My lifelong journey

Alright, i know its been long after i blogged something. The sole reason is that i am pretty busy this week. Now that i have time, and i just happen to experience a very interesting story.

I was just getting back from the Great Ocean Road trip with my photography club. It was good, i will blog about it tommorow and show you the pictures. But for tonight, there is something else i want to share. Something important, something mysterious, something BIG!

So after the trip, stopped at the CBD to take pictures around the city, and visit my friend’s apartment, it was 11pm when i got on the train. I was so sleepy and tired by then i fell asleep when i got into the train. I supposed to be stopping at Clayton station, but i was asleep. I woke up right on Clayton station, but the door of the train is closing as i open my eyes. I rushed with all my might to the door, but i was too late. I petrified as the train started to accelerate to the next stop. I knew that was the last train and there will be no more train until tommorow. I tried to work my brain on how to handle this, and the only way i could think of was call a taxi to get me home when i got to the next stop.

There i was standing alone in the almost empty train station. There was 2 people sitting on the bench busy talking on the phone. Looks like they are stranded like me. Westall station is unlike other station, it was dark, empty, no officers around, no shops around. The nearest building is a car company by the looks of it. My old watch show that its 12 midnight now… I tried to call the taxi company but the number was busy. I tried for ten minutes and still put on hold. I called my friend to ask for a lift home but all their phones are turned off, maybe they are all asleep. I called another friend to ask her to look for another taxi company number, maybe from the Internet. She called 2 numbers, and none of them wants to go to Westall station. One taxi says he is asleep, and the other only wants to take me if my destination was the city, because he is going home to the city. The only one thing left was to try to call the taxi company again. Magically, it finally connected. After put on hold for 10 minutes, i got to an operator that sounds like she was half asleep. I stated i need a taxi to clayton, and she said i have to wait for the first available taxi. Her voice doesn’t sound very convincing and its past midnight. There might not be lot of taxi around anymore. I called my friend again, and she told me to just pray to God, ask for guidance.

At that point, i am prepared to spend the night on the station to catch the morning train back to Clayton. It was horrible and helpless feeling knowing you can do nothing but wait.

Suddenly, a dark blue old car appears from the far corner of the street. It slowly skim though the station, only to find i am the only one still in there. When the car stopped, i approached the driver. Seems like an Asian man in his fifty. In desperation, i started a conversation.

Me: Good evening sir, are you looking for something?

Mr Driver: Yea, i am looking for my friend. He rang me up asking for a lift home. But i can’t find anyone here. What are you doing alone in here?

Me: There are no more train to this station, sir. My train is the last one. I am waiting for my taxi to arrive.

Mr Driver: Oh, maybe my friend have got home already. Do you need a lift? Where do you want to go?

Me: That would be absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much sir.

Mr Driver: No, thats OK. Come get in.

And so i get in and he started driving. Turns out to be his name is Mr. Daniel. A Vietnamese working as building contractor. Have four kids in Australia, with the youngest son aged 23 and oldest 32. We talked about my studies and my experiences before we arrive at my home. I thank him again and asked for his number. When he leaves with a wave, i was amazed! and i still am. I realized something…

God just send somebody to my rescue, out of nowhere! What’s the odds of somebody coming to an empty train station, past midnight, looking for non-existent person, and willing to drive me home. WHAT’S THE FUCKING ODDS! one in a million?

My heart just filled with joy, and gratefulness. I am so thrilled. I have been a Christian for all my life and i never experience such thing before. A total unconditional love from a total stranger that comes in perfect timing. God is there to help you in His own way. I am so convinced now. 

After i got home and i checked my email. I got a story from a friend at church, that again, makes me shed tears. I hope this story can emphasize your love for others too. Enjoy, and don’t forget to comment.

Breakfast at McDonald’s

This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the end! (After the story, there are some very interesting facts!):

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.
The last class I had to take was Sociology.

The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.

Her last project of the term was called, ‘Smile.’

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.

I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello
anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake,
literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald’s one crisp March morning.

It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.

We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.

I did not move an inch… an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.

As I turned around I smelled a horrible ‘dirty body’ smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.

As I looked d down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was ’smiling’.

His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God’s Light as he searched for acceptance.

He said, ‘Good day’ as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.

The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend.. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.

I held my tears as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.

He said, ‘Coffee is all Miss’ because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.

That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every
action.

I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.

I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman’s cold hand.

He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, ‘Thank you.’

I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, ‘I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.’

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son.. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, ‘That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope.’

We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.

We are not church goers, but we are believers.

That day showed me the pure Light of God’s sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand.

I turned in ‘my project’ and the instructor read it.

Then she looked up at me and said, ‘Can I share this?’

I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.

She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to help people and learn to be healed.

In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald’s, my son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:
UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to
LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE

here is some photograph by me, all taken in Melbourne. Enjoy, and please leave a comment or two, wont hurt you and will only take 2 minutes.

