Showing posts with label Blessings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blessings. Show all posts
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Have a Blessed Christmas!
After all the rush at work, it's time for me to get a few days' of rest to celebrate Jesus' birth...I wanna share with you these two blessings this time...
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Daydreams: A Blast from An Old Post
I was just browsing through some old posts and I found out that this time 4 years ago (before my Finnish was still pretty basic), I wrote some daydreams.
In the post, I wrote about 10 years from then (which would be 2017), but why not talk about some of it now already?
1. Ability to communicate pretty well with my in-laws? Check.
2. Kids? Nope. Scratch that. Doesn't matter anymore. Two is a complete family. ---> Daydream change.
3. Finnish citizenship? Check.
4. Living in a bigger apartment? We have our own house now (which is beyond belief 'coz I didn't even dare dream of having our own house). HALLELUJAH!!!
5. Steady income? THANK GOD for His amazing ways in closing the door towards doing any more training and opening this door for me to get a permanent job (any foreigner living here would attest to how difficult it is to get a permanent job in this village). His perfect timing is just simply unfathomable - life is to be understood backwards is an understatement!!! :-D
6. Visiting my parents at least once? Check. In fact, I've visited my parents THREE times since then (R2 has come with me twice to Indo).
7. Growing book collection? Check. (At that time I only brought 12 books with me from Indo from my own book collection and now I have dozens and dozens of 'em)
8. Wonderful relationship with hubby? Check - it's a lifetime process, so I can only try to do my best, though I have to say that infertility has brought us closer together instead of ripping us apart and I'm OH SO glad we're always on the same page concerning our infertility journey. :-D
9. Feeding my inner child, staying positive and enthusiastic, cherishing the good things in life, counting my blessings? Lifetime process, but I think I haven't fallen out of this course he he...
10. Still have blogging friends and still have time to blog? Check.
11. Spreading sunshine and laughter? Lifetime process again, but I also think I haven't fallen out of this course, either. :-D
Conclusion: You can't always get what you want in life, but sometimes in other aspects of life, you get even MORE than you "deserve" or dream of and there are times when you have to change your daydreams. Blessings have been pouring out to our lives in ways that we could never have imagined...and all praise belongs to God.
In the post, I wrote about 10 years from then (which would be 2017), but why not talk about some of it now already?
1. Ability to communicate pretty well with my in-laws? Check.
2. Kids? Nope. Scratch that. Doesn't matter anymore. Two is a complete family. ---> Daydream change.
3. Finnish citizenship? Check.
4. Living in a bigger apartment? We have our own house now (which is beyond belief 'coz I didn't even dare dream of having our own house). HALLELUJAH!!!
5. Steady income? THANK GOD for His amazing ways in closing the door towards doing any more training and opening this door for me to get a permanent job (any foreigner living here would attest to how difficult it is to get a permanent job in this village). His perfect timing is just simply unfathomable - life is to be understood backwards is an understatement!!! :-D
6. Visiting my parents at least once? Check. In fact, I've visited my parents THREE times since then (R2 has come with me twice to Indo).
7. Growing book collection? Check. (At that time I only brought 12 books with me from Indo from my own book collection and now I have dozens and dozens of 'em)
8. Wonderful relationship with hubby? Check - it's a lifetime process, so I can only try to do my best, though I have to say that infertility has brought us closer together instead of ripping us apart and I'm OH SO glad we're always on the same page concerning our infertility journey. :-D
9. Feeding my inner child, staying positive and enthusiastic, cherishing the good things in life, counting my blessings? Lifetime process, but I think I haven't fallen out of this course he he...
10. Still have blogging friends and still have time to blog? Check.
11. Spreading sunshine and laughter? Lifetime process again, but I also think I haven't fallen out of this course, either. :-D
Conclusion: You can't always get what you want in life, but sometimes in other aspects of life, you get even MORE than you "deserve" or dream of and there are times when you have to change your daydreams. Blessings have been pouring out to our lives in ways that we could never have imagined...and all praise belongs to God.
HALLELUJAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Monday, October 03, 2011
3BT: Random Days
1. Hubby helping me set something that I failed to do on my own and he never made me feel like an idiot for not being able to do it.
2. A customer said one of the nicest things I'd ever heard in my entire life. He made my day (and made my eyes wet)!!! :-D Bless him!
3. Rainy day at work the other day helped me and my supervisor. It especially helped my supervisor 'coz she has a lot more things to do than I do.
4. A sunny day after the rainy day. :-D
5. Missing hubby. After spending a whole month holiday and then going back to work, I missed spending more time with him.
6. Sturdy raincoat. Big, protective, and comfy enough for me to wear while riding my bike under the downpour.
7. Another customer (an old lady) said that I had been missed at work during my holiday. Bless her!
8. Finally getting some free days from work - due to some sick coworkers I've had my plate full at work.
9. Wonderful memories - and reminiscing them.
10. Clean air, abundance of clean water, and the lack of noise and traffic.
2. A customer said one of the nicest things I'd ever heard in my entire life. He made my day (and made my eyes wet)!!! :-D Bless him!
