The Lord Jesus Christ is coming back this time, not as Saviour but as King and Judge, judge of the earth – everybody -believers and unbelievers alike. Paul had earlier reminded the Corinthian christians that “ we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor5v10) and Peter warn that “  it is time for judgement to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God” (1 Pet.4v17). It is therefore absolutely necessary for us to understand the basis of judgement that the Lord will apply to the saints.

This King who was, who is and who is to come, has never left His own with any doubt about His expectation of them with regards to what delights His heart! During His first coming, He mildly reprimanded Martha for ranking service for Him above love and devotion for Him. He commended Mary for her total devotion to Him above service (Lk 10v38-41). How tragic now to hear this comment from Him on the throne on high: “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love” (v4).

Sure the One who is, the Christ glorified, is not distant, absent, away on a journey or just not interested in what His own are doing presently! He is keenly interested and He is watching over every step and moves of His own,
-    delighting in those who rejoice his heart,
-    enduring along with them, the pains of those going through the process of refinement and perfection
-    but recording His disapproval of those who treat lightly the bond of friendship that He desire to have with them.

He leaves us in no doubt about the basis of His judgement of His own when they stand before him on that day of reckoning. Two things stand clear:

1. Love for Him. (v4). He will judge his own based on what we have done with Him and for Him and because of Him all motivated by our love for Him! While here on earth, He summed up the whole commandments in love – love for God and love for fellow man and He is not about to change that. How we have replaced this only desire of the King with service and activities some with very good intentions even though some with ignoble motivation. We would do well to remind ourselves of Paul’s commentary on love in his letter to the Corinthians “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor.13v1-3). It is a frightening thought for Christ, the righteous Judge, to hold anything against his own.
2. Faithfulness to Him (v10). While on earth, the King made the following categorical statement  “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Lk9v62) and He is not about to change that either! In the face of challenges that we must necessarily face as the days draw near, as the enemy strains all his arsenal at us and it appears that the Lord is absent, refuses to come to our aid or appears helpless to do something about it, many will find their own solution to the situation. Some will give in and realign with the enemy, others will resign themselves to the situation but the Lord’s encouragement and expectation is that we remain faithful. We may never know why but even though He has the power to prevent certain adverse things happening to His own, He still sometimes chooses to act in the way and spirit of His message through Isaiah “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isa. 43v2). It is sufficient to know that He knows and that He cares and that He is in control!

Do we need to look far for a motivation to sustain our first love and to remain faithful to Him? The reward is surely at hand – Life. He who overcomes and endures to the end will soon be eating from the tree of life (v7) and wearing the crown of life (v10). In other words, the King will reward us with His kingdom.

So may it be in Jesus name. Amen.

At thirteen, I fell in love.  Head over heels, dramatic, I can’t live without you love.  He was my first true boyfriend, my first fight, my first break-up, my first… no actually, we didn’t go there.  I was a virgin when we met and a virgin when we ended.  His name is not important.  What is important, however, is the fact that I saved every letter he ever wrote me.  Notes passed in the hall, notes shoved in my locker, notes sent to algebra, and notes that came with flowers.  Every bit of our teenage relationship was documented on notebook paper.  In pen, in pencil, sometimes even in crayon.  He wrote about our love, our future, how one day we would grow old together.  But like most young love it didn’t last, and by the time our junior year came around we were over and he had moved to a different state.  I went to prom with a new boy, I graduated High School and left for California, I finished college and started a career, I continued dating boys then men, I lived with some, I broke the hearts of others, time continued to pass and I had all but forgotten my first love…

That is, until, I turned thirty.

A month after my birthday, I flew back home from Los Angeles and discovered the letters my love wrote me in the basement of my parents’ house.  I emptied a giant bag full of them and began to relive my past.  Memories of our relationship came flowing back to me.  But these weren’t fond, ‘I’ve got to find you on Facebook and reconnect memories,’ these were more like thoughts.  Thoughts on my life now.  Thoughts on every relationship I’ve had over the last seventeen years.  Thoughts on why I might still be single.  Thoughts on how my first love set the tone for every man I would ever meet.  And I wondered would things have been different had he and I never met?

Then I thought, what if I could live it all over again?  What if I could take all the knowledge I have now and guide the thirteen-year old version of me in a better direction?  As I sat in a pile of paper scribbled with proclamations of love, I realized I could do just that.  I could take every letter he ever wrote and answer it today.  I could re-do my past.  Say all the things I should’ve said.  Write all the things I should’ve written.  And pass all the notes that should’ve been passed.

