Creativity: it is....


Just last night, I discovered myself to be not creative enough. You-- we can see it in the simple ways. One of them is by looking at the way I write in this blog. Sometimes, the laziness and sloth even in the way of thinking of mine is clearly seen. As the result, my writings sometimes were just merely a writing.


I am struck last night, when I was in a senior recital(by an invitation) of a soloist concert of Melissa Christina by the creativity and such gifts in music she with her friends developed well. As the instruments of Piano played by great pianist, the violin, Cello, and flute made a very harmonic and tender music, I keep thinking how creative they are.


The old classical songs of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Ludwig, and some other western composers and conductors were sung beautifully last night and as far as I see the audience were very enjoying them.


One thing comes up into my mind is the creativity. What actually the 'creativity' means. In my opinion, the creativity must be the acts, thoughts and efforts that implement the careful devotion to Christ (I borrow the term from Fr. Stephen), and this is only reaching its truly nature when and if only we devote it to God alone for his glory, and in the highest point and the center of its heart is monasticism, and thus asceticism.


Many times in this modern world, we think of creativity as a 'self-actualization', 'self-potential maximization' which always related to the pleasure seeking, 'success'- pursuit and many other things which focused on the self. And personally, I was one of many people thought that way.


Lord, have mercy on me a sinner! It is all not about a poor and insufficient sinner like me. Only in Thou, Thou alone and trough the communion and life in Thy body, by careful devotion unto You; deny myself and bear the precious cross that thou entrusted to us, and thus to me; then in this can I find true creativity. By whatever gifts, strength and even weaknesses and tears..... by Thy mercy to bear fruits!

Lord, have mercy on Thy unworthy servant!

Beautiful saying of Elder Ephraim and Elder Porphyrios


"Compel yourselves; say the prayer; stop idle talk; close your mouths to
criticism; place doors and locks against unnecessary words. Time passes and does
not come back, and woe to us if time goes by without spiritual profit."

Elder Ephraim (from morning offering blog)


----Oh, this word is very edifying me personally, since in daily basis in my life with my beloved brothers and sisters, it is very easy for me to get attempted to be reactive, either by idle talking or by stating the judgement and therefore forget that myself even is worse than the person I am considering to be not good enough. Thanks Father Ephraim. Lord, have mercy on me a sinner!--

and this is another beautiful saying of another Elder (from Word from the Desert blog)

Christ
is our Friend, our Brother....

…He is whatever is beautiful and good. He is everything. In Christ there is
no gloom, melancholy or introversion, whereas man suffers from various
temptations and situations that make him suffer. Christ is joy, life, light, the
true light, which makes man glad, makes him fly, makes him see all things, see
all people, suffer for all people, and want all people to be
with him, close to
him.

Listen to the patterns


I found out this beautiful term some days ago. It strikes me a little bit because I found that this is somehow relevant and co-operate with the vigilant and still heart. Be quick to listen and we will discover many things around us have their patterns and the routines to do something.

And, by the way that just add one more item to the barney of life's complexity! In its moving and irreversible properties, yet this life process somehow have their unique and nice patterns.

Let's talk and think, what patterns are included here? Just look at the Sun that rises and sets in its proper time. Our daily activities, our way of speaking and even the thinking method of our personal being. Have not discovered it yet?

Listen.....

Power to step forward


It's been always an amazing moment if I am counting the days that the Lord has been entrusting and allowing to be in my life. And still when I am considering about where, how and what I am, I still don't really know. Indeed, this life is mysterious and yet so real.

It's like the flowing river that keep going on and on with or without realizing it. The life is always moving, changing and transforming and when I am pondering on these things, I just can not say what I am seeing that just keep moving without any one is able to stop it even for a little while.

Yesterday, this and that happened, now this and that is happening and that was a totally new and irreversible so does also the tomorrow and that must be at the door knocking.

Oh, life.... See, how mysterious you are! I even can not grab you here into my mind.....

Lord, have mercy on me!

Wonderful saying of Father Gregory


God immediately forgives everything to those who ask forgiveness in a spirit of humility and contrition and who ceaselessly invoke His holy name. As the Psalmist says, 'Confess to the Lord and call upon His holy name' (cf. Ps. 105:1).

St. Gregory of Sinai

from Morning Offering Blog

Day and a day


To be honest, I don't know why recently my desires to write and express my thought is becoming less. Let me think why. One of the reasons is of course the time. I am getting a little bit busy with the 'psychological noise' inside my mind and also of so many activities while my own time management is far from sufficient. I need to learn more in managing this precious time which the Lord has given to me; new each day to amend and repent and to be his servant wherever I am. Lord, have mercy on me Thy servant. Grant me wisdom to manage and use my time for Thy glory alone.




