Pakailah Hidupku - Satria Kasih Video + Lirik

Tuhan... Kau sumber hidupku
setiap waktu tercurah bagiku

jadikan kami umatMu
saluran berkatMu
yang slalu mengalir
bagi sesamaku
pakailah hidupku
sebagai alatMu

Haleluya..
Terpuji NamaMu
ajaib besar Tuhan
KasihMu dalam hidupku
gunakanlah suarak
sertakan lidahku
seluruh hidupku
jadi saksi Injilmu

interlude..

jadikan kami umatMu
saluran berkatMu
yang slalu mengalir
bagi sesamaku
pakailah hidupku
sebagai alatMu

Haleluya..
Terpuji NamaMu
ajaib besar Tuhan
KasihMu dalam hidupku
gunakanlah suaraku
sertakan lidahku
seluruh hidupku
jadi saksi InjilMu

InjilMu..

Talenta - (Album Rohani) Rantau Voice Video + Lirik

Kami semua berkumpul
dengan satu tujuan
untuk memuliakan namaMu
yang selalu kami puja

Bila kami sesat
dan lupa akan diriMu
jangan Engkau murka
tuntunlah kami kembali

Talenta.. yang Kau beri
akan slalu untukMu Tuhan
suara merdu yang kumiliki
hanya untuk memuliakan namaMu

Bila kami sesat
dan lupa akan diriMu
jangan Engkau murka
tuntunlah kami kembali

Talenta.. yang Kau beri
akan slalu untukMu Tuhan
suara merdu yang kumiliki
hanya untuk memuliakan namaMu

Kami bersyukur dengan talenta yang Kau beri Tuhan
Kami bersyukur dengan talenta yang Kau beri Tuhan

Talenta.. yang Kau beri
akan slalu untukMu Tuhan
suara merdu yang kumiliki
hanya untuk memuliakan namaMu

hanya untuk memuliakan namaMu

Mengatasi Kehilangan Seorang Ayah (Part II)

Selama kita masih di dalam dunia ini, selama itu pula kita semua akan selalu menantikan sebuah tempat dimana tidak pernah akan ada lagi ratap tangis dan air mata, tempat itu sungguh ada. (Wahyu 21:4) 

Tatkala hanya kebahagiaan yang selalu kita rasakan dalam kehidupan kita, rasa rindu untuk dapat sampai ke tempat seperti itu seolah pudar.

Kami bertiga berdiri di sebelah tempat tidur ayah, sambil menyanyikan lagu-lagu rohani, mendengungkan janji-janji yang pasti tentang jaminan keselamatan. (Ibrani 7:25)

Aku berbisik di telinga ayah, mengatakan terimakasih atas segala yang pernah dia lakukan, dia korbankan, segala jerih payah dan semua kasih sayang yang pernah iya limpahkan padaku. Tak lupa juga aku ucapkan permintaan maafku karena sebagai anak pasti sering sekali menyakitkan hati orang tua. Aku memeluk kepalanya yang sebahagian rambutnya telah berubah warna menjadi putih.

Pagi itu kebetulan datang pendeta yang disiapkan oleh rumah sakit, dia datang untuk membawakan sebuah renungan pagi yang menguatkan. Aku sama sekali tidak bisa ingat apa yang dia katakan saat itu, hatiku hanya senantiasa berdoa dan memohon pada Tuhan. Begitulah terkadang kita terlalu focus untuk meminta pada Tuhan sampai-sampai tidak mendengarkan apa yang Tuhan ingin katakan pada kita.

Pada akhir renungan itu, sang pendeta mengajak ayahku untuk bersama-sama berdoa, kami kaget karena ternyata pendeta ini adalah teman ayah ketika kuliah dulu. Ayah dengan anggukan kecil yang lemah mengiyakan.

Lagi-lagi aku tak ingat apa isi doa tersebut dengan jelas, namun di tengah-tengah doa tersebut, alat-alat di tempat itu berbunyi. Karena sering menyaksikannya dalam film saya mengerti bunyi yang aku dengar tersebut artinya apa, belum lagi pendeta mengucap kata Amin untuk mengakhiri doanya, bunyi datar telah terdengar.

Kami menunggu hingga saat doa selesai, ibu berbisik di telingaku bahwa ayah sudah tiada. Aku mengangguk dan mengatupkan mata ayahku, dan menciumnya untuk terakhir kalinya.

Saat ini dalam segala kesedihan kami ini kami tau, bahwa harapan kami satu-satunya untuk bertemu dengan ayah tercinta adalah Yesus Kristus. (Kisah 4:12)(Yohanes 14:6)

Ketika kita menangis, ingatlah selalu bahwa Tuhan Yesus selalu ada dekat, dan dia turut merasakan segala kelemahan kita.. (Yohanes 11:35)

to be continued...

