TWO KINDS OF CELEBRATION IN CHRISTMAS

In this whole world, there are two kinds of people who celebrates christmas every year.

The first people is the people who celebrates christmas as a common holiday. For these people, christmas is a time to share their loves to the family and special one.There are special foods and drinks, including wine and champagne. When the family is gathering, they exchange presents to each other.

The second people are the people who celebrates christmas as a birth of Jesus. For these people, christmas is the time when they feel the love of God. The God who devoted his life to be a normal human; The God who feel what we feel as a normal human. When these people receive the love from God, they transmit the love to their family and special one as well. These people also have special foods and presents to enjoy the life that God have given.

Which christmas do you prefer? I prefer the christmas to celebrate the birth Jesus, because the root of the word Christ + Mas means The born Jesus. There are a lot of events in church to honour The Saviour.Whenever you received Jesus as The Lord, that is christmas for you since He is born in your life.

On christmas night, most of the churches in Indonesia is guarded by police. We don’t want the event in year 2000 happend again. We don’t want the terrorists put the bom in the churches like what happend in year 2000. We want the peace while celebrating christmas night in churches.

♥

Nova Tobing*

TOMORROW

People may own anything in this world. You may own a company, a big business, an expensive sport car, private aeroplane, tall buildings, jeweleries and everything inside this world. But, no one in this world owns tomorrow.

James Bond says “Tomorrow Never Dies” while Ronan Keating sings “If Tomorrow Never Comes”. Both these statements are contrary. One believes that tomorrow always comes and the other believes that there’s the end of tomorrow.

How about You???

I am on Ronan Keating opinion. I believe there’s the end of tomorrow and if there’s the end of tomorrow for everyone under the sun, means there’s the end of this world. Nothing is immortal.

When I hear Ronan Keating song, it’s like alarm for me. It makes me question myself, “Have I done the good deed – for my family, for everyone surround me?”

Tomorrow will be end for everyone in this whole world. Where are you going when tomorrow finishes for you? I believes I will be in heaven with my Father, cause only in Jesus, there’s a guarantee where will you be when the end of the world?

♥

Nova Tobing*

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Independence is a freedom to live and to choose; no bound. Again, every August 17^th, Indonesia celebrate The Independence Day, free from colony. People are happy to celebrate The Independence. It means people are happy when there’s nothing bound them.

Beside the nation independence, there are some kinds of independence :

1. Independence to dream and to reach your dream
2. Independence from drugs and alcohol
3. Independence from bad habit

Based on these kinds of independence, means everyone has their own independence day. When you are free to dream and reach your goal that’s your independence day. When you are free from drugs and alcohol, that’s your independence day. When you are free from any kinds of bad habits, that’s your independence day.

You must be grateful when you remember or celebrate your own independence day because nothing bound you anymore.

 ♥

Nova Tobing*

True Friend

(This is my Note in tough time)

There’s a statement about friendship : “True friend is like a shadow which follow you when you are under the light.” Do you agree with this statement? I don’t ! Because when the light goes out, the shadow is not exist anymore. A true friend should be exist in the light and in the darkness as well.

Many friends want to be with you when you are walking under the sunshine, but who wants to be with you in the dark cold stormy nights? Only a true friend who wants to be with you in the very low point of your life (when you fail; when you have no money; when you are ill; when you are nothing and there’s no one want to stand beside you).

The only one who wants to share in the sunshine and in the darkness is only Jesus. He is the true friend.

 ♥

Nova Tobing

Beside You

(Note in tough time)

My feet trembled

My heart cries out so deep

I bend on my knees and my face to the ground

My tears fall, ask for your mercy

My hope is still on you

Like a dull donkey I am beside you, yet I am still beside you Lord

Nova

Time to Learn

Hi Viewers

(Note in tough time)

My memory goes back to the time when I was a student. All the students used to bring along many books in their bags for there’s no locker at school. Some students sometimes complained to take the heavy bags in their back. They didn’t realized that they were in the process of learning. They didn’t see the benefits at that time. But now, when they are grown up and have a good carier plus a good position, they can see and feel the benefits of carrying many books in their bags.

