Society gives us this image of what beautiful looks like. The girls/ women in the magazines, movies, TV shows, whatever. We’re told that if we don’t have the right body, the right look then we’re not beautiful. This, my friends, is false. God made us all perfectly. We are all beautiful in His eyes.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
You don’t have to be “curvy”. That’s not necessary. Whether you have a body with curves or without curves, you’re still beautiful. You’re body type could be an hourglass, a pear, an apple, a banana, or anything and you will be beautiful. You can be stick thin, heavy-set, or anywhere in between and you’re still beautiful. Why? Because beauty comes from within. God looks at what’s on the inside - what’s in our hearts - not what our outward appearance is. He made you beautiful inside and out but if you’re society’s beautiful but you don’t have Jesus in your heart and you don’t live a Christ-like life, then it doesn’t matter.
Psalm 139:14
I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
And can I just talk about this whole “thigh gap” issue?
Having a gap between your legs also does not define if you’re beautiful or not. It doesn’t now, nor will it ever. If you have a gap between your legs naturally and that is just your body type, that is great. (Here comes a short thought on dieting…) But if you try to lose weight so that you have that space between your thighs, ask yourself this first: Am I healthy now? Do I need to lose weight for my health? Think healthy - not skinny, not underweight, not thigh gap. HEALTHY. The whole idea of losing weight to have a gap between your thighs is ridiculous.
Everyone has different body types and different statuses of healthy, so how can you possibly choose ONE that is better and above all others that is the only beautiful way to look? You can’t. That’s not right because not everyone can look like that. Beauty doesn’t stem from a look that Hollywood has picked out for us. It stems from what’s in your heart. It stems from what God cares about - your heart. That’s it. That’s all there is to it.
1 Peter 3:3-4
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
Song of Solomon 4:7
All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you.
To wait something to happen sometime is a pain in the ass. these two writers give spiritual perspective on how waiting within His time and schedule, and not ours, matured us in ways. :)
“I Have it all planned out” - I know my future is joyful and as bright as the sunshine :)
(Source: celestialcrayon)
Christmas is the season to celebrate love and kindness towards the loved ones, a season to be jolly and happy despite whatever situation that happens. More than that, this year’s Christmas is the right moment to remind us that we need to learn how to share our love to each other, and how to embrace diversities that we possess within the country.
Indonesia is a diverse archipelago, not only in terms of cultures and people but also in religions. The government acknowledges at least 6 religions within the society. This has shaped and groomed the identity of Indonesia, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity). The variation of people, cultures, and religions has given unique perspective on how the world seizes Indonesia, and vice versa. On the other hand, if this diversity is not managed carefully, it could be a boomerang towards Indonesia’s national stability and security. Sadly, what happens until recently still shows that diversities amongst us have not yet brought harmony.
Dispute over GKI Yasmin, for example, still move nowhere forward. GKI Yasmin is a church under PGI (Persekutuan Gereja Indonesia) which located in Bogor, West Java. The dispute happened more than a year ago whereas the member of the church could not have their weekly sermon in the church building, based on the reason that the mayor revoked its permit to stand there. There have been debates over respective parties and stakeholders within the year, and it seemed like it goes nowhere. From the writer’s perspective, it is not only a dispute over permission to have a church stand on the ground, it is more than that. It shows how Indonesian people in particular, still find it hard to embrace the difference and diversities of what Indonesia is made from.
The latest decision from the Supreme Court was that the church is legit to stand on the ground. What is sad, the government seems to wish the church to be relocated. This shows public how the government finds it difficult to favor Supreme Court’s decision (which is higher than a major’s permit pass) just because they are in favor of majority concern. It is more than just injustice and violation of Humans Rights in this issue. They could not even hold their Christmas sermon peacefully. People who claimed themselves to defend particular faith, yelled and disturb the church congregations this Sunday.
This is just another proof that as a nation who boasts on its identity as a melting pots of cultures, Indonesia still lacks on respecting, and embracing, any differences appeared. The problems never because the church produces noise that disturbs neighborhood, never because they held something against the law, the problem is that the government wants them to relocate the church, period. It is hard to understand, why a church with no problems at the first place, need to be relocate? What is wrong by just standing there, anyway? It is for the government to answer.
Nevertheless, this case is only one amongst many cases that is involving various religions and cultures in Indonesia. The writer tries to stress that we do have problems on embracing our differences. This problem could hamper the growth of this country if the government could not appear with effective solution. Cross religions and cross cultures dialogues are necessary to avoid this nation flunks into a deeper conflict which then could cause instability within society. The cross-religions and cross-cultures issues have been grooming slowly but sure across this country. As sad as the write found these facts, the faster something is done to avoid the issues groom, the better it will be.
Sometimes the society are just forget, the basic foundation to form a good country is with a good relations within its people. To have good relationship, beside good communications, ones have to respect and trust each other. To gain respect and trust, people need to open their mind towards love. It is as simple as that, and Indonesia by far, lacking on sharing these simple yet important value. The writer believes, if this value implemented thoroughly inside the country, we will find less intercultural and inter-religions disputes over Indonesia.
Ironically, the concept of love sharing is now hampered by cynical views of the society, as the result of miss-management of conflicts done by the government. We need to build great defense to protect our country from falling into pieces caused by this issues. We all know that to build a great structure, a strong foundation is importantly needed. It should be the job mainly for the government to educate the society on how important these norms and values are. Nevertheless, it is not only their responsibility but ours too as the society to implement the norms and values into our everyday life.
