1 Thessalonians 5:17 = Never Stop PRAYING

From Purpose Driven Life.com = Keep on Praying

"Why be persistent? How come my answers sometimes don't come immediately? Why should I keep on praying when the answer doesn't come in my time table?"

Keep on praying when there's no answer, because persistent praying helps me focus on God. God wants me to remember that He alone is the source of my answers to prayer.

The Bible says in Philippians 4:19, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

God wants us to see Him alone as the source of our needs.When we have to pray about something over and over, who do we look to? We look to the Lord. Persistent prayer focuses our attention. Have you discovered that we like to look to everybody else to solve our problem except the Lord? We look to our friends, we look to our family, we look to counselors, we look to the government, we look to anybody -- except the Lord. God often delays an answer to force you to focus on Him.

Persistent praying also clarifies my requests. A delayed answer a lot of times gives me time to clarify what do I really want. Time separates deep longings from mere whims. I've prayed for things and sometimes during the delay decided I didn't really want them after all.

God delays the answer to test you. It's not that He doesn't want to give it to you, He wants to know if you really want it. Do you want it enough to keep praying? Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek for me with all your heart." Nothing worthwhile is accomplished with half-hearted prayers.

Persistent prayer will prepare me for the answer. God usually wants to do more than you are praying for. Surprise! God wants to do it greater and He needs time to get you ready for it. There are changes God wants to make in you. Ephesians 3:20 "Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us, is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes."

People say, "Prayer changes things." Of course we know it is God who does the changing. But prayer changes you. And God is more interested in you than He is in circumstances. Often as soon as you've made the change in your life the doors of heaven open and the answer comes. Expect a miracle.

Persistent praying strengthens and develops your faith. A mark of maturity is how long can you wait. Galatians 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." God’s saying, "Hang on! Be patient! The harvest is coming. Don't give up! Look up!"

be back and get real!

Inception
Film yg gak mgkn aku nonton kalo aku sendirian. *bukan karena horror*

Dulu2, aku itu tipe orang yg agak2 berbicara *bertanya* kalo lagi nonton. Walau aku tahu, yg nonton barengku juga belum nonton, but I “feel secure” kalo aku bisa actually talk about the movie during the movie. Yang paling setia adalah koko dan satu uncle’ku. Yes, aku emang annoying, tapi mereka selalu ladenin. Namun lama-lama, semakin gede, yah lebih tau diri lah, dan udah lama banget gak nonton ama mereka, jadi bener-bener “berpikir” sendirian.

Inception
Sudah direncanakan aku bakal nanya sepanjang nonton, karena “warning” dari yang dah pernah nonton. Tapi kenyataannya, hanya beberapa patah kata saja yang keluar, I even didn’t blink my eyes *lebay*.

Inception
Bicara tentang mimpi sampai bertingkat-tingkat, dan mempengaruhi pikiran dengan memasukkan ide ke alam bawah sadar orang lain.

Sebagai tukang mimpi sejati, *bahkan tidur siang yang hanya 15 menit pun aku pasti mimpi*, aku cuma pernah mengalami mimpi 2 tingkat, jadi saat aku bangun, ternyata aku masi bermimpi. Awal-awal mengalami mimpi gitu, cukup frustasi, “saya mau bangun!!!!!!!” tapi setelah beberapa kali, jadi actually bisa enjoy dan geli sendiri.

Selesai nonton kemarin, aku gak sabar pengen tidur tuk lihat aku mimpi apa yah, dan jadi mikir, sebenernya apa sih yang mempengaruhi mimpi itu.
Kalo di inception kan, kita bisa merancang mimpi kita sendiri. Seru makanya itu, creating our own world.

Berdasarkan pengalamanku selama ini, tidak selamanya mimpiku terdeteksi penyebabnya. Walaupun kadang-kadang banyak mimpi yang terjadi karena aku memikirkan tentang sesuatu atau seseorang sepanjang hari, dan bermimpilah di malam hari. Menyenangkan yah?! Namun sering kali, orang maupun peristiwa yang tidak pernah terpikiran sebelumnya, masuk ke dalam mimpiku, dan membuatku berpikir ketika bangun, “How is she/he?” etc.

