Jordanio

Karena (because) begitu (how very/so) besar (big/huge/enormous) kasih (love) Allah (God) akan (about/regarding) dunia (world) ini (this), Sehingga (until/up to) Ia (He) telah (already) mengaruniakan (gift) Anak-Nya (his Son) yang (that) tunggal (one and only), suppaya (so that) setiap (each/every) orang (person) yang (that) percaya (believe/faith) kepada-Nya (in Him) tidak (Not) binasa (destroyed/perish) melainkan (but/rather) beroleh (have) hidup (life) yang (that) kekal (eternal).

John 3:16 (Translation from NIV)

what better way to go forward into the new year than to start by looking back to thank God for the past year.

It's already the 14th of Janurary, and time really flies... really does. I've yet to come up with new year resolutions, but i guess, there are may things that I should be thankful for looking back in 2008 first.

I thank God for my family, for my school, for my friends, and for Church... I remember the time when I first decided that I'd be going to Australia to study. It wasn't an easy decision, perhaps even, the hardest decision i had to make ever... yet. And but I remember how God was faithful to answer prayer after prayer... when I asked for accomodations, He provided... when I asked for finances, He provided... when I asked if it was the right decision, He answered... when I asked for food, He provided... yup. *Jehovah Jireh a.k.a. God provides :D

talking about food, on my very first day in Sydney, by the time i entered my room, it was about 12+pm... was so tired, I fell asleep... and as it was, it became dark by the time it was around 7pm... Intially I wanted to roam around to find a place to buy dinner before it got dark (** I skipped lunch to rest and only had a muffin on the plane breakfast earlier). But who knew the sky turned dark that fast... and I woke up at 7+pm.

And as I looked out my window, it was pitch darkness... at least the streets were. I didn't have a map, nor was I intending to go out just in case I lost my way, and couldn't find my way back... that'll be way way way way way too risky, i thought. so i decided to try get some more sleep & maybe it'd turn morning quickly.

9.30 p.m.
I woke up because my stomach hurt really badly, i guess it was gastric.... at least i think it was... and so I woke up because of the pain, and took 2 tablets of Antacids (things you eat when u get gastric). and I thanked God I had the medicine, cos it made my stomach feel a tad' better. but the pain didn't go... it was still unbearable as it was and I had to literally curl in bed to try ease the pain.

and well, the pain didn't make things any better for me.
well, guess what? I felt miserable... i guess its a normal feeling to have being foreign in a foreign place... alone... no family... no friends...yet. *at that time I hadn't really gotten over leaving the comforts of home, family and friends...and worst still... I was hungry... and my stomach was pain.

never told anyone yet, but probably, that night was one of my down'est moments in my life. seeeeroooiouuussly.
*so what do people do in down moments?
... I prayed... asked God to take away the pain, cos it was quite unbearable. so then, I turned off the lights went back to my bed... I tried to sleep it over... but I couldn't.

around 5 minutes passed...

and someone knocked on my door... ***u know this is one of the prayers where God answered almost instantly.

my lights were already turned off... and normally people don't normally wake people up when they are "sleeping". but my landlady called for my name through the sliding door grills... As it was, I got up to open the door and guess what? In her right hand was a plate full... FULL.. with meat, vegetables, curry... and asked me if I had eaten my dinner and in her left hand, 6 packs of YEOs green tea... she also gave me a whole tissue box of tissues to compliment the meal. That night, I ate so much that I felt bloated... and the gastric pain went away too...

and saying grace/thanking God for the food that day was like no other day in my life *i was touched... grateful... have u ever been so thankful that u were moved to tears? wierder still... have you ever said grace with tears? it was my first.

-------------------------and so that was how God started my year in Australia.

around 4-5 months before i set foot on Australia.

i remember when I accepted UNSW offer... perhaps the biggest concern to me was the finances. it was crazy ***studying Medicine overseas... is crazy when it comes to money.

well, i did ask God for money... and He provided.
it was not so much that my parents couldn't afford it... but i thought that it would bring about a huge burden on them... and it could have been.

