distrust

In getting a dog out of a trap, in extracting a thorn from a child's finger, in teaching a boy to swim or rescuing one who can't, in getting a frightened beginner over a nasty place on a mountain, the one fatal obstacle may be their distrust.

We are asking them to trust us in the teeth of their senses, their imagination, and their intelligence. We are asking them to believe that what is painful will relieve their pain and that what looks dangerous is their only safety. We ask them to accept apparent impossibilities: that moving the paw farther back into the trap is the way to get out ; that hurting the finger very much more will stop the finger hurting ; that water which is obviously permeable will resist and support the body ; that holding onto the only support within reach is not the way to avoid sinking ; that to go higher and onto a more exposed ledge is the way not to fall.

To support all these incredibilia, we can rely only on the other party's confidence in us, a confidence certainly not based on demonstration; admittedly shot through with emotion, and perhaps - if we are strangers - resting on nothing, but such assurance as the look of our face and the tone of our voice can supply (or even, for the dog, on our smell).

Sometimes, because of their unbelief, we can do no mighty works. But if we succeed, we do so because they have maintained their faith in us against apparently contrary evidence. No one blames us for demanding such faith. No one blames them for giving it. No one says afterwards what an unintelligent dog or child or boy that must have been to trust us...

Now to accept the Christian propositions is ipso facto to believe that we are to God, always, as that dog or child or bather or mountain climber was to us, only very much more so. (C.S. Lewis)

==taken from "Reaching for the Invisible God", by Philip Yancey==

'nice' little-thought

I've just had a conversation with a friend of mine, an interesting one.

== start ==
He told me, his company has been encouraging its staff to do another 'research & development' activities. From what i can conclude, money is not the matter for the company. It just needs 'a recoqnation' as a multi-functional/purpose company. "Don't worry much about the funds", said the (let's just say) R&D manager (for im not sure its name), "we'll back you up." [free translation]

In short, couple months later (which was this week), his team invited the manager (with his staff, of course). They wanted to present him the 6-months-works. So, the preparation of 'formal seminars' was arranged. Nice snacks & drinks, comfy room, and the materials.

In their surprise, the manager didn't show up at all, nor their staff.

Then they made a phone-call:
X: Ooooooooppsss... yeaahhh.. i remember!!.. Today, isn't it? Well.. emm.. the fact is, we can't be there. Our boss is not here.
Y: What? Really? How come? We sent the invitation a week before. Did u get it?
X: Yeahh.. yeahh.. We got it.
Y: Well, how bout the vice-manager? At least he could come.
X: yeahh.. ehmm.. For sure, he's on his way to another place.
Y: So?
X: You know what, dont worry ! Just start the presentation.
Y: It's not quite right, i suppose.. One of your department' staff should join the presentation.
X: It's okay! That's eligible! Just dont forget to put the attendance's name on the list.
Y: We know that.
X: That's good. By the way, i could come. I need to take photos for documentation. Just start now, dont wait for me.
Y: Okey.. then..

So, the team went confused.

Anyhow, since there were any other teams on the venue, they decided to get going with the presentation. "At least we know what other teams doing", said the team-leader, "and we can submit the report later to them, by the way"

In the middle of the presentation, someone knocked the door. *ahhh, here's the photographer*
Upss, a man.. Coz as far as they noticed, it's a women behind the telephone.

*click-click-click* then he left.

So, again, the team went confused.
==terminated here==


Some reflections then,
1. I was thinking, the R&D department should attend the presentation, shouldn't they?

2. What's the point of just-coming-and-taking pictures?

3. Money is not the matter? ... Attendance is !


*Shaking heads*

ask for directions

yesterday, i got an email with a subject 'What Women Dream'.

there were some pictures and words that (i reckoned) rarely happens in reality *cmiiw*

let's just quote some of those saying, "i have no reason not to bring you flowers", "let's take you SHOE SHOPPING" ; "as long as i have legs, you'll NEVER have to take out the garbage" ; etc etc . . .