Weekend Tail Shaker - Nevins G. Manafe

If you are worn out because of your work this whole week, reward yourself with this song!
Give 5 minutes to shake your tail and say "Wow, thanks God its Friday!"

Shake it shake it!

Fuzzy Wind - Lounge Music

This is my first lounge music, please bear with me.
I would love to have your feedback.

I hope you enjoy this music.

Mengatasi Kehilangan Seorang Ayah (Part I)

Beberapa tahun yang lalu seperti biasanya aku bertelepon dengan kedua orang tuaku untuk sekedar berbincang dengan mereka.

Ada sesuatu yang agak berbeda hari ini, karena ayahku yang hampir tidak pernah sakit seumur hidupnya itu terkena demam. Ibu membawanya ke rumah sakit dan dokter mengatakan bahwa ini adalah gejala demam berdarah. Harap ayah masuk rumah sakit untuk opname.

Singkat cerita semakin kritis keadaan ayah dan kami memutuskan untuk membawanya berobat ke Penang. Aku dan kakakku terbang menuju medan dan langsung mengantarkan ayah keesokan harinya.

Dokter menyarankan untuk dilakukan MRI Scan, untuk mengetahui detail keadaan tubuh ayah. Perawatan di rumah sakit tersebut sungguh baik sehingga ayahku yang sempat sudah tidak bisa bicara sekarang dapat mengatakan beberapa kalimat pendek seperti bertanya dimana dia saat ini berada.
Harapan muncul ketika kata kata semakin banyak yang bisa dia ucapkan.

Kami tetap berdoa untuk kesehatannya agar tetap pulih. Kami tinggal di pemondokan tidak jauh dari rumah sakit tersebut, hanya 5 menit seperjalanan kaki jauhnya.

Keesokan harinya kami dipanggil oleh dokter, dia mengatakan bahwa yang tengah terjadi pada ayahku adalah viral hemorrhagic fever atau perdarahan pada organ bagian dalam yang dikarenakan oleh virus biasanya terjadi pada kasus demam berdarah akut.

Kondisinya akan terus memburuk dan dengan terbuka dia mengatakan bahwa secara medis harapan ayahku sudah habis, dan hanya mujizat lah yang dapat menyembuhkannya.

Organ tubuhnya satu persatu mulai kehilangan fungsinya, dan harapan kami hanya mujizat Tuhan itu.

Seperti sahabat sahabat Yesus (Martha dan Maria) menyuruh orang untuk menyampaikan kabar pada Yesus tentang sakit yang diderita Lazarus, demikianlah kami memanggil nama Yesus untuk datang dan menolong ayah kami dari penyakit yang dideritanya hari itu. (Yohanes 11:3)

Ayahku seorang missionaris, pendeta, dan juga seorang guru yang telah mengabdi lebih dari 35 tahun untuk pekerjaan pelayanan, hatiku berdoa ya Tuhan yang telah dilayani oleh ayahku, sudi kiranya Engkau menjawab kami at the time my father needed You the most please be with him.

Keesokan harinya pagi pagi telephone berdering dan itu adalah panggilan dari rumah sakit, ada sedikit rasa ngeri ketika menjawab panggilan tersebut, memang beritanya adalah tolong segera datang ke rumah sakit karena ayah sedang menghadapi his final moments.

Kami bergegas untuk pergi ke rumah sakit dan setibanya disana memang kami mendapati ayah semakin lemah, namun masih bisa berkomunikasi walau hanya sebatas anggukan dan gerakan kecil pada jemarinya yang tergenggam oleh tangan ibuku.

Kata kata ibuku yang tidak pernah akan aku lupakan saat itu adalah "Daddy, beristirahatlah, mama dan anak-anak akan baik-baik saja, sebentar lagi Tuhan Yesus akan datang, dan kita semua akan dipertemukan kembali dalam sukacita besar." (1 Tesalonika 4:16-17)

Aku kaget dengan kata2 ibuku itu, bagi kebanyakan orang Indonesia itu adalah sesuatu yang pantang diucapkan karena seolah2 mendoakan orang yang masih hidup untuk segera meninggal, bukannya malah berdoa untuk kesembuhannya, namun juga aku menyadari satu hal bahwa adalah menyenangkan apabila tertidur dalam suasana yang tenang dan menyenangkan hati. (Wahyu 14:13)

Ibu adalah orang terdekat dari ayah, lebih dekat daripada kami anak-anaknya, dia mengetahui kebutuhan ayah saat itu, dia ingin ayah pergi dengan tenang, dia ingin menyampaikan harapan bahwa kami akan baik-baik saja, dia ingin ayah ingat bahwa masih ada Yesus yang berkuasa jauh melampaui bahkan maut sekalipun tidak dapat memisahkan kita dari kasihNya. (Roma 8:35-39)

to be continued 

Tips Mengatasi Argumen

Sering kali sebuah argumen dianggap menjadi sesuatu hal yang seharusnya tidak dilakukan, karena kebanyakan argumen berakhir dengan kedua belah pihak merasa mau menang sendiri, merasa paling benar, dan saling menjatuhkan satu sama lainnya.

