Letter to the Hebrews (just my random thought)

So, kemaren I was wondering about who was the author of the letter to the Hebrews alias surat kepada orang Ibrani kalo pake bahasa gue mah. This letter was a bit different, and its author is mysterious. Mungkin kebanyakan orang berasumsi bahwa penulisnya adalah Paul, karena surat-surat sebelumnya adalah Paul's letters. But gue gak yakin kalo penulisnya adalah Paul. 

Pertama, Paul selalu greets the readers and clearly states that the letter was from him (cek semua surat-surat dia terdahulu). So, anonymous was not his style. Apakah mungkin Paul iseng kali ini gak kasih nama? I don't know

Kedua, gaya penulisan dan bahasanya tidak seperti gaya bahasa Paul. Openingnya lebih mirip tulisan John (baca kitab John and his first letter (1 John) ). Tapi again, gak ada bukti juga bahwa itu a letter from John. 

Tapi kalo kata temen gue sih penutupnya agak-agak mirip ama suratnya Paul.

Bukti-bukti authorship dari Hebrew ini susah diketahui dari isi suratnya sendiri although I think ada beberapa clue implisit sih:

 * He knows Timothy (Heb 13:23)

 *He might be in Italy (Heb 13:24). I said "might", karena belum tentu juga dia di Italy. Yang kirim salam dari Italy itu bisa jadi orang-orang yang ada di Italy bilang ke dia untuk nitip salam (tapi dia sendiri gak di Italy), bisa juga orang-orang yang kirim salam itu lagi bersama-sama dia di Italy.

*Dia mungkin bukan salah satu dari apostles (Heb 2:3) ...this salvation, which was first announced by the Lord,  was confirmed to us by those who heard him. Tapi ini juga asumsi sih. Si penulis bisa aja ngomong gitu untuk membahasakan reader-nya yang notabene gak menjadi saksi langsung.

Lalu gue mencoba mencari rekam jejak para rasul di Kisah Para Rasul, untuk mencari kira-kira siapa aja yang kemungkinan kenal Timothy, dan pernah ke Italy. But that doesn't help me to narrow it down though

Then, while I was still thinking about this, I tried to google it. Ternyata emang ini udah sejak lama jadi misteri. Coba aja google the writer of the letters to the hebrews, pasti banyak yang keluar. Memang, its authorship masih tetap misterius, but its a great letter, a very strong one, nonetheless. Nah, sementara sodara-sodara semua ikut mikir juga, meneliti, mempelajari, dan mencari-cari juga, saya mau tidur dulu yah. Sekian edisi random thought di tengah malam.

Ocha and The "Burning Bush"

Bulan lalu gue baca artikel yg bagus dari blognya Christine Caine. Ini tentang masa penantian yg panjang, tentang Musa yg ketemu 'burning bush'. So, buat kamu-kamu yang juga sedang dalam masa penantian, baca deh artikelnya HERE. Artikel-artikel lain di blognya Christine Caine yang lain jg bagus-bagus koq, singkat, padat, dan powerful. Gue suka ama bible teaching dia, and it was a privilege having heard her teaching LIVE =D. 

Gue cuma mau modify artikel di atas dan gue sesuaikan ama kondisi gue skrg. And let the curhat begin..., hihihi. Tp lbh seru kalo baca artikel aslinya dulu di link di atas. Ternyata ya nasib gue gak jauh-jauh lah sama nasibnya Musa, hehe. Bedanya kalo dia menggembalakan Shaun the sheep, eh domba-domba father-in-law-nya, gue 'menggembalakan' ayam dan anjing gue :p.

Ocha was in her father’s house in a small town for more than 9 months, taking care of the backyard, chickens, and  Mopi & Tesi, the dogs of her father.

It was in this rainy, green, humid, back of nowhere, and quiet place that God turned up to launch Ocha as the leader of one greatest emancipation programs ever. (Amen)

The BURNING BUSH was right there in the green and humid place

I WILL NOT LOWER MY STANDARD

My random thought, and also my commitment.....

***

Though I know I’m getting older

and a lot of people say it’s time to get married

I WILL NOT LOWER MY STANDARD.

Until today, I haven’t met my future husband yet

or I just have not known who is he yet,

but I believe that he is a real Godly man who is worth waiting for (and praying for).

People might say I’m too picky

but I would say, I have to be strictly picky

because I WILL NOT LOWER MY STANDARD.

Married is once in a lifetime decision

A commitment to love,

share my life with him until death separates us

and glorify God all the days of our lives

So, I will not accept any one less than the best that God has for me.

I WILL NOT LOWER MY STANDARD

Although I might have to wait many more years for the right person

to share life, godly home, and God’s vision.

