A New Turn at the End of the Road

It was November 2004, at the brink of Christmas season. Christmas decorations began illuminating the city. Choirs practiced in churches, getting ready for the big event at the end of the year. I knew that very moment that I should be there, rehearsing with church-mates, playing music.

But I wasn’t.

I was far from anything Christmas-like.

It was noon.

I was sitting in the chemist waiting room, waiting for my name to be called. My Mom was just hospitalized for her third CVA (stroke). And I was simply there to buy her medicine. The money I got in the wallet was half the price I had to pay. I planned on buying half the prescription. But I knew that the following day the medicine I bought that day would run out, and at the same time the next day I would have to return and queue at the same waiting room.

Leaning my head against the wall, I felt a very heavy burden suffocating me from within, like tons of steel pressuring.

And I felt cold. Just like any person on earth undergoing depression, this icy cold feeling inside me was so overwhelming.

I saw an old woman being called for her husband’s medicine bill. Her sad countenance and grey hairs showed greater distress than mine. I heard the cashier mumbled some few millions into her face.

I felt colder.

Not so long afterward, I heard a man quarreling with the front officers. His father died the previous night and he wanted to take the corpse home for burial. But the hospital wouldn’t let him. They had determined to keep the body until the family had paid the entire medication expenses in full.

It was over a hundred million…!

My head was swimming.

I sat down by the hospital garden, staring blankly at the trees and flowers and statue in the midst of it. It was as if that very hospital were the centre of all sufferings in the world. So many people in agony, so few of those outside realized or care about it.

I lifted up my head and stared at the sky. I knew God was there. I knew He would hear what I had to say.

So I told Him, “God, if one day You will bless me abundantly, I promise I won’t close my eyes toward the suffering of others.”

I sighed, and stood up. Gently I walked back to my Mom’s ward.

Today, she’s been gone for a year – after so much pain and suffering.

Now her soul is at rest – at last.

I live on, bearing in mind the word I said to my Maker, intending to keep it no matter what. I made a new turn at the end of that year, and every moment of my life since that hour is marked with the same resolution.

I am now taking the road less traveled, and oh…! How it makes all the difference in the world!

Faith and Religion

“I put no stock in religion. By the word ‘religion,’ I have seen the lunacy of fanatics from every denomination be called ‘the will of God.’ Holiness is in the right action and justice on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves. And goodness – what God desires – is in here (your mind) and here (your heart). By what you decide to do everyday, you will be a good man – or not,” said the Benefactor (David Thewlis) to Balian (Orlando Bloom) in the movie Kingdom of Heaven.

Those lines echo in my memories even after years watching the movie. They have been stamped so deep in my mind that somehow some of the conducts I do reflect the same idea. The Benefactor had drawn a demarcation line between faith in God and the religion of man. Most people think that the two are similar, but it is not naturally so.

Faith in the One True God unites all men. Religion divides.

Some would not agree to the above statement.

I do not compel people to nod in agreement. I am simply expressing my opinion.

My argument, in defending the above quotation is this: if God is the Giver of Faith and the Source of all goodness, then wherefore man marks history with centuries of bloodshed – all for the sake of “God’s work” – unless there is something terribly wrong with their perception of “faith in God’s name”? If God is the Creator of all virtues: peace, harmony, love and comfort, why do men slaughter each other for defending what they believe as “uprightness in the sight of God”?

Would God approve all the violence, persecution and assassination committed against His most-honored creation?

I don’t think so.

For over a millennium, the dominating people invaded other lands and conquered other nations, then enforced on them the “religion of God”, to “safe” them from paganism and eternal condemnation. One religion banned another as “pagans,” another religion called others “heathens,” and when it came to reformation of faith (meaning: returning to the truth of God’s Word, as what Martin Luther did when setting up the Protestant Church) the dominating class called the newly born reformers “heretics.” And, which was more, all these “pagans, heathens and heretics” are meant for scourging – in other word: annihilation.

Henceforth came the bloodshed that victimized the lives of millions of men, women and innocent children for centuries on end. And in some parts of the world, the same “scourging” is still at practice up to the present age.

Would God, the Father of Peace, consent to such action?

I don’t think he would.

Wherein lays the problem, then?

In my opinion, it is because people misinterpret between the term “faith” and “religion.” Faith saves our souls from perdition. Religion doesn’t!

You can perform all the religious duties and be as devout as you can be, yet still… if you don’t have faith in God, you won’t be saved from condemnation.

