House of Laotong

2009-01-30T01:53:00.000-08:00

I pray that we will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of our married life and lay them at the feet of GOD.

Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a marriage where burnt toast isn't a deal-breaker!

Be blessed!

Candy Laotong

The Secret to a Lasting Marriage: Embrace Imperfection
Deb Graham

When I was a little girl, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work.

On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his toast, smile at my mom, and ask me how my day was at school.

I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite! When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the toast. And I'll never forget what he said: "Baby, I love burned toast."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his toast burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Debbie, your momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real, tired. And besides-a little burnt toast never hurt anyone!"

In bed that night, I thought about that scene at dinner and the kindness my daddy showed my mom. To this day, it's a cherished memory from my childhood that I'll never forget. And it's one that came to mind just recently when Jack and I sat down to eat dinner.

I had arrived home late as usual and decided we would have breakfast food for dinner. Some things never change, I suppose!

To my amazement, I found the ingredients I needed, and quickly began to cook eggs, turkey sausage, and buttered toast. Thinking I had things under control, I glanced through the mail for the day. It was only a few minutes later that I remembered that I had forgotten to take the toast out of the oven!

Now, had it been any other day -- and had we had more than two pieces of bread in the entire house -- I would have started all over. But it had been one of those days and I had just used up the last two pieces of bread. So burnt toast it was!

As I set the plate down in front of Jack, I waited for a comment about the toast. But all I got was a "Thank you!" I watched as he ate bite by bite, all the time waiting for some comment about the toast. But instead, all Jack said was, "Babe, this is great. Thanks for cooking tonight. I know you had a hard day."

As I took a bite of my charred toast that night, I thought about my mom and dad how burnt toast hadn't been a deal-breaker for them. And I quietly thanked God for giving me a marriage where burnt toast wasn't a deal-breaker either!

You know, life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. I'm not the best housekeeper or cook. And you might be surprised to find out that Jack isn't the perfect husband! He likes to play his music too loud, he will always find a way to avoid yard work, and he watches far too many sports. Believe it or not, watching “ Golf Academy “is not my idea of a great night at home!

But somehow in the past 37 years Jack and I have learned to accept the imperfections in each other. Over time, we have stopped trying to make each other in our own mold and have learned to celebrate our differences. You might say that we've learned to love each other for who we really are!

For example, I like to take my time, I'm a perfectionist, and I'm even-tempered. I tend to work too much and sleep too little. Jack, on the other hand, is disciplined, studious, an early riser, and is a marketer's dream consumer. I count pennies and Jack could care less! Where he is strong, I am weak, and vice versa.

And while you might say that Jack and I are opposites, we're also very much alike. I can look at him and tell you what he's thinking. I can predict his actions before he finalizes his plans. On the other hand, he knows whether I'm troubled or not the moment I enter a room.

We share the same goals. We love the same things. And we are still best friends. We've traveled through many valleys and enjoyed many mountaintops.

And yet, at the same time, Jack and I must work every minute of every day to make this thing called "marriage" work!

What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences - is the one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting marriage relationship.

2008-11-26T01:01:00.000-08:00

Deeply Thanks for these wonderful person!

Mbak Yanik, Treidy, Astrid, Tika, Steven, Om Hendro and Shahnaz

Thanks for being my supporter to make this project happened. Moreover, GOD bless you abundantly and thanks for your support to me and Obby. Love ya all!

2008-11-26T00:53:00.000-08:00

Here we are still dancing
Like we said we would
Against all odds we're standing
When no one said we could
Oh I promise you
I'm always here for you

From the very start
I knew you were the one
That God sent from above
To be my only one
Oh I adore you
And what I say is true

I love you more than words can say
I'll do whatever that it takes
To keep our journey
Forever my love we will say
You and I would never be apart

I know our love will stand against the test of time
And I can be a better wifeyou have in mind
Oh I promise you
I'll always try for you

My better days are here because you're in my life
And my heart's ever grateful for you each time
Oh I adore you
And what I say is true

(you and i - sidney mohede)

Happy birthday my dear husband...it's an honor to be your wife and

GOD bless you with HIS never ending grace

Candy Laotong

2008-09-15T00:22:00.000-07:00

I couldnt express my feeling as I read this replied email :

Dear Ndie,
Thankiu banget ya atas doanya, Engkau adalah istri yang baik, penuh kasih, bijak dan penuh hikmat serta kelemahlembutan, diberkatilah kamu dalam segala hal dan apa yang kau inginkan akan menjadi kenyataan, Tuhan akan mendidik engkau dalam segala hal bahkan yang tidak engkau mengerti sekalipun. Amin.
Happy Anniversary 10th. God bless us.

Thanks & Best Regards,
your_husband

2008-09-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

To My Beloved Husband Obby

I said a prayer for you today.
I just took a moment to say,
With heartfelt thankfulness,
How much I know I’m blessed
With the love so deep and true
That I receive from you.
It may not always show,
But darling, I always know
That Christ gave you to me
And I will ever be
A grateful, loving wife
All throughout my life.
I love you with all my heart
And we will never part.
I know this love will last.
And so a day will never pass
In which I cannot say:
I said a prayer for you today.

