A pen of a ready writer

"My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king:
my tongue is the pen of a ready writer."
Psalm 45:1

I was up way so early this morning (I did plan on getting up early) to get things done. While doing these things I did plan to do, I remember my sister's comment on a blog she visited few days ago. So, I thought I'd checked it out.

And then to my amazement, I read all these posting - done by a girl... barely known... - and I truly love her writings, so authentic, down to earth... originale...!

I've been thinking through about these 'writing' stuffs lately. The 'why' behind the writings.

And here's what I found, to write is not something we do just for the sake of fun. I remember the days when I was so moved by the writings of Leonard Ravenhill, Oswald Chambers and the many great men of God of the past. There are something in those writings that are alive. You can still feel their hot burning passion as you read and re-read their writings. These are not ordinary writings.

Their writings have moved and shape a generation and alter the course of history. Amazing!

So, with this thoughts in mind, I surrender myself to the hand of God, may He uses me as His pen to write things He wanted, messages He tucked deep within my heart. As He said, I only need to be a 'ready' writer. No need to be skillful first. He'll shape and polish my skill as I go along hand in hand with Him. May the writings of this pen makes similar impacts as those writings of old, penetrating society and culture, touching the heart of people, ... even one soul at a time.

Suri Cruise with high heels...(is this the trend nowadays?)

The Little Girl with High Heels

I was enjoying my low-fat yogurt with my top three toppings when this little girl walked passed me. Something in her caught my attention immediately. I looked and observed and ... there it is... She was wearing this pink tank-top with a flowery skirt, her hair hang loose and... silvery high heels sandal. Ah... so small, cute... yet, so mature?

I can't shake this sight and went home capturing the image in the memory bank of my head.

As I did my research, here is what I found:
TIME magazine reported sales of thong underwear to 7-12 year old girls in excess of $1.6 million in the year 2003, and the trend continues along with other alarming fashion trends for little girls. Consider the findings of two years of study by an American Psychological Association (APA) task force on the sexualization of little girls. The APA task force’s report states that music lyrics, Internet content, video games and clothing are now being marketed to younger and younger girls. The smutty content of the marketing is linked to eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression. Ironically, this early sexualization presented to young girls has “negative consequences on girls’ ability to develop healthy sexuality.” In experiencing sexuality too soon, they actually lose their ability to experience it in a healthy way as adult women.
Actually this is nothing new, or was I lost somewhere in the mountain that I didn't know what the trend is now. You can surf the web and you'll find babies with high heels, even the famous Suri Cruise whom comfortably walk alongside her mum with her high heels.

My concern is, as the media and fashion industry bombarding our little ones with products they can sell, we are beginning to loose the innocent of their childhood. We have awaken things in them that should not be awaken. We have introduce them to a world that soon will capture their desire and wanting.

My friend always have her little daughter accompanying her for her shopping spree, foot massages and spas session. Not long after, she found out that her little daughter began to want the same thing, dresses the same way she does. And she wonder why...? Hayoh...

The advise from Dennis Rainey stayed with me:
The earlier our young women begin learning modesty, the better. It is very hard for teenage girls to cover up more when they’ve not been trained in modesty from an early age, especially when they are living in a culture that encourages females to flaunt their bodies.Take bathing suits, for example. If you start allowing your daughter to wear a little two-piece bikini when she’s four, you may have a battle on your hands when her figure blossoms and you want to switch her to a one-piece suit at 14.

The Funny Thing About Human Beings

A man asked my friend Jamie Cohen: 'What is the human being's funniest characteristic?'
Cohen said: 'Our contradictoriness. We are in such a hurry to grow up, and then we long for our lost childhood. We make ourselves ill earning money, and then spend all our money on getting well again. We think so much about the future that we neglect the present, and thus experience neither the present not the future. We live as is we were never going to die, and die as if we had never lived.'

(From 'Like the Flowing River' by Paulo Coelho)

Time or Money

Max Lucado wrote: "Zachaeus was a wicked man. The cleanest thing he had was probably the money he took from the people. But, Jesus had time for him."
The word time stayed with me, and then like a cow chewing on and keep on chewing on its food, the realization began to sink in.

Here was this rich guy - well, he was rich from a 'dirty job' he was doing for the Roman empire. He had devoted all his energy chasing after this thing called 'money' that he thought was the highest currency of all. He was small in stature and the Bible didn't tell us whether his family was joining him during the great look out that day.

What amazed me is, when Jesus came near, without any restrain and hesitation, He stopped right in front of that sycamore tree and look up...

Now, how could this be if it is not being 'pre-arranged' by God??

I always marvel with findings like this. The burning bush, the wells (there are many great things happening by those 'wells', just outside the Jericho wall...and many more). I believe God has his agenda full with appointments, common meeting places where He would meet common people and then change them to be extraordinary men and women.

Then, Jesus called his name, "Zachaeus..." - ah, didn't I say so, He had it all planned. He knew it. He knew that Zachaeus would be up on that tree.