& i remember a day when a pastor asked specifically for those who are worrying about finances and are wanting to go overseas to study... it was kind'a like an altar call thingy and i felt that God say that He'd provide... I raised my hand... and so there were 2 people who raised their hands, me and another person. and guess what? as it was, I stood up and went to the front.

and the most unexpected, unexpected, unexpected happened... not a miracle though'. the pastor asked around for people who would give a love offering... suddenly my world crumbled. haha. maybe not crumbled crumbled. I told the pastor that it was not like that, I didn't want the love offering... I mean, all i wanted was for him to pray, and me to trust God to provide. I really didn't need the money and so, I went back to my seat. at that moment, i thought I heard God wrongly...

so this was how God was in control all the while.

it was a few years ago, when she bought a shop on a rather 'rash' and some may say 'reckless' decision from an Auction. unknown to me, or my mum, or my dad, or anyone, this decision was one that God allowed and made use of... at that time, when my mum bought the shop, it didn't mean my parents had the money to pay for it... so there were details like rent that would be used to pay the loan... property prices didn't seem to do so well in the time after... seemed like a rather bad choice to me. remember how property prices weren't doing so well, and it stayed low for a long long long time after the property market crashed somewhere in 2004-2005?

but remember how the enBloc craze that took place somewhere in the 2nd half of 2007? Suddenly, everyone wanted to enbloc. property prices went up. and went up. for a short time. a really timely time. one day somewhere in nov-december 2007, my mum recieved an sms to say that there was a buyer for the shop... and on december 2007, the shop was sold. turns out, the money made from the sale was enough to pay for my overseas education and that the amount my parent's would have to pay to top it up would be equivalent to a local uni fee.

and so, it was about 3 months before coming to Australia (december 2007) that the finances came in through that decision my mum made on that shop.

and that was how God answered my prayer...

-------------------------and so that was how God prepared my year before I went Australia.

and actually, there's so many much much more stuff to say... but then, it'd be too much to write. haha.

and for 2008, i thank God for many many things,

like how I met super duper friends like Jerming in UNSW too, who would always so willingly drive me to and fro to church on sundays... really a great friend and fun to be with with. really smart and inspiring too... and Dina who would cook the most wonderful meals ever and invite us over... these are the people who God placed in my life that I really really thank Him for.

and of course, all my UNSW friends... who become almost like a 2nd family... and there i met friends who i know will be friends for life... not the kind of friends who's distant... there's medicine friends, even an anomaly from malaysia.. haha... there's FOCUS friends... there's OCF friends... really really cool people. i guess being overseas, you become better friends with people around you. *2nd family!

and besides everything-Australia... singapore's where home is really.

of course i really thank God most for my family. Guess what? my parents are involved in ministry... mum's helping to run an indonesian fellowship in COSbt, and dad's in prision ministry... and my sis who's already earning hard-earned money but really generous... i could ask her to treat me to a meal anytime and she would. hahaha. but i haven't. my brothers too for being there and doing random stuff like swimming together.

and singapore friends. esp secondary school friends. how many people actually keep in touch almost every weeek with their sec school friends... well, they make great friends who always play soccer together. i'd never ever choose to be in no other secondary school cos if so, i'd not known them. well, we've got a gang, its called LPU. what it stands for? :X
and YI friends... thank God for peeps like eugeneo, ken and cYu, chap, kasiang that make church a real joy. and the wonderful gifts from GOandPassionates for my 21st bday... a really awesome bunch of people :D

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but of course, this year was not without its share of downturns...but then, Isaiah 40:31 says

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

like this verse, there are times where those who have their hopes in God can soar like an eagle... that's carefree'ness... and other times where they gather every last ounce of energy to take the next step forward so that they don't faint. it's a contrast.

but the most important part is that God will give you strength to go through these different stages of life. it's not a promise that life's going to be sweet and easy always. but it's a promise that you'll always have strength to move forward.

I must admit that when I first started this year 2008 in Australia, it was just like Soaring. I was so sure of everything. As the year passed, it became more like "running-not-weary" than soaring... but I thank God yet that it's not "walking-not-faint" yet.

and so, the purpose of this post... to remember a little of how God has always been faithful to me, and remember it well.

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so some upcoming new year resolutions!!!!!

1.
I'm gonna learn Bahasa Indonesia. don't ask why... cos I don't know. haha. just know it'd be useful in future. and what better way to learn it than from a English-Indonesian Bible and Dictionary.

2.
Learn piano (jazz/blues piano -somebody teach me). i learnt that it's all about feeling the notes... that when u associate "notes" with "feelings", you hit the right note more often than not... and this video? i cant do it... sian

3.
Guitar. Somebody teach me something.

4.
maybe write songs.

5.
do much better in Studies when term starts

6.
Find a job when i go back to study in Australia?

7.
finish reading the bible by June

8.
start revising the things I've learnt in the past year now *probably the hardest resolution*

Monday, January 19, 2009

Romans 10:9 (New International Version)

Sunday, January 11, 2009

new year post - highlights 2008