Happy 10th anniversary and I love you dearly Pa!

2008-08-18T22:37:00.000-07:00

Pa, I am not hesitate to say "I Love you" a hundred times in a day...

(So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever. that I may daily perform my vows - Psalm 61:8)

2008-08-18T22:13:00.000-07:00

Di setiap detik waktu yang bergulir,
Malaikat Allah melaporkan hamba-hamba yang mengagungkan namaNya.
Di setiap detik itu pula jarak antara Allah dengan hamba yang memujinya tiada batas.
Sehingga perhatian kita terhadap rasa menjaga pernikahan itu bisa bertahan dengan mencintai pasangan kita.
Ingatlah! istri yang tenang akan menghasilkan keluarga yang tenang pula.

(A very blessing thought of life from Naz. 15 Aug 2008; 8:43pm)

2008-08-14T01:34:00.000-07:00

How do I begin to tell you how honoured I am to have you in my life?
I'll start by saying it was a dream come true the day I became your wife.
You're my best friend in the good times and my rock in times of sorrow.
You're the reason for sweet yesterdays and my promise for tomorrow.
I never thought I could feel this loved until I became your wife.
You make each day the best of days of my life.

I deeply thank GOD for you Pa ...

2008-08-14T01:17:00.000-07:00

My Prayer for Obby my Beloved Husband

My prayer for you my dear beloved is one of deep desire and fervency.

I pray for you in the purest of heart that you will come into the fullness of who you are created to be.

I pray for you as my husband, my head, my lord and my man.

I pray that you will know the depth and the magnitude of the love that God has for you, then only can you be filled with the unconditional love in which only He can give.

I pray that you will love yourself because Jesus died to prove that you are worth it. That you never doubt who you are in Christ, nor waver of the marvelous work that you were created to be.

I pray that you are secure in all the affirmations that the Lord has given you in His Word so that you never need or long for the affirmations from the world, people, fortune or fame.

My prayer for you as my husband is that you love me with the love of Christ, unfeigned, unconditional, as the Heavenly Father loves you. That your heart towards me is as the Savior's heart, tender, compassionate, unselfishly giving, and caring. That you are patient and longsuffering with me, gently and carefully washing me with the word of God, so that you may present me before your King. Teaching me skillfully and wisely with understanding that I am the weaker vessel, resisting every temptation to be bitter and intolerant with me.

I pray that you are sensitive to my inner issues and know when I am tugging on the helm of your garments to soothe me in your arms of strength and safety. That you are observant of the load that I carry to care for you and our children and as my savior you ease my burden and lighten my load with understanding, patience and the ministry of helps.

I pray that you are not ignorant of the devil's devices, but watchful and prayerful to ease my fears and not cause them. I am trusting God to give you the wisdom of how to take your position and do the responsibilities of your position, that you courageously stand with your loins girded up and fight the good fight of faith for your salvation and be a good steward over every area that God has chosen you for. That you are diligent in the call of God on your life; to him first, your family and then your occupation.

I pray that our children are your glory and that they reflect the Christ likeness that you instill in them.

I pray that you pour Godly wisdom in them with love, sincerity, and patience.

I pray that as head of this family that you serve with limitless and unconditional joy, teaching us to do likewise.

I pray that you are a participator not a delegator, an initiator not an imitator, a doer of the Word not a hearer.

I pray that you love me, love me as Christ loves the church, unselfishly, unfeigned, unconditionally, because Jesus lives inside you to teach you to be as He.

I pray these prayers for you in the name of Jesus and know that His word will be performed for you, and it is He, not I that will perfect those things that concern you. Amen!

Adjusted from Donya Gilmore

2008-07-29T03:31:00.000-07:00

I don't need no one to tell me about heaven,

I look at my husband and our son, and I believe....

I don't need proof when it comes to God and truth,

I can see the sunset and I perceive...

2008-07-29T00:52:00.000-07:00

Wanita sebagai penolong

Menolong artinya menyediakan apa yang kurang, memberikan apapun yang diperlukan untuk menyelesaikan suatu pekerjaan. Ada beberapa kualitas yang harus dimiliki oleh seorang penolong agar ia dapat berfungsi secara maksimal:
1.Penundukan diri yang benar. Pria membutuhkan waktu dan proses untuk menjadi seorang pemimpin, ia belajar menjadi pemimpin mulai dari memimpin istrinya. Jika istrinya tidak bersedia dipimpin, maka suami tidak akan bertumbuh dalam kepemimpinannya.
2.Membangun. Seorang penolong harus menggunakan kekuatan pengaruhnya untuk membangun pria, baik melalui sikap, tindakan maupun perkataan.
3.Berinisiatif. Kita harus berinisiatif bagaimana caranya agar orang lain benar-benar merasa ditolong, dan memastikan apakah pertolongan kita sesuai dengan yang diharapkan.
4.Kreatif. Kita membutuhkan kasih karunia dan kreatifitas dari Allah yang adalah sumber kreatifitas (Yak 1:5-6) untuk menjalankan peran kita sebagai penolong.
5.Belajar kepada Allah. Allah memberikan segala potensi, kekuatan dan kemampuan yang kita butuhkan untuk menjalankanperan kita sebagai penolong. Bersandarlah kepada-Nya, maka kita pasti dimampukan untuk melakukannya dengan baik.

