It’s my new layout. Inspired from some bloggers who made a special Christmas template for their blogs. Well this is just last for Christmas and New Year, and after that I’ll be back to my current layout hehehe.. I still like my current layout :)
So.. anyone… please make a comment… :p Scratch it dude!!
2nd Winner? Really??
See the picture above the blog? 2nd Winner Best Entry Award in the 1st BF Anniversary. I got 2nd winner in the blog-posting competition which was held right on December 6th, where we the bloggerfammers should post some words about Blogger Family. Anything.
Well thank you very much for Blogger Family forum, you are such a great virtual family, and to me this family is not just a virtual family, but as I said on my post about blogger family, as I think about the distance between us, I am thankful that though we are physically separated by many miles, spiritually we are forever tied together.
Whoa… I still didn’t believe, it happens :p~
Makassar BloggerFamily-ers Rendezvous
Happy Birthday, Eunice!
See the little girl lower right on the picture? Her name is Eunice Imanuela. I called her Eunice. Born at Makassar, on December 15th, 2000, which is 4 years ago from now. Yes, today is her birthday. She is my cute little sister. She is a gift from heaven. She is my Christmas surprise 4 years ago. She’s adorable!
Today we decided to make a special occassion in her class for her birthday. Mom bought 2 chocolate cakes and brought them to Eunice’s school, so Eunice can enjoy her birthday in her classroom with all her classmates.
Anyway, here’s the pictures of today:
Happy Birthday, Eunice!
Oh my chocolate cake, what happened to you? What 4 years old? Whoa..
Ssh.. be quiet, it’s a special photo-session for today!
Thumbs up for Eunice!!
Bomb Again!!!!! Totally Grieved
Bomb Again!!!!! Totally Grieved
This news I copied from Kompas. The news which makes me shakes in cries. Again.., in my country, another persecution. Again in my country, when people said that this time is the better president. Again in my country, another one!!!
“…Teror tak habis-habisnya menghantui Palu, Sulawesi Tengah. Minggu (12/12) malam dua gereja menjadi sasaran peledakan bom dan penembakan. Gereja Kristen Sulawesi Tengah Immanuel di Jalan Masjid Raya dibom, sedangkan Gereja Anugerah Masomba di Jalan Tanjung Manimbaya diberondong tembakan. Kedua peristiwa itu terjadi bersamaan sekitar pukul 19.05.
Akibat dua kejadian itu, tiga orang mengalami luka-luka. Korban adalah Binti Jaya (61), anggota satpam Gereja Kristen Sulawesi Tengah (GKST) Immanuel yang terkena serpihan bom, sampai semalam masih dirawat di Ruang ICU Rumah Sakit (RS) Bala Keselamatan.
Dua korban lainnya adalah Rada Krisna (38) dan Nofri (18) yang terkena tembakan di Gereja Anugerah Masomba. Keduanya dirawat di RS Undata.
Selain itu, ada beberapa anggota jemaat yang dirawat akibat shock, antara lain Arni dan Vina, anggota jemaat GKST Immanuel; dan Estevin, anggota jemaat Gereja Anugerah Masomba. Hingga saat ini belum diketahui siapa pelaku kedua peristiwa tersebut.
Berdasarkan informasi yang dihimpun Kompas sampai Minggu malam, dua peristiwa itu sangat mengguncang Palu. Apalagi di saat itu kedua gereja tengah dipadati jemaat yang sedang melakukan kebaktian.
Di GKST Immanuel saat itu diperkirakan ada 500 anggota jemaat, sedangkan di Gereja Anugerah Masomba, meski lebih kecil, juga dipadati jemaat.
Saat kebaktian di GKST Immanuel yang dipimpin Pendeta Erna Lagerence tengah berlangsung, sekitar pukul 19.05, tiba-tiba terdengar ledakan yang keras. Suara ledakan bahkan terdengar sampai radius satu kilometer.
Akibat ledakan tersebut, bagian depan gereja yang tengah diperbaiki rusak. Pintu utama gereja jebol, plafon ambrol, dan kaca-kaca pecah.
Jemaat yang tengah beribadah langsung panik begitu mendengar dentuman keras. Mereka berhamburan keluar gereja dan tidak menghiraukan lagi barang-barang bawaan mereka. Sandal-sandal tercecer di dalam gereja.
Dari sejumlah informasi, bom yang meledak itu tepat di dekat pintu utama. Diduga bom dimasukkan ke dalam bungkusan plastik. Namun, masih belum jelas apakah bungkusan itu diletakkan di dekat pintu atau dilempar dari luar.
