AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY: An Old Note

My grandparents passed away about 10 years ago when I was still a teenager. My grandfather was very close to me and he was not only a dear grandfather figure to me but also a life mentor who gave me advices about life, love and whatever other things I needed advice on. His advices helped me a lot and caused always a sense of relief in my life especially in harder times or when facing difficult choices and decisions.
When he was gone, I had a hard time in life; I felt emptiness and lack of guidance. It is not that my parents were not there for me or I did not have friends to talk to, but no one knew me as well as Grandpa. He knew me so deep that he could tell from my body reactions how I was and from the way I was breathing he could tell how I felt.
For almost a year after his death I was living aimlessly not knowing my own direction. I just existed and was trying to find guidance in my life. It was a very difficult period. I went to the cemetery almost every weekend and just stood and stared there at his headstone. Slowly as pain vanished and I matured as a person I gradually became independent with my own decisions. I did not ask for advice from anyone and I decided on things and chose among alternatives in life as my Grandpa would have suggested or picked.
Then about at age 25, after I graduated from college, I was offered an overseas opportunity to work as a business development manager for the company I worked for. The only problem was I was dating a guy for a year and a half and I thought it was getting very serious. In my mind I was picturing myself as his wife and as the mother of his kids so I thought this opportunity might have just come at the wrong time.
They were supposed to send me off to Spain in two months time and basically I was given a month to think about my decision. My boss told me it is a once in a lifetime opportunity and there were others at the company waiting on the list if I happened to decline it. This month was a stressful time every day I woke up and every night I went to bed with the thoughts of what happens if I go or if I don’t. My major concern obviously was my then boyfriend and the possibility of losing him. I truly loved him and I really wanted to settle with him.
During this one month period I went to visit my parents in Oklahoma where they still lived in the same house. Before one of the dinners my dad sent me down to the basement to pick a bottle of wine for the dinner. The very back section of the basement had a lot of boxes and before I went to the wine cellar section I went to the back to see what were in those boxes.
I do not know why but randomly I reached for one of the boxes and I pulled it towards the light. It was heavy so I was sure there were books in it. I opened it and then I saw some books that belonged to Grandpa. He loved to read and especially after my grandmother passed away, he escaped to reading from his pain. I picked up one of the books and as I opened the cover a small old note fell from it. I picked it up and immediately I recognized Grandpa’s handwriting. The note was a short quote from Saint Augustine and it said “The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
I put the note in my jeans’ back pocket and I picked a bottle of wine. As I walked up the stairs I felt relieved and this relief felt exactly the same as the relief I felt when I was a teenager and Grandpa gave me an advice on something. I had a pleasant dinner with my parents and I told them I was going to Spain. This sentence came out me naturally and without any hesitation. After dinner I went up to my room and I called my boyfriend to tell him about my decision.
Two months later I was already in Spain and we agreed with my boyfriend to try a long distance relationship and when he finished his graduate school in a year he would join me. Emotionally it was tough and I was crying a lot. There were times when I even questioned my decision that I made based on a note, based on a quote that Grandpa might have liked for whatever reason. But in a about a month, I became sure it was the right choice.
My best friend called me up and told me that a couple of times she saw my boyfriend hand in hand with a girl in a bar and they seemed very intimate together. I was furious. I called him up and we had a huge fight. We called each other different names and basically we broke up. I was depressed and I was not sure if to stay in Spain in this difficult emotional situation or go back to the States. After some alone time and reading Grandpa’s note a few more times I stayed and it seems that his ‘advice’ paid off. I met a guy from Australia whom I got married to after a year of dating. We are still happily married, now living our lives back in the States and we are happily raising our two beautiful daughters.
Thanks a lot Grandpa !

iseng

postingan kali ini hanya berupa foto-foto yang iseng-iseng aku ambil saat sedang kuliah Structure.
saat itu kuliah structure hanya sejam,
tapi karena memang dasarnya males, akhirnya muncullah foto-foto dahsyat gak mutu kek begini :D
hhahahahhaha

disini ada Elviera Margi, Alias Egi, alias Drakula. dia adalah cewek berkacamata yang posenya saat itu sedang "gag Well bgt!!"

ini aku dan Jenna.. hhahaha, SmiLeee

ini adalah pose bibir andalan kami, POSE PALING WELL !!

buceeeeetttt

 

 

 

 

ini Jenna Sadar kamera banget !! hhaha

Demikian foto-foto gak penting yang diambil saat sedang setres sama Structure..
hhahahhahaha,
#sokArtis :D

Funny quotes from DUE DATE

jadi, ini adalah quotes2 lucu yang ada di film DUE DATE
postingan ini cuma iseng-iseng,
dan semoga yang baca dan belum pernah nonton DUE DATE
bisa terinspirasi untuk menontonnya.
kutipan dialog-dialog di film ini benar-kocak dan mengocok perut,
just read guys,

Ethan Tremblay: [from trailer]
[talking to a can full of his dad's ashes]
Ethan Tremblay: Dad... You were like a father to me.


