A Bride to Be Journal

A book by: Janice Thompson & Randi Morrow

Chapter 1

Maybe as little girl you dreamed of your wedding day and wondered who your prince charming would be. How funny to think that the Lord knew your perfect mate all along! He has been preparing the heart of your spouse-to-be from the day he was born. Your fiance may not have ridden in on a white stallion, but he is the man for you. You'll have fun getting to know each other on this exciting season of your lives together.

The engagement period is one of great joy and togetherness. Over the next few weeks and months you will discover how to think like a couple, how to merge financial matters and how to seek the Lord together. In short, you're learning how to be "one".-and one is a lot of fun.

So as you sweep your Prince Charming into your arms, remember that with all of his flaws, all of his imperfections, he's the one God had in mind all along. And the two of you are about to set out on an amazing life together.

Chapter 2

What is God's idea of ideal? Simple. Someone who will love you the way Christ loved the church. Someone who will provide spiritual leadership in your home and who will lead by example. Someone who will cherishes you and would give his life for you. God knew exactly what you needed when He picked your mate. He knew your good traits and bad. He knew your quirks, your personality, your habiys and your mannerisms. And He had the ideal man in mind for you.

"For I know the plan I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Yer 29:11

Backpacking to Bangkok, Siem Reap & Singapore

Traveling Time

Last February (2011) I had a free time after finishing my thesis and in between job. Lucky for me, one of my friend wanted to spent her remaining annual leave quota so we planned a trip to Siem Reap. I heard a lot about the beauty of this place, the temples and everything and wanted to see it. We wanted to buy airline ticket directly to Siem Reap (REP) , or from KL to REP but by that time the ticket was very expensive. The promo ticket was from JKT to Bangkok (BKK) via Singapore (SGP) using Jetstar. Very cheap ticket, only USD 25. Actually it is not a comfortable schedule because we leave Jakarta for Singapore at night and leave Singapore for Bangkok the next morning, so we have to spend one night in Singapore. Luckily for us we have a friend who lives in Singapore and have extra room, so we can stay at their place. The next morning we leave Singapore and headed to Bangkok.

Bangkok
We arrive in Bangkok in the morning and go straight to our hostel. We have booked a hostel in downtown Bangkok, YHA hostel. Bangkok is nice, the food is definitely great, just around every corner we can find good food. On the first day ini Bangkok we decided to just explore the area around our hostel and go to Hualamphong train station to see the train schedule for our overland to Siem Reap and explore the nearby sightseeing in Hualamphong, try every interesting food we found and ended the day in MBK and Siam Paragon the most famous mall in Bangkok.
The next day in Bangkok we start our day with breakfast hunting in the local market just nearby our hostel. Thailand is famous for its fruit and traditional cookies (kueh) so we try that. Fruits are everywhere with 20 bath we can get a small plastic bag of any kind of local (tropical) fruit. After breakfast we went to the famous Chao Praya river where mostly tourist attraction located. So we looked for the nearest MRT station and go to Saphan Taksin station. That station is walking distance to the port where we can find water taxi to bring us along Chao Praya river to see Wat Arun, Grand Palace and the Reclining Buddha and see sunset at Wat Arun after that straight to our hotel to get some rest for Siem Reap.

Siem Reap
Thailand and Combodia have been in dispute for a long time, this time they have quarrel about a temple (Preah Kahn) in the border area so we always confirm to Indonesian embassy in Pnom Penh to make sure that the route we were taking is safe. They confirmed that the hot zone is very far from the route were taking so it was okay.

It was a one day trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap. We started 7am from our hostel in Bangkok using BTS (MRT) to Mo Chit station, from the station we took government bus for 6.5 bath to Chatuchak Bus Station (we decided to take the bus instead of train from hualamphong). From chatuchak we took 4 hours bus to Arannyaprathet, from there we took tuk-tuk to Poipet (cambodian border) and after stamp for Visa (20USD) we order a taxi for another 3 hours trip to Siem Reap and finally at dinner time we arrived at our hostel in Siem Reap. :)

Wat Angkor Archeological Park
Siem Reap city is very vibrant with the tourism for Wat Angkor as the main attracttion. Tourist from all over the world come to see this old city of angkor, especially after the movie Tomb Rider starred by Angeline Jolie took place in these temples. Angkor is the old capital city of Cambodia before Pnom Penh. The whole city was build temple over temple with a very good details of carvings. We went for two days exploring wat angkor before we leave for Kuala Lumpur.