Ini beberapa cara yang menurut gw ampuh untuk menyelesaikan sebuah argumen.

1. Berpikirlah sebelum berbicara

Sangatlah berbahaya kata kata yang keluar dari mulut kita apabila tidak melalui filter pikiran. Jikalau pikiran kita sedang terganggu, adalah lebih baik berdiam diri daripada mengeluarkan kata kata yang akan kita sesali nantinya. Kata kata yang tidak patut yang telah keluar dari mulut kita adalah seperti paku paku tajam yang kita pakukan di sebuah batang kayu. Walau nantinya kita cabut pakunya, bekasnya akan tidak pernah menjadi seperti semula lagi.

2. Meminta Maaf

Ada sesuatu yang terlebih besar dari sekedar memenangi sebuah argumen.
Terkadang kita perlu untuk meminta maaf bukan karena kita yang salah, tetapi karena kita menghargai hubungan kita lebih daripada ego yang ada pada kita.
Tidak ada salahnya untuk mengatakan maaf demi menyelamatkan sesuatu yang pada prinsipnya jauh lebih besar dari argumen tersebut.

3. Jangan “Ngotot”

Jangan pernah memaksakan sesuatu pola pikir yang mungkin saja benar. Karena kebenaran percaya atau tidak, bisa berbicara untuk dirinya sendiri. Sesuatu sumber terang walau cuman sebatang lilin tidak dapat ditutupi oleh kegelapan segelap apapun malam itu.
Fakta fakta bisa berbicara lebih keras daripada argumen kita.

4. Tidak ada manusia yang sempurna

"Kalau mau wanita sempurna, pacaran aja sama Barbie!!"
Well sorry to say, Barbie juga bukan sesuatu yang sempurna. Kita harus menyadari kalau di dunia ini tidak ada manusia yang sempurna, maka dari itu toleransi adalah sesuatu yang sangat essential didalam menghadapi sebuah argumen. Bukan berarti kita melanggar hal hal yang bersifat prinsipil, namun toleransi dalam arti mengerti dan menyadari tidak ada manusia yang sempurna termasuk saya dan orang yang sedang berdebat dengan saya.

5. Sudut Pandang

Sudut pandang dari seorang yang merasa dirinya benar akan selalu melawan orang yang salah dari sudut pandangnya. Padahal ada sangat banyak sudut untuk bisa memandang sebuah masalah, bukan sekedar atas bawah dan kiri kanan, atas agak ke kanan, bawah agak ke kiri, dan banyak kombinasi kombinasi yang bisa kita lakukan di dalam menyikapi suatu masalah, jangan kaku dan egois, cobalah melihat masalah tersebut dengan berbagai sudut pandang. Lampauilah sifat egosentris.

6. Minta bantuan

Apabila argumen sudah terlanjur berada dalam posisi deadlock, dimana semua pihak sama sama keras dan sepertinya tidak ada jalan keluar, carilah pertolongan.
Sudut pandang seorang yang dianggap “ahli” dan “netral” oleh kedua pihak biasanya bisa di terima dengan baik dan dapat menetralkan kembail ketegangan.

7. Yang Waras Ngalah

Orang yang mengalah bukan berarti lemah, terkadang ada memang orang yang dari sananya suka berargumentasi terlepas benar atau salahnya isi dari argumentasinya. Kita posisikan diri kita pada pihak yang "waras", biarkan dia memenangkan argumen tersebut, yang penting kita tau yang sebenarnya itu apa. Buat apa kita habiskan energy dan pemikiran kita hanya untuk melawan orang yang "kurang waras".

8. Berdoa

Ucapkan doa singkat, minta kebijaksanaan dari Sang Pemilik dan Sumber Hikmat. Karena Dia lah sumber segala kedamaian.

Minimalist Wardrobe (Part 2)

As promised, let's take a look at the rest of essential clothing piece for men. To read part 1, click here.

Jeans

"How to Look After Your Jeans by Mr Porter"

Get a pair of dark blue jeans with a good cut that fits your body; not too baggy, not too tight.