Hanya berselang dalam hitungan detik, ratusan anggota jemaat di Gereja Anugerah Masomba di Jalan Tanjung Manimbaya, Kelurahan Tatura, Kecamatan Palu Selatan, dikejutkan oleh bunyi rentetan tembakan. Dua orang yang berada di barisan paling belakang terkapar terkena tembakan.
Rada Krisna terkena serempetan peluru di lengan kiri atas, sementara Nofri terserempet di kepala bagian belakang. Keduanya dilarikan ke RS Undata. Menurut Rada, sedikitnya terdengar lima kali rentetan tembakan. Di lokasi ditemukan sembilan selongsong peluru kaliber 5,56 mm…”
I am really really grieving…! I couldn’t understand what is in those terrorist’s mind. They are not human. And I spontaneously cried and speechless when I read the headline on my morning newspaper, Kompas, on December 13th, 2004. Again.. I read another persecution. And, just because the victim is churches, which is a very minority in Indonesia, seems that the publication is reduced. Grrr.. everybody seems wants to close their ears about this. It’s not fair! This is not fair!
I don’t understand, why must some people killing each other? Why some people so stupid thinking that killing another people is a good thing to do?? Why there are teachings says that killing is the way to act in life? I don’t understand, why some people really loves to kill? Why can’t we live in peace in one peace world with different types?? This is just so unfair :(
Killing others.. that’s just alike no human at all. Killing others are an essential terminlogy just for beasts and animals who didn’t have mind to think clearly.
We live in a God-rejecting, unbelieving, and hate-filled world. Believers have long been ridiculed and persecuted. The world would be quite satisfied to get rid of all reminders of God, and for many, that includes getting rid of the people who believe in God and seek to do his will. The very fact that someone obeys God is a condemnation of everything and everyone that is not godly. It is a gross fallacy to think that being a Christian is somehow being a wimp. It takes real courage and inner strength to reject the pleasures and temptations of the world for the things of God. It takes courage to stand up to ridicule, persecution, and worse.
Prayers help us explore the uncomfortable. God provides therapy through the Bible. As we pray, it will take us into emotional geography that we might otherwise avoid, and lead us to process painful feelings we might otherwise just stuff down inside. By praying we vent and lay our stuff honestly at His feet.
All I can do now just pray. Pray for our enemies, pray for the terrorists. I can’t hate because hate is just a part of those terrorists which leading to all negative acts and reacts.
Pray and wishing a peaceful earth.. When is it?
Indonesian Film Festival, Best Movie..
Remember the picture on the left? Feel familiar? Yup! It is one of the Indonesian film titled “ARISAN!“. This film had been in the cinemas started from December 10th, 2003 until 2-3 weeks after that. And then available on the VCD and DVD. Great movie I said.
It’s ARISAN!, a film directed by a young talented woman named Nia Dinata.
Now, why I talked about something had passed a year ago? Because last night was the FFI (Festival Film Indonesia) 2004. And Arisan! had been chosen as the BEST MOVIE Award. Cool!
Arisan! is about friendship and principles are put to a test in the circle of Jakarta’s social elite which can be as turbulent as the city’s slums. The lives of several upperclass, thirty-something Jakartans are boldly revealed for the first time in Indonesian cinema, following the career and social life of three life-long friends who seem to have conquered the metropolitan. Unfortunately, the truth is not exactly as pretty as the impression.
Exiting times in Indonesia! When the film released, everyone’s eyes were at is “Arisan!“.
Three bestfriends live a normal life, that is, at first look. After a while we see them strugle with unhappiness in different forms. Meimei (Cut Mini Theo) hears from her doctor that she won’t be able to become pregnant and sees her husband run away. Andien (Aida Nurmala)’s husband slept with someone else, and Sakti (Tora Sudiro) -who is gay- is afraid that his mother or best friend Meimei might find out that he is.
Well, she finds out, but in a way he never imagined she would.
This film is the first BIG HIT in Indonesia where it is all about ‘coming out’. Sakti and Nino (Surya Saputra) learn that in modern Indonesia, being gay is as normal as in other countries (far from the reality, but common in some areas of Indonesia).
Screaming girls in the cinema when Sakti and Nino first kiss. No sensor in Indonesia, and that was surprising!!
Over all, this film is not only good because it doesn’t show any stereo type Indonesian gays (mostly transsexuals or overacting feminate gays), but two people like everyone else. It is also a film technically quite good, although the editing could have been better.