Bedanya di inception itu adalah, kita bisa memilih untuk terus hidup di dunia mimpi kita. Kalau udah bosen, tinggal “mati” dan kembali deh ke dunia nyata. Kalo emang suka dengan mimpi kita, selama-lamanya hidup di sana >.<
Sedangkan di dunia nyata, kita tidak ada pilihan, kita harus bangun, kecuali kalo kita jadi tidur selamanya alias “bye2 dunia”.


Inception
Hari jumat malam, hujan, Jakarta! Apa itu?
Maceeeeeeet!!!!!
Rencana makan sebelum nonton pun, ter-loncat menjadi setelah nonton. Pulang jadi lebih malam. Dan aku mungkin masi “setengah bermimpi dan belum sadar2 banget”.

Baru tadi pagi, pas bener2 bangun dari mimpi’ku semalam, di ranjang, pas buka mata, aku berpikir bahwa sering kali aku hidup di dalam “mimpi”, di dalam fantasi ku sendiri. Aku membuat scenario hidupku, dan itu sama dengan “bermimpi di tengah hari bolong”. Though, setiap hari aku menyerahkan hariku dan hidupku ke Tuhan, namun sering kali juga aku berusaha menjadi sutradara, berusaha mengambil kendali supaya jalan cerita sesuai dengan scenario ku, berusaha memasukkan artis2 lain supaya hasil akir menjadi seperti “mimpiku”.

Dan aku menyadari, ketika aku sadar bahwa “I’ve been living in my own fantasy” *puji Tuhan, bisa sadar juga*, aku punya pilihan, apakah apa mau get real, and menyudahi fantasi itu. Or aku mau tetap meng-entertain myself dengan hidup di “dunia maya nan indah”?

Getting real dan menyudahi fantasi itu, seringkali cukup “menyakitkan”, karena itu sama dengan menghancurkan rancangan indah yang selama ini kita tata. Tapi, it’s real! Dan itu adalah kenyataannya. Buatku, biar bagaimanapun, eventually aku harus bangun dari mimpiku, it may be really hurtful ketika aku do the u-turn, tapi at least, I am back in the real game, the real world.
The real game! The real life! With the best of the best Director yang punya Master Plan ttg kita! The best scenario ever!
Bedanya, kita hanyalah pemain, mengikuti arahan Sutradara Agung, and kita gak tahu jalan cerita sampai ujung. Kita diarahkan selangkah demi selangkah, melalui setiap scene yang benar-benar unpredictable. Tapi Dia berjanji, kita gak pernah sendiri, dan hasilnya pasti terbaik.

Ini janjiNya, “Sebab Aku ini mengetahui rancangan-rancangan apa yang ada padaKu mengenai kamu, demikianlah Firman Tuhan, yaitu rancangan damai sejahtera dan bukan rancangan kecelakaan, untuk memberikan kepadamu hari depan yang penuh harapan.”

Ya, semua orang berhak punya “mimpi”, tapi jangan biarkan “mimpi” itu menguasai kita dan membuat mata kita tertutup terhadap dunia nyata yang Tuhan anugrahkan bagi kita. Kita jadi lupa bersyukur dengan apa yang ada, karena bagi kita, “ini bukan “mimpi”ku, aku gak mau!!!”.
Mungkin kita berpikir, “Hidupku akan lebih indah kalo aku punya ini.” “Semuanya akan berbeda kalo aku bersama/ masih bersama dia.” “Hidupku akan berarti kalo aku bisa bekerja di perusahaan ini.” Aku tidak bilang itu salah, tapi bedakan “mengejar mimpi” dengan “hidup di alam mimpi.”

Pagi ini, setelah aku benar-benar bangun dari mimpiku, aku juga tersadar bahwa “aku harus bangun dari ‘mimpi’ku yang lain”. Yeah, it hurts. But, I choose to wake up and get real!
Karena aku percaya, Dia punya a bigger picture yang jauh lebih indah dari yang pernah aku “mimpikan”.

ketika tamu kuatir mengetuk

“Janganlah hendaknya kamu kuatir tentang apapun juga, tetapi nyatakanlah dalam segala hal keinginanmu kepada Allah dalam doa dan permohonan dengan ucapan syukur”