3. Rainy day at work the other day helped me and my supervisor. It especially helped my supervisor 'coz she has a lot more things to do than I do.
4. A sunny day after the rainy day. :-D
5. Missing hubby. After spending a whole month holiday and then going back to work, I missed spending more time with him.
6. Sturdy raincoat. Big, protective, and comfy enough for me to wear while riding my bike under the downpour.
7. Another customer (an old lady) said that I had been missed at work during my holiday. Bless her!
8. Finally getting some free days from work - due to some sick coworkers I've had my plate full at work.
9. Wonderful memories - and reminiscing them.
10. Clean air, abundance of clean water, and the lack of noise and traffic.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Renovation Break
I'm taking a break from the blogosphere for a much-needed inner-self renovation (don't worry, I'm fine). Until then, take care, my dear friends...and let me leave you with this Apache Blessing:
glitter-graphics.com
And enjoy this upbeat song he he...If for some reason the video doesn't show 'coz I've had trouble viewing youtube lately, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM2177pHMT0
May the sun bring you new energy every day.
May the moon softly restore you by night.
May the rain wash away your worries.
May the breeze blow new strength into your being.
May you walk gently through the world
and know its beauty all the days of your life.
glitter-graphics.com
And enjoy this upbeat song he he...If for some reason the video doesn't show 'coz I've had trouble viewing youtube lately, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM2177pHMT0
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
3BT: Random Days
1. Getting a Top Banana award from Cliff. THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH!!!!!
"3BT" Top Banana. This goes to Amelia. 3BT is a list of gratitudes that Amelia periodically posts.
3. Having made a decision together not to do any more tests or pursue any kinds of medical treatments or ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) has made me feel GLAD and our sex life has turned into what it was supposed to be: fun and playful!!! YIIIHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
4. Having closest friends who are willing to listen and support me in my infertility journey even though sometimes I may take their words the wrong way or take their words too seriously. THANK YOU, girls!
5. Reading plenty of articles on dealing with infertility has helped me regain my perspective.
6. Sleeping long he he he...What can I say? I'm a sleepyhead and a good sleep is good not only for the body, but also for the soul. ;-D
7. Making hubby giggle and laugh until he had tears in his eyes (enough tears that I could wipe!) even when I didn't plan to do it. What a BLESSING to be able to make someone laugh like that he he he...(Unfortunately I can't tell you what I did 'coz it would be too gross to tell here hi hi hi...Yeah, yeah, I LOVE making people curious LOL!!!)
8. Knowing that despite the storms of life, I'll be all right (even though I don't know how).
9. Crying out all the pent-up feelings without feeling like I have to hold my tears. It feels SO GOOD to be able to express myself like this and just "be done with it".
10. Playing Wii Fit Plus with hubby and laughing together and sometimes mocking each other playfully when one of us passes the other one's rank he he he...
Monday, November 03, 2008
Our 2nd Anniversary!
Today marks our 2nd wedding anniversary. Gee, how time flies!!! Last night my MIL sent us an SMS to congratulate us. She said she almost forgot about it he he he...I guess she thought it was yesterday, not today! So she wasn't late at all! She also said that next time we visit her, she'll have a cake to celebrate it. YIIIIPPPIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!! I LOVE cakes! ;-D And I LOVE her!!!
Well, today I want to recount some of the blessings we've received ever since we got married.
1. My residence permit process took only 2,5 months (as opposed to the regular 3-4 months of processing) and we didn't even have to do ANY kind of interview.
2. R2 got a permanent job 3 months after I moved to Finland, exactly at the time when the apartment rent went up. HALLELUJAHHHH!!!!!
3. A full-time Finnish course started in Sodankylä for the first time ever!!! And that changed my life in many waysssss...especially as it meant that I'm more able to communicate with my beloved in-laws!
4. We were able to buy the plane tickets to Indonesia AND we still had enough money to pay for a short trip to Singapore. Never in our wildest dreams did we think that we could BOTH be going back to Indo SO SOON...never in our wildest dreams did we think that we could even have a honeymoon in Singapore!!!
5. We were able to witness the birth of Ken, my brother's baby, together at the hospital. WHOOOPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
6. We have both supportive and loving parents and family who never meddle in our own affairs. What more can we ask for?
7. We have everything we need and more: a nice place to stay, food, warm clothes, love, health, happiness, serenity, peace of mind, harmony, caring friends (blogger and non-blogger alike), some savings for rainy days.
Thank you, Lord, for everything...give us both a heart that loves and gives like Yours...may Your love bind us forever so that we are always a unity.
Bonbon, I love you more than I ever loved you before...I'm GLAD that our marriage has been smooth so far, but I'm not afraid if there are storms ahead or rains and sleet, since I know that you're the one with all my heart and soul. You're the one who always makes me feel good about myself. You're the one who brings up the best in me...for that, I thank you.
Cheers to (hopefully) many more loving and caring and fun years aheadddddddddd!!!!!!