Shoes

Clark's Desert Boot

The number of shoes you need greatly depends on your hobbies and activities. Most people will have sport shoes, leather shoes, and casual shoes. I own several pair of shoes (running shoes, black leather shoes, and brown leather shoes), but out of all of them, I like beeswax Clark Desert Boot (Chukka) because it is a versatile shoe, you can dress them up or down. If I only can choose one pair of shoes to live with, it's going to be this chukka.

Underwear & Socks

Men's Socks By Calvin Klein

I believe I don't need to explain why we need them. To keep it simple, get solid color ones. For socks, I suggest to get the same color ones, 7 pairs of them, and wash them all once a week. Since they're the same color, they can always match one another.

Blazer / Sports Jacket / Suit

Navy Blazer by Zara

As men, we look at our best when we wear them. As the saying goes, "A well-tailored suit is to women what lingerie is to men". The first one you should have is navy blazer, you can dress it up or down. Next piece is black suit for formal events such as weddings, job interviews, or funerals. Those two should cover 90% of the time you need to dress up.

Tie

Black Slim Tie by Asos

To complement the suit. One or two is enough, you don't need more than that, and black tie as the most mandatory. Stay with solid color, no cartoon, no logo, no picture, nothing, just the tie color. I own a black and a grey tie, both are slim ties.

Sweater

When the weather is cold, sweater provides an extra layer of clothing. You can wear it with shirt, tshirt, chino, or jeans. I know that ugly sweater is the trend now, but just like any other trend, they will go quickly. Imagine this, twenty years from now, do you want to see your picture today with above look, or this?

Simplify

If you haven't noticed already, by keeping the color of the clothing simple they can be matched easily one another. I only own white shirts, these shirts practically match all of my chinos (dark and light brown), trousers (black, dark grey, and light grey), and jeans. In fact, my shirts, sweaters, ties, and pants are all can be matched with one another. I don't need to spend time to think what match with what.

"But, I Need More Than Only These Items..."

This list is by no means a strict checklist. Depending on our profession, activities, and country we live, the clothes what we need to function in our society varies one another. However, what I wanted to share here is there are certain type clothes that we share. These are the ones that, I think, essential and can be simplified.

Let us know if you have comments or clothing piece to add to this list.

The inspiration of this post is "A Basic Wardrobe" by Taylor Lapeyre.

Ninetta Inspired Daddy to Arrange a Song

This all started at the 5th December of 2013.

We are blessed with a tiny little bundle of joy, Ninetta Charlotte Manafe.

Got some inspirations during some of my sleepless night, so i tried to arrange a song that was originally composed for children.

During the intro I imagine that I was at an amusement park with my daughter, and she was there for the first time ever. Her eyes widened like she could not believe what she saw of course with an ear to ear smile.

The first stanza is about us riding on a carousel, she was with her mother at one of the chariot, and i was sitting on a horse just beside them.

The second stanza is when we walk around and stopped at the cotton candy maker.

The third stanza is on a minor chord, because it is time to go home and she cried a little.

The conclusion is when i carried her in my arms, looked into her watery eyes and promised her that someday we will surely come back to the park.

In between stanzas are pictures of her little steps threading with happiness. 

We played this arrangement twice, the first one was at our church (Bendungan Hilir Adventist Church) and the second one was a month ago at Menteng Adventist Church.

I revised the original arrangements to adjust with the musicians, and also after i got several inputs.

I hope you enjoyed reading as you enjoyed the song.

Music score available, just let me know if you want it.

Preparation For The Love Of Your Life

I have several friends and colleagues who often call me for a little bit of consultation.
Well I don’t usually do anything like this but most of them come to me if they have love problem, relationship problem, diet problem, and organization problem.

This morning I talked with a beautiful girl, a good friend of mine, who have the problem in both love and diet..

Her boyfriend just left her, and now she’s into food to ease the pain.. Double trouble!

I was thinking on how to encourage her, to bring at least some positive ideas for her.

She tried some sports and apparently she loves to do it, but still there is no change on her shape.. 

The more she tried the more she eat and now she’s desperately huge.
Then something come up my mind..

I told her..
"Do you know that you can actually love the love of your life even if you've never met him yet?"

"Oh wow, that’s new!" She replied with excitement.

"Yes you actually can!" I replied.

"‎​By doing positive things to yourself in preparation to meet him one day!"

Think about how happy he is to have you one day, think yourself as a beautiful present for the love of your life.. 

The present should come on a beautiful case, don’t you agree? So yes, its something important to get in shape.

And the most important thing is, the present it self.. 

Prepare your heart to be the ultimate present. 