Religion classifies people. One says, “I’m a Protestant,” another says, “I’m a Catholic,” and still another claims, “I’m a Pentecost.” And based on those titles, one calls the others “unbelievers.”

Faith is not similar to the title printed on ID cards!

It talks about union with God even while we are still living on earth. It talks about how we personally know God and the perfect will He has for each of us and all mankind. It is about knowing what the good and perfect will of God is, for us to perform in everyday life. It’s about walking hand-in-hand with the Creator of the Universe, the Source of all virtues, the Father of Peace.

Religions – terminologically – do not emphasize on those things. It is more about how we perform our duties to God, such as praying and reading the Holy Scripture. Some people kneel down when they pray, some don’t. Some people go to church on Sundays, some on Saturdays. Some churches allow ladies to wear trousers to services, some sternly prohibit it. In the province on the west-end of this country, Christian women are obliged to wear jilbab (headcover) even when they are attending services – very unlike the situation in other parts of the world.

Why should the praying positions and church attendances become such a fuss that blocks people from living in harmony? Why do we quarrel so much about how we say things to God while the most important thing is what we are saying to Him?

[I’m not saying anything about other religions here. I might be wrong or misinterpret something I don’t know much (or nothing) about.]

Christianity as we know these days is divided into three major groups: the Catholic, the Protestant, and the Pentecost Church. One differs from another in the way each performs rituals. Nevertheless, the foundation of all is the same: Christ, the Cornerstone on which the Church of God is founded.

When will we wake up and return to our root?

I believe Jesus didn’t come with sword or club to compel people to become His disciples. He came with gentle words and in great power to seek and save those who are lost – those living without faith in the One True God.

Among those who followed Him, there were tax collectors, politicians, religious leaders, prostitutes, merchants and beggars. Jesus didn’t draw any demarcation lines to divide one group of people from another.

Why should we, then?

Maintaining the Ecosystem in Welirang

The dodo was a fascinating creature which once lived in harmony with other animals on this planet. But now their existence is considered a myth. They have become extinct. These days, we can only recognize a dodo from pictures in books.

The extinction of dodo is only one of hundreds of other mistakes man does to nature. It is due to our indifference and exploitation that one by one species of animals and plants begin to grow rare, then endangered, and finally: extinct.

Environmentalists say that we interfere too much with the course of nature. Perhaps they are right. It is therefore important to build national parks where hunting is strictly prohibited by government laws.

Mount Welirang, on which slope my family resides, is the home of the protected Javanese deer. Now, the deer have a natural enemy: the jackals. Unlike the jackals of Asia, Europe and Eurasia, the Javanese jackals more resemble dogs. They’ve got slender body and slim, long shanks that enable them to run swiftly. They’ve got pointed ears and coarse black coat. As most jackals do, the Javanese jackals hunt deer, especially newly-born fawns. Since the deer are protected, rangers would patrol the forest with guns to shoot any jackal that is sighted.

This leads to jackal slaughter! Protection against one species of animals results in the endangerment of another!

Some jackals, realizing their existence is threatened, often sneak into villages and mix-mate with mongrels. These days we often find jackal pups that are born with velvety brown or dotted coat, without pointed ears as most jackals are. And their disposition is much more homely, too.

The uncle of one of my friends (she resides by the forest) had a good idea when he saw these pups. He brought some of them home to Lampung and trained them to become hounds. Warthogs had often gone into people’s farms in Lampung and they needed a great number of hounds to hunt or simply keep the farms safe from warthogs.

The idea worked. Some of the hunted-down Javanese jackals now become hounds and farm keepers in Sumatra. It was a good thing that old man did. Without realizing what he was doing, he had helped maintaining the ecosystem and prevented the extinction of Javanese jackals.

And, which is more, the jackal-mongrel pups turn out to have very sweet disposition that they can adapt quickly to living with humans. They are truly suitable for guarding the house and rid our homes from pests. And they are loyal and very friendly as well!

I know so. I have adopted three jackal-mongrel pups from Welirang Forest. They are the best friends and most obedient pets I have ever had!

Animal Welfare in Indonesia

As a pet lover, one of the things that make me envious of developed countries is the way they care about animal welfare. In some parts of the world, people have animal shelters and establish laws to prohibit cruelty to animals. They’ve got adoption network to help uncared-for canines and felines find new homes and caring families. They’ve got animal hospital where dogs can donate their blood for other dogs in surgery.

How fascinating!

It is not so in Indonesia. Lately, I was having difficulty finding homes for five young puppies. Their mother was shot and slaughtered while they were still three-weeks-old. I asked all my friends if there were any who would want to adopt those poor pups. No one opened the door. Eventually, they all died.