Well, today I want to recount some of the blessings we've received ever since we got married.
1. My residence permit process took only 2,5 months (as opposed to the regular 3-4 months of processing) and we didn't even have to do ANY kind of interview.
2. R2 got a permanent job 3 months after I moved to Finland, exactly at the time when the apartment rent went up. HALLELUJAHHHH!!!!!
3. A full-time Finnish course started in Sodankylä for the first time ever!!! And that changed my life in many waysssss...especially as it meant that I'm more able to communicate with my beloved in-laws!
4. We were able to buy the plane tickets to Indonesia AND we still had enough money to pay for a short trip to Singapore. Never in our wildest dreams did we think that we could BOTH be going back to Indo SO SOON...never in our wildest dreams did we think that we could even have a honeymoon in Singapore!!!
5. We were able to witness the birth of Ken, my brother's baby, together at the hospital. WHOOOPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
6. We have both supportive and loving parents and family who never meddle in our own affairs. What more can we ask for?
7. We have everything we need and more: a nice place to stay, food, warm clothes, love, health, happiness, serenity, peace of mind, harmony, caring friends (blogger and non-blogger alike), some savings for rainy days.
Thank you, Lord, for everything...give us both a heart that loves and gives like Yours...may Your love bind us forever so that we are always a unity.
Bonbon, I love you more than I ever loved you before...I'm GLAD that our marriage has been smooth so far, but I'm not afraid if there are storms ahead or rains and sleet, since I know that you're the one with all my heart and soul. You're the one who always makes me feel good about myself. You're the one who brings up the best in me...for that, I thank you.
Cheers to (hopefully) many more loving and caring and fun years aheadddddddddd!!!!!!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Blessings!!!
Before I forgot...First of all:
HAPPY EASTER to everybody who celebrates it! God bless you all!!!!
These past few days have been flooded with blessings. *WIDE SMILE*
First of all, we've got the return tickets to Indonesia. YAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!
Then I bought something from Huuto.Net (a kind of Finnish ebay). The seller sent it as a package which status I could check online. After days checking the status online, nothing changed. Suspicious, I told Arttu about it and he told me to go to the PO to check it out since the package was supposed to come in two days already. So I went there and they couldn't find it!!!!!!!!!! I contacted the seller (I had to practise my written Finnish as she's Finnish) and told her that I couldn't give her any feedback yet since I hadn't gotten the package yet. She was REALLY nice and she described the packaging she used (starry gift paper).
The PO guy told me to come again the next day and he'd try to find it. I asked Arttu to go there since if they did find it, the package would be 2.1 kgs. When I got back home, the package was there already. I asked Arttu if they had found it already when he got there, but he said he had to describe the packaging before they could find it. Apparently one of the guys who took the package to this PO forgot to register it online when it arrived. I'm SO glad that the seller used a special gift paper so that it was easy for the PO worker to find it HE HE HE HE HE...I'm SO glad the package was found!!!
Then the other day I also went to a new flea market and found a VERY friendly old Finnish guy. He started asking me questions and I could answer his questions. It was good practise even though I couldn't really understand every little word he was saying.
Then yesterday I decided to be brave enough to find myself a training place. As I've said before, after the course is done in June, we need to find a place for us to do some training. Anywhere in the city. At first I was thinking of ask the people in the bookstore, but I realized that the place was SO small and there were THREE people already in it. So I followed my gut feeling and went to a souvenir store instead. I had to practise my Finnish again hi hi hi hi...My heart was beating FAST, you know? But at least I managed to get myself a training place already. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!! ;-D
What else? Ummm...oh yeah, this morning I checked my bank account since I had to pay for something online and realized that I got MORE student money than I thought I'd get. GEE...I sent 85% of the money already to my "untouchable" account (only for VERY urgent matters). At this rate, I'm VERY sure I'll soon be able to reach the amount of money before we used that account to buy the plane tickets to Indo. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!!!!!!! I felt like JUMPING up and down this morning, you know? It's SO AMAZING HUE HE HE HE HE HE HE...
I also received an email the other day from the police station that my residence permit would be ready in the beginning of April (had to extend my expired permit). I was beginning to worry a bit since it took MUCH longer than what they first told me. Phew!!! I don't wanna be separated with hubby againnnnn!!!!!!!!!
And today after the course was done, my Thai friend realized that my nose was runny, so she gave me a bottle of Chinese Thai-brand menthol oil to help me out. She's been such a giving person!!! I admire her for that! She even gave each of us an Easter ornament he he he he he...
Last Monday was my mom-in-law's birthday, so I sent her SMS since it was more practical that way he he he...In the SMS, I also told her that we'd go to Indonesia in October and that after that we'd try having a kid. She replied, saying that she also wanted to have another grandkid HE HE HE HE HE HE HE...I found some flower seeds in Lidl the other day, so I bought several packages. I hope she has never grown some of them yet. ;-D
Today I'm baking a cake for mom-in-law and Arttu since today's Arttu's birthday. I'll bring the cake tomorrow to Kelujärvi with us. As usual, it's chocolate cake since I LOVE chocolate HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...