Prepare your heart for loving.

Prepare your heart for the love of your life.

If this doesn't work, I have an alternative for you, it works on some people..
pay attention to the lyrics.. :D


cheers! =)

Minimalist Wardrobe (Part 1)

Let's start living simple by trimming down the number of clothes in our closet because, just face it, we never wear a lot of them.

Probably, there are clothes that we keep because of sentimental reasons, or there are other clothes that we thought we would wear someday, though that day never comes.

Whatever the reason is, those clothes are just occupying space and collecting dust. Let's get rid of them and focus on the necessary items.

Notes to ladies:

I understand that reducing wardrobe items may sound like an abomination to your ears. There is a way, however, to stay stylish and not boring (like we men do) with only 33 items. It's called "Project 333" and there are a lot of women who've tried and benefitted from it. Go ahead and check it out if it something that fits you.

• Pinterest Boards of Project 333
• Project 333 video on YouTube

Now I've addressed the ladies's concerns, let's work on our wardrobe guys!

Men Essential Wardrobe List

What I'm writing here is a list of essential clothes for men that I wish I knew years ago. This would save me a lot of time; time spent on finding what style that looks good and time finding the right color combination.

If only I knew that men essential wardrobe is this simple, I wouldn't spent time nor care about the popular brand and style that my friends were wearing when I was a teenager.  I would focus on just these few things, saving effort, money, and time.

White Shirt

White Shirt by Charles Tyrwhitt

Every man should own white shirts. It's one of the most versatile piece of clothing we can own. We can wear it to office or any formal events (church, wedding, parties).

Chinos / Khakis 

SF Kakhi Chino by Dockers

Whatever you want to call it, as long as it looks like the pants on the picture above. One or two pair is enough.

T-Shirts

Dark Grey TShirt by Blank Organic

Skip the ones with the manufacture brand or any logo on it and get the ones in solid colors.

We'll look on the remaining items on the next post.

O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go (Erhu & Bells)

"Outside on a beautiful garden covered in shadows,
I started playing my music that teared the silence of that night.."

My wife asked me to stop because she almost shed tears when she heard the sound.
In the contrary, though i can sense sadness but yet it was like a mend to a broken heart, but maybe it was just me.

I tried to arrange a song "O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go" by Albert L Peace 1885.

Please let me know what you feel.



O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go Lyrics

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

Minimalist Living: Less is More

- Have you ever feel there are not enough time to do everything?

- Have you ever feel that there is too much stuff  in your house?

- Have you ever spend too much time figuring out a good color combination to wear, or what clothing style to purchase? (especially for men)

You're not alone if you have felt any of these feelings. They're some of the consequences of great advancement of the modern life. There is an abundance of products and services available today, it's a very fantastic time to live.

However, our life has become too complex. I'm not against any complexity, there are things that are naturally complex, such as how our body works. But I'm against the unnecessary complexity.

That's why I am a minimalist.

What is minimalism?

Minimalism is a simple life approach, having and doing what matter most, and getting rid of what matter less.

Try answer this question: What are the most important things in your life?

For me, the answer is:
- My God
- My family
- My partner
- My health
- My finance
- My close friends
- Helping people in need (service and ministry)

If you have kids, you probably will have them in the list.

Now, look at the list, do you see any material things (shoes, bags, house, ...)?

Most people won't have any material things in their list. Mostly, it will consists of people and intangible things.

Taking minimalism approach means that we focus on the items that matters most to us, and get rid of other things that matters less, so that we can focus even more to the items that matters most to us.

So minimalism means to throw all material possessions?

Not necessarily, unless they distract you from spending time with the most important things in your life.

People need material possessions. We need clothes, shelter, food, and many more. As human, we developed tools to help us achieve our goals.

But with the advancement of technology, industry, and cheap products, we now accumulate material possessions at an alarming rate.

We purchase something at impulse and emotions because we can afford them, not because we really need them.

Owning more material possessions than what we need is not only bad for our bank account, it's also taking toll on our limited time account.

- More stuff in our house takes our time to clean, and when we need to move.
- More stuff in our closet takes our time to pick what to wear.
- More stuff in our calendar takes our time to prioritize, and to execute.

It's about living with purpose

I'm not saying that minimalism is a silver bullet for all of our problems, nor something that works for everybody. So, I'm not going to spend my time trying to convince you.

I just want to share that for me, it's a life that is peaceful, simple, and yet rich.

Before we close, let's take a simple test.

Which picture do you like more?

Muji bed room

Cabin bed room design

If you like the first picture more, then maybe minimalism is for you.

We'll talk more about my minimalist practices in the next posts.