In life, the perfect time to learn is when we have burden in our back. Maybe, we feel uncomfortable at first. We feel the burden is too heavy so we want to put down and walk without burden. If we want to put down the burden, we will lose chance to learn.

When I have many problems, I feel like I have a burden in my back. It made me weak. Then, I remember the sentence “take the yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.(matthew 11: 29 – 30).

Nova

There’s a power in a worship

(Note in tough time)

It is about 3 a.m . Suddenly I woke up and found my heart beated so fast (out of the normal beat). I had never experienced it before. It feels like my heart wanted to jump out of me. It was a fast and hard beat.

I said to God, “God, if it is the end of my life, let me sing for you for the last time. Then I sat on the floor, raised up my two hands, and started to sing. When I was singing, I didn’t focused on my heart which still beated so fast, but I focused on the worship. Suddenly, my heart beat was back to the normal.

I believe there’s a power in a worship. When we raise up our hand, our faith is raise up as well. On that time, we have the intimacy with God and the intimacy gives us a peace; a peace which this world can’t give. The peace heal our soul and makes us stronger.

Although I am not a singer or a worship leader, but I want to be loyal to worship God. If I can stand till now, that’s because of Jesus who gives me strength.

Nova

SURPRISE AND BACK TO BE SURPRISED

Dear Friends,

Did you ever get a surprise from someone? Or, You are the one who create a surprise for other people?

Surprise is made to make somebody feel pleasant by the unexpected thing that we give. We make a surprise for our friends, sister, brother, parents, colleague or partner in a certain event, such as birthday, mother or father day, Christmas, etc.

It is better to know the favorite thing of a person whom we want to give surprise. So, when she/he receive our surprise, she/he will not disappointed. If you can not make a big surprise, just a small surprise is good as well.

I am a person who like to make a small surprise. I did some small surprise for my friends. Sometimes, I send cards or giving cake for their birthday. So, if you are in my friend list and I have your address, maybe I will make a small surprise for you.

I sent my friend a birthday card. Fortunately, it arrived on her birthday. But, suddenly she came to my house at noon. Surprisingly, she brought me a nice cake. I made a surprise but I’m back to be surprised.

The benefit of a surprise

If you have a monotonous friendship or relationship, you need a little surprise to make it more colorful. A big or a small surprise is able to create a smile in people face. So, if you need to add other color in your friendship or relationship, go and get something for your friend or beloved one. Remember, don’t let she/he know it!

Nova

YOUR LIFE IS PRECIOUS

Dear Friends

Recently, the media often report the people who do suicide. In my country itself, the number of people who do suicide increase with different cause.

There was a woman aged 22 years old, doing suicide by jumping from 3^rd floor in a big mall. The cause is because she was ashamed. She was pregnant but the man didn’t want to marry her (responsible).

There was a man who hang himself in his apartment because he was fired from his company. There was a man who jumped from tall building because of broken heart.

There are some women who did suicide because of feeling lonely, through this life with meaningless.

Why these persons do suicide? Because they have problem and they consider the problems are too big for them ; the others feel life is meaningless. Is suicide be the solution for a big problem? Where are they after doing suicide?

“I have many problems, I had better die than life!” said a person. That’s life! As long as we live in this world, we will always deal with problems. If you never have problems, that’s will be a problem.

In the end, I suggest the people who want to do suicide to go to hospital. Then, try to find the patience who diagnosed a killing disease which the doctor state their lives only for a short time. Make a conversation with the patience, then you will know your life is precious. I guarantee, all of them want to live not die.

Nova

HOW MUCH IS YOUR LOVE CARAT???

Dear Friends

A man makes a confession through an Indonesian book. Here are the story goes :

The man and his girlfriend were going to a recreation place. They took a bus. The woman was sitting next to the man. This trip seemed very enjoyable until a problem befell them. His girlfriend suddenly vomited. Because of his love to the woman, the man received his girlfriend’s vomit by his two palms. Then, he threw the vomit through the bus window.

“It’s okay, darling. If you want to vomit again, you may vomit on my palms,” said the man, offering his two palms.

Then his girlfriend vomit again for many times on his palms. Although the warm and disgusting liquid was in his two palms, but he didn’t feel disgusted at all. All he wanted was to make his girlfriend better by doing anything for her. His love much bigger than the disgusted liquid.

