A Significant Touch

(How one half-timer connected with her passion and touched the world)

The first time Rosalind Cook sank her hands into a mound of clay at the age of 26, her soul said, "Ah ha!"

"Shaping that clay into a meaningful form was like finding a piece of myself that had been missing for a long, long time," explains Cook. But life was busy, and for years sculpting terra cotta clay was simply a hobby for Cook, a teacher of the blind before becoming a stay-at-home mother of three, who served on a plethora of school boards and fund-raising committees.

"I realized I was trying to be who other people thought I should be, and I wasn't looking at how God created me. I pulled away from community work and reflected on what really gave me joy in life - and that was sculpting. But I still felt a bit guilty about loving it so much, until a missionary friend watched as I pulled out my clay one evening. I cried as I said to him: 'I don't understand how I can have so much joy in doing this! Where's the significance? This isn't saving souls. This isn't doing anything for anyone. It just feeds me and brings me joy.' "

And that wise man of God replied, "Rosalind, you are made in God's image. He's your Creator and when you use the gifts of His image that gives Him pleasure.'

"From that day on I gave myself permission to sculpt," says Cook. "And I finally connected with its true significance in my life. I was 41. I cast my first bronze at 42 and was able to sell it almost immediately."

Today, Cook's prized bronze sculptures, which range from happy, playful children to full-sized images of Jesus, grace galleries throughout the world. She has donated many pieces to charities, raising far more money than any committee work she ever did.

"My art is a celebration of life and its Creator," says Cook. "It gives me the opportunity to motivate people to give themselves permission to dream. When I gave myself permission to take joy in clay, God sculpted a new world for me in the second half of life. If you delight in your God-given passion, He will give you the desires of your heart - because He put them there! Don't ignore what God is tugging at your heart to do; that's like saying what He has created for you isn't important. Pursue what gives you joy, and you will be amazed by the significance of what God will do through you.

To learn more about the artist and her art, visit http://www.rosalindcook.com


Put Your Hands in the Hands

When word of Rosalind Cook's talent spread, requests for commissioned work became overwhelming.

"I asked the Lord for the strength to say no to some requests because I wanted everything I did to have real significance - value other than a pretty piece of bronze to sell in a gallery."

Soon afterward Cook did a small head study of a woman with a turban draped over one shoulder. The sculpture stopped at the clavicle.

"I wanted to create a woman who depicted beauty not because of her hair, not because of her body, but because she had this inner strength and dignity," explains Cook.

Weeks later a friend saw the small piece in Cook's studio and asked the artist if she would donate it as a fund-raiser for Tulsa Project Woman, a organization that helps women who have no health insurance pay for breast cancer treatments.

"I finished the piece and took it to my foundry to have my mold done and asked for Suzy, who always does them for me. But Suzy wasn't there" recalls Cook. "I learned she had breast cancer and was taking chemo treatments. In tears I told her co-workers what the sculpture was for and was astounded to learn that Project Tulsa Woman had paid for Suzy's treatments."

Later Cook asked Suzy to speak at the event in which the small bronze sculpture would be unveiled. Although shy, Suzy bravely told a crowded room how Tulsa Project Woman took her death sentence and gave her the gift of hope.

"Everyone there was in tears as Suzy, who had lost her hair and her breast, stood beside that sculpture of a woman who depicted beauty - not because of her hair, not because of her body - but because she had inner strength and dignity," recalls Cook. "Suzy was the living embodiment of that sculpture, and the money to help more women poured in. God honored my prayer for significance by taking the least significant thing I had done and making it the most significant. HIS hands guided mine to shape that small study because He knew exactly what its purpose was."

[By Ivey Harrington Beckman}]

You are Unique

I'm volunteering for to be proof reader for any new books that would be sold in the counter - which mean I would get free copies of books and should tell people which one is good and which one is not.

So, I'm reading this new book titled: God is my Coach, by Larry Julian (the writer of God Is My CEO).

I came across an interesting point yesterday (I did speed reading - so fast, but this paragraph was stuck in in my brain and stayed for the whole nite until this morning). So, I pick up the book again...and re-read it slowly...

Boy ... o ...boy... I was captured!!