What follows is just that – my responses to a love once loved, and a relationship once had.  So, First Love, if you’re out there this blog’s for you.

Throughout the program at Emerson, my professors would recommend I read Blankets by Craig Thompson. It was always Blankets this, Blankets that. One of my fellow students got his girlfriend to read it, as a first step into getting her to read graphic novels. I didn’t give it much thought. Like a lot of cult classics, such as The Sandman, I just had no interest because of its popularity. It felt like I’d already read it!

A few months ago, I gave in out of sheer curiosity and ordered myself a copy. The novel, if dropped by accident, can easily smash someone’s foot. 600 pages baby. Maybe that’s part of why I avoided reading it for a while. It’s been nestled cozily on my shelf for around 6 months now.. this weekend I decided to tackle it head-on.

And it was soooo worth it!

Sketches for Blankets, from Craig Thompson's blog: www.blog.dootdootgarden.com

Published in 2003, Blankets is an autobiographical novel by Craig Thompson (also known for Goodbye, Chunky Rice). The book tells the story of Craig’s Christian-upbringing childhood, his first love and early adulthood. The tender moments between him and his first love are so delicately portrayed. I was captivated by several of his full-panel layouts and the movement in his brushstrokes. Beautiful.

Craig is currently working on a novel called Habibi that looks very exciting (Take a peak > here)

I have learned that life tends to swing in cycles. I am currently reaching the bottom of a giant circle which greatly resembles the place I was twenty years ago. It’s hard to believe past decisions could still impact me today in the way they do. But they do.

Way back when, Texas boy entered my life, and it was supposed to be the beginning of a journey up and out of the dredge I had been living in.I did not realize I had already been as high as I would go.

But I digress. Let me resume my tale:

There was something exotic about the furniture guy being from Texas. Sure, my father was born and raised in the northernmost region of Norway. Sure, I was raised in New Orleans, arguably one of the most culturally rich cities in the world.  Sure, my engineering classes were full of people for whom English was a second language. But the neighboring state of Texas seemed to be a place ripe with adventure and big-ness and strength. I imagined this guy, this MAN, to be a chivalrous cowboy who would call me “little lady”.  I was in love before we ever even spoke.
When he did finally call, the conversation was rather simple. He was not from here and did not know of any good places to go. Also, he was 26, and I was 19. He was concerned about the laws regarding alcohol and “contributing”. Finally, he suggested bowling which in its sheer stupidity seemed like a clean, fun idea. He would pick me up that Friday.
I promptly headed to the mall to get new clothes. Heck, I couldn’t really afford it, but it was a chance to reinvent myself. Instead of dark, dreary clothes, I would get something light and colorful. I picked out a purplish t-shirt at the Gap along with flowery boxers to match. I wanted to look like I hadn’t really tried to impress him, but anyone who knew me would know otherwise. And I should add that I really got my money’s worth – the boxers met their demise a few years ago after having been purchased nearly eighteen years prior.
The plan was to go on a short date, so I opted to not bring cigarettes. I figured I would play the role I had always wanted to play – that of a pure, innocent girl. I waited in the living room in my flowery costume, smelling of Ivory soap and baby powder. I was shocked to see his small, junky car decorated in jagged, hand-painted stripes. I realized he too was pretending to be someone else.
The date was dull. He was a gifted bowler, even bringing his own custom ball and matching glove. I announced that I needed to buy some cigarettes thinking it would turn him off. As luck would have it, he was a smoker too. I couldn’t put my finger on what troubled me about him. He seemed to have nothing necessarily wrong with him, so I agreed to see him again.
Our next date was at his apartment. He cooked a brisket and handmade tortillas. Turned out he was an excellent cook too. In fact, I learned he was effortlessly good at everything he tried – sports, music, cooking, sex, etc. He looked really good to boot. Had he been applying for the job of boyfriend, his resume would have been most impressive. But he was less than the summation of his parts. That is to say that all of the good skills added up to a whole lot of nothing. I tried desperately to connect the dots and make him seem great, but it just wasn’t happening.
Still, that night, after dinner, he explained that he was only here from Texas to help out that store for a single month. He had a decision to make and it his destiny was entirely up to me. He could either keep his job and head back to Texas or lose his job and stay here with me. I really wanted to tell him to go back to Texas. I really, really did. But I was so concerned about being polite and not hurting his feelings that I told him to stay. Technically, I whispered it without looking at him, but that was good enough to seal the deal.
And with that statement, I became the obligatory girlfriend of an unemployed, and consequently soon-to-be homeless, guy. My attempt to raise him up brought me down to the darkest place I have ever been. Ever.