Driving Assistant - Level 1

Rejection is hard
First day on the driving assistant we faced a rejection. Ga ada tempat parkir ,yang bisa dipakai untuk belajar nyetir. Baru aja sampe di parkiran L**** M*** di kelapa gading, satpamnya udah samperin kita buat kasih tahu di sana ga boleh belajar nyetir. Jadi kita coba muter-muter daerah sekitarnya buat cari lapangan yang lumayan besar tapi ga dapet. Parkiran mall cukup besar tapi ga luas, selalu banyak tiang, jadi banyak blank spot, terlalu beresik nabrak. Jadi kita putuskan buat pergi ke tempat yang cukup familiar, parkir timur senayan, tempat dulu saya pertama belajar nyetir. Ternyata lapangan khusus yang dulu saya pakai sekarang sudah sepenuhnya jadi lapangan parkir, dan dimana-mana ada papan pengumuman dilarang belajar parkir di kawasan senayan. :( Jadi hari itu kita putuskan untuk ga jadi dulu belajar nyetir. Akhirnya hari kedua kita putuskan untuk belajar di lingkungan rumah di B*** I**** sambil deg2an (me) akhirnya kita mulai juga.

She's on The Road :)
Lesson 1:
1. Jalan lurus di dan berputar tanpa mundur di ujung jalan
2. Max gear 2.
3. Stop kalau ada mobil lain :D
That's it. She's on the wheel. :)

Akhirnya weekend berikutnya kita putuskan buat terus belajar di lokasi yang sama. Minggu kedua dia sudah mulai terbiasa dengan gas, rem, gear jadi saya sudah mulai berani ajak dia keliling komplek dan ga perlu berhenti kalau ada mobil.
Lesson 2:
1. Turning > di minggu kedua ini kita banyak latihan u-turn
2. Tanjakan > untungnya kita, di komplek tsb ada tanjakan yang banyak polisi tidur. cocok banget dipake latihan. Sampai akhirnya dia bisa turning smoothly, tanjakan dengan polisi tidur juga udah ga mati mesin
3. Parking > mulai belajar parkir di garasi kita sendiri, masuk maju dan masuk mundur


Minggu ketiga, Lesson 3: Parking.
Minggu ketiga kita fokus di parkir, she's definitely getting better. Sudah mulai bisa parkir lancar.

She is progressing, so next week we are ready for the next lesson, jalan raya on sunday morning. Wish us good luck! :)

Helping Your Sister Learn to Drive

Okay, so now it's my turn to teach my little sister how to drive a car. Honestly kalau bisa biarlah cawan ini lalu daripadaku he3x because the last time she was behind wheel I had to stop her and that time I made an excuse that she didn't have driving license yet, and now she has. But this time I prepare myself with small research on how to teach how to drive, make a learning program and lots of prayer.

So here is the plan.
Duration: 1-6 Months (Depends on her driving frequency)
Skill Level: 3


Level 1 - Beginner
Objective: Parking, Home to Church/Office & Familiar Places (Bright - Day Time)

Course 1 - Parking Lot
An empty parking lot >> is an ideal place to:

• practice simple car control skills like turning and braking
• get a feel for how the car handles
• learn the location of some of the basic controls, like windshield wipers and lights
• moving in drive and reverse
  

Course 2 - Jalanan Kompleks (Yang Lebar)
Quiet back roads, where there's little traffic:

• practicing an aggressive visual search (looking for potential road hazards)
• slowing down around curves
• coming to a full stop at a stop sign
• understanding the rules of a four-way stop
• keeping a safe following distance
• making a left turn on a two-way road
• keeping a constant speed when going uphill
• recognizing and understanding street signs
• navigating around pedestrians, animals, bikers, and runners
  

Course 3 - More busy street (on Sundays)

• changing lanes
• merging into traffic
• maintaining a safe speed based on road conditions
• understanding the different lanes — like not going below the speed limit in the left lane
• approaching, slowing down, and stopping at traffic lights/intersections — green, yellow, and red
  

"Teen drivers should learn to anticipate and watch for potential problems from other drivers — always expecting the other driver to do something that will put them at greatest risk. For instance, when approaching a stop sign, they should watch for other cars coming from different directions that may not stop. In traffic, encourage your teen to watch for cars that suddenly switch lanes without signaling or pull out in front.
New drivers often have trouble anticipating the actions of other vehicles, accurately sensing how much speed and space certain situations require, and effectively recognizing high risk traffic situations. These are skills that drivers develop with experience and time.
Once the lesson begins, remember that the goal is for your teen to get comfortable, confident, and safe behind the wheel"

Level 2 - Intermediate
Objective: Night, Heavy Rain Driving & Jakarta's Macet
Nighttime: Reduced visibility means greater risk that can lead to a collision.

