12 Drummers Drummimg

Merry Christmas to you all
On this beautiful day when
We celebrate the first coming
Of Jesus to the world
Let us be grateful
For all the things He had prepared
And promised to us

Now...we finally arrived
to the 12th day of Christmas
What is the meaning behind
12 drummers drumming ?

They are the 12 tribes
Of the Israel
Our God likes to work
Together with people
To carry on His plan

His plan was to bring salvation
And the Israelites are the nation
That He had chosen
To bless all the nations of the world
Our saviour Jesus Christ
Came from their line

When we follow Jesus Christ
And walk with him daily
God will use ourselves
To carry on his mission on earth
To be a blessing for others
Just like the 12 tribes of Israel

Are you willing to follow Him ?

Eleven Piper Piping

On the eleventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Eleven Pipers Piping

Eleven Pipers Piping = eleven faithful disciples

When Jesus started his ministry, 
He called 12 men to be his disciples.
Jesus shared his life with them.
One disciple betrayed him, but the eleven stayed faithful to Him

These eleven chosen men were from many professions
Besides sharing his life, Jesus also gave them some teaching. 
He taught about the Kingdom of Heaven and the law of faith
Jesus might talk to the many people in parables, but He talked to his student straightforward.

We can learn so much from Jesus conversation with his 11 faithful disciples in the Gospel.

image taken from bobbieprint.com

10 Lords a Leaping

On the tenth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Ten Lords a Leaping
What is the meaning behind 10 lords a leaping ?
10 lords a leaping is 10 commandments

The 10 commandments is a very valuable gift from God to us
Their purposes are: to reveal the characters of God, to exposes the nature of men, to reconciliate of God and men, to receive good news

Can we fulfill all the 10 commandments ?
We can try, but most likely we are going to fail at least in one area
Only one that can accomplish them perfectly, Jesus Christ

Our failure should bring us to the feet of Jesus
Because we need him to cover our shortcoming

picture taken from surroundyourself.com

9 Ladies Dancing

In her facebook wall, my friend put a cute picture of her son

"One of the hardest practice of patience is 

when you hold the presents with your name on it but you can't open it"

That was the caption that she wrote for the photo.

This Christmas I want to remind all of us, me included
to be excited of the gifts from the Holy Spirit
There are 9 gifts which and that is the meaning behind 9 ladies dancing in the song :12 days of Christmas

And unlike my friend's son, we can open the gifts right away. Let's see what they are. 

1) Word of Wisdom
2) Word of Knowledge
3) Faith
4) Gifts of Healing
5) Working of Miracles
6) Prophecy
7) Discerning of Spirits
8) Divers (or different) kinds of Tongues
9) Interpretation of (different) Tongues

The functions of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are to edify the church. 
2 Tim 6-7 says "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God, which is in you by the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and self-control."

The word "stir up" in its original language means to rekindle, like rekindle the fire. How do we rekindle the gift of Holy Spirit ? We must be vigilant in our personal communication with God. Our prayer time is very important. Reading Bible is also important because the Bible is like a love letter from Our God. If the gifts haven't been manifested yet, ask and pray to God about them. 

8 Maids A Milking

So, what is the gift for the 8th day of christmas ?
8 maids a milking.
Look at that picture of 8 maidens with buckets of milk in their hands.
I think they all look beautiful.

What is the meaning behind 8 maids a milking ?
The meaning is 8 beautitudes

Beatitude comes from a latin word beatitudo which means happiness.
Jesus once said about 8 kinds of happiness which are rather different from the regular description of happiness

(Matthew 5:3-10)

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. ( 5:3)

Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted. (5:4)

Blessed are the meek: for they will inherit the earth. (5:5)

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be filled. (5:6)

Blessed are the merciful: for they will be shown mercy. (5:7)

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God. (5:8)

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God. (5:9)

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (5:10)

Honestly, the beatitudes are easier to be said than done.
I've been betrayed and it's so difficult to show mercy
to the people who betrayed me.
Try to be meek in the middle of aggresive people !
Have you ever tried to show a craving of righteousness to your school friends?
I know some peacemakers who got into trouble because of the troublemakers

Jesus once mentioned how difficult it would be for the rich people to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus' disciples said, "Then who can be saved ?"