Post scris de Drama Queen

Dupa o noapte agitata a deschis in sfarsit ochii inainte de a suna alarma de la ceas.Da! Era prima zi de scoala, prima zi in care purta uniforma albastra si panglica alba. Totul era pregatit. Dupa ce a luat micul dejun cu parintii, am pornit spre drumul care ii oferea oportunitatea de a explora ‘lumea’ . Emotiile s-au facut simtite atunci cand a ajuns langa noii colegi pe care avea sa-i numeasca prieteni in scurt timp. A facut cunostinta cu invatatoarea, o femeie slabuta, bruneta cu un zmabet minunat care i-a si adus impreuna atunci cand i-a pus sa impartaseasca  viitoarele ‘experiente’ in aceeasi banca.

‘Cum te numesti?’

‘Alina..’

‘Eu sunt Tibi..’

Asa a inceput totul.. zi de zi era  langa ea, mereu in dreapta ei pentru cateva ore. Ce fel de sentimente putea sa aiba o fetita de 7 ani? Ea stia doar ca prezenta lui ii facea bine. Anotimpurile treceau si in cateva secunde iarna isi facea loc in viata celor doi. Clopotelul suna..era pauza si toti bobocii se ingramadeau sa stea langa soba.. Tibi tinea un loc langa soba.. un loc pentru ea..

‘Vrei sticksuri(You and Me)?’

‘Da..’

‘You and Me’,arata Tibi spre ea..

Fetita in uniforma albastra si panglica alba se inrosea si spera sa nu se termine vreodat’ pauza. Insa Tibi era mereu acolo, mereu cu ea.. 8 Martie.. Intr-un costum impecabil tinea in mana o felicitare facuta de mama sa. O felicitare destinata ei.. Ea era deja in banca, iar Tibi s-a apropiat sa ii ofere cadoul si spre surprinderea ei un sarut, insa in schimb a primit o palma. In mod suspect Alina avea principii inca de la o varsta frageda.. Mult timp nu si-au vorbit, insa privirile celor doi se intersectau in mod constant. Poate nu mai exista sticksuri You and Me, poate nu mai exista soba respectiva, poate nu a fost primul ei sarut, insa sigur a fost prima ei ‘dragoste’ .

It’s overcast. The sky is a blanket of damp and dreary grey. For no particular reason, I feel sad.

Dolly and Sweet Boy have relished being allowed out of their playpen, wandering the house. They refuse to be confined anymore, so we’ve played a game of back and forth today. I try to put them in the playpen, pick a show, get something done. They wail. They scream. They hit each other. I relent and set them free. Say fuck it to the dishes or straightening up or checking my e-mail or playing on Facebook, none of which are actual priorities. But still, I’m craving a few moments alone.

The afternoon, during the babies’ nap, was entirely consumed with baking. Sissy and I made three apple pies for dessert at Gramma and Poppa’s tomorrow. It was nice. She was a lovely helper. Industrious. Inquisitive. She concentrated wholeheartedly on paring the apples with our new AppleMaster. It kicked ass.

But I’m tired now. Melancholy. The babies are awake and roaming. They are like cartoon wind-up dolls, running from room to room. Sissy alternates between chasing and reprimanding her babies.

I am unplugged.

I’m allowing my mind to wander where it wants and I’m unfortunately ending up thinking of my First Love. I last spoke with him on Thanksgiving, probably 14 years ago. He called for no real reason, asked me how I was doing, said he’d call me on all the holidays, and I never heard from him again.

That is, until he friended my older sister on Facebook, which of course brought him barreling back to the forefront in my stupid fucking head. I tried not to think about him, to wonder. I tried to ignore my curiosity. But inevitably, I sent him an I’m-so-mature-and-so-completely-over-you message saying that I heard he had a beautiful wife and two beautiful children and that it’s nice to hear he’s doing well. Ha!

What a joke.

I had actually really hoped he was dead. Or still desparately in love with me. No luck either way.

And I know it doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t trade my handsome husband for that foolish boy. But there’s a small part of me that wishes my heart hadn’t been broken, that wishes he regretted the way it ended, that he still regrets losing me, that wonders if he ever thinks of me. After all these years, it still makes me a little sad to think of him.

Cue Nazareth.

It’s ridiculous. Pathetic, even. Ah well. Back to reality.

Slow down to my first year in high school.

