Gw mau bersyukur buat sgala hal yang terjadi yang gw alami dalam kehidupan gw, dimana Tuhan terlebih dulu menyatakannya lewat perkataan profetik dari nabi2-NYA. Gw menghadapi situasi dimana di bulan ini gw alami kehilangan sesuatu yang very surprise me cause I never thought I will loss 2 things di waktu yg sama. But is okay, cause before that happen to me, God already spoke. So guys kalau km dalam situasi dimana kamu kehilangan sesuatu atau seseorang yang km kasihi, I hope perkataan profetik ni akan memberkati kamu.

What the Enemy has Stolen From You...Ultimately Belongs to Me

"People are filled with fear. Prognostication is the power that has ruled and the enemy has endeavored to stifle what I am about to do. But there is no loss," for God says, "what the enemy has stolen from you still ultimately belongs to Me. What the enemy thought he stole from you ultimately belongs to Me. Therefore, there is no loss! There is no loss! You may say, 'Lord, I have lost my loved one, I have lost my money.'"

God said, "It was given back to Me, for the enemy has no control of My property," says the Lord. "And once it has been handed to Me, I hand it back to you with a one hundred fold portion return," says the Lord! "Say no more about loss, there is no loss. What is loss has become your gain; it has been handed back to Me. For satan now has no power to possess what is Mine."

Prophet Kim Clement

Searching the web just now, however, I couldn't find any reference to this. Hence, I'm putting up both videos here to prove a point. NB:

1. The Rifles definitely draw inspiration from the Cure - apparently they've covered their 'In Between Days' before (for BBC Radio 1 in 2004)
2. While I haven't followed The Cure's musical output since their 'Wish' album, they have created some fucking amazing, timeless songs, of which Just Like Heaven is only one (Just Like Heaven has been covered numerous times, including a great version by Dinosaur Jr, for those in the know :P )

The Cure - Just Like Heaven

The Rifles - Local Boy

Reading the Idle Parent column in the newspaper this morning made me smile and reconfirmed to me that it was OK to lie in bed and do absolutely nothing whilst the children entertained themselves. Here is one of Tom Hodgkinson's previous articles in The Telegraph. I love his philosophy on life, which boils down to 'hands-off' parenting.

Here is Tom's manifesto (from The Idler):

We reject the idea that parenting requires hard work
We pledge to leave our children alone
That should mean that they leave us alone, too
We reject the rampant consumerism that invades children from the moment they are born
We read them poetry and fantastic stories without morals
We drink alcohol without guilt
We reject the inner Puritan
We fill the house with music and laughter
We don't waste money on family days out and holidays
We lie in bed for as long as possible
We try not to interfere
We push them into the garden and shut the door so that we can clean the house
We both work as little as possible, particularly when the kids are small
Time is more important than money
Happy mess is better than miserable tidiness
Down with school
We fill the house with music and merriment

He is also against things that have been 'designed' especially for kids, things that dumb them down to the lowest common denominator and give them a simplified and naïve view of the world. He is all for adults spending as much time pursing things that adults themselves enjoy without guilt, refusing to become embroiled in this rampant consumerism that targets children nowadays.

So this morning at ten, when my children awoke, I made them breakfast, went back to bed and let them get on with it. There were protests, of course, Squeak needed the dvd player turned on for her and Bubble needed a drink. I told them that they would have to help each other and left it at that. After five minutes of milling around they went off to entertain themselves, sorting out the dvd player and a drink. Plus they helped themselves to a lolly and two sweets each, no more. An hour later they were doing jigsaws together quite happily.

I am saddened that parents nowadays feel that they are not good parents unless they occupy their children with something to do 100% of the time (and then feel guilty when they have to plonk kids in front of the t.v. because they run out of steam and the kids are still raring to go). It is certainly true that children who have everything handed to them on a plate day after day forget how to entertain themselves, whether this be at school or at home.

