dark time. There were lawlessness abundant. In the context of Ruth there were also economic difficulties when famine hit the land.

In such context, Ruth; a young foreigner widow ventured out alone to find food.

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Posted in Assured, Calm, Faith, God's Love, Hope, Providence, Relief, Righteousness of God, Ruth, Thankful, Touched, Work | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A silly father

Posted on July 11, 2016 by clay

Last night I tried to put our two girls to sleep together again. It ended up the younger disturbed the older one with her vomitting.

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