Middle C

"I, the LORD, do not change." Malachi 3:6

When Lloyd Douglas, author of "The Robe" and other novels, attended college, he lived in a boardinghouse. A retired, wheelchair-bound music professor resided on the first floor. Each morning Douglas would stick his head in the door of the teacher's apartment and ask the same question, "Well, what's the good news?" The old man would pick up his tuning fork, tap it on the side of the wheelchair, and say, "That's middle C! It was middle C yesterday; it will be middle C tomorrow; it will be middle C a thousand years from now. The tenor upstairs sings flat. The piano across the hall is out of tune, but, my friend, that is middle C."

You and I need a middle C. Haven't you had enough change in your life? Relationships change. Health changes. The weather changes. But the Yahweh who ruled the earth last night is the same Yahweh who rules it today. Same convictions. Same plan. Same mood. Same love. He never changes.

~Max Lucado; from "Traveling Light"~

I am going to Thank You right now...

Dear GOD:
I want to thank You for what you have already done.
I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards;
I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better;
I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears;
I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves;
I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet;
I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job;
I am going to thank you right now.
I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief; I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed; I am thanking you right now.

I am thanking you because I am alive.
I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties.
I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles.
I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more
and do better.

I'm thanking you because FATHER, YOU haven't given up on me.

God is just so good, and he's good all the time.

Mimpi Aneh & Kehilangan Dompet

Melihat kembali catatan kejadian di penghujung tahun 2007......

Tadi malam saya bermimpi naik bianglala (komidi putar).
Saat saya diatas, tiba-tiba saya akan jatuh dan saya berpegangan susah payah agar tidak jatuh. Perjuangan saya berpegangan berhasil, saya selamat. Perasaan gelisah saat bangun tidur subuh tadi membuat penasaran.

........................
Hari ini tidak seperti biasanya, langit sore hari keliatan merah.
Dari dalam mobil, saya dan Ismawati (teman semobil jemputan) sampai keheranan dengan wajah langit sore ini. Yang aneh lainnya, saya mampir ke Giant utk belanja sebelum sampai ke rumah.
Padahal tidak ada kebutuhan mendesak. Ini bukan kebiasaan saya.

Nah, rupanya ini arti mimpi saya... (Setuju nggak??)

Saat akan bayar tukang gas (tabung), saya tidak bisa menemukan dompet saya. Cari sana sini, bongkar sana sini, gak ketemu. Dengan perasaan gelisah, saya telfon Pak Don, Pak Aryo, Pak Sri, Pak Nasikun, HSBC, Papi, teman, dll...

Hampir setengah jam kemudian dapat kabar bahwa di mobil tidak ditemukan dompet saya.... Mmmm....
Cape dech... KTP baru, ATM Mandiri baru, bersusah payah ngurusnya... semua hilang sekejap.
Kebayang ribetnya ngurus semua itu. Untuk telfon blokir kartu kredit sampai 20 menit baru berhasil.

Entah dari mana, perasaan mendorong saya pergi kembali ke Giant.
Logika saya, wach, hari genee mana mungkin ada orang yg mau mengembalikan dompet jatuh.
Paling2, uangnya diambil, dompetnya di buang. Males ach..

Ternyata saya salah, masih banyak orang2 baik dan jujur..
Kasir yang cantik dan baik hati, menitipkan dompet saya yang jatuh ke petugas keamanan.
Ah, rasanya seluruh uang yang ada dalam dompet ingin kuberikan pada nya sbgrasa terimakasihku....
Tapi hanya seperempat yang kuberikan pdnya... Sisanya ku berjanji mau kasih utk sumbangan natal...
he he he.... :-)

Sepertinya mimpi saya ada link dgn pengalaman kehilangan dompet malam ini....

THE "M" FACTOR

By Lisa Johnson, Julie Dickison, Melea Fisher and Natalie Krause

Our Mother turns 80 tomorrow November 14th and we four daughters have gathered to celebrate with her (but, shhh . it's a surprise . she is still in transit and doesn't know we've traveled from across the country)!  Meanwhile, we are lounging on our first day together, still in our PJs and naturally we started to reminisce .

Like most everyone, we think our Mother is pretty indescribable! She has what we like to call, 'the M Factor'.

Mother started life on a 14,000 acre ranch in Montana. Her work ethic was formed and has been more than replicated in all of her girls!

The "M" factor: Complete the job and don't be a half done Polly!
Mother has an intense fear of water, developed as a young girl after her brother tragically drowned. She has worked hard to conquer her fear, and wasn't going to accept it in any of her daughters. Our parents required each of us (there was no discussion) to complete lifeguard certification.

The "M" factor: Don't pass on to your children your own fears.
When Mother became a Christian as a teenager she found her real passion in life and we are forever thankful for the love of Christ she has shared with us. Inscribed in our parents' wedding bands is their personal motto "Each for the other, both for Christ".

The "M" factor: Our marriages must be caught up in a purpose larger than itself.
As we grew into adults, we discovered that our Mother had been a 'cougar' and 'feminist' without even realizing it! She married in 1955 at the age of 26 (considered old at the time) to a 21 year old!
Mother, a nurse, was the primary provider for the family of three once Lisa arrived on the scene, working nights while Daddy finished college.

The "M" Factor: There is no such thing as 'woman's work' or 'man's work'.
When our Daddy started his own business, Mother happily became a stay at home Mom. As each of us grew up, she determined to teach us what she considered were three essential life skills: how to make a quilt, how to cut up a whole chicken, and how to can fresh produce.

The "M" Factor: While we may laugh at these skills now, we have since discovered that what we really gained was the ability to be creative, frugal, and self-sufficient.
Mother was often at the forefront of what would much later be an accepted trend. Before it was popular, we ate unprocessed foods, made our own bread, used environmentally friendly laundry detergents, and took whole food supplements!

The "M" Factor: Don't be afraid to question the 'norm', to lead even if no one is following.
Our greatest joy has been to be present while our parents have achieved some of their dreams. Mother always wanted to live in Australia, and the opportunity presented itself when she was 55 years old!
They didn't hesitate to take the risk.

The "M" Factor: Dreams come true only as you work towards them.
Retirement for Mother has yet to happen. She still runs a business with our Daddy, providing endless nutritional advice. At the age of 70, she took a class to conquer the Internet and Power Point. At age 79 she was introduced to Facebook and keeps in touch with her grandchildren and is considering whether she should start a blog!

The "M" Factor: Learning never stops.
We admire our Mother for everything she has taught us. For all that makes her who she is .

The "M" factor: our model, our mentor, and best of all, our Mother.

Happy 80th Birthday Mother, we love you!

Your Darling Daughters,
Julie, Lisa, Natalie and Melea