I know a mother who spends most of her time when her 5 y.o. son is out of school taking him places; going for walks, bike shows, hockey matches etc. and staying there with him. Every moment of the day is mapped out with a meaningful activity. I remember her asking me once if I knew of a playground in an obscure little town 15 kms away. When I replied that I didn't, (and why should I?) she replied with,

"Oh, you don't get out much do you?"

Don't get me wrong, I love doing things with my children, but I try not to let it take up most of my time. I am learning, from people like Tom Hodgkinson, that children need their own space to discover who they are; they need to push through boredom in order to become more self reliant, more independent and curious about the world.

Boredom was something that Bubble used to pronounce to the world at any given opportunity,

"Oh Mummy, I am SO BORED!" with a huge shrug of the shoulders to accompany this statement.

We used to entertain her quite a bit. All her games revolved around us and she seemed incapable of doing anything that involved free-form imagination without help. But then I started putting her out in the garden in all weathers and letting her work through her boredom on her own. This was after I read 'Last Child in the Woods' by Richard Louv. Now she is spending more and more time lost in a world of her own imagining, not so reliant on us to create that world for her.

It seems that in previous generations, this was what children of all backgrounds did whilst the parents worked. I remember playing for hours in the garden as a child, on my bike in the street or with my sister playing fantastical games together. Sure, we went places as a family, but I never remember my mother or father coming out into the garden and playing organised games with us. I used to do things like build bird boxes with my father, but it was so that I could go away and do it for myself later if I wanted.

I once read an article about how much it would cost a family to entertain their children for the whole summer. It made me mad. The total amount came to thousands. The activities included theme parks, outdoor events, cinema tickets, restaurants, museums and swimming pools.

Why?

Would children have any less fun if they spent all summer building a tree house in the woods on their own? I doubt it. What they would actually miss out on though, is this artificial world created for them by adults who feel better knowing their children were kept happy at all times. Doesn't stop them whining though, does it? No wonder parents today burn-out so quickly and we have a generation of children who cannot do much else for themselves except sitting in front of the t.v. or computer screen.

So, during my agonising confinement this morning (when I actually felt bored myself), I left the children to do what they wanted to do. After all, I couldn't even make it down the stairs. They were fine, they didn't put themselves in danger, they didn't wreck the house nor did they gorge on sweets and chocolates.

It went so well in fact, that I may consider doing this 'lying in bed' thing once a week from now on, especially if I can drink alcohol without guilt once in a while as Hodgkinson suggests.

Begreppet innebär väl egentligen förstöra och det är ganska bra definition. Man tar helt enkelt en video, gärna med en gitarrhjälte, och lägger på nytt ljud som passar bra till bilderna. Men. Det låter inte helt lyckat. Bra shredders lyckas verkligen synkronisera de rörliga bilderna med ljud på ett fantastiskt sätt. 

Kolla denna fantastiska Paco de Lucia shred: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89zM9pZzt0U

Fantastiskt kul! En intressant framväxande genre oxå... 

Secondly, the place was packed to the brim and lord help me it was absurd. There were babies crying all over the place, and it had to have been the biggest mental trip I'd ever taken. Not to mention I had a total lack of sleep and I felt like I wanted to throw up and pass out. In the end I ended up getting my Interim Permit and acing the Permit Test easily. Now I wait three weeks for my laminated, actual permit with my really dorky and fugly picture to arrive. If it weren't for one sole redeeming factor of that place, I probably would have never left alive. What was that factor? The women. Well at least like, two of them. One girl that came later on in my ordeal with her dad, was just the most amazing thing and was probably one of the most beautiful girls I'd ever seen. I'd explain her but to even think of her is heart wrenching.

So in conclusion, much akin to a zoo; there are ugly animals, and beautiful creatures that can't be possibly fathomed or had, and unfortunately in one select case, this zoo was not a petting zoo. I would have given it all away just to have this girl I saw today. I honestly would have. I know it'd probably be the death of me, but she...God, it makes me all teary eyed. She was amazing. From the time she came in and the time I left, I couldn't help but lock my eyes onto her amazing figure, or stare at her beautiful eyes. It was like she was made from my very fantasies. It's depressing really. I'll never have anything close to her. Maybe it's better I don't. What the hell would I do with a perfect woman anyway. It's like carrying around a crate filled with delicate china across a battlefield. How long will it last before you trip and drop everything, and the whole world comes crashing down around you?