Two thumbs up for Arisan!
And yay.. BRAVO INDONESIAN FILMS!
Family
As I sit down to write tonight I am thinking about family. I am thinking especially about my own immediate family. I’ve got a new family. A new virtual family but a lot like a real family. The family’s name is BloggerFamily. Founded by Maknyak on December 2003. That was last year! Day by day in a year we built a very strong relationship, really like family-thing. We got joy, we got sad, we got all the things to share.
As I think about the distance between us, I am thankful that though we are physically separated by many miles, spiritually we are forever tied together. We are a family.
In its narrowest sense, family refers to those people with whom you share DNA. Telltale signs of your closest biological ties might be such things as large ears, dimples, or hairline. But most of us speak of family at the more abstract level the soldier had in mind as well a team, a club, a company, a political party, the citizens of a city, state, or country.
It isn’t biology alone that defines the circle of those we love or the people with whom we share daily routines. We define ourselves positively by choosing to protect the welfare and interests of others.
Families face a tremendous challenge today. With all the pressures, distractions, and obstacles in our path, how are we to remain close and keep the family alive, but healthy? Do we have what it takes for a family to remain together when schedules attempt to pull them apart?
It takes determination for a family to continue to stay in touch when jobs, school, recreation, and relationships try to pull them apart. It takes a real commitment for a family to remain close when everything around tries to tear it apart. It takes a dependence on God for a family to survive the attacks being launched by the enemy of the family. It will not just happen.
Let me assure you that our family is no different than any other. There are times we seem to be miles apart when we are all in the same room. There are times we act as though we have never heard the word “communicate” much less want to do it. There are times when it seems that to express our feelings is the most difficult thing in the world. There are times when it seems that no one wants us to express our feelings. Then, there are times when it seems that we all want to express our feelings at the same time and that “my” feelings are all that matters.
There are times when we cannot wait to be together. Then, there are times we cannot wait to be apart. There are times we cannot wait to share the latest news. Then, there are times we are determined not to share anything. There are times when there is no other person on the universe we’d rather be with than our family. Then, there are times when we would prefer to be with anybody in the universe rather than our family. There are times when we ache to be together. Then, there are times that being together makes us ache.
That is family. We love each other. We encourage each other. We hurt each other. We long for each other. We misunderstand each other. We want what’s best for each other. We try to understand each other. We would die for each other.
Here are four suggestions on keeping your family healthy:
Tonight I’m thinking about family. I am thinking about my family. I am thinking of our family. I love my family. I am thankful that God chose to give us families.
Take a minute to look around you now. See team and club, company and parties. Then determine anew to honor your place in “the family.”
It’s BloggerFamily!
Welcome to the family!
Today it’s BloggerFamily‘s birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Grieving at the Beginning of December
On November 30th, 2004, I read Kidy‘s posting in his blog. He posted about Lion Air crashed at Solo and Bouraq‘s accident at Makassar. At that time, I browsed to Detik News to read full articles about the crash. I didn’t notice in that day about news on TV because I was so busy at the clinic and that day was so hectic.
When I browsed to Detik News, one of the articles mentioned the name of the victim on that tragedy. I read one by one, if there’s any name that I knew. And I found one! One name.. Frans Natanieliem.
At first I was shocked, but I thought, the name might be same but maybe not the same person as I thought.
On December 1st, yesterday, me and my friends were talked and discussed about this Lion Air tragedy. I told them my anxiety about one of the victim’s name, might be someone I knew.
Today, December 2nd. One of my friends, Helvine, asked me what is the name which I talked about. I answered, “Frans Natanieliem”. She replied, “Where did he live?” I said, “On Veteran street, but he got relatives also stayed at Dr. Sutomo street, where we used to rent some comic books.” Then she told me that the name might be the same person as I thought, because last night she was passing-by the street and she saw some banners and flowers in front of the house.
Aaargh! Now I am shocked!
Frans Natanieliem is a great brother of my bestfriends when I was in junior high school until now. I.. I.. Hmm now I’m wordless. I can’t think more words. My friends name, Monanita and Monalisa Natanieliem. They’re twin. I pray, wishing Monanita-Monalisa and family given a really big heart for this tragedy. May the Holy Spirit encourage them. Can’t type more words.. I’m totally wordless.