He said for Zachaeus to hurry up and come down, because that day He MUST abide at Zachaeus home. (KJV, Luke 19:5)

Wow... to come and visit is already great. To come and dine is superb. But... to come and abide?

This must not be true...or is it??

Jesus, the great healer, deliverer...the Son of God...abide ... in Zachaeus' home?

I looked up the original text and found out that the word 'abide' means 'to stay in a given place, to dwell, to continue, to endure'. (note that down, in a given place - He's not coming in by force!)

Jesus wants a permanent residence in the home of our hearts. He is not a temporary guest.

What Jesus was offering Zachaeus that precious noon day was something more valuable that the highest currency known to him. Jesus gave him His 'time'.

I used to think - even now, sometimes - that giving people 'time' is not a easy thing, especially in such a busy and hectic schedule. I mean, when you give somebody your precious 'time', it's not like you would sit idle with them. In giving people your time, I picture that you would be with them, talking, listening - umm, this is usually the hardest part - well, doing things together with them.

So, this is what Jesus did to Zachaeus on that special day. He went to Zachaues' home, sat in his living room, talking and listening to him, ate with him and his whole family. Boy, Zachaeus must have felt soooo special that day, to have somebody like Jesus spending time with him. He must have felt appreciated, accepted, loved...

The Lord spoke to me with this whole insight, ... I can always give people my money, but in giving them my time is when they would sense and feel the love I have for them. May God grace me in this area.

The movie "UP" (don't let your dreams die...)

The synopsis for Up reads something like this: “By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn’t alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.”

The opening of this movie is nothing short of magical. It shows us Carl (the main character) as a young boy who loves and dreams of adventure. He meets a young girl who shares his imagination and the movie then, mostly without dialog, goes on to tell the story of how they fell in love, married and shared a wonderful life together, a life where the two always dreamed of going on an adventure, an adventure they never got to share due to his wife passing away. I just can not put into words how beautifully this entire part of the story was told. So touching, so real, so happy and so sad.

Watching this movie, I can’t help thinking of my own dreams. Carl had his dreams paced on the walls, on their DREAM Book. Ah, how important it is!

Our mind get weary, our vision get blurred at times. Life’s pressure sometimes can get us so down that we loose sight of our dreams. It was said, “Write this.Write what you see.Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run…”

Writing down our DREAMS and make it visual is very important.

People says, ‘Time flies…’. Yes, it does. Before you know it, you’ll get old like Carl and you’ve spent most of your time leaving in the comfort zone, neglecting all the dreams you once had when you are young. Not that the comfort zone is not good enough. But as John Maxwell said it, the good can be the enemy of the best out there. As we reach out, step out, suddenly we’ll find out all the potentials we never knew exist from within us. All the creativity, the ideas, the talents and skills…all that were invested by God as He formed us in our mother’s womb.

Up is perfect. I have no other way to put it. Thoroughly entertaining, extremely touching, brilliantly animated, hilariously funny, excitingly adventurous and flawlessly told.

Overall, it spoke a personal message to me…Dreams can come through, no matter how old you finally see it manifested, as long as you pursue it with all of your heart.

"Hibernating" time...

As we are approaching the Idul Fitri ...excitement is on the air, both for the Muslim and the non muslim. It's holiday...it's time to take 'time off' from the hectic and busy schedule.
All year round, I've been so tight up with works, going here and there, visiting, caring, encouraging, cheering others ...
It reminds me of my all used up laptop..it gets so hot at times because i use it all day. Then in moments time, it will simply goes off to black..to hibernate - it cool off ;)
So, this holiday season, I'm gonna take sometime off to hibernate. I'm having a little of "me" - time these next couple of days, to cool off, to gain strength, to wait upon the Lord and get filled up again.
I'll sit back and read some of the books I've been postponing reading and sipping cups of hot chocolate. ..ummm, can't wait for it!

"Come to ME..."

The word strucked me as I read it from Max Lucado book this morning. I've read it millions time, I thought. But this time it brought back a fresh insight to me.
It's sounded more like a personal invitation to come closer and be intimate with a person rather than various activities, we mistakenly thought all these times.
Getting more active and be involve with tons of events and works are not the solution to a weary soul.
I picture a ship, battered and tossed to and fro in the midst of a high sea...weary, tired...
So, I readily accept this invitation to come to the One harbour where I can rest my weary and battered ship, and in Him- in Him alone, I'll find my rest...

O love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee I give thee back the life I owe That in Thine ocean depths its flow May richer, fuller be. O light that foll'west all my way, I yield my flick'ring torch to thee; My heart restores its borrowed ray, That in thy sunshine's blaze its day May brighter, fairer be. O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee I trace the rainbow through the rain, And feel the promise is not vain, That morn shall tearless be. O Cross that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from thee; I lay in dust life's glory dead, And from the ground there blossoms red Life that shall endless be.