Hell what am I talking about, that happens to people even with the ugliest chicks, so who knows. I guess she really made me reflect on my life though because as soon as I got home, I went right to sleep and when I woke up all I could do was cry. Cry and cry and cry over that one thing in life that I don't have. Love. I don't know if I really want it now, I seem to be doing an excellent job wherever academics are involved since I've been without any distractions. But one day, I guess I'll have my princess and I can shut up and blog about how happy I am instead of what my trip to the the zoo was like and how depressed I am.

The long awaited sequel to Batman Begins opened this weekend with sold-out showings across the country. According to Media By Numbers, a tracking firm, the Dark Knight set a box office record for a midnight debut, bringing in $18.5 million Friday from its midnight screening in 3,040 theaters. And that number doesn't even take into account the 3 am and 6 am showings. With such a strong Friday start, the studio is projecting that the movie will take in over 100 million this weekend in the US and Canada alone. That would more than double the average for the previous five openings of a Batman movie.

While the stats are impressive, you may be wondering if the movie lives up to the hype. Well, I guess it depends on how much of the hype you believe. I walked into the theater expecting it to be a good batman movie, and it delivered. This is a strong follow-up to Batman Begins -- definitely as good, maybe better. Heath Ledger steals the show as the Joker. It's a shame his life was cut short and he won't be around to reprise his role as this dark villain.

Speaking of dark...make no mistake, this is film is more intense, violent and bleak than any of the previous Batman movies. It's not your typical kid-friendly superhero movie. Rottentomatoes.com describes it as dark, complex and unforgettable. The Denver Post states, "Watching The Dark Knight is like gazing into a mirror on a waning moon night: chilling and mesmerizing." I think those are fitting summaries.

There are a few humorous lines mixed into the middle of the despair and darkness. One of my favorites was when the Joker told Batman "you complete me." That cracked me up.

I would give this movie a solid 5-star (or A) rating. If you're looking for a good movie to watch this weekend, and you are a fan of the franchise, check it out. It stands up well against the hype.

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I'm currently serving up my 15-days notice (yes! luckily they accepted my requested end date) until July 31 so that I could start my new work with my new employer / company the next day (which is August 1, of course). I just hope that I could finish my pending developments until my end date ( of course I don't want to leave my current employer with some unfinished business. It would be awful of me to do that.) Most of my co-workers got news that I'm leaving but it is great that they're OK and happy with my good fortune. Bless them people.

What I'm worried about is the debts that I will most likely be leaving behind for a while. I know that I can pay them. It's just a matter of when and how as I need to stabilize myself financially for the first one to two months of work with my new employer.

I still need to prepare some things like maybe some new clothes or shoes for my new work (I have to be presentable and make a good impression first) so it is also most likely that I will be borrowing some funds for them aside from my needed 1 to 2 months working allowance. I already have a new bag so no need to buy one, thanks to Mom and she also promised me to lend me some money to get some clothes too.

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The Banana Cue party went through last Sunday, July 13, 2008. And here are some videos from the event. have fun watching!

The attendees and the Food

Feeding Time 1

Feeding Time 2

Going Home Kulitan

Haha. Jokin bout the title. Today we had Beach Cleaning. Yes, BEACH. NOT bitch or bastard or fag. BEACH, where there is sand everywhere. And waves. And pits. I mean barbeque pits. Not armpits. I feel lame today. GOD.

So yeah. I ended up slacking instead. But I managed to pick up two beer cans! Hahas.

After all is done, we headed off to the meeting place again. Edward, Jia Jin, Faiz and myself took Madam Noreha's car. Whee! I love Mdm Noreha la!

I camwhored ALOT today. With the Cullens. And I really mean it. Will upload pictas soon. Meanwhile...I going chalet! Hee.

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAISH! I'm sorry I didn't get you anything...YET. I have to get you a present, OF COURSE. You touched me with all those unique cards you made for me. So I MUST get you a prezzie. Hee.

