With Arms Wide Open

post #398

Uncle...hmmm...
I am an uncle now.
I have a nephew....this concept reverberating when I looked at the pics that my sis just uploaded.
There they were, a happy family. Their son added the joy they had as a family.
I was just like...... couldn't really find the words to articulate what I had in mind and heart.
A song popped up in my mind....an old song by Creed. It's dedicated for the vocalist's new born son (at the time)...and I think it fits perfectly....

Welcome to the world, nephew.


Creed - With Arms Wide Open

Well I just heard the news today
It seems my life is gonna change
I closed my eyes, began to pray
Then tears of joy streamed down my face

(chorus)
With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open

Well I don't know if I'm ready
To be the man I have to be
I'll take a breath, Ill take her by my side
We stand in awe, we've created life

(chorus)
With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
WIth arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I'll show you love
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open
I'll show you everything
Oh yeah
With arms wide open, wide open

If I had just one wish
Only one demand
I hope he's not like me
I hope he understands
That he can take this life
And hold it by the hand
That he can greet the world
With arms wide open

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
WIth arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I'll show you love
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open
I'll show you everything
Oh yeah

With arms wide open, wide open

Nothing Else Matters

post #397

Just a reminder that today, we won our first match against team 4. Quite miraculously I had to say. We're down one person, five vs six persons...We tried to keep up the deficit by pressing and using counter attack. I wasted a golden chance to score, which led to our first goal. The keeper managed to save my shot, hence corner was awarded. From the corner, an own goal was born.

I was being marked intensively by an opponent player. But after the first goal, the pressure was on the team who had more players. Thus they started to attack more...which made some holes on their defense. And I managed to maximize it by scoring a goal...YEAAAHHH!!!!!!

We held on till half time. Two goals lead was something that we weren't really expected. Wowww....We restored our stamina during first half break and then the second half began. I wasn't being marked exclusively and that made me able to score two more goals.....YIPPPIEEE!!!!

I scored a hattrick. Niceee.....although I was tired...I pushed myself...perhaps it's the adrenaline rush which flowed through my veins that shrugged the fatigue aside...for some moments when there were chances....And it was awesome...I converted those chances into two goals...Too bad I wasted few chances...and in the end the opponent managed to score consolation goal.

Nevertheless...we won! 4 -1 was the final score. Five against six, and we won....

The euphoria of scoring....of winning....there's nothing else matters....
Thank You, God...

Hopefully we can play better, get our 6th player...and win the championship....

As for now...I want to lay myself in this bed of euphoria...

Metallica - Nothing Else Matters

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know, whoa
But I know

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know, whoa
but I know

I never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for things they say
Never cared for games they play
I'd never cared for what they do
I'd never cared for what they know
And I know

Yeah!

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Daddy's Home

post #396

The beat and melody caught me instantly


Usher - Daddy's Home

Usher Baby
I just wanna get your attention
I really wanna be your love in your head
Coz when I got you don’t wanna get some yeah
But girl that’s only if you ain’t scared

[Refrain]
And I won’t knock or ring no bells
You just float bottom up in the air
I’ll get you hot, I know you oh so well
And when I’m walking all that I wanna hear

[Chorus]
Is you say Daddy’s home, home for me
And I know you’ve been waiting for this love in your day
You know your daddy’s home (daddy’s home), and it’s time to play (so it’s time to play)
So you ain’t got to give my loving away
So all my ladies say hey hey hey daddy
Hey hey hey daddy
So all my ladies say hey hey hey daddy
Hey hey hey daddy

I ain’t gotta do a lot of flexes
Shorty you already know what it is
And girl tonight we’ll gonna do a lot of sexin’
Can’t nobody do your body like this
ohh

[Refrain]
I won’t knock or ring no bells
You just float bottom up in the air
Said I’ll get you hot, I know you oh so well
And when I’m walking all that I wanna hear

[Chorus]
Is you say Daddy’s home, home for me
And I know you’ve been waiting for this love in your day

You know your daddy’s home (daddy’s home), it’s time to play (so it’s time to play)
So you ain’t got to give my loving away
So all my ladies say hey hey hey daddy (daddy know what you like)
Hey hey hey daddy
So all my ladies say hey hey hey daddy
Hey hey hey daddy

Poke it on out poke it out right there
I’m a fall back while you work that chair
Do that damn thing let the neighbors hear

Poke it on out poke it out right there
I’m a fall back let you work that chair
Do that damn thing all I wanna hear

[Chorus]
Is you say Daddy’s home, home for me
And I know you’ve been waiting for this love in your day
You know your daddy’s home (daddy’s home), it’s time to play (so it’s time to play)
So you ain’t got to give my loving away
Daddy’s home, home for me
And I know you’ve been waiting for this love in your day
You know your daddy’s home (daddy’s home), it’s time to play (so it’s time to play)
So you ain’t got to give my loving away
So all my ladies say hey hey hey daddy
Hey hey hey daddy (call me daddy babe)
So all my ladies say hey hey hey daddy
Hey hey hey daddy

Hey daddy know what you like yeah

The World Is Not Enough

post #395

These last two days were full with surprises. Just the other night I learned that her sister was my classmate back in univ. I was like....What the.....????!!!
Of all the girls in this city....I ended up meeting a girl whose sister was my classmate.