The photos can be found at

http://flickr.com/photos/augusteo/sets/72157604013577930/

Ain’t that flower pretty. I am most enchanted by her pattern.

Three lemons on one branch with the leaves on the background as visual frame, love it.

Don’t know what the name of the flower is, but she definitely is pretty with her vivid red color and supportive background.

Lemons after losing all its liquid, yet retains such vivid beauty.

Believe it or not, those are the lemons after dried for half a year.

The colors ain’t all that amazing, i just like the pattern of the needle flowers.

The whiteness of the flower gives the feel of divine presence…

Very interesting color, nice shape, nice pattern.

Fully pinked flower :p

Makes you wonder how many flowers are there at my garden?

Two colored grass of the same type? one still suffering from the autumn’s plaque.

This Christmas tree is taken at 25 December 2007, at the open Christmas lunch in St. Peter parish. Published without the permission of the head owner. If anyone knows who the head owner is, please feel free to let me know. Cheers :p

All photos are taken by me, thus making me the owner of the copyright. If you like the photo and wanted to use them, just write me an email, I’ll send you the big resolution ones.

Again, any comments are very appreciated.

Finally after 3 months of constant beach raiding, forest bashing, mounting hiking, i am back to Melbourne. From the place with 56k Internet speed to 24.000k adsl2+ connection at my place. The holiday itself is pretty neat. Got myself a lot of new friends. Some singer, some dancer, some drug abuser, some business people, some entrepreneur, and even fisherman.

But yea, 3 months experience can never be condensed into one blog post, so I’ll tell the story at other time when one arises on my mind.

Sad thing is, my old blog and old forum got hacked. I have no idea why they hack my sites. Now i have to set it up all over again. I have posted the only two post i saved on my computer, oh well. Let this be a lesson to back up your blog regularly.

Anyway, school has started. Week one of university is always exciting. Meet new people, form new team. Lets hope it all goes alright.

Cheers.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, and It’s All Small Stuff – Richard Carlson, Ph.d.

Before we start, why don’t we try and ask ourself, how do we respond to small stuff. Small stuff might be a person accidentally spilled a coffee on your jeans, or a friend doing something that insulted you. There are lots of different responds to small stuff. Some people will just let it go and say, “Don’t sweat it, its OK.” or some people might be angry and respond in a negative way. Which way of thinking do you think its better? Which perspective would you take if somebody accidentally step on your foot?

Richard Carlson done a very good job elaborating on this issue. He tell a very interesting story at the beginning of the book. It was a time when he wants to get endorsement for his new book from a best selling author, Dr. Dyer. He write about the endorsement request to Dr. Dyer but didn’t receive any response for a long time. The publisher of the book got impatient and published the book. On the book, Dr. Dyer’s endorsement was printed without his consent. Richard was upset of the publishers selfish move, and tried to stop the printing, but it was all too late. Then he write a new letter explaining the events to Dr. Dyer. The response from really stuns him. Instead of threatening to sue him, or trying to take the printed books of shelf, Dr. Dyer simply write, “Richard. There are two rules for living in harmony. #1)Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and #2)It’s All Small Stuff. Let the quote stand. Love, Wayne Dyer”. That was it. No threat, no confrontation, no hard feelings.

When a person do something bad to you, the usual response would be to counter-attack them, or to sue them. If you choose to “sweat it”, you have to be prepared to spend your energy, time, and money for that cause. Imagine the amount of energy u can save if u decide let it go. Most of the time, war started because of one party is trying to “sweat it”. Fight between siblings happens because one boy couldn’t stand the feeling that his older brother got a new toy. Argument started because one woman is taking a joke by her colleague to seriously. Imagine the world now if everybody do not have the “let go” attitude. The world will be in chaos. Everybody will try to prove that they are better, that they are right.

When you adapt the “Don’t sweat the small stuff” principle, you life will not be perfect. But you will learn what live has to offer with far less resistance. When you let it go, your life will continue to flow. We don’t have to be perfect. In fact, nobody will live a perfect life. There will be always balance between the good side and the bad side of life. “Change the things that can be changed, accept that cannot, and have the wisdom to know the difference.” If u just give this principle a try and incorporate them into your life, you will begin to create a more peaceful and loving you.

Now after you are exposed to this principle, next time you encounter a difficult situation, remember to let it go. You always have a choice, and i surely hope u can make a better choice from now on!

God bless you.

Tags: book, principles, quotes

Thursday 20/12/07, Melbourne got struck by heavy rain and hail storm which continued to pour for hours, causing major flood, electricity outage, floods, and traffic jams. I get a plastic bag to cover my camera, and went out to take some shots. Enjoy. Large sizes at http://flickr.com/photos/8612434@N07/sets/72157603511033210/

Tags: nature