*yeah, women could dream of those treatment :D *

but there was one that, personally, i found the statement is 'stronger' than it should be. here it is :

"Hold that thought a second.

I want to pull over to ask for directions"

please look at the gesture.. and his suggestions.. :p *tend to insult?*
coz somehow, it reminds me a book titled "Why Women Cant Read Maps.."

720

this noon, there was a message on my messenger,

[free translation]
"do you know the newest mobile phone operator, _ _ _ _ ? it offers Rp. 600/min for making calls to other operators; Rp. 60/min to same operator; and Rp. 60/sms to any operators. but it is under satan's management! coz when the numbers joined together, it forms 666"

and then i shocked a while (apparently, last night i heard the same thought about it), thinking what answer should i reply. yes, i need to! because i had bought its service the day before *haha*

well, not that reason for sure. let me propose mine.

first,
600 plus 60 plus 60 forms 720.. not 666! *that's why i love math*
(yes you can reason "just join the first digit of each number", but i prefer think on my way)

second,
if they do mean a really 'beautiful' 666 , they should to change the price to Rp. 6/sms. *wow.. great.. i'd love to*
(600, 60, 6 <-- it's trully beautiful, ain't it?)

last,
a simple quotation, "..and you will have knowledge of what is true, and that will make you free.." * Halleluya !!! *

do you feel hot ?

huah.. what a bloody hot today !
yeah, i mean it. it’s bloody hot!!!

when i took a shower, cold water means nothing. somehow it's just felt like normal water on my skin. emm, let’s say a quite-warm water. *sigh* i had thought, cold water could help me feel better, but it was not.

5 minutes after bathing, geee.. my skin was getting ‘shining’. not a surprise, mate. with the weather like this, im pretty sure, your holes-on-your-skin (what’s the jargon for ‘pori-pori’?) is just like obsolete water tap, ready to evaporate your sweat *yeww*

air conditioner? two things about mine. first, it’s broken i think. it's been turned on for 15 minutes, it didnt give me a breeze air, just a not-hot air. second, it’s located in my bedroom which is joined with my computer room (where i am) *weak coverage*

i was just guessing, it would need about 2 hours to make my rooms a nice-comfy-mild place to work (not mention about the heat from my computer.. somehow i can feel its radiance)

conclusion.. what should i do?
drink cold water? i did and am. not helping.
sleep? sure can not. if i had one, i would have joined ghost-rider on his tonight patrol.
go to mall? well.. im planning to. in fact, i need to go there today, regardless this hotty day. actually, im going now *hoho


notes:
when i think what the title should be, suddenly i remember those funny sentences. a 'lost' friend of mine says it so often. so.. well.. i decided to dedicate this post for you
*fyi, 'you' refers to a grown-up boy :p*

prince interrupts !

last saturday, i heard from a famous radio station in jakarta, there gonna be a lot of new-release movies on the coming week. she then mentioned some coming-soon movies, (should i mention them here? no, i shouldn’t.. just in case she were lying, hoho)

one of the movies she said, it’s the next C.S. Lewis' chronicles of Narnia titled Prince Caspian. i had seen the giant 2D-poster of it, i had watched the trailer couple times, but the truth is i felt a bit of surprised when i knew soon the movie’s gonna be played on next week (let’s just assume the time’s right)

at the same time, i was stunned... what was the story all about? *forgot* hoho.. i had read the book once, had finished it though. but at that moment, i couldn’t recall the story fully. i just remembered, the last Narnia chronicles book i’ve read, The Voyage of Dawn Trader. i re-tried summoned the prince, but still it didn’t work. he still hidden on my mind. so yeah, i made up my mind, im gonna read the book again.

call Caspian !
have a reunion with the former kings and queens (you remember them, don’t you?) !
and ??? and watch the movie, of course !

as i had enjoyed telling apart the originality of Harry Potter’s movie from the book, so would i with this movie.

sorry for the interruption, book (the one im reading now), but soon i’ll get back to you once i finish with the prince.