I was one of those idealistic guys, full of hope and ambition.  Football took up a large chunk of my life, as did the multitude of clubs and organizations I was in.  I was the epitome of what a scholar-athlete should have been: the perfect jock to my coaches, yet still making good grades in classes.  I tried pretty hard to fit into the grouping of rich kids; not many understood, much less knew my background growing up.  By day, I was the ideal college prep kid, but by night, I moonlighted with my brothers and sisters, enjoying all the pleasures and vices that the greater Los Angeles area had to offer.

Then she happened.

I remember I had just turned 14.  Coming off of one of the best summers in my life, my world gave me a natural high that I rode for what it was worth.  She was 16, the darling of the school.  Young, beautiful, priss, and oh so damn sassy; the kind of girl every guy was after.

I was young, naive, and stupid.  I still subscribed to the old school way of thought.  I was to be the gallant Knight in Shining Armor, and was going to carry off the beautiful princess back to my castle.  And yeah, I remember she was so beautiful.  At that age, I thought that I had finally seen an angel incarnate.

So I didn’t know any better when she started paying more attention to me than to the other guys.  I was brimming from confidence, pushed off the ledge and pulled back.  It was all a game, and I knew it, but the more tastes I got of it, the more I wanted it.

It seems so silly now, over a decade later, but I mistook that puppy love for something more tangible.  It was so very real to me.

***

We were at a party.  She had called me out, beeping me on my pager.  Remember those little cheezy pager messages people used to do with the limited numbers?  Yup.  That was it.  And so I went.

I don’t remember how much alcohol I had that night.  When we were young, all we really had access to were those cheap vodkas and rum.  But before long my head was spinning.  Until then, I had never made out so heavily with anyone in my life, silly as that sounds for my age at the time.  Our lips locked, our hands were on the prowl, her legs were locked tightly behind the small of my back.  In the background, we could hear the drunken karaoke the other people were singing to in the next room.

Despite my protests about saving everything until marriage, she slid her hand down to the crotch of my jeans.  I think I can understand how silly young people think now, when I hear stories from my younger cousins or friends’ younger siblings.  Somehow we ended up in an empty bedroom.

***

The next morning, I woke up to the sun glaring in my eyes, and no clothes.  She was awake next to me watching TV.  When she realized I was awake, she asked me how “it was,” laughing raucously, almost piercingly.  She exclaimed that she had “done the impossible.”  That was the moment heaven flipped for me.  Apparently there was an ongoing bet with the girls in her group about who could break my virginity first.  To them, I was the goal that was untouchable.  The guy who was so principled that I could not be broken.

She gave me a kiss, smirked, put her clothes back on, and laughed as she left.

***

In the weeks following, I was so confused.  Were we together or not?  We had shared something intimate, so of course we were, right?  Yet all I got in return was to be ignored.

It was only months later that I got my concrete reply: “J. give up.  I just wanted to see how it was to get you, and that’s it.”

My heart sunk.  My world flipped upside-down.  My angel turned into a devil.  I was made into a mockery.

***

It’s silly now to have had those principles.  Saving it for marriage.  Saving it for “The One.”

They say that the younger a guy is when he has his first experience, the more he understands how to obtain it from women.  It is pretty true.  Now, over a decade, and dozens of women later, I know very well how to obtain intimacy, yet I don’t know how to love, or rather, I’m too scared to love.

Maybe it’s wrong to blame it on that experience, but our experiences do shape us as people.

And this was my Lesson #2.

by Rajdeep D

The first time I saw her was at a computer lab in the university. I was trying to get a free computer to sit at and finish my oh-so-important English assignment. I am sure that I was gaping at her with my mouth open when she walked in with her friend. Somehow, I did manage to close my mouth when she looked my way. “Smooth move player!”, I said to myself rolling my eyes towards the heavens.

Yes, there were times I wanted to go up to her and say “Hi!” or something along that line. I mean, I do have the courage to do that but I couldn’t bring myself to do that. Why? We will come to that later.

The next time I saw her was a week after my gaping incident. I remember she was in the Cafeteria and I was sitting at the table beside hers with my friends. I couldn’t help but look at her. I know, I know, I sound like a teenager. But well, as I said before, I couldn’t help it. A really weird idea came to my head. What if I paid one of the mamas in the Cafeteria and sent a drink (Obviously Mountain Dew or Coke or something. What were you expecting?) to her?

But alas, I couldn’t bring myself to do that either!

Why? I’ll tell you why.