I wonder why it’s so hard for people to cherish pets as members of the family. Perhaps the Indonesian’s perception on animal welfare is completely different from other nations. Recently, my husband showed me news on a murder in the newspaper and suddenly it dawned on me. If people’s life doesn’t value much in this country, how much would they value the lives of animals?

It was a very saddening realization indeed. As thinking about it, I wished one day there will be such shelters where volunteers would care for the sick, old and wounded animals in Indonesia.

And what a surprise! A few days ago I found a link on Facebook, called www.adopsianjing.com. This website contains information on a group of volunteers and pet lovers in Jakarta who strive to provide shelters and care for neglected animals. They are establishing a new shelter and medical center in Pejaten Barat. Any pet lover who would like to donate or take part on the effort of saving animals’ life is welcome to contact them. They are also open for sheltering neglected pets, and find them new owners who would take them in.

Alright! Now I know who to dial when there are puppies in need of adoption in my neighborhood! What great and relieving news!

Television Cartoons: No Longer for Children Consumption?

“Honey, I think it’s about time we begin showing cartoon movies to our children,” said my husband one day.

“Uh-uhm,” I nodded accordingly.

“Let’s buy some Tom & Jerry videos for them to watch,” he suggested.

“Tom & Jerry?” I suddenly exclaimed. “No way!”

Octavian lifted an eyebrow. “Why not?”

I explained to him that the movie is not for children’s consumption.

Not for children’s consumption? But… it’s a cartoon!

Alright… We adults think it’s funny when we see Tom and Jerry chase each other and do crazy things to one another. We laugh when Jerry lets go an anvil on Tom’s head, or Tom slams a door on Jerry to nail him down. We giggle as Tom screams when Jerry burns his butts or Jerry gets caught in a mouse-trap set by Tom.

But will we find it funny when our son slams a door on his sister’s face to give her a bruise? Will we laugh when our daughter throws a heavy object at her brother and gives him a bleeding head?

Children learn by imitating actions they see. And they haven’t got the ability to discern which actions should be imitated and which should not. They simply imitate everything they find!

That’s the danger about letting children watch television programs – even when they are cartoons – without filtering them first. Some cartoon movies “for kids” these days do not seem to educate the children of positive values. On the contrary, they tend to promote destructive values: violence, ignorance, indifference and materialism are simply some of the negative things they teach our children under our noses – without our realizing the impact they bring on our children’s future character.

We’ve got Tom & Jerry with its violence-filled scenes.

We’ve got Barbie that shapes our children’s image of adulthood: becoming an adult would mean luxurious house, beautiful face, gorgeous body and financial success. When they eventually grow up into adults, they find themselves not having a pretty face, or well-shaped body, or a big house, or fancy cars, or much money in deposit. Then they get discouraged of life, disappointed at the failed self-expectations, and single themselves out as losers.

One of my professors taught me one important lesson when I was attending her class. The subject she taught at that moment was Children Literature. And I found out so many wrong things parents teach their children through fairy tales and bedtime stories – which resulted in the children’s wrong perceptions on life. There are too much violence and wrong values conveyed through these stories that eventually mar the children’s innocence:

• How will children justify the bad guys from the good guys when the triumphant hero of the story is a thief and murderer (Jack and the Bean Stalk)?
• How will children learn of pity and compassion when the hero and heroine of the story end up throwing the antagonist into a fiery stove (Hanzel and Gretel)?
• How will children understand the process of gaining success through failures and learning over if the idol of their childhood is a character who achieves his success by the instant help of a genie (Aladdin)?

These are simply bedtime stories, which we tell our children without realizing the false contents or messages they might have. Television programs are worse: they tell our children even the things we should never tell or show them!

Therefore, we as parents ought to be wary about selecting the visual consumption of our children. When allowing them to watch television:

• We must make sure that the program their watching is beneficial for their mental and character development.
• We should accompany them while watching programs under PG title.
• We need to explain to our children things they might not understand.

Also, when buying videos for the little ones, be certain that the movies we are about to show our younglings do not contain violence or immoral scenes. And, when telling the children bedtime stories, try altering the violent actions described in them without changing the course of the story.

How we filter the visual consumption of our children determines what sort of persons they one day turn out to be.

Home-schooling Dharma

I personally have no idea at what age the sense of humor begins to grow in children. But as days go by, I notice every step in my children’s growth is filled with wonders, amazement and much laughter.

For instance, my husband and I have begun teaching our son, Dharma, the alphabet since last month. We would point at letters and say the name of each one out-loud.