Jesus answered," All things are possible with God !"

So, is there any hope that we could be blessed according to the blessedness that Jesus described ?

I think Jesus would give the same answer to my question.

All things are possible with God. God will enable me to practice the beautitudes in my life. If I use my own strength, I will surely fail. Pray helps.

image taken from simlpe @pinterest

7 Swans A Swimming

On the seventh day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Seven Swans a Swimming

Six Geese a Laying

Five Golden Rings

Four Calling Birds

Three French Hens

Two Turtle Doves

and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

It is 7 swans a swimming. 

What is that ? 7 swans a swimming are 7 titles of Jesus, described by Paul in the book of Hebrew. Those titles decribe what Jesus did for us. I love it when people do good things for me, and our God, Lord Jesus, he did amazing things for us. Let's explore them. 

1. Heir of all things ( Hebrew 1: 2 )

Lord Jesus is the heir of all things. Lord Jesus has been given everything by God. He himself said that in Matthew 11:27, all things have been committed to me by my Father. How lucky are we to have such a distinguished friend. 

2. Captain of salvation ( Hebrew 2: 10 )

A captain is a leader. Jesus is the leader who bring people to salvation. By dying on the cross and rising from the death, Jesus is bringing people to salvation. Like a captain organizing a rescue operation, that is what Jesus did. Oh how safe we are for having such a powerful captain !

3.  Apostle (Hebrew 3:1) 

The meaning of apostle is envoy, ambassador or messanger. Jesus as a messanger gave a good news to us that he is the way to the Father, the truth and the life.  

4. Author of salvation ( Hebrew 5:9 )

Many think that goodness will lead to salvation, but at the end, our goodness are like dirty rags in God's presence. Jesus proved himself through His obedience to God, then God considered Him perfect to be an author of our salvation. Do you let him write the script of your life ? If you let him, you will surely have the best life with God on your side. 

5. Forerunner (Hebrew 6:20)

Too often we are disappointed by the people we look up to. Our role models are weak dads, dominating moms, wayward big brothers, selfish big sisters, manipulating leaders, etc. Then we got angry at the world and God. 

Take heart ! There is one who stays true to his words. There is one who does His best for our best. There is one who is perfect, blameless, sinless, wholesome and he asked us to follow his example. He run ahead of us to pave the way so we can have a relationship with God, the Father. His name is Jesus Christ. 

6. High Priest ( Hebrew 10:21 )

In the Old Testament, a high priest offered a yearly sacrifice for the people's sin. In the New Testament, Jesus is a high priest which offered one final sacrifice for the sin of all people. The final sacrifice was His body. 

7. Author and Finisher of Our faith ( Hebrew 12:2 )

Sometimes we felt that we carry such a big burden in our life, that everything depends on us. Depending on ourselves make a stressful life. We are so afraid of the wrong steps. We are even afraid of losing our salvation when we make mistakes. To avoid this self condemnation, we should remember Hebrew 12:2 : focus on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. 

Ah...our burden become so much lighter when we focus on Him and not on ourselves.  

picture taken from :revkev43.files.wordpress.com

inspired by :Meaning of numbers in the Bible, www.biblestudy.org

 

6 Geese A-Laying

On the sixth day of Christmas
my true love gave to me:
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Through this song, we are told that our true love
gave a special gift each day
We have reached the 6th day now,
Let's open the 6th gift from Him
Six Geese a Laying is the 6 days of creation

In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God himself. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made and came into existance through Him. And without Him not even one thing was made that had came into being. John 1:1-3

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.Genesis 1:1

Day 1: God created light. He separated light and darkness
Day 2: God created the sky.
Day 3: God created the land and the seas. The land sprouted the vegetation.
Day 4: God created the sun, the moon and the stars
Day 5: God created the water creatures and winged animals
Day 6: God created the lived stock, wild animals and crawling things
           God created man and woman in His own image

Thank you my true love for creating amazing things in 6 days
Without them, I won't exist, my world wouldn't exist and everything is chaos.