It is not the fear of rejection that bugged me. It is the fear of what she might think of me that bothered me. Let’s face it; we live in a conservative society. She might just think that I am a pervert or worse a “bokhate”. I wouldn’t want that now, would I? We learn what the society teaches us. But, we end being a bunch of hypocrites behind a veil of niceness. We still can’t express how we feel about each other. We are close, yet so far.

I would be happy just being friends with her. Not everything in the world is about scoring a girlfriend or a boyfriend. I do believe that platonic relationships do occur in the real world.

I didn’t see my beautiful stranger ever again after that day. Now I am writing this dismal article expressing my regret.

You know what? If you like someone let them know it. Go to the town !!

Sometimes, it is better to be sorry than safe.

Senyum Dalam Kesunyian…

Begitulah namanya, dia adalah  junior ku di kampus. Seorang perempuan yang terlihat begitu pendiam namun begitu mempesona di mataku. aku belum tau dan mngenal lebih jauh tentang dirinya. Walau begitu satu kelas dengannya sudah cukup bagiku tuk mengenal, memandang dan mengingat wajahnya dalam benak ku. Tak hanya itu, bagi ku dia adalah kunci untuk membuka dan menyimpan masa laluku. Masa lalu yang belum bisa aku lupakan walau sudah hampir beberapa tahum aku memulai hidup baru.

Semuanya terasa seperti kembali pada masa lalu, masa masa SMA yang begitu indah dan penuh kenangan. Namun juga begitu menyakitkan, karena keegoisan dan nafsu semata aku harus berpisah selamanya dengan wanita yang paling aku sayang selama ini. Memulai hidup yang baru di kampus ini adalah sebuah bentuk pelarian dan persembunyian yang kurang tepat, karena ini bukan scenario yang harus aku jalani melainkan penokohan yang harus aku turuti dan taati karena ini adalah sebuah scenario yang di inginkan oleh orang tua ku..

Namun kuliahku sudah hampir selesai, itu artinya sudah saatnya aku mulai mempersiapkan diri dan menempa jiwaku untuk sebuah tanggung jawab yang lebih besar. Tanggung jawab untuk memulai sebuah kehidupan yang baru sesuai dengan cita cita dan doaku.  ^_^

Melupakan Masa Lalu Menjelang Pernikahan…

Seorang sahabat bercerita tentang sesuatu yang ia takuti menjelang pernikahannya..

Aku beranggapan mungkin hanya sebuah shock atau nervous kecil menjelang pernikahan. Hal itu sering terjadi pada setiap orang menjelang pernikahan, oleh karena itu setiap pasangan perlu menjaga komitmennya tanpa harus mempermasalahkan apa yang telah dan akan terjadi nanti baik menjelang ataupun sesudah pernikahannya…^_^

Sahabat bercerita kalau ia takut tidak bias membahagiakan calon suaminya tersebut..Ketika aku bertanya kenapa hal tersebut bias terjadi…??? Ia pun menjawab,”karena dalam hati kecilnya ia masih belum bias “menuntaskan” masa lalunya. Ia masih mencintai beberapa orang yang ia anggap special dalam kehidupannya terdahulu… (Its look like a same case that occurred in my life, although I don’t have any planning to married now…)

Aku mengenal beberapa orang special yang pernah menjadi bagian dari masa lalunya tersebut. Jika aku boleh menarik sebuah kesimpulan, sahabat ku ini masih penasaran terhadap masa lalunya. Ada beberapa hal yang masih menjadi tanda Tanya dan belum terjawab, oleh karena itu mungkin di hati kecilnya masih tersimpan Tanya yang masih ia bawa sampai sekarang…

Sebuah hikmah yang mungkin bias di petik adalah apapun yang kita kerjakan atau kita perbuat, selesaikanlah pekerjaan itu dengan sebaik dan setepat mungkin. Jangan sampai menimbulkan sebuah pertanyaan yang akan membelenggu kita di hari esok…

Bagi mahasiswa selesaikanlah apa yang menjadi kewajiban kalian seperti tugas yang harus di selesaikan tepat waktu, project atau bahkan skripsi ataupun thesis kalian.

Bagi pegawai kantor selesaikanlah pekerjaan anda, jangan menunda dan menumpuk pekerjaan anda dan akhirnya mengorbankan waktu untuk keluarga demi pekerjaan, keluarga kalian juga butuh waktu anda.