Here’s a picture when I was in junior high school, my picture with (from left to right) Monalisa, Monanita, Lia and Siska (Siska passed away on year 2000 because of leukemia):
Here’s the last photo with Monalisa Natanieliem, taken on 2001 at Mal Taman Anggrek, Jakarta:
This tragedy also reminds me that I am not the controller of my own life. I’m not the pilot of my own life.
Life is short and fragile. Life is a gift of grace. It must be maximized and used to its utmost. Being reminded that all of us will die and give an account for how we lived our lives is not often welcome, but it is essential.
Each of us will one day be the main attraction at a funeral. People will say nice things about us, shed a few tears, haul us to a cemetery, stick us in a hole, throw dirt in our face, and then go back to the church building and eat chicken.
That’s not meant to be irreverent or cold. It’s just the simple truth.
Life will go on even though we are gone. The impact of our days on earth will be measured in how we have utilized the life we’ve been given.
Being reminded of this for a few moments by the passing procession is a healthy thing in a culture that avoids thinking about death at all costs. Each of us needs to pause and remember our own mortality from time to time.
As I’ve learned in the World Trade Center tragedy, Bali tragedy, place crash’s tragedy, every person who dies has a story, a family, a void that no one else can fill. Let’s not forget. Let’s not rush past. Let’s show a little respect.
Season of Longer Darkness
Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes with the morning.
For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.” That is why we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid.”
Ah, it’s now November. Outside Indonesia, winter starts settling in as autumn’s colors fade to duller hues of gray and brown. Hints of winter’s coming chill shock our unsuspecting faces. We leave for work or school in the slow fade of the night’s darkness. We return home in the early evening’s dark embrace. From the beginning of November until late December, each day brings a longer darkness. Each night descends with more haste and departs with greater reluctance. We live in the season of longer darkness.
Not a few folks of faith find themselves in the spiritual season of longer darkness. A job loss, an unwanted divorce, the death of loved one, the lingering illness of someone precious, the diminishing reserves of retirement, the bitter loss of the mind�s ability, a grievous wounding by a friend, the spiritual failure of a hero… any of these and many more hurts can leave us in the season of longer darkness. In the season of longer darkness, faith�s fire doesn�t burn as bright and its moments of shining don�t last as long. Life is much more a struggle and faith is very much a battle with our will.
How do we survive the season of longer darkness? Where do we find fresh hope to continue what seems like a longer and harder journey of faith?
In the physical season of longer darkness, there are surprising moments of joy and delight, things like…
In much the same way, God brings us blessings in the spiritual season of longer darkness. Because life is more a struggle and the spiritual dimensions of our life are more a battle, we often miss these touches of grace, these surprising moments of joy and delight. However, if we look closely we will find them. While sometimes overworked, the little poem �Footprints� still resonates within our hearts because we have found its message true. God does join us in the darkest parts of our season of longer darkness.
FOOTPRINTS
“One night I had a dream–
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord
and across the sky flashes scenes of my life.
For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to me and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in my life. This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way, but I’ve noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why in times when I needed you most, you should leave me.”
The Lord replied, “My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never, never leave you during your times of trial and suffering.
When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you”
-Author Unknown-
Yes, sometimes, and maybe even often times in the season of longer darkness, we face grueling periods of perseverance brought on by life’s trials or our own failures and sin. But even in this long season, and even in the darkest of nights that try the human soul, we are not abandoned. No matter what our circumstances suggest, our God is faithful and he has promised that the night will pass; he will not forsake us. No matter how long the night may seem, morning will come with its joy.
So hold on if you are in the longer season. And if you are not, find someone who is, and help point them to the Light until their darkness passes.
Glenn Fredly in Concert at Score!
Yesterday I went to Score! at Panakukkang Mall, to attend Glenn Fredly’s concert by SIMPATIzone–Telkomsel. I got 2 tickets and I ask Bati to accompanied me that night. It was written on the ticket that the show starts on 10 pm, but the reality is the show started on 11.30 pm! There was too many quizes, games and ads made us boring and sick of it. There’s no table available when we arrived on 9.30 pm. There are some available tables but they’re reserved already. Because it took so long, we only watched Glenn Fredly sang until 4 or 5 songs and then we went back home. We went back home on 00.30 am.
The concert was so hillarous and Glenn always give his best and great performance. He sang “Akhir Cerita Cinta”, “Hatiku Terganggu”, “Kau Milikku”, “Kau Masih Di Sini”, “Belum Saatnya (Berpisah)”. I don’t know the rest of the songs sang on concert because we went home after that.
The concert was so great, but it was too late for us!