Nanny 911

I like this TV show. It is one of the healthy TV shows that you need to watch. I don't have to tell you about it, because I'm sure that you have known it already. It is amazing to see how those nannies can solve huge problem in a family, though we may be discouraged to believe that they can help such family.
What I want to share is about the problem of every family, both the parents and the children. I think most of those families have the same problems: discipline (for children), consistent and firm (for parents). These principles cannot be separated. You cannot discipline a child if you are not a firm parent. You cannot achieve the result if you are not consistent in putting the boundaries.
I know that this is not as easy as it looks. But, we have to put the boundaries from now.
I remember one time my friend told me about her c lass. She was taking class and it was about family. The professor told them about raising a kid. He said that when we raise a child we need to see them in the future. It can help us as parents in helping them to be someone for the future.

Hobby

We just have a new camera, because the old one has a problem. Instead of fix it, we decide to buy a new one. It is Canon s5IS camera. It is a good camera. I like to have it because one of my hobbies is taking pictures. I really enjoy to take a lot of pictures. I'm glad that now we live in high technology which is we can use digital camera. The advantage of digital camera is you can take pictures as much as you want and you can delete it right away if you don't like it.



Talking about camera, I really like my new camera. I always take pictures since we bought it. My permanent object is Norman for sure and Skipler, my dog. Sometimes I go outside and take pictures from nature such as, flowers, stones, bugs, cloud, etc. While I was taking pictures many people in the campus think that I was silly because I stood in the middle of a field, behind the bush, sit on the road, while the sun was so hot. Nevertheless, I love taking pictures. It is good for our soul to demonstrate our hobby as long as it is positive.

Just wanna say...

Our campus' had Christmas on Nov 30th. I know that was too early for Christmas time. It was because this campus was thinking about the students, so that they could go home and have their vacation earlier . I've been lonely since Dec 1st. My husband went to Ambon for teaching a block course for a week. He will be coming this Saturday. Thank God there is a student who wants to stay with me while she is working for her thesis(until Friday). Anyway, I enjoy my time with my little boy though. He becomes my best friend when his daddy away from me. He understands that in the house only both of us, he shows a good behave to me. He helps me to feel better for being alone these days. Thank you so much my dear.. Mommy loves you so much..!!

Thank You...

Today is our anniversary. I thank God because He's been helping us for 4 years. Our marriage is still to young. But I can see how God's helped us through these years.

Dear Eka,
I love you for what you are, but I love you
yet more what you are going to be.
I love you not so much for your realities
as for your ideals.
I pray for your desires that they may be great,
rather than for your satisfactions,
which may be so hazardously little.
You are going forward toward something great.
I am on the way with you,
and therefore I love you.

--Carl Sandburg

Through It All...

Today I've been having a great day. Since early in the morning, my students (a whole 2nd year class) came and sang "Happy B'day" in front of my house. Surely, I was surprised though I was so happy and touched by their action. And other people continue to say the same words. I didn't celebrate my birthday this year. I only went with my husband and had lunch, not in a romantic restaurant, but in KFC!!! Amazing, wasn't?? I miss KFC for a very long time, therefore I chose it as a place to celebrate my birthday. At the same time, I've been thinking about my life. I realize that somehow God helps me to pass this year. Actually not only this year but every year in my life. I can through it that's only because of Him. Like what Darlene Zschech's song, Through It All:

You are forever in my life
You see me through the seasons
Cover me with your hands
And lead me in your righteousness
And I look to you and
And I wait on you...

Chorus:
I'll sing to you Lord a hymn of love
For your faithfulness to me
And Im carried in everlasting arms
Youll never let me go through it all

Hallelujah...

Hallelujah...

Hallelujah...

Hallelujah...

Thank you Lord, for being faithful in my entire life... Thank you for helping me in every circumstances that I might be failed if You're not with me... Thank you Lord

Forgiveness

As we know that children can forgive people easily. I can use Norman as an perfect example. He won't keep his angry less than 2 minutes, though he'll scream or throw something if I don't give what he wants. But after that... he's stop and continue to play, it seemed like nothing happened.
But how about us?? Forgiveness is easy to speak, to teach and to preach but actually it does really hard to do it. I've through this many many times in my life, and I know that it's not only me who's been struggled with this. I believe that many people have the same problems.
Tonight, while I'm trying to sleep, I remember how God has forgiven me again, again and again, for what I've done. Why does He forgive me?? I believe that God knows if forgiveness is a hard part for us to do it. If He does it that because He has a reason. In the Bible, He's explained this many times. Forgiveness is not an option, but we need it. I remember how struggled I was to forgive people that whether they did it intentionally or not. But after I forgave and passed it, now I know why God teaches us to forgive and why we have to forgive.

First of all, forgiveness is come from inside you, you are the one that can decide to take away or keep it away. Even though you ask pastors to pray for you, but you are the key.

Forgiveness is a way to except someone by the way he is. We can't expect people to being perfect. Each person has weaknesses and we have to deal with it.

Forgiveness is helping us to continue our life. May be you feel hurt, but such feeling will not make your life stopped. You still have to do your work or job or responsibilities and taking care of your family and friends.

Forgiveness can make your soul more healthy.

Forgiveness can train you to be a tough and strong person. You can face various people in the world and work anywhere because you are used to forgive.

Forgiveness helps you to have a lot of friends.

Forgiveness is training your trust to someone that might be isn't worthed to be trusted.

Forgiveness can color your life to become more beautiful then what you think.

And Most of All, you have to forgive because forgive and love are walking together like what Jesus has been done. He forgives us because He loves us. If you cannot forgive, maybe you need to ask God to give you more love than you have before.