Larry said something like this:
May be one of the reasons of our dissatisfaction was rooted in the fact that we are not working in position which qualification doesn't fit with our unique gifts. Are we trying to push and fit the uniqueness that God has given and inspired - so it fit with God's purposes for our lives - into something that God has never intended for us? are we a duck that tries so hard to become a lamb?

And then he quoted what Rosalind Cook said (btw, Rosalind is a homemaker, a teacher for the blinds, mother of three - her hobby pottery and makes statues/arts object from brass, etc. Never pursuing her passion because afraid that she would not be ministering to God - karena bikin patung gak ada hubungannya dengan manusia and 'jiwa-jiwa' - she waited until she got an understanding when she was 41 yrs old. At the age of 42, she explore her passion with full effort, and sold that work of art in an instant. Today her works is in sold in many parts of the world.) :
"My artwork is a celebration of life and the Creator. My artworks give me a chance to motivate and inspire people to let themselves to DREAM. If you delight yourself in God (in what He has given you, meaning your unique talents and giftings), He shall give you the desires of your heart - because it is Him that has placed those desires within your heart! Don't ignore His prompting in your heart to do something.; because that would mean you are telling God that whatever He has put in your life is of NO importance. Pursue what gives you pleasure and satisfaction, and you will never deny how meaningful it is what God has done through you."

I never seen Ps. 37:4 from this angle before. I always thought, delighting yourself in God means, taking His words to your heart, believing it. But then...delighting myself, celebrating the fact that God made me the way He made me, with all my unique talents, passion for writing is ...something else.

Whoa...I got it now. ...

When God interrupted your thoughts

I was reading an article posted by Lee Grady about the 'famous bus ride' of 4 days a pastor took in order to meet him, so he would come to his country, a country that has treated women so badly...
when suddenly a thought slipped in my mind...
hey...what have i done with the many friends i have listed in my facebook account? what am i waiting for now...? an opportunity? a voice from heaven or a sign - before start engaging and doing something to bring salvation to them?

time flies and they can be lost one by one...

I feel restless...

how come...this thought has never occurred before??

in such a busy traffics going on in my brain...this thought of how my friends would spend their eternity slipped by...

God what are you telling me?

What Blocks your Creativity?

Blocks to creativity exist when you find yourself not having a creative space that you can escape to. Your life feels dull and you do not feel inspired. You experience little joy in what you do. It is more like going through the motions!!

Blocks to creativity also exist if you find yourself falling short of your potential. Your inner knowing tells you that you are capable of much more; yet when you try, it seems hard to have a major breakthrough. It is possible that you are stifling the genius within, when you do not allow adequate self expression.

10 Blocks to your creativity

1. Fear of Criticism
Perhaps one of the biggest blocks to exploring creativity lay in the fears that your ideas will be criticised. You are afraid that you will not receive support. After all, if your ideas are new and have never been explored before, you put yourself at risk of being ridiculed for them. You perceive that the more your ideas deviate from current norms and trends, the greater the chance of receiving a poor response to them. In seeking to protect your fragile ego, you prefer not to voice your ideas. You would rather not even indulge in your creative daydreams to begin with!

2. Fear of Making Mistakes
Then, there is also the fear that you are setting yourself up for more failures by coming up with new ideas. While creativity gives you a chance for innovation, your ideas may turn out to be a success or a complete flop. “Wouldn’t it be safer to stick to conventions or to old and tested ways?” you reasoned. Fear of making mistakes can be a huge obstacle, preventing you from exploring creativity freely.

“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.”
Quote by Erich Fromm

3. Too Much Clutter
Too much clutter can block the flow of creativity. Clutter can be both mental or physical clutter. In terms of mental clutter, creative ideas cannot flow freely if you are limited by thoughts of negativity like fear, blame, worry or shame. It will be quite impossible for ideas to come round, if your mind is constantly busy with thoughts; such as making arrangements for your schedule, how to make ends meet or whether or not to join the MLM program that your friend is promoting.

In terms of physical clutter, too much paper and things lying around, as well as too many possessions, can be distracting. They are productive suckers, occupying your mind with little or no space left to explore creativity.
(Sur comments: At here where the Concept Map can help you to structure your cluterred mind.)

4. Low Self Confidence
If you suffer from low confidence, you may believe that you are not capable. Hence, you choose to believe that you are not able to come up with creative ideas. You think that creativity is the domain of only geniuses or those who are smarter than you. Limiting thoughts make great blocks to creativity!