In conclusion, the writer likes to give perspective on how disputes are feasible to solve by implementing simple thing, such as love. From the bottom of the heart, she wishes that GKI Yasmin dispute could find its solution soon and they could held their sermons again in the right place where they suppose to belong, and that Indonesia could really find harmony within diversity and grow better every time. Happy Holiday!
Not.
I will spend my Christmas and New Year’s eve here in Soroako instead going home. This will be my first time spending this holiday season away from my family. I don’t really think about it much, though, until this morning. The thought was triggered by a tune that suddenly popped into my head, yeap from the song of “I’ll be Home for Christmas”
I kinda miss my family. We’re not really a family that expressively showing our emotion and love towards each other, although many of our members are emotionally sensitive. But we love each other, despite the lackness of good characters here and there, lol.
My dad and his temper, my mom and her over-sensitive feeling. My sister, Jess with her brand-whore addiction (o well, with shopping generally), my other sis, Amanda who likely inherit both my dad’s temper and my mom’s sensitivity, and my lil’ bro Jonathan, who still in his journey of Love-finding.
It’s not common for me to bluntly write about my family in my blog, it’ll be rarely if it’s not the first time. I love my family, nevertheless.
I read a book that open my eyes recently, which changes my perception about how you see your relationship with family. Do you realize that it is easier for you to forgive a friend that hurt you, but it’s not that easy if your family does the same thing to you? at least I do.
well, here’s the example. for me, when a friend called me a fat bitch-whore wholeheartedly, the worst thing I could feel is hurt. that would be another case if my Dad who says that not-so-nice words to me. I would feel more than hurt. i’d feel worthless. my dad’s words would be a more than just a penalty, it shapes the way i think about myself. why could I (or we) have different response on accepting the words? because our friend is not our family. we bound to our family, tied by blood. most of all, we likely to give higher standards for our family, and think that they suppose to be ‘more’ than the rest of our friends. so if they become another heart-less human, it’ll be harder for us to accept their flaws, because they suppose to be a better person than our friends are! they are our family, anyways.
We usually forgot that our family members are also the same mere human like our friends are. They do hurt us unintentionally many times, but so do us to them. another example; when a friend step on your feet and hurt it much, when they say sorry usually your response would be like ‘aww..! yeah it’s hurt, but it’s okay’ or you can add any sentence that politely shows you’re fine, and please-don’t-feel-too-guilty because it’s not that we’d die. but IF our sibling does the same thing, most likely the words that will spread out from us would be like ‘AW! don’t you have eyes? it’s hurting, you know??’ something like that. see the difference?
It’s because we expect them to understand our flaws, and vice versa. yet we still need to remember it’s not a kinda healthy relationship to build between your family members. at least it’s not the kind i like to have.
Christmas, more than just the snow, trees, and carols, are the best reminder for us to show and practice our love capability. it’s the season to reconnect the broken links, the season to forgive and be forgiven, the time to be jolly.
I wish I could experience a white Christmas sometimes (well, it’s about the classic ambiance I can’t feel around here in tropical country), and Hopefully I would have a Merry Christmas day in Soroako.
xoxo
Love never fails. I Corinthians 13:8
A love that never fails! Hard to imagine, isn’t it?
Has human love ever failed you? I’m guessing your answer may be, “Yes it has—more times than I like to admit!”
I Corinthians 13:8 promises that “love never fails.”
Not God’s kind of love anyway.
I sense you may be so thirsty for this type of love. Those who should have loved you didn’t. Those who could have loved you didn’t. You were left at the hospital. Left at the altar. Left with an empty bed. Left with a broken heart. Left with your question “Does anybody love me?”
Listen to heaven’s answer. God loves you—with a love that never fails.
Personally. Powerfully. Passionately.
Others have promised and failed. But God has promised and succeeded! God loves you with an unfailing love. And His love—if you will let it—can fill you! Come thirsty—and drink deeply!
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Notes: this is a nice note from Max Lucado I’ve taken from Dersi, a good friend of mine :). Hei, Cantika! I post this for you! ;)
Every Sunday lately, twitter TimeLine always full with GKI Yasmin case.
GKI Yasmin is one of many cases of how Indonesian government lack on enforcing the very basic right this country acknowledge from its independence, and also a prime example violation of the first point of Pancasila.
GKI Yasmin is a church located in Bogor. Since months (maybe year now) ago, the member of the church are forbidden to have their sermon and sunday services. A mass called themselves ‘FORKAMI’ which, they say, ‘representing’ moslem feel that the existence of this church is illegal and ain’t right. They do weekly sweeping, they stopped the holy sermon last week, and this sunday, they forbid the people to have their service. How irritating.
As far as I know here, GKI (Gereja Kristen Indonesia) as one of the biggest church organisation under PGI (Persekutuan Gereja Indonesia) always have their license and obey the rule of government on how to build a church around Indonesia.
But skip the law matter here, I want to talk about the Human Right and diversity. We call ourselves to the world a nation with biggest moslem population that is diverse in terms of people. We acknowledge 6 religions, and that include Christianity, people. Compare to more than 85% Moslem population, Christian isn’t much. We’ve to shared those 15% existence with Buddhist, Hindu, and other acknowledged religions. So why on earth, you FORKAMI, or any anarchical organisations which say ‘representing’ Moslem, feel threaten with us?
To be honest, I believe that is not what Moslem taught in the religion. I grew up with lots of Moslem friends, some of them are the best friends I have. I just don’t like the usage of ‘defending Moslem’ premises those organisations always stressed when they’re about to violate one’s basic right to have their pray.
Hey, mr. President; where are you in this matter? I don’t think we should wait this problem to surface in international Community, shouldn’t we? It’ll surely caused damage to this nation’s image. And it’s been grooming for months already.
O well, I believe in miracles. *cross fingers*