“This is an A, Dharma. That is a B,” we told him – and so on.

The funny thing happened as my husband was teaching him the letter E.

“That is an E, Dharma.”

“What is that, Daddy?” he asked back.

“That’s an E,” Octavian repeated.

“What is that, Daddy?” again, he asked.

“That’s an E…!”

“What is that, Daddy?”

“An E, Dharma! That’s an E…!! The letter E…!!!”

“What is that, Daddy?”

After repeating the course for about twenty times, finally Octavian felt completely exhausted and upset.

“Oh, Dharma…! I give up!”

“What is that, Daddy?”

“Ah! I don’t know, Dharma,” he groaned. “I don’t know what that is!”

With a sweet, triumphant smile, our son answered, “That’s an E, Daddy!”

Awaiting Daybreak

It was very late in the night. Jacob stood by the bank of Jabbok River all alone. His wives, children, servants and herds he had sent across the river – and then he stood thinking hard what he would say when he met his brother Esau.

All the sudden, a stranger came and challenged him. The two of them wrestled for hours until both of them realized none could overpower the other. So the stranger hit the socket of Jacob’s right hip real hard that his hip was wrenched. Then he hurried to leave. But Jacob would not let go of the man.

“Let me go!” the man said. “It’s almost daybreak!”

“I will not let you go unless you bless me!” insisted Jacob.

He knew who the stranger was. He knew that the man was not a man at all. Unless he gained the man’s blessing, the struggle he had endured throughout the night would be worthless.

So the man blessed him there, by the bank of the river. He renamed Jacob (which means ‘deceiver’) Israel – the mighty one of God. The blessing came upon Jacob, the man disappeared, and dawn broke.

There’s a profound message conveyed in this story in Genesis 32 for all children of God – especially us who are in struggle and tribulation. No matter how difficult life’s circumstances are, how impossible the problem to solve, how exhausting the dilemma we have to face, DAYBREAK WILL COME.

The sun – the everlasting goodness and blessing of the Lord – will rise. There will be an end to all our sufferings. That’s an axiom in the life of every child of God.

God will provide a way out – and He will give it to us when the time comes. As the dawn is never late in coming, God is never late to fulfill His promise. All the tests that come to us in the form of problems, struggles and tribulations are His means to purify our faith and take us to a higher level in our knowledge of Him.

Let’s keep this in mind: God will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear! When we are tempted, He will also provide us a way out, so that we can stand up under it (I Corinthians 10:13).

God is faithful. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He’s our Creator. He knows us full well, inside and out. He knows how we are formed. He remembers that we are dust (Psalms 103:14). He will not let temptation crushes us or tribulation destroys us – because He loves us and preserves the best for the moment of glory that will surely come to us.

So, hold on to God when tribulations hit us with full force. Hope unto Him. Daybreak is sure to come!

[Excerpt of the sermon delivered by Rev. Daniel Turangan on Sunday morning, August 9^th, 2009 – at GPdI Betania.]

The Everlasting Blooming Rose

Several years ago, I read a love story about a young gardener and the orphan girl he loved. The gardener tended a rose garden and took his lover to see the roses bloomed in Summer.

"How lovely!" said the girl, entirely astounded by the beauty of the roses.

"Yes, but soon they will all wither at the coming of Autumn," replied the young gardener.

The girl became sad at hearing this. But the gardener smiled. He picked a white rose and gave it to the girl.

"You see? This rose I give you is lovely beyond compare, but in a matter of hours it will wither and be gone," he said. "But the scent you smell this moment, and the beauty of it will remain forever in your memory. It is blooming in your heart now, and it will bloom forever in your mind."

I keep those lines forever in my memory. It's something worth cherishing.

The story is, of course, a metaphor. It talks about life and death. It speaks about losing the ones you love, and resurrecting them as everlasting memories in your mind.

Though our loved ones may pass away, the loving memory of them will remain forever in our hearts. It is through death that we come to eternity.

These days our nation had lost one of the greatest poets in the history of Indonesia. He may have passed away, but his works, his poetry, his spirit and the memory of him live on.

Farewell, W.S. Rendra! Your spirit will always live on in the hearts of our people...

Britney and Anna

One very disturbing idea in the popular world is the way people judge a book by its cover. The world trend nowadays is to praise anything that is packed in beautifully ornamented wrappings and comes from the supreme countries: either USA or UKGB. Most people simply don’t care much about other “products” coming from other countries that come in more simplistic manners – even when the quality is far more excellent! It is true even in popular music.

