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These verses are pure beauty and yet so powerful. 

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying, “God has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”? Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind. (Isaiah 40:27-31 MSG)

Favorites vs. Intimates

Does God, the all loving God, play favoritism? 

Does He love that preacher more than he loves you and me? 

I used to think that maybe God loves him (read: that person) more than me. I also wondered why He shows more of Himself and reveals His secret quite often to him but not to me. 

J. Oswald Sanders clears this blurred understanding of mine. His blog post lay out the fundamentals that He loves us all the same. We are not less worthy than the other. The only possible explanation why He seems to 'love' somebody more than me and you is the deep desire this somebody has for God. 

We are as close to Jesus as we choose to be, for the Son of God had no favorites. 

Recommended references

Favorites vs. Intimate (Audio Podcast)
Four Circles Of Intimacy With God (Article)

Choose love

But I don't believe it; to let her go when you really love her. I believe in loving her as much as you can, every chance you get.

~ Emergency Couple

Needy

Why did Daniel pray three times a day?
Why did the story of Daniel and friends start in the Babylon? And not in Israel?

He prayed because he knew that prayers were his strength. God is the source of his strength to get through each one third of his day.

He prayed not because he is religious. He prayed because he was in a relationship with the unlimited source of wisdom. I bet, as a minister of the most powerful country in his time, Daniel needed constant counsel in order to do the right things and make the best decisions for the country.

I imagine Daniel and God were like best friends. They could not stop messaging and put their smartphone away for a second. He wanted to make sure that God led his way.

Earlier I also wondered why the story of Daniel began in Babylon, a place for the exiled. I believe, it should start in Babylon not because it makes a more dramatic story but because it is about depending on God in the most hopeless place.

Before the invasion, Israel was already a chaotic place--unlike the time when King Salomon ruled. But at least, in Israel, Daniel was at home. He knew the culture, he had his families and friends, he was safe and secure, and he was not oppressed by anyone.

In Babylon, I cannot imagine the office politics, especially in a governmental institution where Daniel was assigned to. It must have been so dirty. Once Daniel put his guard down, he could be dead.

All these are merely my translation of Daniel's story. All I want to convey in this post is only a reminder to come to God each and every day and not only when worst things are happening in our lives. Maybe, we are now in the exile, we are far away from home, we cannot depend on the things that normally back us up, and we do not have strength to fight or any idea on how to solve the problem. Just like how Daniel needed God like he needed his vegetarian meals, do we need God that much? A possible explanation of why we do not need God that much is the likeliness that we are using our own strengths and efforts to solve it on our own. From personal experiences, it never got me out of my problems and mostly made me feel a great disappointment to myself. The only times when I felt victorious and glorious are the times when God brought me through.

      Not by might, nor by power but by my spirit, said the Lord. Zec 4:6

The Pyrex

What's meant to break will break.
What's meant to stay will stay. 

I am going to name this accident The Pyrex.

It was a Friday morning in Tulung Agung. A day before I went back to Holland. My pretty cousin stayed over. We watched Jokowi, the Movie, and stayed up late the night before. It happened when we were preparing breakfast.

Mom was in a hurry. She was going to the bank when she instructed us how to heat the soup and not break the Pyrex bowl -for she broke quite a few herself-. While she was blurting out the instruction from her experience, I thought to myself, "why am I being lectured for doing something as simple as this?". Anyway, I followed all her instruction, including not using the metal spoon for stirring.

But we did not know one other factor that would cause the Pyrex to break. Overheating. I turned the gas higher and after a few seconds. Bam. It broke into two. And we ended up having soto without the soup for breakfast.

Mom tried so hard to keep what is valuable to her. But sometimes it does not matter how hard we try to make it right, things will still go wrong. We can't never know everything and every reason why things happen the way they are.

In the absence of rationality. Only God makes sense.

No power is power

If I can't walk, I know you'll carry me through. 

If I can't run, I know you'll fly me there. 

When I live abroad #1

My favorite place when I have nowhere to study or work is La Place. It is a chain restaurant with a strong wi-fi access and good-sized warm meals and sandwiches. Additionally, it has a big dining space, so I could stay as long as I want. It does not stop there either. Water is free and plenty. 

As you know it, I recently moved to Nijmegen. Back in Amsterdam or Eindhoven I would know where to sit. A place with electrical plug in sight. But today, I had searched the place and I could not find anything. My battery was draining too. I asked one of the staffs if they have a seat where I could recharge my laptop, and he just answered, plug out one of plugs for the lamp, and use that. 

Isn't that cool? He puts me, the customer, first. 

I began to wonder, if I ever would start a business, I would definitely bring these values. The coolness. The flexibility. The organic approach. The not too rigid kind of way. Favor. Easy. 

La Place. Customer Service: 5*.