Doing right thing

Terhadap orang-orang yang melakukan apa yang benar di hadapan Tuhan, kiranya selalu mengalami kasih Allah yang berkelimpahan dan hidupnya dalam damai sejahtera.

How to prioritize?

"Egritha, which one should I prioritize: an event that demands just a little of my ability and duty or othet that needs a lot of my ability and duty?" a girl asked me.

"You should prioritize the very very first event that you decide to give all your ability and duty." I said.

There is no small or big duty. All actions need right responsibilty. How could God trust you for "things with bigger responsibility" if you just turned your back away when God let you handle "ordinary things"?
The point is remember whom you are serving for. Don't try to show off but down to earth. This is not about big or small duty. This is about DUTY.

Prioritize what you have taken first. Finish it well. And you can go for another.


NB: Some people who know me think that I am good at prioritize things. But no, I also had hard times, even I cried if I thought I couldn't make it. But one thing that keep me is I know what I am doing and I know whom I am serving.

Maybe Now

Maybe now you just think of yourself.
When you see us. When you see me.
You have no care.
You don't notice.
But you are special for us. For me.
You are the sheep of God.
We care for you.
We made preparation to celebrate your coming.

Maybe now all you think is you can face this one day.
But dear, we have discussed day by day so you can face this world everyday.
So you can live the blessed life that God given.
Be grateful of small mercy.

Maybe now you don't understand.
Don't worry, I was ever in that place too.
I was lost. But then found and saved.
You too will realize you are worthy.
And together we face this world with new soul.


Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly (1 Peter 5:2)

Renew of His Grace

There’s nothing more holy than God Himself. Feeling grateful that everyday I feel God renews me. I am a weak creature who often fall into sin. Many temptations and tribulations that await my ways to God. Including struggle with myself. But God always supports me, like He does not want me to get lost. Though I thought it would not matter if one sheep lost. 

 Dear God, thank You for all the signs that You shows in my life. There's no greater happiness than to know You. I want to love God more. Faithful to Him and His commandments.

Some Words

 

So I have decided to be a small group leader (kind of Bible study group). But not because I am able to do that. I am nothing without His power. He showed me His love and I just coulldn't hold myself from spreading The Gospel. My days from last days is full of preparation to be a leader. We study The Holy Bible together with other leaders wannabe. I always enjoy it. I hardly have special time for writing. But when I got some minutes, I opened my book and started to write. Sorry for my messy handwriting. No table to write.

Please pray for me.

God bless you.

What Love is this?

Ketika aku mendengar lagu "what love is this" dari Kari Jobe. Rasanya seperti terbekati sekali. Merasakan kasih Allah itu nyata dan baru setiap hari. Menyakini bahwa Tuhan memang hadir dan setia di sisiku.
Kadang-kadang aku berpikir bagaimana seseorang dapat memilih menjadi Atheis ketika mereka telah melihat hal-hal hebat di luar sana, ketika mereka telah mendengar kabar sukacita yang luarbiasa , ketika mereka menghadapi tantangan dan menyelesaikannya dengan baik. Apakah mereka benar-benar mengira bahwa itu semua kekuatan mereka? Pengetahuan mereka?


Aku, bahkan untuk satu hal yakni cinta yang bisa kurasakan setiap harinya. Itu sudah lebih dari cukup. Cinta mengalahkan segalanya. Kemasyuran, kekayaan, pengetahuan, dan kebaikan-kebaikan yang pernah ada. Cinta adalah satu-satunya sifat yang dapat mengubahkan. Siapakah yang menciptakan cinta yang begitu hebat ini, kalau bukan Tuhan Allah sendiri yang mengaruniakannya. Sebab Tuhan adalah cinta. Jika kamu melihat hal-hal baik terjadi dalam hidupmu, percayalah bahwa Ia memberikan kasihNya padamu. Jika kamu sedang dalam kesedihan, Ia sedang menguji kamu tanpa pernah meninggalkanmu. Silahkan lampiaskan segala perasaanmu padaNya, amarahmu, sedihmu, pertanyaan-pertanyaanmu karena Ia setia. Ialah Tuhan, tempat kita bersandar.

It's Him, not me

Adalah kebahagiaan yang tiada taranya bila ku sadari bahwa aku bangun setiap pagi, bernafas, dan dalam kondisi yang sehat. Bahkan ucapan terimakasih padaNya pun tidak mampu mewakili rasa syukurku.