People keep asking and mocking

Friends around me are getting married, have got married, or have a boy/girlfriend

which supposedly created a peer-pressure,

but I won’t be pressured

and I WILL NOT LOWER MY STANDARD by accepting the first fool who come across

or by accepting any born-again christian guy

just because he dares to say ‘I love you’

No no no, it won’t happen

because it requires more than just a gut

I WILL NOT LOWER MY STANDARD, because GOD’S STANDARD IS NOW MINE

***

for me, marriage is neither a destination, nor a purpose in life

It is not about me or my future husband

It’s about God and our journey with God

God has to be the center of it all, even from this moment when we haven’t met each other

WARNING!!!: Marriage is neither a solution for your problem, nor an escape from A dissatisfaction of your current condition

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Edisi random. Gue cuma mau merekap beberapa dialog yg paling sering gue lakonin

A      : Ehh..ocha, pa kabar?

Gue : Baik...baik. lu?

A      : Baik juga. Lu dimana sekarang?

Gue : Disini

A      : iya maksud gue kerja dimana sekarang?

Gue : belom kerja, masih pengacara (pengangguran banyak acara-Red) aja, hehe

A      : #terdiamgakberaninanyananyalagi

Gue : minggu depan gue mau kondangan nih, temen gue merit

B     : kondangan mulu lu. Giliran lu merit kapan?

Gue : Hari Sabtu

B     : Sabtu kapan?

Gue : kapan-kapan

B     : yeaa...yeaa...klasik

Kakak : Eh, temen lu si C itu dah punya cowok belom?

Gue : udah

Kakak : Kalo si D?

Gue : udah jg

Kakak: elu kapan?

Gue : kapan-kapan (again)....

yak, begitulah, tampaknya lagunya Koes Plus, 'Kapan Kapan' menjadi jawaban andalan gue.

because, seriously I have no answer for those FAQ (Frequently Asked Question). Gue jadi udah kebal sama pertanyaan-pertanyaan yg entah udah berapa ratus/ribu kali orang tanya. Oh well, let the time unfold the mystery. Cheers!

2012

Weeeww...gak kerasa ini dah akhir tahun lagi, dan setaon ini (2011) gw kayaknya gak banyak ngerjain apa-apa deh. Tapi aku juga belajar banyak hal. Well, may be this is a sabbatical year for me. But I can't thank God enough for what He has done for me this year. His mercy, favour, kindness, goodness, and everything. Ahhh...my heart is overflowed with thanksgiving. People might only see how easy my life was, this particular year, but God knows the truth, inside out.

Dan sebentar lagi dah mo thn 2012. Banyak orang yang takut kalo 2012 nanti bakal kiamat, the end of the world. Oh well, I don't believe that. Ini pasti gara-gara film kampring yang dulu itu. Fyi, sebenernya end of the world udah mulai dari kapan taon tuh, ini udah akhir jaman memang, liat aja tanda-tandanya dah persis ama yg dibilang di alkitab. Tanda-tanda akhir jaman nih diantaranya: people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy, unforgiving, slanderous, etc (2Tim3:1-4). 

Ada yg takut menghadapi 2012, tapi ada jg yg penuh harap. Ada banyak yg pengen merit 2012, dan pilih tanggal cantik 12-12-12, secara kalo udah 2013 ntar gak ada lagi 13-13-13?!?!@##

But buat gue sendiri, gw berharap 2012 is a year of breakthrough. Though it is still unclear to me where will I be in 2012, and what will I do, but I have a full confidence in God, that He is already there, to pave a way for me, and to make sure that I will make it through. Terus terang, 2012 masih blank buat gw, gak ngerti, clueless, oblivious, but it can only means that I have to fasten my trust in God. Well, whatever you may hold oh 2012, I will welcome you with a big smile :))!!!

Dreams

I'm not craving for a nice trip to Europe
to visit places where people repeatedly marvel at their beauties
I'm not craving for a luxurious and comfortable life
where we can have a comfy house, car(s)
and probably go on a nice holiday every year
I'm not dreaming of getting married a.s.a.p
and then have a nice little family
like many girls might dream
I'm not dreaming of getting a job in a multinational company
cashing out million dollars, so I can buy things for my family
and provide a financial security for my parents at their sixties.
Please don't get me wrong, I didn't say that those are wrong
For some people, those might become their goals and achievements for life
And that's fine
But those just don't work for me
I would rather be in a third world country
somewhere out there where my hands are needed most
helping girls to gain the strength to dream again
helping those who've been ruined, to build their lives again
I would rather be amongst those who are oppressed
and see the smile rises on their faces again
I would rather be with legends
who forsake their own lives for the well-being and freedom of many
I would rather be with them
When life is getting tougher, when the world is getting selfish
Let us be among those who are selfless
But I just find a tough time thinking about where to start
............................
Well, perhaps I can just start right here, right now
with what I have