Ethan Tremblay: [from trailer] My father always had a saying "When a day starts like this it's all uphill from here.
Peter Highman: Uphill? No, it's all downhill from here.
Ethan Tremblay: But nobody wants to be down, everybody wants to be up. It's all uphill from here.
Peter Highman: But it's easier to go downhill. So your dad had no idea what the fuck he was talking about.


Ethan Tremblay: Did you call me over here to apologize?
Peter Highman: What? Fuck You!


Peter Highman: I didn't sleep last night. I'm gonna try now.
Ethan Tremblay: Well you really should have masturbated, cuz I had a glorious orgasm and I slept like a baby.


you should watch this movie !!

Pelajaran hari ini

Hari ini spesial,..
aku mendapat pelajaran yang berharga dalam hidup,
ternyata untuk mendapat pelajaran yang berharga dalam hidup,
kita terkadang harus melewati suatu situasi yang mungkin sama sekali tidak menyenangkan.
seperti yang aku alami hari ini..

hari ini aku belajar,
bahwa........
apabila kita menginginkan sesuatu, kita harus berusaha untuk mendapatkannya,
kalau gak punya, gak usah pinjam.
dan dari situ, berusahalah untuk mendapatkannya.

memang postingan kali ini gak penting dan gak mutu.
tapi yang jelas,
motivasiku untuk jadi wanita karir bertambah. hhehehe

Funny Love Story (The Hangover)

 This story is totally sweet ... you should read it guys!! ^^

A husband wakes up at home with a huge hangover.
He forces himself to open his eyes and the first thing he sees is a couple of aspirins and a glass of water on the side table.
He sits down and sees his clothing in front of him, all cleaned and pressed. He looks around the room and sees that it is in perfect order, spotless and clean. The rest of the house is in equally good shape.
He takes the aspirins and notices a note on the table.
"Honey, breakfast is on the table. I left early to go grocery shopping. Love You!"
He is totally shocked by the loving note. He goes to the kitchen and there is a hot breakfast and morning newspaper ready for him.
His son is eating at the table.
He asks, "Son, what happened last night?"
His son says, "Well, you came home around 3 a.m. drunk and delirious. You broke some crockery, puked in the hall and gave yourself a black eye when you stumbled into the door".
Confused, the man asks, "So why is everything in order and so clean? Why is there breakfast on the table waiting for me? I should expect to have a big quarrel with your mom!"
His son replies, "Oh, that! Mom dragged you to the bedroom and when she tried to take your clothes and shoes off, you said, ‘Lady Leave Me Alone! I'm Married!’"

The Greatest Gift

Little Jimmy was laying about on a hillock in the meadow on a warm spring day. Puffy white clouds rolled by and he pondered their shape. Soon, he began to think about God. "God? Are you really there?" Jimmy said out loud. To his astonishment a voice came from the clouds.

"Yes, Jimmy? What can I do for you?"

Seizing the opportunity, Jimmy asked, "God? What is a million years like to you?"

Knowing that Jimmy could not understand the concept of infinity, God responded in a manner to which Jimmy could relate, "A million years to me, Jimmy, is like a minute."

"Oh, "said Jimmy. "Well, then, what's a million dollars like to you?"

"A million dollars to me, Jimmy, is like a penny."

"Wow!" remarked Jimmy, getting an idea, "You are so generous ... can I have one of your pennies?"

God replied, "Sure thing, Jimmy! JUST A MINUTE."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Funny yet so true. God enriches us more and more, when we are willing to wait for Him longer. Even during the times when it seems we are losing: losing beloved ones, relationships, jobs, health, wealth ... He sustains us with more spiritual gifts: hope, wisdom, joy, patience, peace, glory to carry us through. Set your heart to wait upon the LORD Almighty and trust He will not only carry you through but will raise you highly above the tough situations you might be going through. At the moments when pain, temptation or anger seem too tough to handle, sing with King David, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my Strength and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14) 

from: Touching Love Stories

Through the Lens of Adam Young (That's Why I LOVE owlcity)

In my travels I always make sure to have my camera handy. I'm so lucky to see so many amazing things thanks to the support of my fans, so I wanted to give you all a glimpse through my lens. See part one of my trip to Asia in Through the Lens of Adam Young here and check back on 10/31 for part two. Hope you enjoy!