Mission Impossible in 5 Golden Rings

On the 5th day of Christmas
my true love gave to me
5 golden rings

The meaning behind 5 golden rings is:
the 5 first books of Old Testament which are :
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy

The 5 golden rings are known as the books of the Law
because they contained the laws and instructions
given by the Lord through Moses.

By learning those 5 books
We will gain many benefits
Our knowledge will greatly increase
(You will know that Divine Design is against Darwinian )
Our focus will be sharpened
(Doing a study in the book of Numbers means you are very focused person)
Our perseverance will be built
(When you finish reading Leviticus, I believe you've been persevered)
Our time will spend wisely
(believe me, your wallet will thank you when you are spending your time reading Deuteronomy, than online shopping)

By practicing those five books
We will understand that it it a mission impossible
It's impossible to do all the regulations without breaking them
The perfection can't be reached

What should we do then ?

We should come to God and receive His mercy and grace
Because we tried to please Him but we can't
Just like the prodigal son came back to his father
asking that his father treat him like a servant

But instead his father run to, hugged and kissed him
His father asked the servants to dress him
His father organized a big welcome party

Do you like the prodigal son?

Or do you like the oldest son
who was bitter and resentful?
Always working hard and obeying his father
but claiming never even had a barbecue with his friends

Maybe he was working all the time in the field
and rarely communicating with his father
Maybe he though father valued working more than relationship

Which one do you want to be ? The Prodigal Son or the eldest ?

I want neither. I want to be in father's house. I want to work for Him because He's the good master. But I also want to communicating with Him. I want to talk with him and understanding what was in His heart. And for sure, I want to have barbecues and dinner party with my friends.

Matthew 5: 17
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them

No Such Thing As....

On the 4th day of Christmas 

My true love gave to me

4 Calling birds....

What is Calling bird?

I did a quick online research 

and found that there is no such thing as calling bird

It derived from the original lyric: 4 colly birds

Colly was taken from the word "coal" 

Coal is black

So four calling birds mean 4 blackbirds

4 is also the first 4 books which records the life of Jesus Chris.

Matthew, Mark, John and Luke

Gospel is the most amazing biography for us

Because we get to know the One who loves, takes care of, forgives, heals, provides, befriends, believes, protects, completes, knows, and sacrifice for us.

He is our Lord Jesus Christ;

Our true love

who gave 4 calling birds 

who gave the revelation about himself to us

Who are we to be so lucky to know him ?

3 French Hens

On the third day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

What is 3 french hens ? 
They are 3 things that will remain eternally

The things in this world that exist now, will cease someday
But these 3, will remain in eternity
They are faith, hope and love

Hebrew 11:1 says: faith is the substance of things hope for and the evidence of things not seen. Faith energizes you to do something positive when the reality is discouraging. 2 Cor 5:7 says: for we walk by faith not by sight. We can grow our faith by hearing the Word of God. Roman 10:17 says: faith comes by hearing, hearing the Word of God.

Hope is rather different than faith. Hope is willingness to look at the goodness of God. It is an anchor that keep us steady while waiting on God in the middle of a bad situation. Psalm 147:11 says : The Lord delights in those who fear Him; who put his hope in His unfailing love. Job 18:11 says: You will be secure because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety

Love is the greatest of all three. 1 John 4:16 says that God is love and whoever abides in love, abides in God and God in him. 

While he was in the world, Jesus demonstrated the faith, hope and love through his speech and deeds. Faith, hope and love combo = Jesus' life demo=three french hens

Have you unwrapped the third gift from our true love ?
I bet you will like it very much

2 Turtle Doves from My True Love

On the second day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

2 turtle doves

What was the meaning of 2 turtle doves ?

They are the 2 testaments of the Bible

Old and New Testament

In the Old Testament a Saviour was promised

In the New Testament the promised Saviour came 

By reading both Testaments, we are learning

to be aware of the existance of God, His personal 

preferance, His nature ,His people, etc

Do you want to know more about God?

Are you aware of His likes and dislikes?