Ini salah satu ayat favorit.
Apalagi lanjutan-nya….
“dan DAMAI SEJAHTERA ALLAH YANG MELAMPAUI SEGALA AKAL akan memelihara hati dan pikiranmu dalam Kristus Yesus”
Kekuatiran (mungkin kita lebih kenal dengan STRESS OR PARNO) diganti dengan damai sejahtera yg melampaui segala akal, siapa yg gak mau?!?!?
Mauuuuuuuuu bgt, Tuhan! :D :D :D

Beberapa saat belakangan ini, hampir setiap hari, ada tamu setia yg mengunjungiku, kekuatiran dan keraguan ttg certain things. Walaupun tetap, pada malam harinya, aku selalu list ke Tuhan dan bilang “Tuhan, eyn kuatir ini eyn kuatir ini……..huhu”. Selalu besok paginya, muncuuul lagi-muncul lagi, capeeee deh >.<, karena emang masalahnya belum kelar-kelar. *masi musim ujian*

I know that being worry is a sin, I couldn’t help though; worries are all over me >.<

Akirnya aku bilang ke Tuhan kemarin, “ok Lord, eyn gak bisa handle “this worry”, but this what I am gonna do, setiap kali worry eyn muncul, eyn akan berdoa, udah itu aja deh, eyn akan tukar worry-eyn dengan doa, ya Tuhan yah? “

Aku rindu punya His peace which transcends all understanding, sungguh! Aku gak suka ketika aku harus dealing with worries *emang enak dag-dig-dug?*, namun kondisi belakangan ini sungguh “mendukung”ku tuk worry. Duh!

Walaupun Tuhan berulang kali ingetin, “Jangan kuatir, eyn! Jangan kuatir, eyn!” And juga, aku berulang kali ngomong ke myself, and repeat verses about worries, on and on. Tapi tetep aja, masi kuatir >.<

1 Petrus 5:7 Serahkanlah semua kekuatiranmu kepadaNya sebab Ia yang memelihara kamu.
Matthew 6 “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. So, don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
Indah bukan?

Ada kala dimana aku menukar worry-ku dengan doa sambil tersenyum, ada kala dimana aku menukarnya sambil menangis… karena sungguh, aku merasakan ketidakberdayaanku. Merasakan betapa hanya Dia-lah yang mampu menghandle semua ini.

And today, Matthew 15:28, a super simple verse…
“Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. YOUR REQUEST IS GRANTED”~~~!!!!
I felt somehow He talked to me, not that I am saying my faith is great, boro-boro, saat ini aku lagi “lemeeeeeeees” gak kira2. Tapi Yesus dengan penuh kasih meyakinkanku bahwa, alasan kenapa kita harus gak *tidak boleh* worry, and present our request to Him itu karena He is the one who’s gonna grant the request. Dialah tempat yg tepat untuk kita minta!! Jangan kemana2….!!

Memang tidak selamanya yg kita “minta” diberikan, karena Dia lebih tau yg terbaik buat kita, dan Tuhan memberi yg kita butuh, bukan yg kita mau. Dan percaya deh, ngeri juga kalo semua yg kita mau dikasi.. >.<

Rick Warren bilang gini, “There's a difference between needs and wants. God's not going to give you everything you want; you'd be spoiled to death.”

Tapi kita tahu, ketika tamu kuatir mengetuk pintu, hal terbaik yg bisa lakukan adalah menyerahkan SEMUANYA itu kepada Allah yg memegang kontrol atas SEMUANYA!!

Dan kita akan mendapatkan hadiah pertama...DAMAI SEJAHTERA ALLAH yg melampaui segala akal.

True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control.

Do you want to worry less? Then pray more! Whenever you start to worry, stop and pray!

how we need His touch!

From Crosswalk Women: Five Areas of Woman's Life that Need God's Touch by Cindi McMenamin

My heart was convicted as I read in Scripture of a woman who was so desperate for God's healing in her life, she was willing to do anything to just touch Him (Mark 5:24-34).

I had to ask myself, how desperate am I for God's touch on my life? There are times I might be desperate to feel and look younger, to be thinner, to have more in the way of peace and happiness. But how desperate am I to be whole and complete in every way?