Reason Why I Love OWL CITY

Jadi, ini adalah salah satu postingan Adam Young, yang aku lihat pas lagi browsing. Aku pikir ini menarik, jadi aku posting juga disini. Just read it guys, awesome :D

Why Must We Fall?

On October 24th, 2011 by Adam Young

One of my favorite stories in the world is a short chapter taken from Austrian author Felix Salten’s incredible 1923 novel Bambi, a Life in the Woods. The story of the little deer itself is quite a bit darker and melancholy than the Disney movie, but if you find inspiration in anthropomorphic literature, I highly recommend it. The tale is pure, moral, sterling and virtuous — all things I find rare and unfamiliar among 95% of modern novels on today’s shelves.
Every year about the time the autumn leaves start falling, I dig Bambi out of my bookshelf because of a chapter concerning two introspective oak leaves entitled, Winter. It’s poignant and beautiful and I wilt and smile at the same time because Salten’s words benevolently remind me that life is fragile and even the smallest moments should be cherished dearly. I like how subjective and sobered I feel after reading the chapter. I can’t wait to read it to my son or daughter someday when he/she inquires about the subject of death (and even more excited to further explain that death isn’t the end for followers of Christ) but that’s another story.
A brilliant radio dramatization of the chapter recorded in the late 50’s by Ted Strasser:




The leaves were falling from the great oak at the meadow’s edge. They were falling from all the trees. One branch of the oak reached high above the others and stretched far out over the meadow. Two leaves clung to its very tip.
“It isn’t the way it used to be,” said one leaf to the other.
“No,” the other leaf answered, “So many of us have fallen off tonight we’re almost the only ones left on our branch.”
“You never know who’s going to be next,” said the first leaf. “Even when it was warm and the sun shone, a storm or a cloudburst would come sometimes and many leaves were torn off, though they were still young. You never know who’s going to be next.”
“The sun seldom shines now,” sighed the second leaf, “and when it does, it gives us no warmth. We must have warmth again.”
“Can it be true,” said the first leaf, “can it really be true that others come to take our places when we’re gone, and after them still others, and more and more?”
“It is really true,” whispered the second leaf. “We can’t even begin to imagine it, it’s beyond our powers.”
“It makes me very sad,” added the first leaf.
They were silent a while.

Then the first leaf said quietly to herself, “Why must we fall?”
The second leaf asked, “What happens to us when we’ve fallen?”
“We sink down.”
“What is under us?”
The first leaf answered, “I don’t know. Some say one thing, some another, but nobody knows.”
The second leaf asked, “Do we feel anything, do we know anything about ourselves when we’re down there?”
The first leaf answered, “Who knows? Not one of all those down there has ever come back to tell us about it.”
They were silent again. Then the first leaf said tenderly to the other, “Don’t worry so much about it, you’re trembling!”
“That’s nothing,” the second leaf answered, “I tremble at the least thing now. I don’t feel so sure of my hold as I used to.”
“Let’s not talk anymore about such things,” said the first leaf.
The other replied, “No, we’ll let be. But — what else shall we talk about?” She was silent, but went on after a little while. “Which of us will… which of us will go first?”
“There’s still plenty of time to worry about that,” the other leaf assured her. “Lets remember how beautiful it was, how wonderful, when the sun came out and shone so warmly that we thought we’d burst with life. Do you remember? And the morning dew and the mild and splendid nights?”
“Now the nights are dreadful,” the second leaf complained, “and there is no end to them.”
“We shouldn’t complain,” said the first leaf gently. “We’ve outlived many, many others.”
“Have I changed much?” asked the second leaf shyly but determinedly.
“Not in the least,” the first leaf assured her. “You only think so because I’ve got to be so yellow and ugly. But it’s different in your case.”
“You’re fooling me,” the second leaf said.
“No, really!” the first leaf exclaimed eagerly, “believe me, you’re as lovely as the day you were born. Here and there may be a little yellow spot, but it’s hardly noticeable and only makes you handsomer, believe me.”
“Thanks,” whispered the second leaf, quite touched. I don’t believe you, not altogether, but I thank you because you’re so kind. You’ve always been so kind to me. I’m just beginning to understand how kind you are.
“Hush,” said the other leaf, and kept silent herself, for she was too troubled to talk anymore.
Then they were both silent. Hours passed.
A moist wind blew, cold and hostile through the treetops.
“Ah, now,” said the second leaf, “I…”
And then her voice broke off. She was torn from her place and spun down.
Winter had come.