Wanna catch a little of His emotion?

Read your Bible, and imagine that 

God whispers those words into your ears

"2 Turtle doves"  is a personal gift 

from your true love on the 2nd day of Christmas

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Psalm 1:1-3

A Partridge in a Pear Tree from My True Love

"On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me
a partridge in the pear tree"

Who is "my true love" ?

In this modern day, "true love" is rare
It is hard to define "true love"
The people whom we look up
as the embodiment of true love often disappoint us
The people who (seemed to) have found the true love of their life end up in divorce.

What and who is the true love?

There is one divine person who is worthy to be called " the true love"
His name is Jesus Christ. He left Heaven and came to this corrupt world to save us. He died to redeem us from our sin. He won over death, rose again to life so we can have eternal life with Him. Who are we that we deserve to be called His beloved ?

Roma 5: 7-8
It is rare indeed for anyone to die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God proves His love for us in this : While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Now, let's see the first present from our "true love"
a partridge in the pear tree. Partridge is a bird which symbolizes deceit, theft and satan. The pear tree symbolizes the cross.

Galatians 3:13 says
Chris redeems us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written : "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree"

That is the greatest gift of all from our Lord Jesus. The partridge in the pear tree. His death at the cross for us.

Have you opened the first gift from God ?
I have, and it was the grandest gift I ever received in my whole entire life.
My salvation.

Christmas Coundown : 12 Days of Christmas

The ending of Thanksgiving is the start of Christmas countdown.
Are you ready ? Have you made the list for Christmas presents ?
What about the shopping ? Let's not forget the recipe for Christmas meals.
And last but not least the Christmas decorations.

In the middle of all the hustle bustle of Christmas activities, let's remember the expensive gifts that God has given to us all.

Yes, we know about the coming of baby Jesus in the manger.
It's God's gift for us.
But, do you know that God had given us more presents than that?

What are they ?

They are mentioned in the famous song : 12 Days of Christmas
Concealed of course, not straightforward. I will post the meaning one by one each day for 12 days of posting in this blog.

Ok, now let's sing the song!

On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the second day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the third day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the fourth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the fifth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the sixth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the seventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the eighth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the ninth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the tenth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
10 Lords a Leaping
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the eleventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
11 Pipers Piping
10 Lords a Leaping
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
12 Drummers Drumming
11 Pipers Piping
10 Lords a Leaping
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

image taken from advanced embroidery designs.com

Who Knew That Giving Thanks Could be So Powerful !

Happy Thanksgiving !
In this special day of feeling thankful, feasting on turkey,
gathering with others, watching parade on TV, shopping on good deals, etc
let us remember an event in the Bible,
when giving thanks to Father was leading to a big miracle !

It happened one day  that crowd were following Jesus and his disciples
They listened to His teaching untill it was very late
When dinner time came, Lord Jesus asked his disciples to feed the crowd

One of his disciples said they did not have enough money
to buy bread to feed them
Jesus didn't asked them for the things they did not have
Jesus asked them what they had

They had 5 loaves and 2 fish
Jesus asked them to group the people
Then this happened:

"Taking the 5 loaves and the 2 fish and looking up to heaven,
he gave thanks and broke up the loaves.
Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to people.
He also divided the 2 fish among them" Mark 6:41

I hope this verse reminds me
that when I face a problem in my life,
maybe a problem with relationship, money, illness, so on and so forth
I would not become pessimistic and give up
No !

Instead I look at what I have, what's left of me
I bring what I have into God's hand
and give thanks to Him for what I have

I have faith that bringing what I have and giving thanks to Him,
will unlock the door of oppotunities, healing, reconciliation, blessing,
and so on and so forth

Happy Thanksgiving !
Let us give thanks to God

Grocery Freebies, Salvation and Commitment

Today, I had a bag full of free groceries from a grand re-opening of a store.
And the picture below is the result of running to the store at 8am , leaving my husband to attend my daughter before she went to school
Thanks Hubby.

While driving back home from the store, I was thinking, why would I go there. I went there because I love freebies. Then another freebies came up in my mind. Salvation !