5. Not Enough Time To Relax
A brain that is overworked, with no time set aside for relaxation, will find it hard to produce creative ideas. It is too busy with thoughts on activities and tasks. When you are relaxed, great ideas will flow like gushing water from a tap that is fully turned on.

6. Inadequate Sleep
Inadequate sleep can hinder you in coming up with creative ideas the next day. Your physical body needs to feel good first before you can develop and explore your mental creative faculties.

In fact, it is said that many successful people have received their greatest revelations while in a dream-like state and transformed their own lives or even the world around them. One good example was Thomas Edison, who was awarded 1368 distinct patents and invented, including the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, the film projector, and the first motion picture. Edison was known to have said, “Ideas come from space�. Edison purportedly took frequent naps in the afternoons and woke up with solutions to the most perplexing problems.

7. Lack of Priority
If you do not attach any importance to being creative, guess what? You are not going to enjoy the benefits of being creative either. You will be like how you are now - dull and listless. Consider setting aside time for developing creativity. It will be a good idea to also start keeping an idea journal, to faciliate this process.

8. Stubbornness
A refusal to let go of your existing beliefs and thoughts can limit you in thinking of new possibilities. The more you identify yourself with specific values, meanings, beliefs and symbols, the more you will stifle creativity. On the other hand, the more you focus on how values, meanings, beliefs and symbols are formed and interrelated, the more you can explore creativity.

9. Poverty Thinking
You tend to associate those in the creative arts as poor and struggling. Hence, you may feel that it is not important to explore creativity since it cannot help you pay your bills. Why bother to waste time developing right brain thinking when you can rely adequately on your left brain to feed you?

10. Inappropriate Comparisons
If you think that only special, talented people are creative and that geniuses are born and not made, then you may have no wish to develop your creative abilities. You protest that you can barely draw, sing or dance. You are definite that you are tone-deaf or color-blind. You consider people like Shakespeare, Picasso and Mozart as “gifted”.
(Sur comments: see again The Multiple Intelligence. Those people are gifted in Verbal/ Linguist, Visual and Musical; but perhaps lacks in Analytical/ logical side.)

Here is an exciting piece of information for you: When researchers examined outstanding performances in the arts, mathematics and sports, to determine if “the widespread belief that to reach high levels of ability, a person must possess an innate potential called talent”, they discovered the opposite. It is also important to highlight, for instance, that Mozart trained for 16 years before he produced a masterpiece.

While it is true that it is best to develop your innate abilities, the strict definitions of creativity to areas in arts, should not apply. Creativity is also an essential part of innovation and invention and is important in almost every profession. It can be explored, developed and trained in many ways.

Inglorious Basterds

Inglorious Basterds is a 2009 war film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino and released in August 2009 by The Weinstein Company and Universal Pictures. It was filmed in several locations, among them Germany and France,[3] beginning in October 2008.[4] The film, set in German-occupied France, tells the story of two plots to assassinate the Nazi political leadership, one planned by a young French Jewish cinema proprietress, the other by a team of American soldiers called the "Basterds".





Tarantino has said that despite it being a war film, Inglourious Basterds is a "spaghetti western but with World War II iconography".[5] In addition to spaghetti westerns, the film also pays homage to the World War II "macaroni combat" sub-genre (itself heavily influenced by spaghetti-westerns).
Inglourious Basterds was accepted into the main selection at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival in competition for the prestigious Palme d'Or and had its world premiere there in May.[6] It was the only U.S. film to win an award at Cannes that year, earning a Best Actor award for Christoph Waltz.

Funny??
Well, I was invited to watch this movie in a night where I used to be so occupied. They said this was a good movie and 'funny' too. Thinking that I might use a good laugh after a whole series of meetings, so I decided to go... with the caramel popcorn in my hand. My hopes were high for a fun, relaxing time...

I watched through and even fell asleep in some parts because the movie is partly in French and German - so may be because I had to constantly look at the screen for subtitling, my eyelids couldn't cope with the strain.



The movie started with a polite and sleek German "Jews hunter" that had his troop shooting the basement where a French farmer hide a Jewish family. That set the horror already for what was to come...(well, if you decide to watch it after reading this, it's up to you. But you could also check out the story line which is available on the net.)