            Suatu kali aku berpikir mengapa aku sekolah dan kuliah, mengapa aku berprestasi, dan mengapa harus memiliki pekerjaan, harus memiliki uang dan prestise, menghormati orang lain, menabung untuk masa depan, dan melakukan perbuatan-perbuatan baik lainnya. Jawabanku adalah agar aku mampu hidup. Hidup secara lahiriah. Hidup  dengan baik di dunia fana karena kebaikan-kebaikan yang ku perbuat. Tapi, pada akhirnya aku juga akan meninggalkan dunia sebab tak ada yang kekal disini, di dunia. Hidup seperti itu bukanlah yang aku harapkan.(Ayub 1:21) “Aku dilahirkan tanpa apa-apa, dan aku akan mati tanpa apa-apa juga. TUHAN telah memberikan dan TUHAN pula telah mengambil. Terpujilah nama-Nya!"       

            Merenung mengenai tujuanku di dunia ini membuatku tersadar apa yang menjadi fokus utamaku. Tentulah Dia. Karena Dia yang menciptakan aku, memelihara aku dan menjagai aku. Memuliakan namaNya adalah tujuanku. Aku lahir, besar, belajar, bersekolah, kuliah, berprestasi, berprofesi adalah untuk memuliakan namaNya, Yesus. (Mazmur 86:12) "Aku hendak bersyukur kepadaMu, ya Tuhan, Allahku, dengan segenap hatiku, dan memuliakan namaMu untuk selama-lamanya." Bukan supaya aku mencapai kesempurnaan dalam diriku, tetapi agar sempurnalah perbuatan tangan Yesus dalam diriku. Sebab bukan karena semua kebajikan yang telah ku perbuat maka aku bisa menuju Dia, tetapi karena Ia sendiri yang datang menyelamatkan jiwaku.

            Setiap pagi begitu bangun dari tidur, aku melipat tangan dan berbisik pada Yesus dalam doaku supaya Ia bekerja dalam setiap aktivitasku. Yang ku mengerti kemudian, bahwa ini yang menjadi kekuatanku. Tak lain adalah Tuhan Yesus.

            “Aku milikNya dan aku membutuhkanNya”
            Bila aku mengingat bahwa aku kepunyaanNya, maka bersukacitalah hatiku. (Roma 8:28) “Kita tahu sekarang, bahwa Allah turut bekerja dalam segala sesuatu untuk mendatangkan kebaikan bagi mereka yang mengasihi Dia, yaitu bagi mereka yang terpanggil sesuai dengan rencana Allah.”

Egritha

Happy Eid Mubarak 2013 - 1434 H

Hello buddy!

Happy Eid Mubarak 1434 H to you all who celebrate it!
May you always be blessed wherever and whenever.

Egritha

IN CHRIST ALONE

Hey buddy! I love listening to this worship song tittled : IN CHRIST ALONE.
Not only Avalon (A famous worship singer) sang it, but also Owl City did!

It is so peaceful song even when it played with piano. This song reminds me about love of Christ and takes away my doubt in anything because I have Him and I belong to Him. It is his mercy that I am still here, live good, and have love in my heart. He is watching all the time and blessing nonstop. Thank youJesus, You are so so so much kind and I never have enough thank to You.

You guys can listen it here!

And here is the lyrics.

IN CHRIST ALONE

In Christ alone, my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace  
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease 

My comforter, my all-in-all
Here in the love of Christ I stand
 
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me 
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
 
No guilt in life, no fear in death 
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand 
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand Till He returns or calls me home 

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand
 

CHRISTMAS in 2012

I was given a big responsibility for some events. As an alumnus from high school, I was choosen as the committee of Christmas event. And in my college, I had my part in procession (procession is an opening which is sacred ; with some dancing angels followed by the Priest and the committe). So, I became an angel here. The two events went so great.

For Christmas night, I spent it in the church at my hometown Pematangsiantar. My sister Weny did not come for Christmas because she was doing exam that time. But, my cousins Kak Helen and her husband Bang Manurung, Kak Tina, Kak Nelly, and Bang Rudol from Boston were here. I really had great time with them. I was glad especially for Bang Rudol, he gave me some motivation and nice advices. (FYI, Bang Rudol is a candidate of Fullbright Scholarship for Ph.D, a graduate from ITB).

Once we had dinner together. We got IFU mie (kind of Chinnese noodle).
Me : Bang!
Bang Rudol: Yup..
Me : Bang, how it tastes?
Bang : It’s very nice.
Me :Oh, really? Maybe that’s why you eat so fast?
Bang : Haha, right. You know Egri? American eats so fast because they appreciate time. But, most of Indonesian esp women eats with style, so slow and late. (we are laughing together)

Give Thanks

This song (Lyrics and music by Henry Smith) has a wonderful lyrics and it remembering me about how great is life that God given.