Dear LORD, help me to be a godly woman to YOU, to my husband and family. Be glorified YOUR name through our life and attitude.

2008-07-23T06:01:00.000-07:00

Loyal and Kindness
by Ps. Jose Carol

Never let loyalty and kindness get away from you! Wear them like a necklace; write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will gain a good reputation. Proverbs 3:3-4 (NLT)

Loyalty and kindness is like a precious jewelry, priceless but often despised in today's world. No matter where we are; school, work or even marriage, often deceit and cunningness are more favorable than loyalty and kindness. Many people think that deceit brings prompt advantages and does not have any consequences in their lives. It is a lie far from the truth of God.

Proverbs teaches us that loyalty (including honesty) and kindness must be put around our neck and become a radiating values that will attract other people to us. Besides draping the two values around our neck, Proverbs also teaches us to write them in our hearts. This means making the two values an inseparable part our lives, because they really show who we really are.

I am not surprised to see your lives crossing God's goodness and favor from men poured into your life. And there's also a good reputation in stored for your future.

------------------------

Blessing : Dear Lord, I am blessed that YOU grant Obby as my husband. I pray so that me and my husband to have loyal and kindness as YOUR word said. Let it be in our hearts and we grow in YOUR words so that our marriage will give godly influence to our surroundings and YOUR name shall be glorified. Amen.

2008-07-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

Yang paling indah dalam perkawinan adalah jatuh cinta lagi, lagi, lagi lagi...dan lagi, pada kamu. Love you pa, and I miss you so muuuuuchhhhh....

(sms to my beloved husband, monday, 21 july 2008, when he's on far away places, and I miss him already)

2008-07-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

5 Reasons Why God Uses Problems
Hope this article will bless you as much as it does to us

The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you - depending on how you respond to them. Unfortunately, most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring.

Here are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life:
1.God Uses Problems To DIRECT U
Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? "Sometimes it takes
a painful situation to make us change our ways."

2. God Uses Problems To INSPECT U
People are like tea bags...if you want to know what's inside them, just drop them into hot ever water! Has God tested your faith with a problem What do problems reveal about you?
"When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience."

3. God Uses Problems To CORRECT U
Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It's likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something... health, money, a relationship. .. by losing it. "It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws."

4. God Uses Problems To PROTECT U
A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss
had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem - but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management's actions were eventually discovered. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good...

5. God Uses Problems To PERFECT U
Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two
things you're going to take with you into eternity. "We can rejoice when we run into problems... they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady."

Here's the point Ad:
God is at work in your life - even when you do not recognize it or understand it. But it's much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him.

"Success can be measured not only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives touched and moments shared along the way"

2008-07-15T02:24:00.000-07:00

To our beloved son...

Son, we're here, we cannot protect you from the world
Son, we're here, we can only love you no matter what
Son, we're here, our love unconditional on this you can rely
Son, we're here, to guide and to teach you and now you must fly
Son, we're here, life can be difficult we hear your cry
Son, we're here, Changes are painful never forget who you are
Son, we're here, Maintain the faith in yourself and in God
Son, we're here, Self acceptance is yours do not fear

Son, we're here... and GOD always be with you...

2008-07-14T23:56:00.000-07:00

I don't marry someone I can live with - I marry the person who I cannot live without....

To my husband, thank you for sharing me so much joy, love and taught me so many things about life... GOD bless our marriage to be an inspiration for other...

"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven." Mat 5:16

2008-07-14T23:43:00.000-07:00

Try not to become a man of success but a man of value-Albert Einstein

This quote is soooooooo her. Naz, a good person, friend, partner in crime (hehehe), wife, and the most important is a good mother. She's one of the person who eager about life and person who celebrate life because of its beauty. She had transformed herself into a valuable person instead of celebrity...but her kindness, generosity have promotes her as a well-known person with an exquisite-heart.

Keep on making the foot step on the sand of history yah Naz!

2008-07-14T23:23:00.000-07:00

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction - Antoine de Saint-

I learn that I am so much blessed by GOD through what he HE has grants me. I learn that things happen for a spiritual purpose. So many things in life that I dont know before but HE opened the eyes of heart and explains so many things...that I come to the conclusion, GOD is good.

HE has sent 2 special person in my life : husband and son. They are my angels and spirit towards life. LORD, thanks for opening my heart that I am valuable and deserve to receive these two precious treasure.

thank you LORD