Anyways, the climax of the movie is when the movie theater where all the Germans gathered was in fire, and they were all trapped inside. Then the 2 Americans (the Basterds) who had sneak in there started shooting all the Germans vigorously - like they were having fun doing it.

My heart was restless when the movie ended. I could not shake those scenes I just saw. I couldn't explain why I felt that way, I could not put it into words. But after a couple of days, my thoughts began to settle down and I was able to search my heart as to what had made me so restless.


Firstly, I believe World War 2 was no joke - whoever parties involved at that time. Countless lives died during that war. Thousands of families experience loss of their loved ones. These are moments of despair and sadness. So, to turn the whole thing into a joke won't be 'right'. It's too much!!



Secondly, I wonder how would the young German generation think when they watch that movie? What kind of feeling erupted in their hearts after they watch the scene where the Americans slandered and shoot all the German soldiers - taking their scalps alive, even??

Are we creating and igniting a new war? Hasn't we seen enough already???

Other Movies
As for movies, my liking is for true story and children animated ones. I also collect lots of war movies - basically because I study the history and the strategy of wars. You can name all the movies of World War 1, World War 2, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, even the recent ambush to Afganistan - are in my library.

Some of the great true stories during the Holocaust :

God at Work

In the beginning God created...

The Bible begins with these famous words. God, like an artist, fashioned a universe. How can we grasp the grandeur of this?

Michelangelo, perhaps the greatest artist in history, may help us to understand. He painted Rome's famous Sistine Chapel to retell Genesis' story of creation. His experience proves one thing: creativity is work.

An Exhausting Effort
Michelangelo had 6,000 square feet of ceiling to cover - the size of four average house roofs. Anyone who as painted a ceiling with a paint roller has caught a hint of the physical difficulty of such task. But Michelangelo's plan called for 300 separate, detailed portraits of men and women. For more than three years the 5'4" artist devoted all his labors to the exhausting strain of painting the vast overhead space with his tiny brushes.


Sometimes he painted standing on a huge scaffold, a paintbrush high over his head. Sometimes he sat, his nose inches from the ceiling. Sometimes he painted while lying on his back. His back, shoulders, neck and arms cramped painfully.
In the long days of summer, he had light to paint 17 hours a day, taking food and a chamber pot with him on the 60-foot scaffold. For 30 days at a stretch he slept in his clothes, not even taking off his boots. Paint dribbled into his eyes so he could barely see. Freezing in the winter, sweating in the summer, he painted until at last the ceiling looked like a ceiling no more. He had transformed it into the creation drama, with creatures so real they seemed to breathe. Never before of since have paint and plaster been so changed.


The Miracle of Life
But, as Michelangelo knew very well, his work was a poor, dim image of what God had created. Over the plaster vault of the Sistine Chapel rose the immense dome of God's sky, breathtaking in its simple beauty. Mountains, seas, the continents - all these, and much more, are the creative work of God, the Master Artist.
God's world, so much bigger and more beautiful than Michelangelo's masterpiece, is the product of incomparably greater energy. As author Eugene Peterson has written, "The Bible begins with the announcement, 'In the beginning God created,' not 'sat majestic in the heavens' and not 'was filled with beauty and love.' He created. He did something. "

In the beginning, God went to work...

(Introduction to the Book of Genesis, which I committed to study again)

Painter of Light

I went to Placerville, California several years ago and while I was strolling down the streets, going in and out of stores, I came across this painting gallery. Something about the name of the artist that rang the bell in my mind. I watched an interview in TBN while I was in Jakarta about this unique and talented man.




The Artist
Thomas Kinkade is America's most collected living artist. Coming from a modest background, Kinkade emphasizes simple pleasures and inspirational messages through his paintings. As a devout Christian, Kinkade uses his gift as a vehicle to communicate and spread inherent life-affirming values.

It was while growing up in the small town of Placerville, California that these important values were nurtured. It was also during this time that Kinkade began to explore the world around him. He spent a summer on a sketching tour with a college friend, producing the best-selling instructional book, The Artist's Guide to Sketching. The success of the book landed the two young artists at Ralph Bakshi Studios to create background art for the animated feature film Fire and Ice. It was also during this time that Kinkade began to explore light and imaginative worlds with abandon.

After the film, Kinkade earned his living as a painter, selling his originals in galleries throughout California. In 1982, he married his childhood sweetheart, Nanette, and two years later they began to publish his art.