Bagi kalian sang pecinta, selesaikanlah cinta kalian. Dalam artian kalian harus mempunyai keberanian untuk mengungkapkannya. Setiap orang berhak menentukan cintanya, terlepas itu akan menyakitkan atau membahagiakan.. Dari hal tersebut kita akan belajar untuk mengikhlaskan dan menerima suatu hal dengan penuh rasa syukur tanpa harus mempertanyakannya…

Aku pun belum tahu apa yang akan nanti terjadi menjelang atau sesudah pernikahhannya, karena pernikahannya baru akan di adakan pada pertengahan tahun depan.  Aku hanya bias mendoakan semoga Allah SWT menguatkan dan menjaga hatinya dalam sebuah ikatan suci dalam naungan iman dan takwa, dimana tak ada lagi cinta yang tersisa kecuali hanya untuk Allah SWT…

Akhir kata ada sebuah tausiah yang mungkin bias menjadi penutup tulisan ini…Tausiah yang aku dapat dari seorang Penasehat Spiritual aku…

“Tempatkan Cintamu pada tempat yang benar,

Agar ia tak menjadi arus yang tak bias di kendalikan…

Jadikan rasa sayangmu sebagai petunjuk jalan,

Agar ia tak menyesatkanmu di kegelapan…

Jadikan perasaan keduanya semata mata karena Allah SWT,

Agar rasa itu menuntunmu pada Cinta Nya…

Agar rasa itu menjadi musim semi di gurun pasir,

Yang akan menyejukkan hatimu dan hati setiap orang di dunia ini…”

Semangat Mencari Cinta Sejati….^_^

Masa Lalu:

Sebuah Pembelajaran Untuk Terus Berpacu Dengan Perubahan……

Mungkin bagi sebagian orang melupakan masa lalu merupakan hal yang sulit untuk di lakukan. Sebagian orang lainnya mungkin dengan mudahnya merupakan masa lalu dan memulai hidup mereka dengan sesuatu yang baru dan lebih fresh…J

Itu semua merupakan hal yang wajar terjadi dan di alami oleh setiap manusia. Bagi sebagian orang mungkin masa lalu adalah sebuah kejayaan, sebuah euphoria dimana pada saat itu mereka unggul dan berada di atas puncak, oleh karena itu mungkin sulit untuk mereka melupakan masa lalu tersebut…^_^

Di bagian lain ada orang orang yang mengalami kepahitan di masa lalu, kegagalan dan sebuah kejatuhan yang mungkin sangat fatal mereka terima…Dan buat mereka hari esok adalah sebuah kesempatan untuk memperbaiki kualitas diri dan hidup mereka….

Satu hal yang bias kita ambil hikmah dari hal tersebut adalah sebagaimana baik atau buruknya masa lalu tersebut, kita tidak boleh melupakan satu hal yaitu kehidupan adalah sebuah roda yang dinamis dan flexible. Tak ada satupun hal yang selamanya berada hanya pada satu tempat saja, suatu saat bias di atas, di bawah ataupun bahkan di samping… bias bergerak dengan cepat, lambat atau bahkan diam di tempat…itu semua tergantung dari seberapa besar usaha kita untuk meningkatkan kualitas dan kuantitas yang ada pada diri kita untuk terus bergerak dan berupaya…

Waktu terus berputar, perubahan akan terus terjadi…kecepatan adalah kunci utama untuk beradaptasi dengan waktu dan melakukan perubahan…

Jangan Sampai Tertinggal…^_^

 The story of Cinderella is well-known. Ash has lost her mother, cares deeply for her father and struggles with the sadness that envelopes her everyday. When her father marries the ultimate wicked stepmother with two bratty children, Ash doesn’t think it can get much worse. That is, until her father dies.

What makes this telling different is the magical world that is not filled with cheerful mice and birds but rather a dark fairy world that entices Ash, especially the fairy prince Sidhean who offers her escape from the world she has come to not feel a part of. As the story goes on, Ash is introduced to the king’s huntress, Kaisa and struggles to decide what her future will be-the ultimate release or following her heart.

I decided a while ago to not write unbiased reviews. Lots of people do-this is my blog-I’m good with that. I’m so glad I did so I can say that I loved this book! Of course I’ve read a lot of lgbtq but this book has a magical, lyrical quality that transcends that angle. You can easily look at this as a Cinderella story with a lesbian twist.  That is a beautiful quality to me and readers will be thrilled to see themselves represented. Beyond that,the characters are beautifully developed, the world in which Ash lives is recognizable and comfortable with little effort and the language, sense of place and sense of self is well, magical. I was transfixed. 2009, 272 pages.