Course 1 - Night & Heavy Rain at Kompleks

Course 2 - Macet Time in Jakarta

Course 3 - Night & Heavy Rain at Kompleks

Level 3 - Advance
Objective: Highway (Jakarta - Bandung)
Final Course: Very Early Morning Jakarta-Bandung via Cipularang
Additional: Night & Heavy Rain at Cipularang


A simple tutorial about the basics of car maintenance, like changing a tire, is important for a new driver. So show your son or daughter where the spare tire, lug wrench, and other equipment is kept and how to use it.

Other emergency and maintenance necessities to go over include:

• maintaining proper air pressure in the tires
• checking the oil
• pumping and paying for gas
• jump-starting a car

Source: http://kidshealth.org/

BEST GIFTS

Gift: "something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation"

Today is a few more days to my birthday and I always get excited with my birthdays because on that day I usually get attentions from friends and families. From a simple birthday wish to more thoughtful ones like cards, cakes, presents and surprises.

Looking back over the years of my birthdays, I try to remember all the gifts, attentions, heart-warming wishes I have ever got. It makes me smile. All are remembrance that I am loved.

Today while filing some documents at the office, my mind wanders trying to rank which gift is the most precious for me. Of course the ultimate gift is the salvation; life itself is a gift from God. But I wanted to remember the gifts given by people around me.

While working, in my heart I thank God that my parents thought me to work diligently and to enjoy life, suddenly I realized that the best gift I have been given are all the things my parents have taught me.It has enabled me to love what I do and do what I love.

They introduced me to basic things in life and basic skills of life. They guided me through the phases of my life, always try to understand me and trusted me even when it seems that I am so hard to understand. From a simple thing like tastes of fruits (they use to bought me variant of fruits so I know the tastes of it) to wisdom of life. They give me a chance to be me. When I wanted to learn new things they choose to support me, when I wanted to go see new things, even when they worried they choose to trust me and pray that I will be okay, when my mind is longing to see new places, they wish with me that it will come true.

Now it’s another birthday to celebrate. Thank you, Mom & Dad. It’s beautiful to understand how it feels to be loved. Love you. -RN-

“Pujilah Tuhan hai jiwaku, pujilah namaNya yang kudus hai segenap batinku.Pujilah Tuhan hai jiwaku dan janganlah lupakan segala kebaikanNya.” Mzm.

Wat Angkor - Siem Reap, Cambodia


Dome of Rock - Jerusalem,Israel

Grand Palace - Bangkok, Thailand

Red Sea - Nuwaiba, Egypt

Mount Horeb - Sinai, Egypt

Merlion Park - Singapore, Singapore

Tower Bridge - London, UK

Giza Pyramid - Cairo, Egypt

Windows of the World - Szhenchen, China

Disneyland, Hongkong

The Peak - Hongkong

Ruin of St. Paul - Macau


Petronas Tower, KL-Malaysia

Big Ben, London - UK

Journey to The Middle East - Shalom Jerusalem

The Holy City
"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD"~Psalms 122:1

Israel sendiri sebagian wilayahnya adalah milik Palestina, kedua negara ini memang memperebutkan wilayah yang sama. Jerusalem sebagian dikuasai Israel dan sebagian dikuasai Palestina. Orang - orang berpakaian sipil atau berpakaian militer bawa senjata jadi pemandangan yang biasa terutama di daerah perbatasan antara kedua negara tersebut. Pindah - pindah antar perbatasan sendiri untuk turis tidak terlalu masalah, hanya sesekali kami diminta siapkan passport untuk pemeriksaan.

Jerusalem menjadi kota kudus bagi banyak agama dalam 4 kategori besar, Yahudi, Islam, Kristen, Katolik. Di sana tempat dahulu raja Salomo mendirikan bait Allah. Dimana di ruang maha kudus tersimpan tabut perjanjian (the ark of the covenant). Bait Allah Salomo tersebut sudah dihancurkan dan sempat dibangun lagi pada masa Herodes. Di tour ini kami juga mengunjungi The Wailing Wall, satu2 nya bagian dari Bait Allah yang masih berdiri, dan ada museum yang membawa kami masuk ke dalam sisa reruntuhan Bait Allah tersebut. Tempat ini jauh lebih luar biasa dari yang saya bayangkan sebelumnya, tembok2nya dibangun dari batu2 yang kurang lebih sama besarnya seperti pyramid, dan sistem pengairan (aquaduct) di dalam reruntuhan tersebut yang dibangun untuk menampung air (curah hujan sangat terbatas di sana) supaya cukup untuk pembasuhan (pada masa itu korban sembelihan dilakukan tiap hari) adalah luar biasa.