Everybody has heard Britney Spears sings. How many have compared her voice to that of Anna Maria Jopek?

Britney is no match for Anna – not even by half!

Anna has this angelic voice that could capture and hypnotize her audience. She has such a perfect phrasing and timing in every single tune she sings. Her voice is remarkably amazing, a true gift from above.

What about Britney? She certainly does capture her audience’s attention – by other means, though. People who adore Britney Spears love her because the way she dances on stage, the sparkling expensive dresses and outfits, the pretty face and the gorgeous body she shows off. She is greatly admired NOT because of the quality of either her voice or the songs she sings!

This requires a little bit of thinking: a singer is naturally praised for the quality of voice she possesses. It’s her ability to sing beautifully that truly counts, in sound judgment. How can it be, then, that a great voice like Anna Maria Jopek becomes far less popular than a mere entertainer like Britney Spears – unless the world isn’t in its right mind?

Britney wins her fame because she is a beautiful American girl, brought up in American lifestyle and filled with popular American ideas. And these days, USA seems to become the standard and center of world popular culture – even when the growth of popular culture in the States tends to degrades the morality, sense of aesthetics and social values in these present days.

Anna is a Pollack, and comes from Warsaw, Poland. She wins her fame because of talent and hard work, and she is greatly cherished by her audience because of the blissful voice she possesses.

If we are sane human beings, we should be able to choose soundly between a diamond in a matchbox and a fake pearl in a huge, prettily wrapped present.

The Words of the Preacher

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”

For it is not wise to ask such questions.

True, Your Majesty.

But if thou live in our days,

Thou would consider those verses a hundred times over.

Still, Your Majesty.

I live in my time and consider my days hundreds of nights.

Thy verses I keep in the depth of my heart:

“And I declared that the dead, who had already died,

Are happier than the living, who are still alive.”

(Ecclesiastes 4:2, 7:10)

Fame - and the Price We Pay for It!

Who wouldn’t want to be like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie? They’re famous. They’re gorgeous. They’re rich. Everybody on the planet knows them. Thanks to paparazzi, fans all over the globe always get updates on whatever Brad and Angie is doing every single day of their full life.

But on one occasion, in an Oprah show, a fan asked Brad Pitt, “What would you do if you are given one free day without paparazzi?”

Brad was simply stunned!

“Good question!” he commented – then thought awhile. “I – hmmm. I will tear down my fences. Yes. I will break down my walls, so I’ll be able to say hello to my neighbors, let my children play in their yards, and let their children play in my yard. That’s what I’ll do.”

How heartbreaking! Despite all the fame, wealth, and success, what this so-adored public figure longs for is FREEDOM. How would great popularity, money and achievements ever replace this very basic need of man? Brad and Angelina realize at the top of their career that something is missing from their life – something very precious and irreplaceable. They have lost their liberty.

How would we feel if we have all the money and fame in the world yet every single day we live in is spent like birds in gold cages? I believe superstars like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie would give everything away in exchange for an ordinary life – full of freedom, free of spies.

If today you can go shopping in malls without someone stalking behind you, or go to church and say your prayers without a camera flashed on your face, or take a ride with your loved ones without worrying about people gazing at you – praise God: you are not a celebrity! You are free!

Fragrance: It's Essential!

How important is fragrance for ladies? As a woman, I’d say it’s one of essential daily routines. Who would want to smell like prawn and tuna after preparing today’s meal? Or get stuck with the smell of dirt and mud after gardening? I personally hate the way I smell after giving my four dogs their weekly bath. They actually make me smell like canines – and it’s definitely uncomfortable even though I love them dearly.

After doing house chores that make me sweat and causes body odor, what I love doing is taking a real nice bath with fragrant soap and applying body lotion right afterward. Then, if the day closes with an evening party or formal dinner I would certainly spray some eau de cologne or eau de toilette.

Nina Ricci Premiere Jour and Estee Lauder White Linen are some of the perfume collections I’ve got for special occasions. But lately my favorite scents are Oriflame Northern Lights, Divine and Eclat for Women. I love the way these perfumes keep me fragrant and confident throughout the party, wedding, or other important occasions.

And, good news, ladies! These days, we can also purchase our favorite perfumes online. We can order them via Talk Perfume. Instead of going to malls or department stores to buy perfumes at the nearest agent or beauty shop, you can now shop online and choose your favorite scent or perfume without stepping out of the house or leaving the office. Visit the site, pick your favorite perfume, purchase online and have it delivered to your place - simple and convenient!

Perfume shopping is now a step easier!