After surveying nearly 100 women, I found several common areas in which women, myself included, need the touch of God to be whole and complete. I also found that Scripture addresses these areas of a woman's life so that we can receive His healing touch. See if you can relate to needing God's touch in these areas of your life, as well:

1. Our Hearts - So They Can Be "Set On Things Above"
Women often stress over the temporal - bills that must be paid, whether or not a man will come into our lives, if we'll be able to have a child, what someone is saying about us, how our body looks, and so on. At times we are more concerned about what the scales say than what God says. Our heart is closely attuned to our bank balance, rather than our life's balance.

Yet God instructs us in Colossians 3:1-2: "set your hearts on things above." If our priorities were in heaven, not on this earth, we would not only be happier and healthier, but less financially drained and emotionally spent. Matthew 6:19-21 tells us not to "store up treasures here on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven ....For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." It takes God's touch to clear our hearts of what this world says is important and focus it on the things above.

2. Our Minds - So They Are Transformed and Renewed
It's amazing how many women profess to know God and follow Him, yet their thinking patterns are just like those of anyone else in the world. Scripture commands us: "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is" (Romans 12:2, NLT).

Furthermore, God's Word instructs: "fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise...and the God of peace will be with you" (Philippians 4:8-9, NLT). What mental anguish we would spare ourselves from if we would let God transform our mind and renew our thoughts to think as He would.

3. Our Mouths - To Be Wholesome and Pleasing to God
Because women tend to be communicators, we can cause much damage with our mouths if we do not bring them under God's control. Whether it is gossip, criticism or unkind remarks, our mouths can be instruments of righteousness or unrighteousness. In Ephesians 4:29 we are told to "not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." God's touch on our lives can make us women whose words heal and encourage, rather than distract and destroy.

4. Our Bodies - To Be Pure and Holy for Him
Are you one to worry and stress about what the scale says, how many calories you took in, and whether or not you can still fit into a certain size? God's command to us is "Give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?" (Romans 12:1, NLT). It is important that we keep our bodies healthy and in good shape (as we are His temple), but God says our most prevalent concern should be that we keep our bodies holy. In fact, God calls keeping our bodies holy our "spiritual act of worship" (Romans 12:1, NIV).

One of the ways we can keep our bodies holy is by how we choose to dress. People can tell much about us, and whom we love, by how we dress. Do we call attention to ourselves or the God who made us? If the way we dress says "Look at me!" we may want to rethink how we dress so that others can see Christ through us. Can others see Christ in you or are you getting in the way?

5. Our Emotions - To Be Calmed with the Peace of God
There are days when, hormonally or just circumstantially, we need God's touch to calm our frazzled emotions and level out our lives. Philippians 4:6-7 says "Don't' worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and request to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel" (CEV). A woman who is controlled by God's peace is not on the edge, but in the spacious place of His embrace.

I believe if we seek God's touch in those five areas of our lives we would rarely have reason to feel we are going over the edge. For instance, when you get frustrated in a relationship, go back to the principle of letting God transform and renew your mind to only think on whatever is pure, right, lovely, good, and so on. And when you are about to lose it over finances or something that takes you by surprise, remember to not be anxious about anything, but to pray about everything...keeping a heart of thanksgiving for what you've been given. And when your heart begins to desire something that you cannot attain, remember to set your heart on things above.

may it be pleasing to You

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer . Psalm 19:14

Ya Tuhan, perkataanku dan terlebih hatiku…
biarlah itu menyenangkanMu ya Tuhan
biar eyn jaga hati eyn suci…
tiada tersembunyi bagiMu Bapa,
Engkau mengenal ku sampai kedalaman hatiku..
sucikan, murnikan lebih lagi,
biarlah hanya pujian dan berkat yg ada di hatiku..
buanglah segala kutuk, segala kebencian, iri hati, insecurity, worries yg menggerogoti hati ini Tuhan
biarlah sungguh seluruh keberadaanku menyenangkan hatiMu ya Tuhan.

stick to the rules?

Bole dibilang, aku adalah seorang yg cukup taat peraturan, mungkin karena jiwaku bukan jiwa petualang, or entah kenapa, aku gak suka yg namanya ambil resiko dgn "melanggar sedikit" yg sebenernya cukup aman.
Kalo bagi sebagian orang, "peraturan untuk dilanggar", bagiku "peraturan untuk ditaati". Yeah, I am a freak!