Painter of Light
During my visit to his gallery in Placerville, I noticed one thing. There were light switch near most of those paintings. The guide in that gallery showed me how to switch on the lights and played with the different brightness and saw how those lights effected the paintings. It was interesting.
During the interview in TBN, Paul Crauch asked Mr Kinkade of how he would want to be known. Mr. Kinkaid said that he want to be known as The Painter of Light.



How interesting to hear that. I am amazed of the unique talent of this man who could put lights in all his paintings capturing the best colors nature can offer.

Yet, to think of Thomas Kinkaid, The Painter of Light, I can't help to wonder in amazement of The Great Artist, The Master Painter, Who does His paintings and stroke His brushes, applying the beautiful colors by the words of His mouth. God has in his painting studio, all kinds of brushes...big and small. The way He strokes is always gently and loving.

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
the moon and the stars you set in place—

Psalm 8:3

See, God is busy with His brushes... putting all kinds of 'lights' the the painting He's creating.


And as He said, I know the plan I have for you... plan of peace...to give you hope and a future...

Yes, like Mr Kinkade, God my Great Painter has a finished painting in mind of my life... He strokes His bright colors to bring light in my dark and gloomy days. With Him by my side, all my days are full, warm and bright...

Leaky Vessels

Can you just imagine filling water into a clay vessel that has cracks?? Every morning you would fill that vessel and in the afternoon all the water slowly leaks out. When you comes back, the vessel was empty of water. The next day you try again...and in the afternoon, the water is gone. The next day it happens again, then the following day...and the following week. What happen? Have you been so careless and you spill the water before it reach the clay vessel? No..no...no..., The water is gone simply because there are cracks in that clay vessel. All this time, you've been putting water in a leaky vessel. Frustrating, huh?? Well...it happens :)

I've been meeting several leaky vessels lately...some with major cracks, and some with thin cracks - you barely can't see it. All this time I was wondering how come even the best act of kindness from my part was wiped out in just a short periode of time. You give them surprises in their birthdays - still they don't feel it's enough. You write them notes, check on them from time to time, still they don't feel they are cared for. These people constantly feel unwanted, not loved much, not appreciated, under-valued...ah, you name it. Never enough!

Until this thought come to mind... leaky vessel. That's it! All the things you've poured on them was leaking out , they can't contain it. The cracks and the leaks that constantly happen leave them in want all the time. And they want you to keep on filling some more ... giving them more that you can handle. They demand from you...

And the vessel that he was making from clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter;
so he made it over, reworking it into another vessel
as it seemed good to the potter to make it.

Jer. 18:4 (AMP)

(Interestingly, God loves these leaky vessels that He wouldn't want to throw none of them. He would work them again and turn them into the best form God has in mind.)

to be continued...

Fingerprints on my reading glasses

In the early years when I began to use glasses, I remember how my dad used to show me how to clean up those glasses. He would put water and soap in a basin and then carefully holding the frame he would gently rub the glasses. Then dipping them several times in the water while gently cleaning them. He told me not to touch the glass but to hold firm the frame in hand. "Otherwise you would get your fingerprints on these glasses," he would say.

This morning, when I woke up and about to open up my computer, somehow my sight got blurred...I found out later it was because of my glasses. It was dirty. I looked real close and saw fingerprints all over the glasses...hmmm, must be from last nite reading session and falling asleep with those books and the bopies :)

Well, I couldn't help thinking about what my dad told me years ago, 'you would get your fingerprints on those glasses.'

Now here's what I realize. I couldn't help it that my fingerprints are all over my glasses. It would, you know, if you touch those glasses. For sure, you'll leave marks of fingerprints there.
You see, it's the same thing every time we meet people and interact with them. One way or another, we'll leave marks on them. Whether it is good or bad, of joy or sadness, of encouragement or disappointment - but your marks will be there.

With this thoughts in mind early this morning, I sort of make a promise to myself that I would leave good marks in the lives of people I meet today. I want them to feel appreciated, loved and accepted. I want them to feel uplifted and encouraged..

The Soloist

The Soloist is a 2009 drama film directed by Joe Wright, and starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. The screenplay by Susannah Grant is based on the book, The Soloist by Steve Lopez. The film is based on a true story of Nathaniel Ayers, a musician who develops schizophrenia and becomes homeless.