Salvation is a freebie from God. I neither deserve it nor pay for it.What I need to do is receive it. How to receive it ? By faith. 

I drove my car to go to the store to get my freebie. I use my faith to go to Jesus to get my salvation. With a little effort, I get the most important freebie in this whole wide world. 

The Store gave me something free, so that I will be interested to be their loyal customer. They try to get my commitment, and for this I have to pay . Buying groceries from them, I need to pay with my hard earned dollars.

To be a follower of Christ, I need to pay with self denial. My flesh wants to do A, but Christ said to do B. I want to hate the people that make me miserable, but Christ asks me to forgive them. I want to be a great leader, but Christ says a great leader serve like a servant. So many contradictions between my flesh and Christ's commands. 

Actually, I don't need freebies. There are food in my fridge and pantry. I went there for fun. In my spiritual life, though, I terribly need the freebie from God. Without his salvation, I will be empty. Life will have no meaning. Receiving the salvation is a start of a wonderful relationship I have with my Source. 

Thanks Abba, for giving me the most expensive freebie ever, salvation from your Son. Amen. 

Ephesians 2:8

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourself, it is the gift of God.

Here Came The Consequences

In the cool of the day, Adam and Eve heard that God came.
They hid themselves. God, already knew what happened,
yet he still called their names and asked where they were.
Adam answered God. They hid because they were afraid and naked.

God was not surprised.
He asked Adam who had told him about the nakedness.
He asked whether they had eaten the fruit from the forbidden tree ?

Instead of confessing, Adam blamed Eve.
Instead of asking forgiveness he inderectly blamed God
on giving him a wife.

God could judge them right away.
He could have just killed them and started another creation.
But no, He kept the investigation going.
Now it was Eve's turn.
Eve kept the blaming game going.
Of course it was the snake's mistake.
The snake was silent before God, the Creator.
After all it was only an animal.
It did not have a right to communicate with God.

It's time for everyone and everthing to face the consequences.
The snake lost its feet.
The ground lost its fertility
Adam lost his freedom to work leisurely and his immortality
Eve lost her effortlessness in creating another life
The relationship between Adam's and Eve would also be flawed
Eve wanted to be dominant over Adam
But Adam would rule over Eve

God, the Creator, did not give ONLY consequences
He also give a second chance
He had a plan B for the Adam's family
There would be a fighting, an open hostility,
a war between the Snake and Eve's descendants
Eve's descendants would dominate the Snake

God also made leather clothing for Adam and Eve
He did not have a heart to let them dressed
in shabby, prickly fig leaves

Adam and Eve were sent out of Eden to work for their life
The garden of Eden was closed
But God's heart was not closed for Adam's family
He still loved them until eternity
He guided them and communicated with them
He's always be their God

Although the Adam's family made mistakes
God never made mistakes
He is always the perfect God ever.

Here Came the Fruit

She looked at the fruit. It looked very nice and smell delicious.

Should she ask Adam about eating the fruit ? Oh no. Adam was busy chatting with the animals. Naming them one by one, probably.

Should she ask God? Oh no, would not want to disturb the All Mighty. He had hidden some facts from her anyway. Better not to offend God by asking more detailed information about His command.

What about the fruit then ? Should she eat it ? Would she die ? She already touched it, and she was still breathing.

She decided to take her chances. Life was about taking risks after all.
She closed her eyes and took a bite. She held her breath.

Was she still alive. YES ! Alive, alive, alive forever more ! She took a deep breath. Now, she could enjoy the fruit.

Fantastic taste. Sweeter than Persimmon. Tangier than lemon. Nuttier than fig. Fresher than strawberry. More fragrant than mango. More watery than watermelon. Softer than kiwi, yet crisper than Jicama. How could that be ?
This fruit perfectly blended all the opposites in nature. This fruit was wonderful. Adam must try it.

Then she called her husband.Eve showed him the fruit. She told him that she'd eaten it.

Adam was very shocked. No way. Eve would die from eating the fruit. Eve asked Adam to look at her. She was still breathing. God was hiding some facts from them. Eve handed the fruit to Adam, and asked him to take a bite.