# Level 5 of 5 Money Management Levels - Investments and Preparing for Retirement

Note: If you're looking for step 4, you can find it here.

Congratulation! You're now at the last level of 5 money management levels.

Not so many people can pass level 1-4, so you can pat yourself in the back if you've done so. It takes  determination and sacrifices to be at the level 5.

Unlike level 1-4, level 5 is a continuous level, you will never leave level 5. You stay on level 5 for the rest of your life.

There are two major parts of level 5; Investments and Preparing for Retirement

Investments

I believe everyone should be educated on different investment types. Don't let financial adviser decide on what you should invest.

Don't get me wrong, we need to leverage smart financial advisers around us to help us get the best investments that fit our situation. But don't be lazy and think that you don't need to know about investing.

You're the ONLY person who should be responsible of your portfolio.

There are too many cases where people lost their money, because they trusted their money to an individual or corporations that promised them mouth-watering returns.

If an investment sounds to good to be true, it most probably is.

Retirement Plan

Do you know how much you need to retire?

Most people don't. They "kinda" know they need a lot of money, but not the exact figure.

As we know,  when something is not measured then it's not managed.

Let me tell you why you should know, it's because it is much BIGGER than what most of you think.


How much do you need to live your current lifestyle when you retire?

That depends on what country you live now, and how many years till you retire.

Let's look at an example:

Tony is 30 years old today, and he spend $3,000 every month. How much Tony need every month when he retires?

In the US, the average inflation rate is 3% / year, so every year from today it will look like this:

So, Tony will need to spend about $8,442 when he retires 35 years from now for the same lifestyle. Almost 3 times the current amount.

Indonesia have higher average inflation rate at 7%/year, so if Tony lives in Indonesia it will look like this:

Tony will spend $32,030 when he retires if he lives in Indonesia. More than 10 times of what he's spending today!


But my income will be increasing with the inflation right?

Nothing guarantees that. Perhaps, if you're good at climbing the career ladder, or managing your businesses. But again, it's not as certain as the inflation rate.

So if it doesn't open your eyes and convince you to start planning for your retirement, I don't know what will.

Ninetta ajar Daddy tentang Tuhan

Ninetta Minum Susu

Pertama aku kira aku akan mengajari anakku tentang Tuhan, namun yg terjadi justru melalui dia aku banyak belajar tentang Tuhan yang Maha Pengasih.

Saat anakku minum susu kedelai buatanku dari botol susu, aku memperhatikan dia dengan semangat menyedot. Namun sepertinya susu tidak mengalir karena salurannya mampet. 

Aku perlahan mencabut botol tersebut dari mulutnya, diiringi suara tangisan protes darinya. Dia menangis sepanjang aku melancarkan saluran botol tersebut. 

Lalu kembali terdiam dengan tenang ketika aku memasukkan kembali ujung botol susu kedalam mulutnya dan yang kini telah mengalirkan susu dengan lancar. 

Tuhan memperhatikan umatnya lebih dari aku memperhatikan anakku. 
Ketika kita merasa semuanya sudah berjalan dengan baik dan kita merasa nyaman, lalu tiba2 kenyamanan tersebut diijinkan Tuhan untuk diambil dari kita, jangan panik dan menangis. 

Yang Maha Esa lagi Maha Pengasih dan Penyayang justru sedang melancarkan dan pada saatnya akan memberikan yg lebih baik dari yang ada pada kita sebelumnya. 

(Aku berpikir untuk mengajarkan anakku tentang Tuhan, namun ternyata lewat anak ini aku justru malah belajar lebih banyak tentang Sang Pencipta.)

Cinta Kamu Cinta Gila

Gambar Sticker tahun 80' or 90'an

Banyak sudah pelukis mencoba menuang warna tuk ekspresikan cinta..

Banyak sudah pemusik mencoba lirih bernyanyi membisikkan pesan cinta..

Tapi cinta..

Ahhh cinta..

Apalah seorang aku, sedangkan semua orang hebat tlah mencoba memberi definisi pada cinta..

Apalah seorang aku, sedangkan semua orang berpengalaman sudah menuliskan ilmu untuk cinta..

Aku.. Hanya sedikit yang aku tau tentang cinta..

Bahagia itu adalah ketika aku tersenyum..

Namun cinta itu adalah saat engkau sanggup membuatku tersenyum ketika secara rahasia batinku lirih mengucap namamu..

Ketika seluruh dunia berpaling, cinta, engkau tetap ada disana untukku..

Ketika seluruh dunia berhenti berharap, cinta, engkau tetap memberi arti bagiku tuk terus berlanjut..