The Golden Gate, Salah satu dari 12 pintu gerbang Bait Allah

"Bait Allah, Bait Suci, atau Kenisah adalah sebutan untuk pusat peribadahan Yahudi di Yerusalem kuno, di Bukit Bait Suci. Dalam bahasa Ibrani, tempat ini disebut Bait Suci (Beit HaMikdash בית המקדש). Bangunan ini digunakan untuk beribadah dan mempunyai fungsi utama untuk mempersembahkan kurban korbanot. Selama beberapa abad tempat ini menjadi pusat ibadah agama Yahudi. Menurut Kitab Suci Ibrani (Perjanjian Lama), Bait Allah ini dibangun oleh Salomo untuk menggantikan Kemah Suci yang dibangun Musa." ~wiki

Bait Allah ini terdapat pelataran, ruang suci dan ruang maha suci, sebagai bangunan yang pertama kali dibangun oleh raja Salomo untuk menggantikan kemah tempat Musa

"The cloud of the LORD hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys." Exodus 48: 38

Pada jamannya, di ruang maha suci dari Bait Allah Yerusalem tersebut adalah tempat disimpannya tabut perjanjian (The Ark of Covenant). Ark of Covenant ini pada masa sekarang menjadi salah satu barang arkeologi yang sangat berharga, sering disebut-sebut di game atau film, salah satunya adalah film Indiana Jones sebagai the lost treasure.

""The tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle; the table and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base; the garments of ministry, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests, and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded you they shall do." Exodus 31:1-11

Pemandangan dari salah satu sudut Yerusalem

Journey to The Middle East - The Story of Jesus

The Birth of Jesus
" So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2.

Hari keenam dalam tour tersebut kami mengunjungi Betlehem. I really love this place, kotanya kecil, agak sepi dan karena kita mulai tournya pagi jadi toko-toko masih banyak yang belum buka. Di Betlehem ada 2 gereja yang kami kunjungi, gereja Padang Gembala dan Church of Nativity.

Sebelum mampir ke gereja ini, kami mampir dulu ke toko souvenir, barang - barang yang dijual seputar gantungan kunci, magnet kulkas, perhiasan (mulai dari imitasi sampai emas), ukiran - ukiran dari kayu ara, kaos2, dsb. Semua barang dihargai USD, magnet kulkas +/-3-4 USD, kalung2 imitasi +/- 20 - 40 USD. Hehehe, konversi ke rupiah sih lumayan yah :D bagi yang kekurangan bawa cash, kartu kredit visa, master berlaku kok di sini.. billingnya juga dari dollar.

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”)." Mat 1:22-23

Gereja yang berikutnya kami datangi adalah Church of Nativity, gereja ini keren banget soalnya terletak di pinggir pantai, gerejanya dari batu (like most of other buildings there), bentuk gerejanya seperti benteng, dan di belakang gereja langsung danau galilea, jadi seperti pantai (bukan laut).

The Ministry
Yesus memulai pelayanannya dengan mujizat di Kana, di sana kami mengadakan kebaktian penguatan janji nikah untuk peserta tour yang sudah menikah. Anggur Kana salah satu souvenir yang bisa dibeli, terutama untuk peserta yang memang suka mengkonsumsi alkohol, kami (my sister and i) cuma beli botol kecil aja, USD 7 kalo ga salah harganya, buat sekedar coba.
Tempat pelayanan Yesus yang lain adalah Kapernaum dan Betesda, tempatnya masih seputar danau Galilea.

Kolam Betesda

Kapernaum

The Famous Story - Walking on Water
Dari sana kita menuju ke Tabgha tempat Yesus menggandakan 5 roti dan 2 ikan untuk memberi makan 5 ribu orang. Di sana ada museum, "Man in the Galilee", kami tidak explore lebih jauh museumnya tapi museum ini menuju dermaga ke danau Galilea, di sana kita bisa naik kapal yang konon replika kapal yang dinaiki oleh murid2 Yesus dimana mereka melihat Yesus berjalan diatas air. Galilea memiliki beberapa nama lain seperti Tiberias, Genesaret, Kineret, keempat nama ini menyebut danau yang sama, satu - satunya danau di Israel.

Danau Galilea

Dari sana, kita menuju Gunung Tabor, kali ini ga perlu naik unta, cukup pindah dari bus ke mobil kecil aja :D Gunung Tabor waktu kita ke sana (winter) keren banget... kabut tebal sekali jadi buat pemandangannya luar biasa. Dalam perjalanan ke puncak gunung, kita bisa lihat lembah Armagedon.

"Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!.."Rev 16:16-17

Mt. Tabor