So, you know why I chose that title for this post, right? I've met WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL people and I've got more than I need. Plus this weekend is a LONG weekend where I can rest HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO...
Okie dokie, everybody...let's just rest and relax this weekend he he he...
HAPPY EASTER to everybody who celebrates it! God bless you all!!!!
These past few days have been flooded with blessings. *WIDE SMILE*
First of all, we've got the return tickets to Indonesia. YAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!
Then I bought something from Huuto.Net (a kind of Finnish ebay). The seller sent it as a package which status I could check online. After days checking the status online, nothing changed. Suspicious, I told Arttu about it and he told me to go to the PO to check it out since the package was supposed to come in two days already. So I went there and they couldn't find it!!!!!!!!!! I contacted the seller (I had to practise my written Finnish as she's Finnish) and told her that I couldn't give her any feedback yet since I hadn't gotten the package yet. She was REALLY nice and she described the packaging she used (starry gift paper).
The PO guy told me to come again the next day and he'd try to find it. I asked Arttu to go there since if they did find it, the package would be 2.1 kgs. When I got back home, the package was there already. I asked Arttu if they had found it already when he got there, but he said he had to describe the packaging before they could find it. Apparently one of the guys who took the package to this PO forgot to register it online when it arrived. I'm SO glad that the seller used a special gift paper so that it was easy for the PO worker to find it HE HE HE HE HE...I'm SO glad the package was found!!!
Then the other day I also went to a new flea market and found a VERY friendly old Finnish guy. He started asking me questions and I could answer his questions. It was good practise even though I couldn't really understand every little word he was saying.
Then yesterday I decided to be brave enough to find myself a training place. As I've said before, after the course is done in June, we need to find a place for us to do some training. Anywhere in the city. At first I was thinking of ask the people in the bookstore, but I realized that the place was SO small and there were THREE people already in it. So I followed my gut feeling and went to a souvenir store instead. I had to practise my Finnish again hi hi hi hi...My heart was beating FAST, you know? But at least I managed to get myself a training place already. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!! ;-D
What else? Ummm...oh yeah, this morning I checked my bank account since I had to pay for something online and realized that I got MORE student money than I thought I'd get. GEE...I sent 85% of the money already to my "untouchable" account (only for VERY urgent matters). At this rate, I'm VERY sure I'll soon be able to reach the amount of money before we used that account to buy the plane tickets to Indo. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!!!!!!! I felt like JUMPING up and down this morning, you know? It's SO AMAZING HUE HE HE HE HE HE HE...
I also received an email the other day from the police station that my residence permit would be ready in the beginning of April (had to extend my expired permit). I was beginning to worry a bit since it took MUCH longer than what they first told me. Phew!!! I don't wanna be separated with hubby againnnnn!!!!!!!!!
And today after the course was done, my Thai friend realized that my nose was runny, so she gave me a bottle of Chinese Thai-brand menthol oil to help me out. She's been such a giving person!!! I admire her for that! She even gave each of us an Easter ornament he he he he he...
Last Monday was my mom-in-law's birthday, so I sent her SMS since it was more practical that way he he he...In the SMS, I also told her that we'd go to Indonesia in October and that after that we'd try having a kid. She replied, saying that she also wanted to have another grandkid HE HE HE HE HE HE HE...I found some flower seeds in Lidl the other day, so I bought several packages. I hope she has never grown some of them yet. ;-D
Today I'm baking a cake for mom-in-law and Arttu since today's Arttu's birthday. I'll bring the cake tomorrow to Kelujärvi with us. As usual, it's chocolate cake since I LOVE chocolate HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...
So, you know why I chose that title for this post, right? I've met WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL people and I've got more than I need. Plus this weekend is a LONG weekend where I can rest HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO...
Okie dokie, everybody...let's just rest and relax this weekend he he he...
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Happiness Revisited
The other day Shan wrote in a comment that he was wondering why I could manage to stay happy. He jokingly asked if that was partly because of my hubby. Well, first of all, it's IMPOSSIBLE for any person to make somebody else happy 24/7 every day of their lives. Secondly, there haven't been any bad situations in my life (yet, hopefully never HA HA)...and thus it's easier to stay happy. Thirdly, it's not that I never feel unhappy or sad or angry or disappointed.
It's okay to be sad. It's okay to feel sorrow. It's okay to feel bad every now and then. It's okay to feel angry. It's okay to feel disappointed. Hey, life isn't constant and nobody's perfect! We're only humans, not robots. You're bound to feel all those sort of emotions, especially when a tragedy strikes unexpectedly.
What's not okay is to wallow in those emotions and let yourself pity yourself or let yourself become so engulfed in emotions that turn you into a negative, bitter, angry person. I know it's easier said than done, but one can only try and I'm determined to try my best in doing so. :-))))
Of course it gets tough to stay happy when my PMS strikes or when I lack sleep (I get cranky when I lack sleep and I CAN be "bitchy" too), but let's share with one another some happiness tips, shall we? I know that you all know what I'm going to share already, but I'm going to write them down to remind myself of the tips to be happy he he he he...