Number two...I was chatting with a colleague when she told me about 'bule' guy whom she met at her friend's wedding reception. The bule guy wrote something about her. So I checked her FB account and it just happened that I saw a girl on her profile friend list that looked familiar. I browsed her profile and found out that this girl was a forum member that I joined....it turned out that this cute girl was my colleague's cousin...all this time and I just found out yesterday...lolllzz

Talking about small world, huh??
If I thought about it....really...I think we all are connected, somehow, someway....
The world is just not enough

Garbage - The World Is Not Enough

I know how to hurt
I know how to heal
I know what to show
And what to conceal
I know when to talk
And I know when to touch
No one ever died from wanting too much

The world is not enough
But it is such a perfect place to start, my love
And if you're strong enough
Together we can take the world apart, my love

People like us
Know how to survive
There's no point in living
If you can't feel the life
We know when to kiss
And we know when to kill
If we can't have it all
Then nobody will

The world is not enough
But it is such a perfect place to start, my love
And if you're strong enough
Together we can take the world apart, my love

I feel safe
I feel scared
I feel ready
And yet unprepared
The world is not enough
But it is such a perfect place to start, my love
And if you're strong enough
Together we can take the world apart, my love

The world is not enough
The world is not enough
No Nowhere near enough,
The world is not enough

Faithful

post #394


I'd like to share today's sermon which I think is good for us to reflect on.

Today's bible reading was taken from John 2:1-12

In short, it's about the wedding in Cana, the one where Jesus made His first miracle, changing water into wine.

Then the pastor started his sermon. He talked about the wedding, which must had been an important event for the family. Then, it turned out that the wine was running out. It couldn't be good.But God gave a helping hand just when it was needed the most. What would have happened if the family really had run out of wine? The guests would have complained, the wedding wouldn't be smooth...okay,perhaps we'd think...it's just a wedding...worst thing that might have happened was it became a lousy, unpopular wedding...it's not like someone's dying..well...the pastor seemed to have more on his mind about this bible reading than just saving the wedding.

Father Yoyon (the pastor name was Sukaryono, we called him Romo Yoyon) continued. He talked about a teacher who had very tight budget. His monthly salary was minimum and based on his calculation, it'd only enough for him and his family for 20 days. No matter how he re-calculated and managed his salary, it'd only be enough for 20 days. But strange thing happened. He didn't know how, but he got through the month, and the following months. Somehow he managed to get through.

Father Yoyon continued more. We too, often worry about our lives. We want to pay the bills, pay the kids tuition, pay for daily needs, etc...these are important things in life. We need them. And sometimes we found that based on our calculation, it seemed that we couldn't afford it. But just like the teacher managed to get through, we somehow manged to get through as well. As for the teacher; where did he manage to survive the remaining 10 days? Well...it's a miracle made by God.

Just like Jesus turned the water into wine at the wedding in Cana....God turned anything in our lives, change it into something that will ensure we live.

Because God is faithful. Because God is the bridegroom and we, the church, are His bride (referring to the first reading from Isaiah 62:1-5). Then Father Yoyon came to the ending of his sermon. He said, though God has always been faithful to us, human; we on the other hand often cheat on Him. We cheat by looking for other sources of power, we cheat in our behavior...and so on.

Father Yoyon ended his sermon by asking a question for us, the parish, to ponder.
This was what he said, "If you had a spouse or someone you really, deeply in love with;Someone that you give your everything. Then you find out that the person cheat on you, what would you feel?"

Imagine what God feels when we cheat on Him...


-----------
My own personal thought...God is faithful, we just have to have faith in Him. Talking about example, I like Kaka, a Brazilian soccer player whose life is far from gossip and scandal. Young people should look him up as a role model, rather than Cristiano Ronaldo.

I hope this note can be a reminder for us all. Honestly I had goosebumps when Father Yoyon said the line in italic above.

New You (part 2 of 2)

post #393

Ok, so I have spent some time to look back and reflect.
So what? What next? Is it enough? No it isn’t .

Surely after reflecting, I’d want to change. I’d want to improve. Why? Because I think naturally we, human, have this tendency to evolve. I want more. In a way it’s good. Without thirst for advancement, perhaps we’d still be living in caves . Hence in the beginning of New Year I draft a resolution, while the momentum is still on. List of things I’d like to achieve or improve during the already coming year. I want to create ‘New Me’. Better version of me, just like Windows 7 which is claimed to be the best Windows version so far.

In a broader sense and greater things to accomplish, I might want to change the world. Make it a better place, for you and for me, and the entire human race *quoting MJ’s song :D
Where do I start then?