Cinta adalah ketika aku mencoba memandang jauh kedalam indah matamu dan tak sengaja menemukan semua masa depanku disana..

Cinta adalah ketika hujan turun, dan basah seluruh raga ini oleh dinginnya  kemunafikan, kejamnya perbedaan serta sadisnya diskriminasi.. namun hangatnya sebuah pelukan memberikan secercah harapan bahwa selamanya cinta dapat dan mampu tuk taklukan segala ego serta perbedaan..

Jika engkau bertanya arti cinta padaku.. 

Hanya sebuah penggalan lirik yang bisa kuucapkan..

Jika engkau bertanya siapakah cinta itu.. 

Kembali hanya sebuah kalimat yang bisa ku ucapkan..

Jika engkau sangat ingin mengetahuinya.. 

Hanya satu yang bisa aku tuliskan..

Bahwasannya..
bagiku..

Cinta itu adalah kamu..
Gila itu adalah aku padamu..

Level 3 of 5 Money Management Levels - Create Monthly Budget

However positive minded we are, our income  is still limited and there is no cheat codes like in one of the games I spent countless hours playing in college (yeah, "show me the money"!) that can suddenly transfer unlimited amount of money to our bank account.

A monthly budget lets us plan on how we allocate our income to pay for our monthly expenses.

If you never created a budget before, initially you might be shocked to find out that you don't have enough money to spend on what you want.

Don't get discouraged, the sooner you know you're short on money, the better. Because then you can take actions sooner too.

How to create a budget?

Disclaimer: Information shown is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended as investment, legal or tax planning advice. Please consult a financial adviser, attorney or tax specialist for advice specific to your financial situation.

1. Write how much is your average income a month.

Example:

2. Write your personal expense categories

*Start with the basic needs and proceed until all your expenses categories are added. Don't miss anything as this will defeat the budget purpose.

Example:

Note: Don't forget to include savings.

3. Then add how much you spend for each categories

*This will be very easy if you have done the expense tracking in level 2.

Example:

4. The total expenses should match the income set on the first step. 

It's also helpful to add the percentage level to see how the budget is distributed.

Example:

5. (Optional) Add pie chart to visualize the percentage distribution.

The spreadsheet containing examples above can be viewed here.

See you on the next money management level!

I hate Dreaming - Jadam Pascual feat Nevins G. Manafe (Acoustic Guitar)

my former D'Nyte Group, from the right Meljhon Estacio, Jadam Pascual, Bryce, Nevins G. Manafe

The fan blows up warm air from outside the window, it was a sad summer 2002 at Molave Dormitory room A-26, Adventist University of the Philippines.

Just several bunch of youngsters hanging out in front of the computer trying to figure out how to express their feelings through music.

This song was originally written by my friend Jadam Pascual, and we both created a simple CD that time. I still remember when both of us were interviewed by the campus tabloid to be featured on their front page. The good old days.

Everything has changed now, we are now busy with life on two separated continent, but sometimes when i reach out form my guitar, i cant help but to play this song to reminiscence that sad summer 2002.






Sheet music and high definition mp3 are available for as low as $2

Step 2 of 5 Money Management Steps - Track Your Expenses

I'm not going to sugarcoat this, this is the step that requires the most discipline.

But everyone should track their expenses.

How many times have we heard this question,  "Where did all my money go?" ?

As human, we're so bad at estimating things. Without actual records we usually underestimate how much we actually spend on anything.

Business owners know this, that's why they price their products and services using something like $399. We naturally take the first number, 3, and think that it's around $300. However, it is actually $400.

Recording expenses make sure that we can be accountable on how we spend our money.

This also prepare you for the next step in money management levels, budgeting, that we will look at next.

There are multiple ways to track expenses. 
1. My parents use pen and paper.
2. I use worksheet application in my computer.
3. Andrae from Learned Wealth Financial Coaching uses a mobile app.

How do I track my expenses?

Step 1. At the beginning of a month I look at my credit card statement online, and I put every transaction to worksheet.

Step 2. Then next to the list I put my categories, and on that category I sum all the transactions that fall into the category.

Step 3. The total of the transaction list and the category list should be equal.

click picture to see larger resolution

Count Your Blessings - Nevins G. Manafe (Fingerstyle Guitar Cover)

Malole si malole, ita nusa le malole - Lakafehan (photo by Nevins)

I love this sacred Hymn because i can relate with the lyrics.

"When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, 
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, 
Count your many blessings, name them one by one, 
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

My personal life is not always easy (i appreciate that dear God).
I have lost my dream job, then again lost my dream business, lost my loved ones and people that i am looking up to..
But through it all i still believe that God have another harder level for me to be accomplished, and i just love it.