All the passengers surround them kept on staring on them, seeing the rare view. They surprised and amazed by the man. How come that man didn’t feel disgusted with the woman’s vomit at all? Of course his girlfriend felt so proud; she felt so lucky to have such kind of man. This condition always happened whenever they go out of town. His girlfriend always vomited and the man always received the vomit on his palms. The man didn’t show any complaint of it at all.

Then they got married. About three months later, the woman was pregnant. At one morning, the woman vomited in the bathroom. When the woman went out of the bathroom, the man went into it. Suddenly, the man shouted, “Mia…..!”

Hearing her husband calling her name, she directly came to the bathroom.

“Why did you let your vomit on the floor? You should clean it before going out!” said the man.

The woman began to cry and said “When we were dating, you never complained if I vomit. You even give me your two palms as a place for me to vomit. Now, You don’t love me anymore!”

In a moment, the man was brought to the past. He felt guilty. “I’m sorry. Now, I’m offering my palms if you want to vomit again, dear.” Shockingly, the woman vomit again in his palms. The man said in his heart, “Actually, I feel so disgusted now!”

(Quoted and translated from Masalah dalam rumah tangga book).

Do you like the confession?

Everything can change under the sun. Although the love of the two couple can change/erase if we can not keep it well. Only one thing which will be stay forever that is The Love of God. No matter we vomit or doing mistakes, bad things. No matter how bad we are, He always says “I love you, My son. Come back to me, I’m your Father.”

Nova

(picture upload from google.com)

LOVE IS NEVER ENDED

Dear Friends

Many stories about love in this world. Love for our parents, love among friends, and love for our partner. Everyone has the love to share. So often because of problems in our daily life, we have the troubles to express our love.

Love is love Love is joy
Love is peace
Love is longsuffering
Love is kindness
Love is goodness
Love is faithfulness
Love is gentleness
Love is self-control

If we have these loves in ourselves, we will not be difficult to express our love to our beloved ones although we have problems in our daily life. When we have these loves, we will know Him, the immortal and the true love, that is Jesus.


Nova
(picture upload from google.com)

DO YOU SMILE LIKE A MONALISA?

Smile… smile … smile…. .Cause people love you when you smile. Smile is the universal language of friendliness. In this world, there are so many languages but the language of smile is only one, that is expressed on our face with the corners of the mouth turned up.

We can interpret the meaning of a smile is expression of amusement, happiness and joyfulness. But, till now, many people and the artists still could not predict the meaning of Monalisa smile. People say it’s a mysterious smile. Though it is still a mistery, people still want to see it because “She is smilling.”

I often see women who wear viels, covered all part of their bodies. We only can see their eyes. I just wonder how do they show their beautiful smile to other people?

Whether you smile like a Monalisa or no, at least you smile. Everyone likes to see people smile. So, make sure people can see your smile.

:- )

Nova

(picture upload from google.com)

GOD IS GOOD

People who lived in the past are healthier than now for they always walked barefoot. They walked not in the smooth road. We know that the nerves in our sole connect to crucial organs in our body. When we step on in the rough way or in the stones, the nerves in our sole directly connect to the organs ion our body. It is good for the work of the organs. It is like an exercise. It makes us healthier.

It is as same as what happen in our life. If everything is smooth and everything is alright. It will be hurt if someday we find the trouble. It will be hurt if someday we walk in the stones. Many stones in this life, stone of financial, stone of health, stone of job, stones of relationship, etc. So often these stones make us away from God.

We don’t understand God make the stones to our life as exercise for our faith to Him. If we have been get used to walk in stones, we will be strong in our faith to Him. Our health will be healthier than before. It’s easy to say God is God when everything is ok. Meanwhile, it is difficult to say God is Good when everything turns around from our expectation. But, we should say God is good in every seasons in our life because he keep on holding our hands to walk the stones.

Thank you Jesus for making me stronger through the stones in my life.

Habakkuk 3:17-19:

¹⁷Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

¹⁸Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

¹⁹The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

Nova

(picture upload from google.com)

FATHER AND DAUGHTER

Father is the first man in daughter life. A figure of a father represent the figure of a man in common. The characters of a father influence his daughter emotionally.