You can write them down in your own posts or in my comment section of this post. Either way it's fine, but I LOVE the blogosphere since we can learn SO MUCH from one another and we can keep reminding one another about making a difference in this world. :-)))
OK, without further ado, here're some tips from me:
1. Accepting the things we can't change (AKA surrendering to God and believing that He knows best whatever comes our way even when we don't understand it),
2. Having the courage to change the things we can change (AKA we have to do our own part and not just surrender to God without doing anything and finding out what bad habits or mistakes we should change),
3. Remembering to count your blessings every single day AND soak them all in and NOT taking anything small for granted ('coz it'll make you feel like the world is singing with you),
4. Accepting yourself as you really are and being able to forgive others and yourself,
5. Being able to understand that God's grace is beyond our imperfections (AKA knowing our worth in God and believing that we CAN make a difference through Him that strengthens us AKA not giving up on ourselves and beating ourselves up),
6. Not taking life too seriously and not taking other people's words too seriously and NOT taking yourself too seriously,
7. Expect less and give more,
8. And knowing that each day you're in charge of your own actions and reactions towards your circumstances instead of letting circumstances determine your actions and reactions.
Well, that's all I can remember for now he he he...Come on now, people, share with me some of your wisdom! ;-D
It's okay to be sad. It's okay to feel sorrow. It's okay to feel bad every now and then. It's okay to feel angry. It's okay to feel disappointed. Hey, life isn't constant and nobody's perfect! We're only humans, not robots. You're bound to feel all those sort of emotions, especially when a tragedy strikes unexpectedly.
What's not okay is to wallow in those emotions and let yourself pity yourself or let yourself become so engulfed in emotions that turn you into a negative, bitter, angry person. I know it's easier said than done, but one can only try and I'm determined to try my best in doing so. :-))))
Of course it gets tough to stay happy when my PMS strikes or when I lack sleep (I get cranky when I lack sleep and I CAN be "bitchy" too), but let's share with one another some happiness tips, shall we? I know that you all know what I'm going to share already, but I'm going to write them down to remind myself of the tips to be happy he he he he...
You can write them down in your own posts or in my comment section of this post. Either way it's fine, but I LOVE the blogosphere since we can learn SO MUCH from one another and we can keep reminding one another about making a difference in this world. :-)))
OK, without further ado, here're some tips from me:
1. Accepting the things we can't change (AKA surrendering to God and believing that He knows best whatever comes our way even when we don't understand it),
2. Having the courage to change the things we can change (AKA we have to do our own part and not just surrender to God without doing anything and finding out what bad habits or mistakes we should change),
3. Remembering to count your blessings every single day AND soak them all in and NOT taking anything small for granted ('coz it'll make you feel like the world is singing with you),
4. Accepting yourself as you really are and being able to forgive others and yourself,
5. Being able to understand that God's grace is beyond our imperfections (AKA knowing our worth in God and believing that we CAN make a difference through Him that strengthens us AKA not giving up on ourselves and beating ourselves up),
6. Not taking life too seriously and not taking other people's words too seriously and NOT taking yourself too seriously,
7. Expect less and give more,
8. And knowing that each day you're in charge of your own actions and reactions towards your circumstances instead of letting circumstances determine your actions and reactions.
Well, that's all I can remember for now he he he...Come on now, people, share with me some of your wisdom! ;-D
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Debilitating Fear
Note: This is the post that I've been wanting to write since I heard the news about my uncle's death, but I needed time to sort out my thoughts.
Fear can be debilitating. After getting news about my uncle's death, there were so many "what if" questions rapping their knuckles eagerly at my door. A few minutes after taking the news in, I realized that the SMS could have been about one of my parents or even both of them. I had sometimes prayed to God that if it was His will, I would love to be able to go back to Indonesia when one of my parents died (not in a situation where I'm almost giving birth or that I'm renewing my residence permit or something else that makes me unable to go to Indo).
Then I started realizing that my husband could die before me and fear started slithering inside, ready to choke me. My brain kept on asking me, "What if Arttu dies when you're pregnant? What if he dies before you get pregnant? What will you do next? Will you continue living here or will you go back to Indonesia? What if...what if...what if...?"
Being born and raised as a planner made my brain automatically started asking me those uninvited questions. More and more questions popped out...
I used to have a problem hearing people say, "If it's God's will, then I'll do this and that." Why? Probably because I've seen some of them prayed and fasted with all their might without doing their parts. They even used other people's resources without permission and then they dared thank God for those "blessings" and they told those people whose resources they used, "May the Lord pour His blessings upon you."
However, recently I've changed my mind. We DO have to do our parts, yet the bottom line is: since I believe that He's the God that created everything and that can take away our lives just with a twitch of His eye, that means that EVERYTHING else is under His govern. Of course I have free will and I can do anything I want to do, but still if His time has not come yet, no matter how much I want it to happen NOW, it won't happen. And if somehow I can force it to happen NOW, nothing good will come out of it.