The second reason I think, is my lack of humility. Last week was a though week for me. This was when the stress and all the expectations around me culminated ad I was just getting not well physically (I was sick of throat soared and high fever). The peak was when my lecturer granted me a disappointing grade for my Bahasa paper that I thought I will get an excellent result. Yet, the fact said another thing! I was really realized that in many times or rather in everytime humility is a very strong shield toward the snares of the devil in everywhere.


And actually, this last event made me chrushed and down particularly in my mood to write since I was realizing that what I have been thinking about my self is not correct. And once more I plea, "Lord, have mercy on me. Grant me a humble heart to learn, to keep silent and be still and know that Thou art God."


But, I am rememeber one saying from Abba Anthony the dessert father, if we have to be careful of the melancholicy and despair. And praise the Lord, he is the mighty God. He rescued me from both of those dangers.


Oh..... my soul, look how week and lame you are! I need learn and learn and learn single day by single day. And one thing I really desire to learn is HUMILITY!


Lord, have mercy on me!


Once again in learning of Stillness


I am learning the sermon of Metropolitan Kalistos Ware and one more reminded the greatness and the necessity of stillness. I am a little bit tired now, I will continue later

Holy and Great Friday 2009 AD

Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!

In this most amazing day for All Orthodox Christians, I am pondering to the great saying of Elder Macarius of Optina:

Christ says, as it were: I accepted the cross for the salvation of mankind;
and whomsoever I specially long to draw unto myself, on him do I first shower
sorrows; his heart do I first pierce with arrows dipped in the wormwood of
grief. This I do so that he may die to the extreme fascination, to the
sweetness, of transitory joys and powers. The scourge of sorrows is the banner
of my love. Thus did I wound the heart of my servant David; but when the stream
of tribulations had separated him from the world, then did a dread meditation,
an unwonted, blessed trend of thought well up in his mind and take full
possession of his whole being....

I give thanks to Thee O Lord, have mercy on me!

The Time of [Quiet]

Lord, have mercy on me. I am realizing how week and wretched I am. Lord, have mercy on Thy unworthy servant. I miss my sister so much and just this week I did something that made her sad. I am sorry for my insensitivity and by that I made her really upset. And also I can feel that from now on the days won't bee easy and a little bit exhausting. Lord, grant me Thy mercy to learn humility and not to be trapped by the snare of melancholicity and or despair. But I trust in Thou O Great Master, take me to Thyself. Glory to Thee O God, Glory to Thee.

Tour de Jakarta 2009 (4 friends)

to be updated next monday.....
Well, due to numerous activities, I am a little bit late to update it. I am so sorry for this. Let me to remember some good experience I got during my trip with my friends to the old part of Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. And I was very glad to visit the historical places around this 8,000,000+ populated city.
We departed at 8:10 pm by local transportation bus and enjoyed the trip along the highway, and passing some good scenery of developing country here, and some contrast. And of course one thing cannot be forgotten, the homeless and the hopeful staring eyes along the way.
At 12:20 we arrived in Block M, in Central Jakarta and stopping by to look for some interesting goods with special sales, a fun thing to do with some friends. After that we went to the spot, to the National Museum (Museum Nasional). There we see magnificent relics of Indonesian past history, started from Hindu era under Kutai Empire in Borneo until the independence day from Dutch and Japan colonizations. That was nice experience to explore the 'tanah air' (father land) from the very heart of Indonesia.
At 13:10 we went to the National Monument tower (Monas Tower), which was built by the first President, Soekarno in 6o's. And then we continued to the monumental religious places i.e. Istiqlal and Dutch Cathedral.
We went home at 3:10 and went back to the lovely dorm. (photo will be attached soon)

Space


It is a very nice word for me for this week. Realizing that the physical world of us and thus of mine always in the border of time and space, I am always amazed by the fact that how magnificent the place and the time God has granted me to live according to His will. It's been amazing. Lord, have mercy on me a sinner that sometimes, I didn't recognize the wonderful and marvelous work of Thy hand. The sky, thunder, desert and the lake, they all tell your greatness O Lord. And I was contemplating this poignant and deep consideration of Metropolitan Gregory (18th century) in his book "How to live a holy live. That's a profound book I am reading.

The other things I am rejoice upon are my participation in some Orthodox youth groups in Facebook (The saying of the desert fathes), Yahoo (Orthodox-convert) and also the newest one in orthodoxspace.com has been a very great experience to share and support each other in the brotherhood, friendship and community (although in CMC world) of Orthodox Christian Youth around the world.

Lord, have mercy!

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