Smile

It takes 41 muscles to frown. But only takes 17 muscles to smile.You'd probably be needing more muscles in your everyday activities. Save some.


Why overwork? Smile smile smile your way around. People respond to facial expressions they encounter. For me, I always wanna see happy faces around, that I have to start that contagious smile.


A smile is answered by a smile. A frown is answered with a frown but even a frown sometimes is answered by a smile. The old woman I am looking after, more often times would say that I am going crazy for she always see me ear to ear grin these days. =) 
Or her daughter would ask me,  "Do you know them? They smile at you."


Nah, I don't know them and I do not need to know them...My heart is smiling inside that it compels me, go, just smile your way around..=)


Finding no reason to smile? Fake a smile for 5 minutes and notice that thereafter you are smiling naturally and feeling happier than the time you weren't.


But....
Caution:  Smiling is not so so acceptable in the griefs.

Dance like David danced

The last few Sundays were absolute fun for me..=)

I got involved in a dance team in church and I found myself enjoying every move, every dance steps, every groove.

Dancing is a lot of fun. And for those you says they do not know how to dance, I have a good news for you....Yes, YOU CAN.
As long as we are alive, we move, we can dance.
Whether we are good at it or not, that's another story.
Leave it to the onlookers to tell..=) If you do not dance like a real pro, it doesn't matter because we dance not to please the world anyway.

But to dance before the Lord....Amazing...=)
Remember David, how he danced before the Lord?
He danced with all his might! (2 Sam 6:14)

Dancing is a way of expressing our own self, like singing it is a natural talent that we have as a human being.
As long as we are alive, we move, we CAN dance.

So the next time when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon your heart
dance like David danced..=)

Natania's story (5)

The Last Part

With my teacher in YMCA

I am now back on track pursuing my original goal to better my future and this time without a hint of grudge towards my family because God has given me a new forgiving heart. Like many of us I work 6 days a week and so I decided to use my day-off wisely, but of course making sure not to miss church, and I enrolled in spa/massage classes in the YMCA.

When the Campaign of Israel began in December 2008 I participated for my studies to be a success. I first decided to let go off material possessions and gave God one-month salary as my offering but I did not stop there. I fasted and prayed every night and spent more time reading the Bible as a spiritual sacrifice. To add to that I decided to walk and take the ferry to and from school, Church and home as a physical sacrifice instead of taking the MTR. God worked astoundingly, I passed my assessments and received my diploma earlier than scheduled!

I am step closer to my dreams.

I decided to further ‘upgrade’ myself by going back to school. When I complete my studies July next year, I will graduate from Capstone College HK and Bintang Nusantara International and receive my Secondary 6 degree certificates.

Last but definitely not least I now trust God with my love life and will wait for the right person. I am no longer anxious and gone are the lonely days. I am free no longer enslaved by my weak emotions, I will not settle for just anybody. In the end He is the true love that I have been looking for all my life, He gives me the kind of love that nobody else could give me. Thanks to the teachings in the Therapy of Love Seminars, I learned that getting into a relationship is not a joke and having a partner is definitely not a solution for loneliness.

I am now walking hand in hand with God. I have no regrets from any of the problems that I have gone through. God exists and He is always there to hear those who call on Him.

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

***As published on FIA Bulletin

..ending??? of this post, yes..
But the journey towards my dreams continues everyday of my life.

Natania's story (4)

I said to God, “Lord if You permit me, I want to go to Hong Kong not just for the higher pay but most of all to get me out of sin, to let me know You and to follow You with all my heart. But I don’t have enough money and I also need to take medical exams for my application and the clinics are closed on Sunday - my one and only day-off." 


Indeed God answered my prayers as two months later my agent called to inform me that there was a job opportunity in Hong Kong! My certainty in Him having answered my prayers was reinforced when I was given a Friday off because my employer went out of town and so I had the opportunity to go for my medical. To cut a long story short, my application to work in Hong Kong was granted.


Finally in Hong Kong, on my first Sunday off I looked for a church and with the help of my employer I found a nearby church but I felt something was still missing. In search for God I found myself wandering from church to church.


I remember that at one of the churches I had a serious talk with a religious leader and told him, “Look, I am a great sinner, I want to repent and get baptized. Can you help me?” The priest looked me in the eyes and said: “We will discuss this issue next time. Okay? Take it slowly…” Although I persisted and repeated my request to my disappointment the water baptism never happened. Upset and worried I remembered thinking, “What if an accident happens and I die tonight? Would that mean I would go to hell?!”

I then came across an advert in an Indonesian newspaper from UCKG HelpCentre advertising a gift bottle with Holy Water from Israel. They offered prayer & help to people in need. The following Sunday I went with a friend in search for the Church, but after attending the first meeting I developed bizarre nightmares for a whole week! So I didn’t go back the next Sunday but I kept the bulletin I had received with me.


I was going through the bulletin one day when I saw the text-hotline. The next moment, I found myself sending messages and opening up about my problems to the pastor. He invited me to come and attend the faith meetings again and I accepted the invitation. I decided to get myself baptized in water straight away without delay.


After my baptism everything became clear to me; God opened my eyes about the purpose in life. I finally found a reason to live for and started my new life with Jesus. Although problems still come and go, the hard times I faced have made my love for God greater than ever.

To be continued.....

***As published on FIA Bulletin

Natania's story (1)

                              The childhood

I was raised in a Muslim family, where a day never seemed complete without a fight between my parents. My two siblings and I would be deafened by the cursing and swearing that would come out of their mouth, yet this was just an ordinary occurrence in our household. There were times when my father would beat or whip my mother, a very unpleasant sight for anyone to see let alone our neighbours who saw our parents fights as another juicy snippet to gossip about. Although they weren’t aware of it, little did they know that their actions were to have a tremendous impact on my life…

When we grew up my sister ended up going to Jakarta to work whilst my brother and I stayed home to help our parents. We worked hard doing all the work around the house but no matter how much I did my mother was never happy with my efforts and would often bad-mouth me to her friends saying that I was useless and lazy. Resentful towards my mother I decided to follow my sister to Jakarta. 

- To be continued....




***As published on FIA Bulletin.

Martha Munizzi - Glorious

When you come into His presence
Lifting up the name of Jesus
And you hear the music playin'
And you see the people praisin'
Just forget about your worries
Let your troubles fall behind you
Don't you wait another minute
Just get up and on your feet and

Chorus:
Get to dancing
Singing jumping leaping
Get to shouting
Make it loud and make it glorious
Start rejoicing praising lifting raising
Get to shouting
Make it loud and make His praise
Glorious glorious

(VAMP)
I was created
To make Your praise glorious
I was created
To make Your praise glorious glorious
Yes I was yes I was

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