I was gripped by fear during one night while lying awake in our bed, thinking about the "what if" questions...but at the end of the reflection, I was reminded again that God wouldn't give me more than I could bear and that His plans were good plans and not evil plans. I was reminded to surrender to Him completely and to let go of my worries and my need to control everything or at least to anticipate everything.
And then it struck me how WELL He'd been taking care of me. I started remembering that when I moved to Finland, I had NO idea how I could find a Finnish course or how my husband could find a permanent job or how I could find friends in Sodankylä or how I could find some income online or how I would survive in this cold country, but in due time everything worked out well, haven't they? Even MUCH MUCH MUCH better than my wildest hope. All I needed to do was trust Him to open or close doors for me and wait for His perfect time to unfold.
Well, as you can imagine, only then I could start drifting to sleep peacefully. I breathed a sigh of relief as I left the rest of my worries to Him and just left them there.
Ironically, I find that trusting God isn't as easy as ABC. In normal circumstances, when everything seems to work out just fine for me, it seems easy to trust God. Oh yes, God has provided everything I need and I needn't worry. Life couldn't have been better!!! I'm on a roll!!! YIIIHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA!!!
However, no matter how much I WANT to trust Him with all my heart, mind, and soul, in critical situations, I doubt and worry and fear.
But then again, without those doubts and those critical situations, I wouldn't be able to let my faith grow, would I? So let me just let my faith be shaken and stirred...and hopefully I'll always cling to God and surrender to Him at the end of the day and become more graceful and gentle and more loving and more teachable...until my last breath.
Image taken from here
Fear can be debilitating. After getting news about my uncle's death, there were so many "what if" questions rapping their knuckles eagerly at my door. A few minutes after taking the news in, I realized that the SMS could have been about one of my parents or even both of them. I had sometimes prayed to God that if it was His will, I would love to be able to go back to Indonesia when one of my parents died (not in a situation where I'm almost giving birth or that I'm renewing my residence permit or something else that makes me unable to go to Indo).
Then I started realizing that my husband could die before me and fear started slithering inside, ready to choke me. My brain kept on asking me, "What if Arttu dies when you're pregnant? What if he dies before you get pregnant? What will you do next? Will you continue living here or will you go back to Indonesia? What if...what if...what if...?"
Being born and raised as a planner made my brain automatically started asking me those uninvited questions. More and more questions popped out...
I used to have a problem hearing people say, "If it's God's will, then I'll do this and that." Why? Probably because I've seen some of them prayed and fasted with all their might without doing their parts. They even used other people's resources without permission and then they dared thank God for those "blessings" and they told those people whose resources they used, "May the Lord pour His blessings upon you."
However, recently I've changed my mind. We DO have to do our parts, yet the bottom line is: since I believe that He's the God that created everything and that can take away our lives just with a twitch of His eye, that means that EVERYTHING else is under His govern. Of course I have free will and I can do anything I want to do, but still if His time has not come yet, no matter how much I want it to happen NOW, it won't happen. And if somehow I can force it to happen NOW, nothing good will come out of it.
I was gripped by fear during one night while lying awake in our bed, thinking about the "what if" questions...but at the end of the reflection, I was reminded again that God wouldn't give me more than I could bear and that His plans were good plans and not evil plans. I was reminded to surrender to Him completely and to let go of my worries and my need to control everything or at least to anticipate everything.
And then it struck me how WELL He'd been taking care of me. I started remembering that when I moved to Finland, I had NO idea how I could find a Finnish course or how my husband could find a permanent job or how I could find friends in Sodankylä or how I could find some income online or how I would survive in this cold country, but in due time everything worked out well, haven't they? Even MUCH MUCH MUCH better than my wildest hope. All I needed to do was trust Him to open or close doors for me and wait for His perfect time to unfold.
Well, as you can imagine, only then I could start drifting to sleep peacefully. I breathed a sigh of relief as I left the rest of my worries to Him and just left them there.
Ironically, I find that trusting God isn't as easy as ABC. In normal circumstances, when everything seems to work out just fine for me, it seems easy to trust God. Oh yes, God has provided everything I need and I needn't worry. Life couldn't have been better!!! I'm on a roll!!! YIIIHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA!!!
However, no matter how much I WANT to trust Him with all my heart, mind, and soul, in critical situations, I doubt and worry and fear.
But then again, without those doubts and those critical situations, I wouldn't be able to let my faith grow, would I? So let me just let my faith be shaken and stirred...and hopefully I'll always cling to God and surrender to Him at the end of the day and become more graceful and gentle and more loving and more teachable...until my last breath.
Image taken from here
Friday, December 14, 2007
What Does 2007 Mean to Me?
Juliana tagged me to do this meme. Let's see what I have to say he he he...
~ Start Copy ~
Rules :
1. Copy from "Start Copy" until "End of Copy".
2. Before "End of Copy", share your best memories of 2007 include your name and your URL blog.
3. Share this tag to your friends.
For me, the year 2007 had a lot of happiness (and hope for 2008). Happiness because i see my son, grow and grow day by day. I have a great husband. I met lots of new friends from around the world via blogging ^_^ - Juliana RW
THANK GOD for everything I've been given this year. THANK GOD for every miracle He's performed in my life, for every door He's opened.
