Day Five : Endurance.

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” - Romans 5:3-4 NLT

Recently I am back to the gym and enroll myself in PT (Personal Trainer) program. It's been a while since my last workout time, so starting over is not easy. 

The main reason of why I get back to the gym and even enroll myself in PT program is because I want to be fit for diving (because I love diving so much).

When I went diving around end of July this year, I faced some difficulties with my physical condition, I couldn't bent over and wore my diving fins that someone helped me by putting on my diving fins to my feet. It was a cinderella moment but definitely not a happy moment for me. I felt sad and upset at that moment. 

This is not right! I felt that I was being a drag and I could feel that the diving itself became exhausting for me. It struck me like a lighting, if I want to dive for a long time, I need to take care of my body and health very well, plus, I plan to take further diving certifications. 

So I am back to the gym and start training with my Personal Trainer starting in August 2015.

At first it felt like HELL, I ran out of breath easily, I got light headed and sore muscles after every workout. Thankfully I have a good PT, he designs a suitable workout sets for me (knowing that I have problem with low blood pressure), he also provides me lots of health tips and watches my food intakes, he also encourages me during workout to push my limit (although, he said that it was still his "easy" mode -- haha!). And I did whatever he told me to do.

It was not easy. But gradually, once I keep working out and keep pushing myself, I find myself developing a good endurance and my body resistance is growing better, which means I have a better stamina, stronger muscles and better body shape :)

And when I went diving again in mid October 2015, I felt better. I got a fitter body, I could put on my diving fins on my own (yaaay!) and I enjoyed my diving time without having to be a drag or feel exhausted. Now, I feel hopeful and confident of taking further diving certifications.

The same thing also applies in life. Just like muscles being trained over and over again with increasing repetitions, weight and less resting time, if we don't give up and keep pushing through, it will slowly develop a resistance and become even stronger. That works exactly the same with our faith muscles. 

Problems and trials are like training for our faith muscles, if we don't give up we will stretch ourselves in endurance in facing the hardships holding on to the faith and hope that in everything God is working for the good of His children. 

If you are currently facing a hard time, don't give up, keep holding on and keep pushing through. It will not be easy and no one promised that it would be easy (not even God) but if we keep pressing on, we will see greater things ahead in the chance to experience God's miracle and get stronger. I will be praying for you :)

Day Four : Circumstances vs Decisions.

"Oh my God, I envy you! You are so slim and look good in everything you wear. I can never be like you, I am so overweight. " 

"It genetics, all my family are obese. I can never lose weight no matter how hard I try."

"You are so smart! Not like me."

"He comes from a rich family background of course he can have his own business, unlike me."

"I can't do it. I can never do it."

How many of you have heard people saying those statements? Or maybe you are also saying it? -- the next question would be, is it really true? is it really true that you can't do anything about it?

Some people are often stuck in accepting their circumstances that they refuse to make a decision to change it although deep inside they are craving for a change. Usually people like this choose to blame their circumstances than deciding to make a change. 

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For example :

The fact : you are overweight and always a bit chubby since you are little.

The choice : 

You can either blame your genes or you can start to workout and pushing your limit.

See, it's not like you can't lose some weight, but it's the matter of do you want to make the effort or not.

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Those with achievements are those who have worked hard and keep pushing their limits to the point of no return. You can't compare other people's chapter twenty with your chapter one and decide to give up because you are not like them. That is a wrong thought, you need to see the sweats behind the highlights, the hardworks, the tears, the hardships, the efforts and the sacrifices they have made to have reached their success.

You are not the product of your circumstances but the product of your decision. You can't change anything by complaining or regretting about your circumstances but you can surely change something by taking the decision and the first step to make a change. Stop comparing your progress with everyone else, work on your pace, time and capacity, and if you don't give up you will get your achievements and dreams too.

Everything starts with your mind and your decision. And everytime you are about to give up, remember that “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” - Philippians 4:13 NLT

Day Three : I want you to be perfect! (Not)

The quote above is a slap on the face for me because so many times I put on high standard on other people, expecting them to be perfect when they are still human and by being human, all of us are prone to mistakes and mishaps. 

It is easier to judge other people than to look at our ows flaws, sometimes I think we expect other people to be perfect because we realise that we are not perfect and we are upset because of that and we take it on other people.

I do that too, sometimes I can be very frontal and come out very harsh, when I see other people making mistakes, so something wrong or do something stupid (according to my opinion). Me and my super high standards do need a slap in the face. Sometimes I forget that other people can make mistakes (like me) and forget that people have their own reasons and background of why they are doing what they do, no matter how stupid, silly or wrong it might seems to me.

It doesn't mean that we should be ingorant when we see someone is doing the wrong thing but we need to remind them with love not with intention of judging their mistakes because keeping the relationship is way more important than winning an argument.

The Bible says that we need to love other people as we love ourselves, meaning that our capability in loving other people will only be as much as our capability in loving ourselves. If we can't love ourselves we can't love other people, if we often judge and condemn ourselves more likely we will do the same to other people as well, so maybe we need to first be kind and forgiving to ourselves, to accept that it is okay to make mistakes, it is okay to have flaws and it is okay to do wrong things because after all we are work in progress and maybe if we finally able to make peace with ourselves we can make peace with others too :) 

“Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” -- Ephesians 4:32 NLT

Day Two : Thinking About The Nice Things.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” -- Philippians 4:8 NIV

I just finished reading a novel called Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. The novel tells a story about Stargirl, a girl with unique personality that differs from the other girls, as usual, someone different is prone for bullying. The interesting part of the story is that everyone is against Stargirl just because they cannot understand her kindness and sincerity yet Stargirl holds no grudge or hatred.

"She laughed when there was no joke. She danced when there was no music. She had no friends, yet she was the friendliest person in school."

- Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli -

To think of good things and maintaining a positive attitude is not easy when things are tough, rough and crooked. But holding all the trashes and garbage inside your mind will not bring any good anyway. Why weight your mind with the unnecessary weight and have a miserable life? Learn to let go and have peace, think of what is pure, what is true, what is noble, what is lovely and what is admirable and yhen you will see the world from a different perspective and like Stargirl, you might make an impact too.

Day One : God is listening.

“I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” - Psalms 116:1-2 NLT

After series of rocking ups and downs, I finally decided to get back to where I suppose to be, His way, God's way.

It's been a while since I soak into His presence and seriously seeking His face. My heart has been filled with bitterness and lots of disappointments for years that I do think I need a heart surgery and I know that I need to deal with some issues in my life that I cannot deal with my own strength. 

Thus, I start on a fasting week. 

The purpose is to seek His face, to align and synchronizing myself with His purpose in my life and to re-focus on whatever plan He has for my life.

I know God is listening to my every cry, to my yearning soul and to my aching heart, but sometimes, it's so hard to understand what's going on and where everything is going. 

I know that God cares about every little thing in my life, He always sends His comfort in ways that my soul would understand, His fingerprints are all over my life but I have to admit that "me of little faith" still have the struggle in life to understand His plans and time for certain areas and struggles.

Yet, I will tirelessly pray, I will bring my case to His court and leave not until The King of Heaven holds out His gold specter and give me His favor and mercy.  

I know He listens. He always does.