All of the following come from About.com:Homeschooling.  First, there's many printables here that cover Summer Olympics vocabulary with a word search, crossword puzzle, activities, theme paper and more.  There are printable for the Olympic sports of archery, fencing, basketball, baseball, athletics and badminton.  There also printables for aquatic sports like diving, swimming, and water polo.  Each of these sports has at least 5 pages of activities.  The site will also be updating with more sports all the way up until the Summer Olympics begin.  I recommend that you check the site to keep updated with the new sports printables.  However, I'll also keep my blog updated with the new ones on a regular basis.

You'll find an Olympic scrapbook cover, Olympic medals and Olympic rings lined paper at ABCTeach.com, along with other materials.  They have a black & white or color printable Certificate of Olympic Achievement as well.  For several coloring activities and other printables, you'll want to check the site out.

For China related material, ActivityVillage has an Introduction to China as well as a China flag coloring page.  There's also a blank outline map, map with borders or labeled map of China.  You'll also find fun printables like the Chinese zodiac chart or zodiac poster, a Chinese calligraphy number poster, and 4 sets of Chinese calligraphy character cards and games.

So, Emily is doing much better with her swimming lessons.  For a minute or two today, she actually forgot to keep a death grip on my upper arm.  She clearly is not afraid of the  water itself.  She splashes, kicks, puts her face in to blow bubbles and shreiks  with delight when we bob and up down or spin around together in the water.   Try as we might, though, none of us can get her to jump into the pool.  She watches all the other kids do it, and says she's going to do it before we leave home.  I think she even told Grandma on the phone that she DID do it.  But, she just won't.  She firmly shakes her head and says, "No, I'm not jumping."

I think I figured out why.

Today, as we were getting  out of the pool after class, she  paused  by the tile emblazoned with the international "No Diving" symbol, couched down, patted it, looked up at me and said, "See, mom.  This means NO JUMPING!" 

Yes, Emily, yes it does.

As well as rebuilding my relationship with my brother I have been rebuilding a friendship over the past few months. God really set in my head that I can't live with the thought that someone wronged me. The two friendships I have been rebuilding have turned out two different ways. The first friendship has grown stale already. Sadly I feel like we are growing apart. We used to be so close. Now it feels like with every passing day I am less and less attached. The other friendship has gone in completely the opposite direction. We talk regularly and pray for each other on a daily basis. That is my favorite part about friends. The ones who really care ya know. I do have a third friendship brewing. I haven't had to rebuild this one yet, but I've realized that as I grow they will need reconstruction and storms will come. But God lets us weather these storms so we can rebuild stronger the second time. So we can learn where to fortify our walls, and which walls are strong enough. I don't want to weather the storms with her but I know I have to eventually. I just hope we don't build ourselves a tower so high that it hurts when it comes crumbling down. This is my prayer but I also hope it is God's will. If you let God give you strong friends he will. Don't think you can be a solitary Christian. It's impossible. God Bless Everyone. Later

There was just something satisfying about knowing that despite what I think, others can see how all the hard work and our devotion as a family have paid off.

On another note, Miss K received a phone call from church today.  It seems with 3 altar servers scheduled for Sunday that 1 or more of them aren't going to be there.  They called to ask if she'd be willing to serve on Sunday.  She was so happy and proud.  She jumped on the chance!!

She too feels like her family encouragement and devotion have paid off.

I'm used to this.





on a related but completely divergent tangent, i want to say sexy things. i want to fill your head with the sort of prose that might make you want to kiss me. maybe less the idea that the words are doing anything, and more that you might just want me to shut up for a second. i'm sort of didactic when i say things of this nature (in case any of you were curious).

__________________________________________________________________________________

one album to talk about right now.