I have learned…

I’ve learned-
that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.
I’ve learned-
that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back.
I’ve learned-
that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
I’ve learned-
that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I’ve learned-
that it’s not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.
I’ve learned-
that you should never ruin an apology with an excuse.
I’ve learned-
that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d better know something.
I’ve learned-
that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the best others can do.
I’ve learned-
that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I’ve learned-
that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I’ve learned-
that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I’ve learned-
that you can keep going long after you can’t.
I’ve learned-
that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I’ve learned-
that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I’ve learned-
that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.
I’ve learned-
that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I’ve learned-
that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I’ve learned-
that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I’ve learned-
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.
I’ve learned-
that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.
I’ve learned-
that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I’ve learned-
that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.
I’ve learned-
that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.
I’ve learned-
that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.
I’ve learned-
that your family won’t always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren’t related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren’t biological.
I’ve learned-
that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.
I’ve learned-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.
I’ve learned-
that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I’ve learned-
that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.
I’ve learned-
that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.
I’ve learned-
that we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I’ve learned-
that you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
I’ve learned-
that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I’ve learned-
that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.
I’ve learned-
that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
I’ve learned-
that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I’ve learned-
that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
I’ve learned-
that it’s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people’s feelings, and standing up for what you believe.
I’ve learned-
that people will forget what you said, and people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

By Omer B. Washington

 

The doll and white rose

I was walking around in a Target store, when I saw a Cashier hand this little boy some money back. The boy couldn’t have been more than 5 or 6 years old. The Cashier said, “I’m sorry, but you don’t have enough money to buy this doll.” Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him: ”Granny, are you sure I don’t have enough money?” The old lady replied: ”You know that you don’t have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.” Then she asked him to stay there for just 5 minutes while she went to look a round. She left quickly.
The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand. Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to. It’s the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for Christmas. She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her. I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all, and not to worry. But he replied to me sadly. “No, Santa Claus can’t bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.”
His eyes were so sad while saying this. “My Sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.” My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at me and said: “I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall.” Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He then told me “I want mommy to take my picture with her so she won’t forget me.” “I love my mommy and I wish she doesn’t have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister.” Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.
I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. “Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll?” “OK” he said, “I hope I do have enough.” I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money. The little boy said: “Thank you God for giving me enough money!” Then he looked at me and added, “I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy could give It to my sister. He heard me!” “I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn’t dare to ask God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose.” “My mommy loves white roses.”
A few minutes later, the old lady returned and I left with my basket. I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started. I couldn’t get the little boy out of my mind. Then I remembered a local news paper article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who hit a car occupied by a young woman and a little girl. The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-sustaining machine, because the young woman would not be able to recover from the coma. Was this the family of the little boy? Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the news paper that the young woman had passed away. I couldn’t stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was exposed for people to see and make last wishes before her burial. She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest. I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed forever. The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine. And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away from him.
The value of a man or woman resides in what he or she gives, not in what they are capable of receiving…

Author Unknown

A Glass of Milk – Paid In Full

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?” “You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from my heart.”
As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.
Year’s later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.
After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She began to read the following words:

“Paid in full with one glass of milk”

Signed, Dr. Howard Kelly.

from: academictips.org

Kepercayaan Diri

Banyak orang pandai menyarankan agar kita memiliki suatu kepercayaan diri yang kuat. Pertanyaannya adalah diri yang manakah yang patut kita percayai? Apakah panca indera kita? Padahal kejituan panca indera seringkali tak lebih tumpul dari ujung pena yang patah. Apakah tubuh fisik kita? Padahal sejalan dengan lajunya usia, kekuatan tubuh memuai seperti lilin terkena panas. Ataukah pikiran kita? Padahal keunggulan pikiran tak lebih luas dari setetes air di samudera ilmu. Atau mungkin perasaan kita? Padahal ketajaman perasaan seringkali tak mampu menjawab persoalan logika. Lalu diri yang manakah yang patut kita percayai? Semestinya kita tak memecah-belah diri menjadi berkeping- keping seperti itu. Diri adalah diri yang menyatukan semua pecahan-pecahan diri yang kita ciptakan sendiri. Kesatuan itulah yang disebut dengan integritas. Dan hanya sebuah kekuatan dari dalam diri yang paling dalam lah yang mampu merengkuh menyatukan anda. Diri itulah yang patutnya anda percayai, karena ia mampu menggenggam kekuatan fisik, keunggulan pikiran dan kehalusan budi anda.

sumber : kisah inspiratif