Is there a perfect father?

There’s no perfect father because no body is perfect. There are daughters who never meet their father. There are daughters who get many wounds emotionally because of their father deed. There are daughters who doesn’t get proper attention from their father.There are daughters who have warm loving care from their father.

There’s a woman whom i ever met said,” I saw my father have an affair since i was 13 years old. My mother knows it but she can not do anything. I don’t have a good communication with my brothers. They are egoistic. And, my relationship with men always ended. Now, I only have a relationship with a woman.”

There’s a woman whom i ever met said,” My father is a member of a church choir. But, since I was a child, I saw him hurt my mother physically. I was sad and cried when I saw him hurt my mother. I had better went to club than seeing it”

There are some women who drop on drugs, free sex and prostitution. For some of them, the first thing they complain is about their fathers behavior. They questioned, ”Did you ever love me, Dad?”

Fatherless Country

There’s a mother day in Indonesia , there’s also a father day in western countries. But, there’s no father day in Indonesia . I don’t know why???

My father for me.

I don’t communicate intensively with my father, but one thing that I will always remember, that is my father advice. When I was 16 years old, my father ever said, ”You may have relationship with any man but don’t ever sleep with him before he marry you! If you break this, you are not my daughter anymore and Get out of my house!”

I know people will think that my father is too strict, so interfering, old fashioned, etc. But, I know he said that because I’m precious for him.

We can not choose in what family we will be born and we can not choose who will be our father. Is he a good man or no? Whatever our father, whatever he do, accept him whatever he is because there’s no ex – father, there are only ex- boy and ex-girl. When we never see a good father in our life, we can see Our Father. He is the Father who always care for us and he has never ended love for us.

The messages for all fathers

You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.
³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
⁴ Yes, this will be the blessing
for the man who fears the LORD.(Psalm 128 : 2-4)

Fathers,^[a] do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. ( colossians 3:21)

Happy Fathers day!

Nova

(picture upload from google.com)

JUST FOR FUN

Homonym is a word with the same spelling or sound as another, but different meaning. There’s an Indonesian boy who doesn’t speak English. He only knows a few words in English, that is I’m sorry, thank you, happy, number one until ten.

One day, he got in a bus. There was a foreigner in the bus as well. This boy was not in purpose to step on the foreigner’s foot.

“Auchhh…!” responded the foreigner.

“I’m sorry, Sir,” said the boy.

“It’s ok. I’m sorry too,” replied the foreigner with smilling.

“I’m sorry there,” said the boy again.

The foreigner frowned his forehead and said “What are you sorry for?”

“I’m sorry five,” said the boy again.

This boy thought the foreigner said apology by counting the number.

(Taken from Aplaus Magazine)

Ria is a student who isn’t good at science subject. One day, her friend asked her to answer a science question. “Rudy is driving from Medan to Parapat. He left Medan at 8. am. What time will he reach Parapat if he drives at 60kph?” asked her friend.

Ria answered,” why should I think hard at what time Rudy will arrive? He has a mobile phone, doesn’t he? He can call his friends when he arrives!”

(by Nova)

One day, an English teacher were explaining about colors to his students. After he had finished explaining, he asked his students, ”Who can make a sentence using the words green, pnk and yellow?”

Rudy, the smartest student in the class quickly raised his hand and answered, ”When the yellow morning sun comes, I see a beautiful girl wearing a pink blouse walking through the green grass.”

“Excelent! Rudy, you are very good!” praised the teacher.

“Me, me, Sir,” Joko the naughtiest student in the class said while raising his hand. Then he said,” I heard the telephone ring, green… green…, then I pink it up the receiver and I ssaid, yellow, who’s speaking there?”

(Taken from C’ns magazine 2003)

ENGLISH FOR NON NATIVE SPEAKER

English is an International language. There are so many languages in this whole world. We can communicate with one another by English even though our mother tongue is not English.

English Book

My mother tongue is not English. I started to learn English when I was 13 years old. Firstly, English was very difficult to learn because it is much different from Bahasa Indonesia. But, I was curious about it so I keep on studying English. Till now, I am still studying English.