Walaupun aku terlihat paling ribut diantara my two other sisters *haha, bukan terlihat sih, kenyataannya begitu*, tapi silahkan nanya ke cici ato ke rieza, aku itu yg paling "tidak nakal", dan paling "taat", gak ada jiwa2 iseng dalam diriku, I always play safe *gak cocok bgt emang sama penampilanku* tapi itulah eyn!

Aku sungguh bersyukur punya mereka, karena mereka juga sering kali mengingatkanku untuk sedikit loosening up ketika sepertinya aku sudah mengikuti segala peraturan, namun things tidak berjalan dengan "rencanaku".

Dan kemarin adalah salah satunya…
Cici: tenang aja lyn, lu pasti bisa melewati semua ini.
Eyn: tapi kenapa ci??? Kenapaaaaaaaa? Gue gak pernah maen2! Selalu ikut aturan, gak pernah bermain api pula..
Cici: iya, ngerti..tapi sering kali yg menurut kita baik, belum tentu itu yg terbaik menurut Tuhan.
Eyn: hix…
Cici: keep smiling donk..
Eyn: yeee, lagi mau nangis sih disuruh senyum…

Conversation-ku dgn cici ku kmrn membuat ku berpikir tuk pengen ngomong ke Tuhan…. pengen "marah" and bertanya "kenaaaaaaapaaaaaaaaaaa Tuhan??????"

Tapi sebelum ngomel2 gak jelas, aku menenangkan diri.. dan aku tulis ini di diary-ku..
Apa maksud semua ini? Eyn gak ngerti….eyn sedih………
Tuhan, hati eyn hancurrrrr!!!!!!
Eyn bodoh , I was humiliated, but Lord, I put my trust in You, I put my full confidence in You.. that You, God, You are the one who holds my future, You know the best for me, I fear not about my future.
Yes Lord, I gave my heart to You!!!!!! Aaaaah Lord, I trust You with all my heart….

Aku buka Alkitab-ku, then aku tertarik kepada ayat yg aku sendiri highlight entah kapan..
Psalm 3:3 but You, O Lord, are a shield around me; You are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
When circumstances go against us, we may be tempted to think that God also is against us. When everything seems to go wrong, God is still for u. If a circumstance has turned against you, don’t blame God, seek Him!

Dan, aku sungguh tersenyum lebar setelah baca itu...
Yes, I was tempted to blame Him, though I knew deep inside my heart that He knows the best and everything is under His control. >.<

Sungguh ketika kita choose to seek Him, as He promised, we got the answer.

Dia sungguh Allah super keren, super tender, and very caring.

Dia bener2 menjawab ke-galau-an dan kesedihan hatiku saat itu juga.

Everything "seems" to go wrong saat ini, yes, karena aku berpusat kepada "the thing", bukan kepada Dia yg takes control over everything.

I may always obey the rules *walau sometimes itu adalah rules yg aku ciptakan sendiri*, tapi kehidupanku bersama Dia jauh lebih indah dan kreatif dari sekedar hidup yg taat peraturan.

Tuhan bukan Allah yg boring tentunya, Dia Allah yg super kreatif dan punya rancangan jauh lebih spektakuler dari rancangan "stick to the rules" gaya eyn!

Hidup kita bukan seperti masakan, yang kalo ikutin resep, jadilah!*masakan aja bisa beda hasilnya, tergantung siapa yg megang kan?*

Intinya, there is no formula, kalo kita udah ikut aturan..hasilnya seperti ini! I am not saying that, "dengan begitu, lupakanlah rules itu, hiduplah semau2mu!!" NO!

Tetap carilah kehendak Tuhan dalam hidup kita, taatlah kepada rules * yg adalah firman Tuhan*, janganlah bermain api, jangan mencobai diri sendiri dengan berada pada jarak yg sangat dekat dengan dosa, tapi hasilnya : bukan urusan kita, itu urusan Tuhan! Kita hanya menjalani bagian kita, TRUST AND OBEY, let Him complete the work! :D

And the pain falls like a curtain on the things I once called certain
And I have to say the words I fear the most "I just don’t know"
And the questions without answers come and paralyze the dancer
So I stand here on the stage afraid to move, afraid to fall
oh, but fall I must on this truth that my life has been formed from the dust
God is God, and I am not. I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man. So I’ll never understand it all, for only God is God.

Don’t put your trust in mere humans *ourselves*. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?
Isaiah 2:22