Absence

cold is the absence of heat
dark is the absence of light
death is the absence of life
hell is the absence of God

Saatnya cari kerja'h!

yaaakkkk......masa ManTab (makan tabungan-red) sudah harus segera diakhiri
kalo tangki bensin, skalanya dari ijo dah mulai ke kuning dan hampir mendekati merah nih.
berhubung tabungan dah mulai menipis, saatnya saya mencari kerja, yuuhuuuu....
gile, koq baru sekarang gw mikir nyari kerja ya?hahaha
kemaren kemane aje neng?? (^_^)

but, I will just take it easy
gw gak mau stress, apalagi desperate dalam masa2 mencari kerja, pe-de aja lagi'h
tapi jgn salah, kepercayaan diri gw bukan karena gw punya gelar loh, melainkan gw percaya somehow Tuhan dah sediakan pekerjaan yg udah di-customize buat gw
there's nothing to do with my title, well may be just a little
kenapa gw belom kerja jg setelah kurang lebih tujuh bulan pulang ke tanah air?
pertama, memang belom ada pekerjaan yg sesuai dgn hati nurani (ceileeeehhhh, gaya lo!)
tapi emang bener, men! gw gak mau kerja cuman gara-gara butuh duit, butuh gajinya.
dan alhasil emang gw gak nemu2 pekerjaan yg sesuai, hahaha. soalnya I'm not interested in the jobs I'm qualified for, and I'm not qualified for the jobs I'm passionate about, hehehe
kedua, ijazah gw baru dateng last week (^_^). yg terakhir ini alesan aja sih
Eniwei, apapun alesannya, I enjoyed this season. Season of nganggur but banyak acara (pengacara), season of kondangan, ngumpul-ngumpul sama keluarga, kumpul-kumpul sama temen lama, season of nonton tipi, maen game, tidur sepuasnyaa (parahhhhh), hahaha =D, and of course yg lbh penting adalah season of trusting God and keep holding on to His words, His promises, although I see nothing. 
so, buat kamu-kamu yg lagi cari kerja juga, take it easy, men (and women =D)! tetep semangat, nanti pasti dapet juga koq....
Inget, kerja itu gak cuman buat gaji, but how you can impact the life of other people, and glorify God.
God bless!

Crossroad

After a looooong season of selah, here I am in the crossroads again
There's a decision I have to make, a step I have to take
The traffic lights will soon turn from red to green
I have to move..........


I couldn't afford making a wrong turn, because re-routing is sometimes costly, painful, and it's wasting the time. Like the children of Israel. They could've been at their destination in 40 days, but they spent 40 years in the dessert. No way, I don't want to spend 40 years wandering around in the dessert :D.
The only way I can choose the right turn is to ask the One who knows the route of my life, the one and only, my Maker, God Almighty.
But I don't want to just ask Him to give me the map, I want Him to be my Guide.


Thanks God for Holy Spirit, my constant companion
I believe I'll never get lost as long as I let Him be my Guide
and I give my ears to listen to His instructions,
because His word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path


Then I also realize this thing:
I could spend my whole life trying to find God's perfect will in every step that I have to take (e.g what He wants me to do, where He wants me to go, what kind of job/ministry He wants me to do, whom He wants me to be married to, how much money should I give, etc.). But if I fail to realize that to find Him and know Him intimately are the greatest treasures ever, all my searching will be meaningless.


So, my point is........intimacy with God is the answer. We won't be confused in the crossroad, we won't be worried in the storm, and we won't lose hope in the valley if we have a relationship with Jesus, because we know Him so well. 
Well, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ....let us draw near to Him. God bless....

2 YEARS

2 years might be too short, but it was also quite a long period of time

too short because I had lots of fun

too short because I was surrounded by lovely, godly people

too short because I had lots of things to do

too short because I enjoyed every moments at church

and was expectant

too short because so many exciting things happened all the way

too short because  I had amazing adventures

too short because I got so many things to learn

but then I realize, it was quite a long period of time

when I see certain  things have changed

I know, so many things could happen in 2 years

I encounter some new buildings which weren’t there when I left

new roads have been built

new celebrities on TV

new songs in church services

and so on

And of course,,,people could change a lot in 2 years

Yes, they do

My baby nephew now goes to school, while the other is able to walk

Some friends got married, and some have kids already

Those I met weren’t the same people I used to know

A geographical distance is transformed into an emotional distance

People have different priorities

And I feel we’re just  not in the same page anymore

I realize, certain things do change, certain things have to change
But one thing I know would never change
Jesus remains the same; yesterday, today, and forever......faithful. Amen!