The reason i am still excited about it because God have a promise that He will always deliver us from the storm or even cooler through the storm.

When God deliver you from the storm, you almost got caught in the middle of the storm but then God interfere and move you out or move the storm out. When God deliver you through the storm, it means you need to experience the storm, you might get water on your clothes or even lots of water inside your boat of life.

Hold on tight, hear out this song on your life storm, start counting your blessings..

Music sheet available. Contact Me.

"Count your blessings, name them one by one, 
Count your blessings, see what God has done! 
Count your blessings, name them one by one, 
Count your many blessings, see what God has done."

Level 1 of 5 Money Management Levels - Write your financial goal(s)

Do you have financial goal(s)?

The journey begins

Why bother to write financial goal?

Well, it's just like traveling.

When we travel, we usually have a destination. For example, if we want to go see the Eiffel Tower then our destination is Paris, France (not Paris, Texas).

However, when it comes to our finances, often times we don't have any destination. Perhaps we fear that we won't reach it. Don't be afraid, just start small and make it yours.

Here's an example:

• Save $10 a month starting this month.

Too easy? How about this?

• Save 10% of income every month starting this month.

and it doesn't have to be saving related too, for example:

• Go for vacation to New Zealand next year, estimated budget required: $4,500

What important is the goal :

• is clear and specific target.
• has a target time (this year, next year, 5 years from now, ...).
• and has a certain amount of money part of it (so you know how much more is needed)

So, don't write an ambiguous goal, such as:

• Travel to foreign country
• What country?
• When?
• How much is needed?

or

• Be a wealthy person
• How wealthy?
• When?

Having a goal will make a difference when you're presented with options.

Let's say you see a sale at your favorite clothing store, and an item you like that is used to be $299, is on sale for $149 only (50% off).

If you have no goal, there is no other reason to compare with, thus purchasing the item seems to be a good idea.

But if you have that goal of travelling to New Zealand next year and haven't save $4,500 yet, then you can compare whether the $149 item is something that you really need now, or whether that money can help you reach sooner the $4,500 budget for the trip?

In short, it gives you a sense of purpose on where you need to spend the money.

So go ahead and write you goals now, make goals that excite you, and see you on the next level of your financial journey.

(Some more goal ideas):
- Save $5,000 to start my business 3 months from now.
- Save $20,000 for my dream house down payment next year.
- Set aside $150 every month for my kids education.
- Pay loan $100 more than due amount starting next month.
- Save $10,000 to buy gold Apple watch this year.

If you have questions or comments, please drop them on comments section below.

Do you have any financial goal(s) at this moment?

Yes

No

Poll Maker

Five Levels of Money Management

Five Money Management Levels by Djitz from Trijito Santoso

Are you doing good when it comes to managing your money?

Here are five questions that you can quickly answer to know where you are in the five levels of money management.

1. Do you have financial goal(s)?

• Financial goal motivates and guides you.
• Gives you answer to the question, "Does spending money on this gets me closer to my goal?"
• The goal should be specific, have an amount, and a deadline.
• Most people wants to be wealthy, but they don't have the amount in mind nor when they want to have that amount.

My answer:

My financial goals:

• $100,000 at 30 yrs old
• $1,000,000 at 40 yrs old
• $10,000,000 at 50 yrs old

2. Do you know how much you spend every month?

• What is not measured is not managed.
• Answers the popular question, "Where did all my money go?"

My answer:

Yes, I track my expenses on a spreadsheet.

3. Do you spend more than you earn?

• Live according to what you have, not what you want.
• Never take consumer debt, those stuff lost value and you pay more due to interest.
• Remember your goal before you spend,  "Does spending money on this gets me closer to my goal?"

My answer:

No, I spend around 40% of what I earn every month.

4. Do you have emergency savings fund (6x monthly expense)?

• Provides buffer when large amount of money is needed urgently.
• Save you from bad financial offers.
• We can't predict the future, but we can be ready when it happens.

My answer:

Yes, I have more than 12x monthly expense emergency savings fund.

5. Do you invest your money with an average return greater than inflation rate?

• Today's $100 worth only $55 20 years from now.
• You will need more amount of money to sustain your current lifestyle in the future.

My answer:

Not completely, I'm still working on this one.


How about you? Up to what steps are you now?

If you like this and feel that your friends will benefit from it, please share it.

Also please submit the poll below, and don't worry it's always anonymous.

Where are you in five steps of money management?

Step 1 - I have financial goal(s)

Step 2 - I track my expenses every month

Step 3 - I spend less than what I earn every month

Step 4 - I have emergency savings fund

Step 5 - My investment average return rate is greater than inflation

Poll Maker