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Look for GOD in others
Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse. God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way...
(You can impact this person life and countless others like them in some way...)
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.'
I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.
His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.
As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks. ' They really should get lives. He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!' There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.
As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.
We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes.
We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday! He just laughed and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship.
Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak
Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.
He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!' He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. 'Thanks,' he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began 'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends...
I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story.' I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.
He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
'Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.' I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.
I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize its depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life.
For better or for worse. God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way.
Look for GOD in others...
Panen Raya!!!
Setelah dua tahun berturut-turut gagal panen, karena tiadanya air dan serangan hama keong mas, tahun ini tepatnya tanggal 25 Februari dan 9 Maret 2009, desa Rawa Apu dan desa-desa sekitarnya merayakan PANEN RAYA!!!
Panen ini berlanjut terus sampai bulan April. Hasil per hektar sekitar 5 ton gabah dan hama keong mas yang sangat ditakuti petani hampir hampir menghilang. Yayasan Lima Roti Dua Ikan Indonesia merayakan panen ini bersama dengan tokoh masyarakat, agama dan rakyat petani desa-desa setempat. Selama tahun 2008 yang lalu yayasan telah membantu masyarakat desa dengan program traktor, koperasi dan program penyuluhan hama. Tujuan nya adalah supaya desa-desa menjadi makmur dan sejahtera, sehingga menjadikan negara menjadi kuat...
Not the pastor's flock
Christians accept that God is the ultimate authority and that humans merely have delegated authority. In the church, the flock are God's sheep and not the Pastors' - they serve as 'foremen' but not owners
Christians accept that God is the ultimate authority and that humans merely have delegated authority. In the church, the flock are God's sheep and not the Pastors' - they serve as 'foremen' but not owners.
Those who have 'greatness thrust upon them' can either resent their role, or value it as a privileged appointment from God Himself. Spiritual leadership that is resentful is out of order with God. Leaders must not be 'in it for what they can get out of it', but eager to give everything they can (even if they get little in return).
Those who calculate their ministry by the money or benefits they receive are hardly fit to be the Lord's servants.
The potential to misuse God's delegated authority to get personal power, is seen in churches as well as businesses, in charities as well as banking.
Jesus was different; He demonstrated servant-leadership. He laid down His own life so that others might live. Phil 2:1-13 graphically draws the parallel between Jesus and those who claim to follow Him.
Where the church is led by those who live like that, it grows to God's glory. Such people are not weak, but they have chosen to place their strength at the Lord's disposal. Yes, leadership will always be lonely; but if we are willingly submitting to the Lord, we will never be alone.
Keong mas itu hama atau makanan?
Kalau kita bertanya kepada para petani apakah yang paling menakutkan mereka lebih dari tikus? Jawaban mereka adalah keong mas (golden apple snails). Keong mas sangatlah ditakuti karena bisa merusak sebidang sawah hanya dalam satu malam.
Keong mas dapat ditemukan bergantungan pada tanaman padi atau pada tepian sawah. Keong ini merupakan hama utama sawah sawah padi di Asia Tenggara. Pada sekitar akhir tahun 1980 an, hama ini menghancurkan hampir setengah dari total tanaman padi di Filipina dan membuat para petani di sana amat merana.
Keong mas (Pomacea Canaliculata Lamarck) berkembang biak sangat cepat. Menjadi dewasa kurang dari satu bulan dan memproduksi telur sekitar seribu telur sebulannya dalam kurun waktu tiga sampai empat tahun usia mereka.
Yayasan Lima Roti Dua Ikan Indonesia mencoba untuk merubah paradigma para petani di Indonesia agar mereka mau dan bisa merubah hama ini menjadi makanan dan sumber protein mereka. Walau kelihatan berlendir dan sedikit menjijikkan, keong mas ini mengandung 12.2 gram protein, 0.4 gram lemak, 6.6 gram karbohidrat dan 83 kalori dalam setiap 100 gram nya. Bandingkan dengan daging sapi yang mengandung 18.8 gram protein, 14 gram lemak dan 207 kalori dalam setiap 100 gram nya.
Di desa Rawa Apu, Cilacap, kami memberikan penyuluhan kepada para petani yang sawahnya terkena hama ini untuk bagaimana merubah hama yang utama ini menjadi makanan yang lezat. Pertama-tama keong mas direbus dengan air panas (jangan sampai mendidih) supaya gampang dikeluarkan dari cangkang untuk dibersihkan. Bagian perut dibuang dan bagian kepala yang hitam dipencet keluar dan dibuang (untuk mencegah keracunan). Setelah itu dicuci bersih dengan air panas.
Bumbu-bumbu seperti daun pandan dan sereh di oseng di wajan, lalu ditambahkan bawang merah dan putih. Masukkan juga jahe, kunir dan cabe setelah itu. Setelah tercium bau harum, tuangkan santan secukupnya dan tunggu sampai lima menit. Masukkan keong mas yang sudah dibersihkan itu dan panaskan sampai kuah santan hampir menjadi kering. Akhirnya tambahkan bumbu penyedap, garam, daun kemangi dan daun jeruk, aduk sampai merata dan makanan lezat pun siap dihidangkan.
Juga dapat kita membuat sate dari keong mas ini menjadi sate yang luar biasa enaknya. Sambil berebut para petani melahap makanan keong mas ini, yang tadinya merupakan musuh utama mereka. Salah satu diantara mereka berkata dengan riangnya, Perut kenyang, hama hilang, padi selamat dan lumbung menjadi penuh.
Dan selanjutnya terserah para petani untuk menyebutkan keong mas itu hama atau makanan. Dan bila hama menjadi makanan, maka pada musim tanam ini desa Rawa Apu akan panen raya dalam skala yang lebih besar, apalagi saat ini terjadi kenaikan harga bahan-bahan makanan mencolok di seluruh dunia termasuk beras. Desa makmur maka negara juga menjadi negara yang kuat. Inilah harapan kami semua di Yayasan Lima Roti Dua Ikan Indonesia...
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