In English, the written is different from pronunciation. The world line pronounced by /laIn/ . Whereas in Bahasa Indonesia, the written is as same as the pronunciation, the world makan pronunced by /makan/. Other different is in verb.

Want – wanted – wanted === regular verb

Speak – spoke – spoken === irregular verb

The changes of verbs are depend on the tenses. Meanwhile, there’s no tenses in Bahasa Indonesia.

I got some difficulties when I read texts/books and so do the others. Most of Indonesian translate a sentence word by word at the first time they study English. Can you imagine when we translate the idiom ‘keep in with’? We translate it by word for word translation. We look up the meaning keep, then in, after that with in dictionary. The meaning becomes doesn’t make sense for one another.

There’s a question delivered to me “Nova, in your opinion, who are confused when we are speaking to westeners, we or they?”

“Of course us,” I said with no doubt.

“Wrong! Both of us are confused,” said this man.

“Why so?” I said curiously.

“We are confused because they speak fluently, and they are confused because we speak not fluent.”

I laughed to hear his explanation. Yes, I think he is right. In my opinion, the most difficult thing is to speak to the English itself. Their dialect make me in trouble to understand what they mean. Well, I have to read, hear, and practice much more than now.

Nova

(pictures upload from googgle.com)

"HELP ME!"

A week ago i walked in a mall in medan. Suddenly, there's a woman drew my hand and said to me, "Excuse me, Miss. I disturb your time." I smiled and felt curious "Yes, it's ok. What's the matter?"

"Do you know WWF(not smack down)?"

"Yes, i do" i said.

She started to explain the whole thing about the global warming and WWF as she is the consultant of WWF in Medan. She wanted to spread information about the Sumatra Tiger whose the number gradually decrease because of global warming. She gave me a picture of a Sumatra tiger mother which carrying her child in her mouth and there's a sentence written in the paper which touch my heart "Help Me!"

Sumatran Tiger

God gives human the rights to control, protect, and treat this world with all things in it. But, some people are so greedy, cut down the trees in the forest illegally(illegal lodging).What for?? Of course to get MONEY. So many cases like this in Indonesia.Indonesia is endowed with some of the most extensive and biologically diverse tropical forests in the world. Now, the number of virgin forest is also getting decrease.One of the result is the very hot weather in Medan. It also influences the habitat of the tiger.Yes, if there's no forest anymore where they will live? In our house? They will be extinct.

I wore this note only to transmit information to others.

Nova (Write until you don't know what to write)

(picture upload from google.com)

FOR THE LEAF LOVERS

Do you love leaves?

Recently, I often hear about a hobby to grow and take care leaves. There are some people who spend much fund just for buying plants which have no flower but leaves. And, waste time and money to give appropriate care for the leaves.

Leafes

“It is not good to spend much fund just for leaves!” I said to my friend.

“You don’t know, Nova. When you like or keen on or love something, you will sacrifice everything for it,” said my friend.

I still could not understand why some people love leaves, not flower.

Two weeks ago, I read a newspaper. For me, the best part of a newspaper is the short story column. The short story in this newspaper always contain deep meaning of morality and education messages. When I read it, it was also about the hobby to grow leaves plants. The messages that I read in this short story :

“Don’t you think that leaves are precious?

Leaf is the is the creature which can cook and produce its own food.

Leaf is the creature which can produce oxygen and blows it out to the air.

Don’t you know, the calorie which transmit from a creature to the other creatures begin from leaves?

Why don’t you care about leaves? The source of the air you breathe, the source of calorie you need.

How sad the leaf lovers are! Everytime they see the leaves fall down because of human deed, the

trees are cut down, the forest are bold.”(by Gus TF Sakai)

After reading this short story, I remember about Green community and organization. Leaf lovers are the reason for ‘Go Green Community!’ ; The reason for Green Organization. Leaf lovers, they are the people who work for the leaves and trees. They are the people who want to minimize natural disasters, they are the people who want this earth as a comfort place to live, they love what God had endowed to us.

Forest

Although my mother like to grow and care flower and leaves, but I am the person who don’t really care about leaves. I prefer to cook than caring for plants. But now, after knowing that leaves play important role in our live, I don’t want to judge the leaf lovers anymore.

Nova (Write until you don't know what to write)

(pictures upload from google.com)