Jesus Bless You...

Thankful

This morning I went to the church and have been blessed by both the song and the sermon. We sang a song about how God helps us in every single time in our life, and without Him we can do nothing.

I look at Your face and cry out,
My help is only from You
Hold my hand and never let me go
Because You are God my savior

This song reminds me personally that only God can help me in every circumstances of my life, whether I am happy, sad, rich, poor, healthy, sick, certain, doubtful, disappointed, etc. The sermon itself is about "Thankful". Both the song and the sermon are somehow connected. My heart was broken when we were singing this song. Through this songs it seems that God is talking to me, that actually I can't face this world or every day with my own strength. If I can stand right now, that's only because He is standing next to me and holding my hand. Every morning that He gives is because His mercy and grace to me. I can have a beautiful son and great husband also because His mercy and grace.
Therefore, I just wanna say to my beloved God: "Thank you so much for helping me every time I need. May be I can forget You because of my weaknesses, but I now that You will never forget me and You will still there wait and open Your arms to hold and hug me. You are the God that give me strength and wonderful life."

Be Patient...

Norman now is 22 months. His vocabulary improving a lot and he can express what he feels more than before. I can see that he is much growing and bigger, in fact, I can call him a boy now, not a baby. It feels very good to see our kid growing like this.
What I want to share now is about Norman and his "bathroom" time. These days I feel so happy and proud to be a mom, because eventually Norman can tell me if he wants to go to bathroom, even while we are in walking time in our campus. I remember how frustrated I was when everyday he did his "bathroom" everywhere in our house even though I'd told him not to do so. Sometimes he wore diaper but mostly he didn't, except if we were going somewhere. I once thought that maybe he could does his bathroom when he is three but now he is still 22 months!! He's not even 1 year and he already do it!! I am surprised, for sure. When first time he said that he wanted to go to bathroom I almost jump. We quickly ran into the bathroom. After he did it, I hugged him and kissed him and gave him positive words that he is an excellent boy in the world!! It was an amazing time for me. Through that moment I can learn something that maybe I feel fail to teach him or got frustrated, but actually I just need sometimes and be patient to see the result of my teaching.

Quality Time

It's been more than a month I am not posting my blog. Now I have more activity beside parenting. My school, where I live in, ask me to teach English class. Finally, I accept their request. It's only once a week, every Tuesday in the morning for 2 hours. Before, I always refuse because of Norman. I couldn't leave him, he's still to young for me at the time therefore I make him as a priority.
He is growing now and of course, can talk and express what he wants or feels. Also, I can leave him for around 2-3 hours to someone else without feeling worry. Now my challenge is how to make a quality time for him in this age. Norman is 20 months, so almost 2. This is time for him to learn about many things. He likes imitating words and act. For me this age is a crucial age to put a basic for him. I teach him how to pray, love books, know what to do and not, time to sleep and play, etc. Even though I have another responsibility but Norman is still a priority.
I've noticed that I become more understand Norman. It's good for both of us, especially me. He really love to play. He always says "more" in Bahasa if he likes it and in the middle of his mom and dad on the bed. Sometimes he falls a sleep while we are talking in the bedroom. I can see how he feels comfortable if his parents are around him. I want to use this time before it's gone. Before I realize, he will be changed and become a boy and then a teenage and everything will not be the same.

Is spanking needed?

I have a friend that has two boys, 3,5 and 1,5. One time they came to our house and were here for around three hours. I was frustrated with their first boy that could not stay calm and had a strong curiosity. Actually, it is normal if a toddler has such behavior. But this boy made me had a bad time. He took all my books from the bookshelf and press television's button wildly, tried to go to my bedroom several times, and more. But the parents didn't do anything. They just called his name without explanation or whatever they had to do as the parents. I remember that they made me frustrated.
There is another story that I like to share. This about my friend and his family went to a restaurant for having meal. They had a 2 years little girl. While she was sitting on the chair, there was another little girl about the same age with my friend's daughter, came to her. Suddenly, without said anything, this little girl snap my friend's daughter right into her face. For sure, my friend and his wife were shock. They were hoping that the mother would tell her daughter to say sorry or at least admonished her for what she had done. But, nothing happened. She did nothing. Finally, my friend's wife went to this mother and told her about this little girl, and the mother said sorry. That's all.
I am wondering that these stories can tell us something. Do we need to discipline our children? I know that it does hard, complicated and sometimes as a mother we can be frustrated. However, discipline is needed, even it is required for you as parents to discipline your children. Through discipline we can set a boundaries for them and help them to developing their self esteem and self control. When they grow up, they can be persons who will not be depending because they already have basic for their life. Discipline is benefit for children in the future.
There are many methods offered for discipline your children. I notice that most of them say, that spanking is the list priority, even you are not allowed to use it. When I was a kid, I remember my mom would spank or pinch me if I did wrong. She would tell me before I was disciplined, that I had made a mistake (sometimes a very big mistake) therefore I knew the reason why she spanked me.
I agree with this article, "How should Christians discipline their children? What does the Bible say?" In the Proverb 23:13 says "if you punish him with the rod, he will not die." You know that many leaders were born in such discipline in the Bible. Therefore, I think spanking is needed as long as we use it as a pure discipline not as a punishment or worst, to pour out our emotion to the children.But of course this is not the only way to discipline our children. There is one method you need to know, that is Time-Out. This kind of discipline is about: how you help children to understand the consequences they will have if they've made mistakes. Or may be you have other methods you use for discipline your children and they are worked. Would you like to share it with me...