Lucky Beggar

Nobody wants to be poor. Nobody wants to be a beggar. Nevertheless, some people choose to be beggars because of their own situation. They have their own reasons. Sunday is the day that more beggars come to my house. It may be because the owner of the house is at home.
That Sunday my wife and I were not at home. Only my children and their nanny were at home. Before I went out, I had left a banknote of Rp. 50,000.00. I asked the nanny to spend the money to pay for the laundry. When I was away, she called me asking where I put the money. I told her where I put it but she could not find it.
The next morning the nanny told me that she could not find the money. I said ok, and asked her to look for it once again.
Then my 4 years old daughter told me proudly,

May I go to the toilet, please?

My students were having mid-term exams. They had to concentrate on the exams during that week. In the exam room, everybody had to do the tests seriously. Some subjects needed much time to do, but some of them needed only a short time. Usually we have 90 minutes for each subject, except for Maths.

That day the students took a test of Computer theory. All of the students in my class

A Humble Leader

In my church, our leader is a good priest who is very strict about every church's rule. Maybe only one thing he misses. He forgets to come to the people although he usually accepts the people who come to him warmly. That day was a special Sunday for us as the mass would be led by Mgr. Ignatius Suharyo, the bishop of Jakarta. A day before He sent a message "....If there are some of your people who are sick, I have time and I can visit them...." It's a great pleasure for the people who could be visited by the bishop. He, who has higher position than my local leader, was willing to visit ordinary people who needed to be visited, who needed to be touched. The great leader who is so humble....

When he came and I met him, I reported how the mass should go. He gave this response, "Just do as what you have planned. But if there is some mistake or something that you haven't planned happens, it'll be ok, right?"

I was so happy to hear that. I wondered how he could be that humble, how he could give it all to God, the greatest planner. He believes that God's plan is always better than ours. So let us be humble before Him.

Do It With Love

Yesterday I watched 'Masterchef Australia' on TV. The participants had to cook food that they had eaten when they were kids. They cooked food that their mommy, daddy or grandma had cooked for the kids. They cooked while they were trying to remember the moment they ate it.

After finishing their cooking, the jury tasted the food they had cooked. The jury gave good comments and they said all of the food were delicious. All were delicious! Because they cooked it emotionally. They cooked it with heart. They cooked it with love.

I believe that anything done with love will be amazing!

One of my students was walking along the corridor when she met me. She didn't greet me or even send a smile although she looked at me. What's wrong with her? Or what's wrong with me??? My students usually greet me when they meet me.
I observed her for a few days. It happened again and again when she met me. I didn't know whether she did it to others or not. I hoped she only did it to me, not to others. On the fifth day, I tried to smile at and greet her. She smiled and replied.
Ah, it's so simple! Smile comes from ourselves, not from others. So why don't we start our days with a smile? We cannot make others smile unless we smile to them.

Be led by reason.

(Greek Proverb)

The secret of a good life is to have the right loyalties and hold them in the right scale of values. 

Norman Thomas (1884 - 1968)

 

Good Coffee

That day I went to a coffee shop. I bought a cup of expensive, hot, delicious coffee. I had known that it tasted good but before I could say so, I saw some people running, and some shouting. The building was on fire! The fire came from the 2nd floor while I was on the ground floor. I walked outside fast because I saw some white smoke and I smelt something burnt. Since I didn't forget to bring my coffee, I drank mine outside the building. It wasn't delicious, I thought.

....going home....

When I came home, the one I loved offered me a cup of coffee. It was not expensive coffee. You could find it at the stalls on the street. How did it taste? Wow! It was so good!

Good or not is not about something we see or we taste or we experience It's about how we enjoy what we see or we taste or we experience.

Trust

When I was attending the university I had a friend. I knew him quite well although we were not too close. But it was about 20 years ago. Now he has got a good position in his office. He is successful in his work.
One thing that I always remember about him is that when we were studying at the university, he liked to cheat to get good marks. I cannot remember the good things he did at that time.
So what's the point?
Bad things are usually more easily remembered than the good ones. If he usually cheated to get good marks, how can I believe that he is now successful without cheating? In my thought, I do not believe that he has achieved all success in a right way.
Sons and daughters, when you're  taking your tests or doing any tasks, although your teachers cannot see, please do it in a right way. Why? Because some friends see when you are cheating, and when you become a successful person 20 years later, your high school classmates will not believe that you do it in a right way. They will not trust you.
Do not ignore TRUST. If you ignore it, it will ignore you.

Footprints

This evening I found some footprints on the hood (the cover of the engine) of my car. They made it dirty. I called my son and asked him if he played and stood on the hood. "Yes, I did. Sorry, Dad," he answered. "It's ok, but you have to clean it. Who stood with you on the hood?" "I did it alone, Dad." I knew he lied because there were more than one type of

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.(Luke 15:20)

Sometimes when somebody helps me, I don't expect or even think that he can help me. It's God's work! He always sends the right angel....

My Mango Tree

When I cut some leaves of the mango tree at my house, it produces more fruit.

God created us like a mango tree. When we sacrifice, it will be painful, but we will produce more fruit.

Harmony

Every key is different, but they altogether produce sweet voices

Every string is different, but they altogether produce nice sounds

Everybody has his own role, but they altogether produce cool harmony

Everybody's different. Everybody has his own ability. Everybody has his own energy. What God has created is never wrong. When we live in harmony, the world will be so lovely and comfortable.

Say no to war! Say no to chaos!

Difference is not bad! Difference makes us richer.

Let's live in harmony and make the world a pleasant home to live.

He who guards his mouth and his tongue
keeps himself from calamity.

(Proverbs 21:23)

Are You a Pet?

"You didn't count anything. How come?" I asked one of my students during a Maths test. "It's ok. I always do this and so far my scores have been ok," he replied. "What's your target?" I asked. He answered,"Mmm...nothing. Just passing the minimum requirement is enough for me."

I was shocked to find