Well…I’ll start with the man in the mirror. After I look back and ponder, I decided to change. Then I carried out that decision…starting from myself. I can’t just wait, sit back and hope changes will come…Just like Stephen R Covey wrote… you can’t expect a different result if you still do things in the same manner.
Start now.
Start from myself.
Start with the man in the mirror

Michael Jackson – Man In The Mirror

I'm gonna make a change,
For once in my life
It's gonna feel real good,
Gonna make a diference
Gonna make it right

As I turn up the collar on
my favorite winter coat
This wind is blowing my mind
I see the kids in the streets,
With not enough to eat
Who am I to be blind?
Pretending not to see their needs

A summer disregard,
A broken bottle top
And a one man soul
They follow each other on the wind ya' know
'Cause they got nowhere to go
That's why I want you to know

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
(If you wanna make the world a better place)
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
(Take a look at yourself, and then make a change)

I've been a victim of a selfish kind of love
It's time that I realize
That there are some with no home, not a nickel to loan
Could it be really me,
Pretending that they're not alone?

A willow deeply scarred, somebody's broken heart
And a washed-out dream (Washed-out dream)
They follow the pattern of the wind ya' see
'Cause they got no place to be
That's why I'm starting with me
(Starting with me!)


I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make that..
CHANGE!
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
(Better change!)
No message could have been any clearer
(If you wanna make the world a better place)
(Take a look at yourself and then make the change)
(You gotta get it right, while you got the time)
('Cause when you close your heart)
You can't close your... your mind!
(Then you close your... mind!)

That man, that man, that man, that man
With the man in the mirror
(Man in the mirror, oh yeah!)
That man, that man, that man,
I'm asking him to change his ways
(Better change!)

You know... that man
No message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
(If you wanna make the world a better place)
Take a look at yourself and then make the change
(Take a look at yourself and then make the change)

I'm gonna make a change
It's gonna feel real good!
Cause I’m
(Change...)
Just lift yourself
You know
You've got to stop it,
Yourself!
(Yeah! - Make that change!)
I've got to make that change, today! Hoo!
(Man in the mirror)
You got to
You got to not let yourself...
brother
...
Hoo!
(Yeah! - Make that change!)
You know - I've got to get
that man, that man...
(Man in the mirror)
You've got to
You've got to move! Come on!
Come on!
You got to...
Stand up! Stand up! Stand up!
(Yeah! - Make that change)
Stand up and lift yourself, now!
(Man in the mirror)
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
Aaow!
(Yeah! - Make that change!)
Gonna make that change...
Come on!
You know it!
You know it!
You know it!
You know it...
(Change...)
Make that change

New Year (part 1 of 2)

post #392

New Year, New You...

Was the main idea that I had when writing this entry. Since I had planned to use two songs, I divided this idea into two entries.

Ok let's start with the first...New Year.
Well in the spirit of new year, allow me to invite you to ponder a few things.
New year...I assumed exactly at 12.00 AM 1 January 2010, most of us, wherever we were, according to our respective time zone, embraced the dawn of 2010.

Fireworks, Toasts, Parties, etc were held to celebrate the changing year. Why did we celebrate New Year at exactly 1 January? Would it be the same if we celebrate it (let say) at 1 February? Of course this happened because of a consensus that involved all human race in this world. It could be considered as 'General New Year', since beside this, there were also Chinese/Lunar New Year, Islamic New Year, and so on.

This (general new year) couldn't be separated from our inherited culture of Roman mythology. January was derived from Janus; which in Roman mythology was depicted as a God with two faces, facing the opposite direction. It's believed that Janus also represented time, since he could see to the past with his one face, and to the future with his other. I won't talk much about Janus, I guess you can do more thorough research if you're interested in it.

I'd like to talk about see the past thing.
Some of us might have done this in the end of 2009. We looked back the things we'd done and achieved.
Mistakes we'd made.
Laughter we'd enjoyed.
Love we'd felt, shared, and been given
Moments we'd cherished in our memory.
All these especially during 2009.

Then we reflected.
We reflected all these things, perhaps compared with the resolution or wish list we had set out in the beginning of 2009.
I think it's good to reflect..to ensure we're on the right track of the life we lead.

By looking back and reflecting, we can prepare/plan for tomorrow. For what's ahead.
By reflecting, we look at ourselves and ask this question, "Am I a better person than I was?"
Then we can set out new goals, new plans based on the reflection we did.

So...let's take a mirror and see...do you like what you see?


Christina Aguilera - Reflection

Look at me
You may think you see who I really am
But you'll never know me
Everyday it's as if I play a part
Now I see
If I wear a mask I can fool the world
But I cannot fool my heart,

Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside

I am now
In a world where I have to hide my heart
And what I believe in
But somehow
I will show the world
Whats inside my heart
And be loved for who I am

Who is that girl I see
staring straight back at me
Why is my reflection
Someone I don't know

Must I pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time

When will my reflection show
Who I am inside

There's a heart that must be free to fly
That burns with a need to know
The reason why
Why must we all conceal
What we think
How we feel
Must there be a secret me
I'm forced to hide
I won't pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time

When will my reflection show
who I am inside

when will my reflection show
who i am inside (oooohhhh)