GIVE THANKS

Give thanks with a grateful heart.
Give thanks to the Holy One.
Give thanks because
He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son.

And now let the weak say : I’m strong.
Let the poor say : I’m rich.
Because of what the Lord has done for us.

Give thanks...

And the Bahasa Indonesia lyrics:

TERIMAKASIH

T’rima kasih ya Tuhan
T’rima kasih pada-Mu
atas kasih karunia Roh-Mu yang kudus

Yang lemah kini jadi perkasa
Yang miskin jadi kaya, berkat karya Tuhan atas kita.
Yang hina diangkat ke pangkuan-Nya
Yang sesat dis’lamatkan, berkat karya Tuhan atas kita.

Terimakasih...

YOUR plan, not mine

hello buddy!
Today let us reflect. We are as human beings who have the Almighty Lord, do not rarely pray for something we want, something good happens to us, or pray that our dreams can be fulfilled. In essence, we must pray about all that is good and we expect to become a reality. Why do we only pray for our dreams which are good? And what about the plight that might happen?
In fact, we often beg and implor, "Lord, please ... make it real my God," "God ... this is my request from my deepest heart", "God ... please make this happen."

Let us read the story below.

Someone who always prays…
* At School Graduation
"God, please make me this time become a class champion. I've been studying diligently, I had worked and prayed diligently. Please O Lord, make me become the pride of all people. "
(GOD accepted)

* At the University Test Selection
"God, maybe this is the most request from my deepest heart. Please God, let me enter the university. I don’t want to re-learn again in for next year. God certainly, You don’t want your child be so grieving and mocked by others, right? God, I'm really asking that my name will be written on the list of students who qualfied. "
(GOD accepted)

* In a Job Test
"Yes, my Lord, God You already known my sacrifice for this. I fought from the bottom. Now, show my God that I can get this job or all will just become a vain. Yes, God I believe God will grant my prayer. "
(GOD accepted)

* As of the promotion to be Director
"This time theGod, don’t make me disappointed. I have to be a director. I beg, yes, Lord! I really hope this time. In this way, I promise will be more diligent in prayer. "
(GOD accepted)

Buddy, the story above, it was a perfect life for a man. Truly, he was a very very lucky because everything he requested had become a reality.

But, Have we forgotten about life in this world which full of joy and sorrow? Have we forgotten that life in this world like a wheel which is sometimes above and sometimes be under? That is, we certainly will not always be in good condition, happy and blissful. Sometimes, things get worse, sad and grieving. And oddly enough, we are more often just pray for all the good dreams come true? Let's think, if God always grant our good dream, then what about the dreams of others?
If God always grant our wishes as the story above. Then, when the Lord will grant the wishes of others? Can you bear to laugh happily after got the 1st rank, entered the best university, got a great job and became a director, while others is in despair because of his hope to get one of his dreams now have been destroyed?
Do we have a heart for it?

I believe that human beings who have a good character can not bear that circumstances. And I believe all who read this writing of mine is people with a conscience. So, we'll think about what other people feel.
Let us have an introspection, all this time we ask too much for what we want to be accomplished. In fact, behind that all God already has a plan for each of us. However, we are even more frequently emphasize that our plans have to happen. But, The Lord has set a beautiful project for us. God always knows what is the best for us.

So Buddy, do not always ask for our plans become true. But ask Him to bless you sincerely with pleased for the plan that he will give to you.

Oh yes, Buddy, yesterday I just read a story which took by a friend of mine from a website.
This is the story about, a little boy who trained hard eventually became a champion race car. Then he was asked by a jury, "You must have prayed to God so that you can beat your friends, right?"
Then, The Champion said, "It's true I prayed to God. But, I didn’t pray to beat my friends. I do not want my friends lose. I just pray that God strengthen me, so that I won’t cry when I lose . "

The story above shows the magnitude of conscience and a real belief of the little child. He has already trained so hard and he even did not ask for a good achievement for his hard worked. He only prayed that when he defeated, God give him strength not to cry. From here, we can know the little boy handed his win or lose to God.

Buddy, let's learn from the child. Let's surrender everything to God. Keep believing that God's design is a beautiful design. Therefore, let's whisper in your little soft heart, "Your Plan God, not mine.”

All right, Buddy! That is a lesson for today! Keep spirit of living life!

Egritha Tampubolon