Looking at Eve's beautiful face. Adam gave in. He wanted to please his wife.
He ate the fruit.

One second later, something peculiar happened. They felt terrible and nasty. It was as if they had been given a second pair of eyes which made them realize that they were naked. Adam and Eve were ashamed of themselves.

Here Came the Snake

Here came the snake, the trickiest animal ever.
He asked if Eve could not eat 
from any trees in the garden.
Eve started a conversation with the snake.
Eve's not aware that she did not get her facts right.

She said that she should neither eat nor touch the fruit
from the tree in the middle of garden.
Otherwise she would die.

Now, the snake took its turn to correct Eve.

It said Eve would not die.
In fact the moment she ate it, she would be like God,
knowing the difference between good and evil.

After listening what the snake said,
Eve looked at the tree. A seed of doubt began to sprout in her heart.
A doubt about God's good intention.

She evaluated the tree, its value and her options.
Then she took the initiative.
She picked the forbidden fruit.

Life in Eden

The Adam's family lived in Eden, the perfect garden ever.
Every fruit and vegetable were given to be their food.
Except one, the fruit from the tree of good and evil.
Only one had no eat sign

In the cool of the day, God walked in the garden.
He stopped by. He would chat with Adam and Eve
about many many things.

One important thing that He said was about dominating.
He told them they should fill the earth and rule over it.
They should dominate the fish in the sea,
the birds in the sky and over every living creatures
that moved on the ground.

God gave them the authority to dominate the earth.
He did not give them the authority to dominate each other.

It's such a perfect life.  Much freedom and tiny limitations.

The Adam's Family

There was a man. His name was Adam. 

He’s all alone in the whole wide world.

Every animal that He saw had a pair but him. 

He wondered where his partner was

Then God anesthetized and operated Adam.

He took a rib from him and closed the wound back. 

What a great surgeon God was !

Carefully God fashioned Adam’s partner out of that rib. 

What a great artist God was !

When Adam woke up, God brought Adam’s partner to him. 

An equal partner who was his helper. 

Adam loved her at the moment he saw her. 

What a great matchmaker God was !

Adam named her Eve. God blessed them.

That was the very first family in the whole wide world, the Adam’s family.

A man named Adam, a woman named Eve, blessed by God.  

Genesis 1:27-28

Genesis 2: 20-23

Oleh Oleh Retreat 2016

Hello semua...
Sebelum beritanya keburu basi karena disimpan terlalu lama,
Mari kita buka buka lagi kenangan retreat akhir Agustus kemaren

Retreat kali ini diadakan di musim panas
Tahun tahun sebelumnya selalu di musim dingin
Tahun ini mau yang berbeda
Walaupun tempatnya masih sama dengan yang dulu
Di Beulah Beach tentunya

Pembicaranya ialah Pak Pendeta Jonathan Pattiasina
dan Ibu Marlina Pattiasina
Setelah kita sok akrab dengan beliau beliau,
panggilannya berubah menjadi Bang Jo and Kak Ina

Mereka berdua bicara tentang Family at War...
Seru kan... serem kan... saat tenang tenang begini malah bicara perang
Tapi seluruh peserta retreat menjiwai bahan pembicaraan
Nih... bahkan sudah siap bertempur

Kegiatannya banyak outdoor kali ini
Jetski, renang, panah-panahan, berjemur di terik matahari,
api unggun sambil bakar marshmellow
dan tak lupa foto foto tentunya

Kegiatan indoor-nya pun tak kalah banyak
Praise and Worship, dengar kotbah, diskusi,
cerita Alkitab dan prakarya untuk adik adik

Makanan dan minumanpun berlimpah
Bacang, arem arem, Mie sedap, Maruchan Instant ramen, kue bolu, kue brownies, chips, kopi, jus, air es, teh tawar, teh manis

Peserta sungguh diberkati dan dilengkapi lewat retreat ini
Sekarang kenangan manis dalam retreat itu, tidak cukup hanya jadi kenangan
Namun jadi tantangan untuk hidup lebih dekat Tuhan

Amin