Moving to Finland also means challenges. You can read a list of lessons I've learnt and re-learnt since I moved to Finland here and you'll see why I said this year is a year of lessons. - Amel
~ End of Copy ~
I'm tagging:
Max
Fish Without Bicycle
Blur Ting
Michelle
~ Start Copy ~
Rules :
1. Copy from "Start Copy" until "End of Copy".
2. Before "End of Copy", share your best memories of 2007 include your name and your URL blog.
3. Share this tag to your friends.
For me, the year 2007 had a lot of happiness (and hope for 2008). Happiness because i see my son, grow and grow day by day. I have a great husband. I met lots of new friends from around the world via blogging ^_^ - Juliana RW
~000~
For me, the year 2007 is a year of BLESSINGS and LESSONS. First of all, after battling with bureaucracy for months, I finally got my residence permit so I could at last move to Finland to be with my hubby. Secondly, an evening Finnish course started at the right time and in the right place (6 months after I moved to Finland and it was near my house). Thirdly, I get to enjoy marital bliss with my hubby (WAY better than I thought it could be). Fourthly, hubby found a permanent job miraculously!!! Last but not least, I've also started earning some money online since last month plus I've got SO MANY friends around the world now. And my in-laws are VERY warm and welcoming and considerate. Plus my brother's just got married and his wedding was smooth. And my parents are healthy (Dad had a mini stroke not long after I moved to Finland, but now he's healthy again!).THANK GOD for everything I've been given this year. THANK GOD for every miracle He's performed in my life, for every door He's opened.
Moving to Finland also means challenges. You can read a list of lessons I've learnt and re-learnt since I moved to Finland here and you'll see why I said this year is a year of lessons. - Amel
~ End of Copy ~
I'm tagging:
Max
Fish Without Bicycle
Blur Ting
Michelle
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
3BT: October 8, 2007
1. Hubby telling me this afternoon that we're going to Pori next Sunday to buy his eldest brother's car. YIIIIIIIIIIHHHHHHHHHHHAAAA!!! My first time to Pori. We'll probably be back on Monday evening or night, so don't wonder if I'm not here this weekend until Monday. On Friday we're going to the bars with my Arttu's second brother and his new girlfriend and on Saturday we'll probably go to my in-laws again. So it's gonna be a busy weekend for me!
2. Being able to contribute some grammatical theories in my Finnish course.
3. GOOD NEWS: my Finnish teacher's willing to teach double lessons twice (on Tuesdays and Wednesdays). It's SO wonderful that she's willing to spend more time with us without getting much money or even asking for more for herself. Plus she LOVES languages so much so that I bet she's going to be VERY useful to us. All in all, I'm touched by her determination and willingness to teach us. This is a HUGE blessing for us.
If you wanna know, my British friend's been waiting for this course for 3.5 years whereas I only had to wait 6 months (by the time I got here, there were enough foreign people here to open a Finnish course class!!!). I have a feeling that this has something to do with GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!!!
4. Visiting my hubby's cousin's house and then his 3-year-old daughter (blonde, blue-eyed) asked me to play with her. I have to admit that I only understood 35% of what she was saying to me, but then when her big brother came back from somewhere, she called out to him, "Look! Here is my buddy!" while pointing at me. Ahhhh...the joy of being liked by a child he he he...She also asked me to dance and "pretend" to sleep ha ha ha ha...
5. Getting a YM message from my hubby, saying "I love you" over and over and over again while we were sitting in the same room hi hi hi...
6. Running toward my hubby after getting the message, sitting on his lap, and showering him with kisses hi hi hi...
P.S. It's 1.45 am right now and outside temp. is -3.5'C. Winter's coming already. I'm expecting WHITE Christmassssssssssss!!! WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
2. Being able to contribute some grammatical theories in my Finnish course.
3. GOOD NEWS: my Finnish teacher's willing to teach double lessons twice (on Tuesdays and Wednesdays). It's SO wonderful that she's willing to spend more time with us without getting much money or even asking for more for herself. Plus she LOVES languages so much so that I bet she's going to be VERY useful to us. All in all, I'm touched by her determination and willingness to teach us. This is a HUGE blessing for us.
If you wanna know, my British friend's been waiting for this course for 3.5 years whereas I only had to wait 6 months (by the time I got here, there were enough foreign people here to open a Finnish course class!!!). I have a feeling that this has something to do with GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!!!
4. Visiting my hubby's cousin's house and then his 3-year-old daughter (blonde, blue-eyed) asked me to play with her. I have to admit that I only understood 35% of what she was saying to me, but then when her big brother came back from somewhere, she called out to him, "Look! Here is my buddy!" while pointing at me. Ahhhh...the joy of being liked by a child he he he...She also asked me to dance and "pretend" to sleep ha ha ha ha...