gak jelas.....

pas temen-temen pada kuliah dan ngerjain tugas, gw banyak jalan2...
pas temen-temen pada libur..., gw ikut liburan juga
(lahh...kapan gw kuliahnya ya???)
fyi, gw emang gk pernah ada kuliah. jadi gw maklum kalo di fb temen2 banyak yg komen : "waah...ocha enak ya disana kerjaannya jalan2 terus". yaaaa.... memang begitulah adanya, hehe :D, as most photos uploaded on fb ya poto jalan2.
lha terus gw ngapain disini? makan gaji buta? eh bukan...makan scholarship buta? ya jelas tidak dunks....
program study gw itu full research, jadi kerjaan gw ya research, which is bisa kapan aja terserah gw berhubung supervisor gw result oriented. jadi gw mau jungkir balik ato tidur2an ya terserah gw yg penting kerjaan beres.
gw ke kampus senin-jumat (kalo lagi rajin), jm 9 pagi-jm 7 mlm (kalo rajin jg), dan gw gk mau bawa2 kerjaan ke rumah. naaahh..., sekarang lg ngerjain thesis yg notabene belum kelar2 juga, hihihi, kayaknya karena males aja siy berhubung hawanya hawa liburan nih menjelang natal

apalagi kemaren baru balik dr liburan yg menyenangkah. aaaakkhhhhh...., jadi tambah males
hu ha hu ha..., ini lg mengumpulkan semangat buat ngerjain thesis lagi. semangaaaatttt!!!!!
ehh, minggu depan aja lah kerjainnya. tanggung, udah wiken, hehe, mo packing aja dulu. ciao!!!!

Live a Purposeful Life

OK, so a month ago I wrote about disorientation, where I found myself going nowhere and don't know where I was heading. I called that moment 'a valley' moment. But the good news is I have Jesus. He is God of the hills and valleys. He is a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys (Songs 2:1). In every season, He is still God.

He helped me to conquer every season. Even when I'm in the valley, I do not fear, for His rod and His staff, the comfort me (Psalm 23:4). Now I'm back on my feet, I hold my ground, for He has set my feet upon a rock. I fix my eyes upon Him, the perfecter of my faith, and I hold onto His promise. " For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord,"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).

So, it's the way I see my life that determine where I'm heading. Now I found my purpose in Him. Step by step He shows me the way. My thesis is progressing, plan after I graduate is slowly but surely come into clarity, and I know where my passion is. I'm excited about my life. I'm excited about what the Lord is doing and will still do in my life. I'm just so excited!!! And it pretty much change the way I live my life. What about you? Wherever you are, I hope you live your live purposefully, with a divine purpose, and be excited of becoming who you are, be excited of living your life as you are. Be blessed!

Disoriented

There are moments in life when I feel .....disoriented....
and this time is one of those :p
It's like you're sprinting in full speed toward one direction, then suddenly you have no idea where are you heading to.
Or...it's like you're making every effort to do something you once dreamin' of, then suddenly at some point you're asking "why am i doing this?".
Or....probably it's like going to a battle with full armor, riding a horse in a full speed, ready to draw a sword, but then actually have no idea which one is the enemy.
Okay, I might be a little bit exaggerating, that last one is silly :p,
but somehow that's what I feel now, as I don't know where I should go. I have no idea where to start , and don't know what am I after.

Well, I think I could start it with "selah"....., [pause, and calmly think of that]
retreat...rethink...what is my purpose, what am I after, what is it that I want to achieve, and why am I doing what I'm doing now.

Anyway, I've heard this phrase million times
"...though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me"
Well, I gues I'm in that valley now...., the low place I called "the valley of disorientation" :p
But hang on..., isn't the last phrase is the answer? ..."Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide] -->that's it, they comfort me".
Well, I guess I know what I need to find now. God's guidance
********** ^_^

Living my Passion

I have a dream to make a difference in people's life
a dream to put a smile in a hopeless face
to preach the good news to the poor
to bind up the brokenhearted
proclaim freedom for the captives
release the prisoners from the darkness
and comfort those who mourn

I have to step out from my comfort zone,
get out from my nice little life,
start thinking out of the box,
and stop pampering my selfish desire.

I know it's not an easy thing for me
But hey, life won't be getting easier
we're meant to conquer the challenge 
Honestly, i'm a bit scared, terrified, nervous
part of me just doesn't wanna do it
but part of me just getting excited
yeaah....I'm about to try something new
something unknown
something that will be revealed
only if I start to step in faith
But deep inside my heart I know
this is what I meant to be
living my passion.............

and the best time to start to make a difference
is NOW