Foxx portrays Ayers, who is considered a cello prodigy, and Downey portrays Lopez, a Los Angeles Times columnist who discovers Ayers and writes about him in the newspaper. The film was released in theatres on 24 April 2009[1] and on DVD and Blu-Ray August 5.

I watched this movie during my hibernating period a couple of weeks ago... ohh those precious couple of days ...and was deeply moved.

Well, here I saw how a writing can have such an impact to people's life everywhere, even to the writer himself. I watched how well meaning act of kindness can be turned down because of some mental disabilities, but how friendship would bridge the gap and actually bring healing to a mentally disturb person.

The movie really moves me - I don't care what the rating posted by Rotten Tomatoes said - it bring forth the softer side of people, the tender spot any human being has deep within their heart - the side that want to do act of kindness, the side that grieve whenever there's pain and injustice done to mankind.

I wish there will be many more movies like this come to the theaters, to revive the numbness in people's heart because of all the junks in the media [00...i should be sharing more on this in my next posting...hmmm...i just can't stand it!]

Well... watch the movie...you won't regret it!

Lucky I'm in love with my Best friend

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Ooh ooh ooh..

That's the chorus of the famous song by Jason Mraz, Lucky.

As I enjoyed the beat of the music and hummed the melody, a thought crossed my mind.

"To be able to be in love with your best friend"...would it mean, you ought to be friends first before hastily offer your heart to someone?

I met lots of broken hearted girls and guys... and some are my close ones. Too many times, it was a love at first impression or I should say a short time fling, where people got emotionally entangled and think that it must have been love. Then, too often too soon, they offer the sacred words... I love you (the words almost drainned to it's core and loose the truest meaning of it).

Words like 'I love you' becomes so cheap and easy to hear. Hearts are easy presents we toss and shift, like it's nothing.

Ah...

The shock of your life comes when your eyes finally open and reality come to being. The person you thought was 'the' one turns out to be a total disappointment. You haven't figure out all the other facets of this human being now you sorrily call your 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend'.

Well... at the end, people would say ..."It doesn't work out. Can't we just be friends now?"

Broken Instruments

I came across these pictures while i was surfing the net for other images I needed.

Broken down and damaged, you would think who would want to use these broken instruments? No beautiful sound would ever be able to come out of such things. Nobody would go to any music stores looking for broken down instruments...I mean, nobody would display such instruments by their windows expecting customers to drop by and shop inside. To put it further, putting such instruments will distract customers from coming to your store.


Yeps… that might be true…

But now, I want you to see another kind of broken instruments…our hearts.

We all have walked our different journeys. Life experiences have somehow gotten our hearts weary, tired and … broken. Unfulfilled hopes, shattered dreams, bitter and painful experiences have somehow ruined the strings on these unique instruments.

Passers passed by and they said…hopeless, there’s no way anything good would ever come out of those broken stuffs.

Hmmm, wait a minute… don’t make your comments that fast…or, ‘don’t jump the gun!’, a cowboy would say

Now, look real close at this…


Hey, somebody is holding that broken down stuff…

Hey…there’s beautiful sound coming out of it…!!!

Yups, you’re right, brothers. Of all those passers, there’s One that stopped by, … looked at those broken instruments and… He picked them up…one by one

The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit.
God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin.

Ps. 51:17 (NCV)

He hold them fast in His hands…and in His hands, in His hands alone…those old broken down stuffs begin to produce the most beautiful sound the world has ever heard …and …when you look real close, it’s not only come from one instrument but from a big orchestra… An orchestra made out of broken down instruments….


Hey...you can look and read a list of broken instruments in Matthew 1 (yeps, He decided to start the New Testament with this list...unbelievable...- you would not start a book with a genealogy, would you? It would be such a boring thing!).


With a trail and long list of all these broken instruments - consists of a liar, adulterer, somebody that committed incest with his daughter in law, harlot and ... peeping thumb? - then came the Messiah!! These broken instruments made a grand orchestra with symphony so beautiful with crescendo of the birth of Jesus.


Fantastic…!


So, today… when I see a ‘broken instrument’, I would not tossed it aside or throw it away… I want to hold it in my hand and gently, like the Hands that are holding me, I want to make beautiful sound out of it…for I too was once that broken instrument.

“The heart is the only broken instrument that works.”
- T. E. Kalem