This one is an oldie but goodie. Goldie's 'Timeless' is a great album. it is drum and bass, so that puts it in the category of electronic, but really it is so much more than that. It is gospel and r&b, along the lines of marvin's 'what's going on', but electronic (and i sort of despise the term electronic or electronica because back then we just called it all techno, and then there were sub genres.). This came out in 1995, and it makes me remeber being a crazy pent up high schooler. i had so much going on inside of me, and i felt that all i needed was the right place to let it all out. It makes me feel the sort of frustration i had back then, but also it gives me the hope i had as well. i don't know what came over me last night, but i was struck with the feeling to find my copy of it and listen to it again. I think the last time i listened to it was around 2000, before i made the commitment to pursue education more seriously. it has so much going on, it is such a dynamic album. But back in high school i felt like i found a gem in this album. i would be a bit more selfish with my music and have a sense of ownership over records that i felt responsible for. i have this both on tape and on cd (just an aside to how much i like this album).


anyway, this album is a deep album that can get you moving, or just chill out and get into a head nodding sort of mood. Go listen to the album, it's perfect (and don't really bother with saturns return, his second album).

I was in the shower when  Emily woke up, and I found Isabelle reading to her in her crib a few minutes later. 

This is how I found them watching TV when  I came downstairs after cleaning bathrooms.  Unfortunately, this adorable moment was made possible by

  dumping clean laundry on the floor!

And this is a "Sister Bath" that they both requested last night.

Isabelle rarely want to take a bath with Emily (she is all about the shower lately) and when I  asked her why she wanted to  she said  "Oh, mom, didn't you know?  It's  National Sister Appreciation Day!"  Honestly, that's what she said!

Here's their report on the earthquake. This came online only minutes after the actual earthquake! The earthquake was weird. It lasted for several minutes and everything was shaking around rhythmically, not in the usual sudden shocks of other earthquakes.

Here's the temperature for today: fucking hot. And this chart doesn't show the horrifying humidity.

http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/JEFFREY_CARTER

The sugar daddy spent quite some time squeezing all of these by hand, and the juice ended up being about a bottle and a half's worth...and who knows how much it would end up being after the whole, dare I say it, FERMENTING process.  Have I mentioned that all of my food comes from a store?  Yes, I do admit, I am more than a little uneasy about "creating" these kinds of products within my own home.  Meat?  Yogurt?  Cheese?  Wine?  All of these things come to me in neat and tidy packages, with no indication of how long they stood at room temperature coagulating, or "aging", or whathaveyou.  No sir, God created it with his mighty hand and lovingly packaged it in bright labels and cling wrap.  I beg you not to try to burst my bubble.

Anyway, a new respect for the wine-making process was born.  Mostly with my husband as, you may imagine based upon the last paragraph, I was not around when all this squeezing and sloppiness was going on.  We have six vines in the yard, and this WAS the first year they were allowed to fruit, so maybe we can look forward to a somewhat respectable wine yield from our suburban vineyard further in the future.  :)

2.  I received word recently that one of my interest session proposals has been picked up for the national choral convention next year.  In the choral area, this kind of national-level session is one of the holy grails.

3.  Unless something goes awry, on Monday I have an offer coming on my condo.  Who knows what it will be like? - but . . . it'll be the first offer I've had in the 15 months I've been trying to sell it.

4.  I'm picking up concert cycle with a neighboring city's community chorus for a two-month stint this fall.

4.  I get to see the niece and nephews tomorrow in Lee's Summit.

The book is filled with journal prompts and she has strict instructions (written on a little card in the front pocket) not to worry about spoiling the pretty pages, but to actually get a pen out and USE the book to help her capture her thoughts and emotions.

I'm trying the Wordpress Gallery feature here - click on a thumbnail to see a larger version. There's not a huge amount to see as this is basically a blank book with some prompts. I am pleased with it though. It started life as a trade show workshop project from Artgirlz - two zany artists with a refreshingly colourful outlook on life. It's been sitting in a half finished state for a couple of years and I came across it this week. We were given the little book, plus some coloured paper and sheets printed with all these wonderfully positive words and little doodled images

I added some envelopes to pop the spare words into and used some Autumn Leaves rubber stamps here and there, cut a couple of windows and added a little painting. I plan on packaging up the book with some nice gel pens, a pair of scissors and some glue - everything you need for a portable journalling kit.