5. Getting a YM message from my hubby, saying "I love you" over and over and over again while we were sitting in the same room hi hi hi...
6. Running toward my hubby after getting the message, sitting on his lap, and showering him with kisses hi hi hi...
P.S. It's 1.45 am right now and outside temp. is -3.5'C. Winter's coming already. I'm expecting WHITE Christmassssssssssss!!! WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Friday, August 03, 2007
Live As Though You Would Die Tomorrow
The other day I read a devotional online and I found something surprising. At least for me. It reminded us to live our days as though we would die tomorrow. The article said that if we truly think that way, we'd definitely forgive more easily.
Hmmm...that made me think...I know that we've all read something like this before in our lifetime, but do we REALLY ever think that tomorrow we'll be gone? If we REALLY think that we'll die tomorrow, will we forgive (other people and ourselves) more easily? Will we tell our loved ones how much they mean to us? Will we truly embrace the present? Will we shift our focus to the MOST important things in life instead of the urgent matters? Will we begin to appreciate the things we've taken for granted in a fresher perspective? Will it be easier for us to let go of our grudges if we only have today? Will we be able to count our blessings even better that way?
If we REALLY think we'll die tomorrow, I wonder what we'll do or think. Maybe some of you who've undergone near death experiences (or who have ever been diagnosed with a serious enough illness) can share their thoughts better than I can on this topic. To those people who're reading this post, you're welcome to share your experiences.
In this post I just want to say that balance is again the hardest lesson to learn in life. Balance between TRULY cherishing what we've got today (by thinking that we may cease to exist tomorrow) and planning for our future (saving and making viable plans to reach our goals and working on the plans step by step). Balance between TRULY embracing the present and remembering that the new generation will continue their life journeys, so we'd better leave a solid legacy for them.
I personally think life would be better if each of us remember how imminent death is as it'd change our perspective in life. May I remember this lesson and may God help me balance my life in every aspect.
Hmmm...that made me think...I know that we've all read something like this before in our lifetime, but do we REALLY ever think that tomorrow we'll be gone? If we REALLY think that we'll die tomorrow, will we forgive (other people and ourselves) more easily? Will we tell our loved ones how much they mean to us? Will we truly embrace the present? Will we shift our focus to the MOST important things in life instead of the urgent matters? Will we begin to appreciate the things we've taken for granted in a fresher perspective? Will it be easier for us to let go of our grudges if we only have today? Will we be able to count our blessings even better that way?
If we REALLY think we'll die tomorrow, I wonder what we'll do or think. Maybe some of you who've undergone near death experiences (or who have ever been diagnosed with a serious enough illness) can share their thoughts better than I can on this topic. To those people who're reading this post, you're welcome to share your experiences.
In this post I just want to say that balance is again the hardest lesson to learn in life. Balance between TRULY cherishing what we've got today (by thinking that we may cease to exist tomorrow) and planning for our future (saving and making viable plans to reach our goals and working on the plans step by step). Balance between TRULY embracing the present and remembering that the new generation will continue their life journeys, so we'd better leave a solid legacy for them.
I personally think life would be better if each of us remember how imminent death is as it'd change our perspective in life. May I remember this lesson and may God help me balance my life in every aspect.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
A Reminder for Myself
1. Soak up God's love every single day. Remember that God loves me the way I am and He never compares me with anyone else. He knows the number of hair on my head and He personally knows my name.
2. Be kind to myself. Don't be too hard on myself. Remember that I'm a reborn, so I have to cut myself some slack. However, I mustn't accept excuses.
3. Don't take things too personally. Not everything has to be about me, me, me.
4. Count my blessings every single day of my life.
5. Fight off all negative feelings. Don't deny any feelings, but I don't have to let them conquer me and drown me in self-pity or bitterness.
6. Simplify life as best as I can do. Remember to focus more on my needs, not wants. Remember the most important things in life.
7. Soak up all the good things and emotions in life. Take time to absorb them into my entire being so that joy can be my life theme.
I guess that'd be enough for now. I hope I can remember all these every day of my life.
P.S. Have to add one more before I forget it:
8. Try my best not to grumble. Stop my thoughts before grumbling comes out of my mouth and start focusing on counting my blessings again.
2. Be kind to myself. Don't be too hard on myself. Remember that I'm a reborn, so I have to cut myself some slack. However, I mustn't accept excuses.
3. Don't take things too personally. Not everything has to be about me, me, me.
4. Count my blessings every single day of my life.
5. Fight off all negative feelings. Don't deny any feelings, but I don't have to let them conquer me and drown me in self-pity or bitterness.
6. Simplify life as best as I can do. Remember to focus more on my needs, not wants. Remember the most important things in life.
7. Soak up all the good things and emotions in life. Take time to absorb them into my entire being so that joy can be my life theme.
I guess that'd be enough for now. I hope I can remember all these every day of my life.
P.S. Have to add one more before I forget it:
8. Try my best not to grumble. Stop my thoughts before grumbling comes out of my mouth and start focusing on counting my blessings again.
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