Courageous People Resolve Conflict

Courageous People Resolve Conflict By Rick Warren — Oct 27, 2016 “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT, second edition). Why does God want us to live at peace with everyone? Because unresolved conflict has three devastating effects in your life. First, it blocks your fellowship with God. When you’re out of whack with others, you can’t be in harmony with God. When you’re distracted, when you’re in conflict with other people, you cannot have a clear connection with God. The Bible says, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar” (1 John 4:20a NLT, second edition). Second, unresolved conflict hinders your prayers. Over and over again the Bible says that where there is conflict and sin and disharmony in your life, your prayers are blocked. Third, unsolved conflict hinders your happiness. You cannot be happy and in conflict at the same time. When conflict comes in the front door, happiness goes out the back. So, don’t you want to get rid of the conflict in your life? The starting point of resolving any conflict is to take the initiative. Don’t wait for the other person to come to you; go to that person. You be the peacemaker. Don’t ignore the conflict. Don’t deny the conflict. Don’t push the conflict under the carpet. Have you heard the expression, “Time heals everything”? That’s a bunch of bologna. Time heals nothing! Actually, time makes things worse. When you’ve got an open wound and you don’t deal with it, it festers. Anger turns to resentment, and resentment turns to bitterness. The conflict is not going to resolve itself. You’ve got to intentionally deal with it. Only courageous people resolve conflict. Maybe the most courageous thing you can do is face an issue that you’ve been ignoring for a long time in your marriage, with your kids, with your employees or your boss, or whoever. Where do you find the courage to face it? You get it from God. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” That means if you let God’s Spirit fill your life, you're going to be filled with power, love, and self-discipline. And God’s love overcomes fear.

Do You Need a Heart Transplant?

By Rick Warren — Oct 26, 2016 “The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that” (Proverbs 29:25 MSG). If you’re going to get control of anger in your life, you must base your identity in Jesus, understanding that he loves you unconditionally, that you are his, that you are valuable, and that he has a purpose and plan for your life. If you build your identity on anything else, you’ll struggle with insecurity your whole life. You can build your identity on your job, but you can lose your job. You can build your identity on how good-looking you are, but you may lose your good looks. You can build your identity on the person you married, but he or she is going to die. You can build your identity on being popular, but you’re not always going to be popular. If you build your identity on anything that can be taken away from you, you’re going to be insecure, and insecurity is at the root of your anger. Until you start feeling secure about yourself, people are going to be able to push your buttons. When you know who you are and whose you are, people can’t push your buttons. They can’t get to you. Anger and insecurity go together. The more insecure you feel, the angrier you feel. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:25, “The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that” (MSG). When you get angry, your mouth just reveals what’s inside your heart. A harsh tongue reveals an angry heart. A negative tongue reveals a fearful heart. A boasting tongue reveals an insecure heart. An overactive tongue reveals an unsettled heart. A judgmental tongue reveals a guilty heart. A critical tongue reveals a bitter heart. A filthy tongue reveals an impure heart. On the other hand, an encouraging tongue reveals a happy heart, a gentle tongue reveals a loving heart, and a controlled tongue reveals a peaceful heart. You know what you need to get rid of your anger problem? You need a heart transplant. Fortunately, God specializes in heart transplants. It’s called salvation! God gives you a brand new heart and a brand new identity. You don’t have to find your identity in your job or your bank account or your good looks or your relationships, because you find your identity in what God says about you. Jesus can heal the three things that cause anger: hurt, frustration, and fear. Jesus can heal your hurting heart with his love. Jesus can replace your frustrated heart with his peace. Jesus can replace your insecure heart with a heart full of his strength and love. If you pick up a crying baby and hold it close so that it feels warm and secure, it stops crying. It stops being angry. When you feel secure and accepted in Jesus Christ, your anger is going to dissipate. Maybe you need to pray this prayer today: “Dear God, I admit I have a problem with my anger. I let other people push my buttons, I get even, and I don’t think before speaking. I’m asking for your help. Help me to reflect before reacting. Help me to learn to release my anger appropriately. I want to find my identity in you. I surrender myself completely to you. Come into my life. Save me. Amen.”

Best way to spend free time

What is the best way for you to spend your free time?

When you feel stressed and worn-out, mid time is your best friend. Every person has its own way in managing their free time. They might spend their time with their beloved ones or somebody else.

I usually spend my time with my sisters. They are sugar which sweetens my days, I also have my own time. Every time I feel blue and there’s nobody to share with, I take my time alone and have a rest.

Exploring something new is what I do when I have leisure time. I won’t block any opportunities that come up because I believe that it will make my knowledge wider. Playing guitar is also one thing that I usually do. When playing it, I feel relaxed and it soothes me.

Furthermore, my free time may go normal or extraordinary based on what I do. I make my time as productive as possible by doing something fun yet it gives me benefits.

                                                                                                Aurellia Tanica Indrawan

                                                                                            

Puisi Kenangan

KENANGAN
Karya Aurellia Tanica

Deru ombak berlari kian kemari
Nyiur bergoyang menari-nari
Angin semilir membelai rambutku
Mentari pagi terbit nan ayu


Saat itu. . . terlintas sebuah kisah
Kisah jauh sebelum masa ini
Terbingkai dalam sebuah gambar kehidupan
Lukisan pilu dan kepedihan


Entah mengapa waktu cepat berlalu
Gambar kehidupan pun telah berubah
Berubah menjadi nostalgia
Yang terkukir dalam butir kenangan

Teenagers are too young to teach other people about anything! Do you agree?

FCE Writing: Exercise 1 (Part 1)

Topic: ‘Teenagers are too young to teach other people about anything!’ Do you agree?

            Age doesn’t measure how wide your knowledge is. It seems that people tend to underestimate those who are younger than them simply because they think they’re older and have more experience, however they are not totally right.

            As we know, technology is getting more advanced today. It enables us to access any information easily. Youngsters are the ones who get the most benefits out of it because they’re more adaptable to the advancement of technology. As a result, they become much more knowledgeable than teens in the past. They’re the group who utilize technology most.

            Not only that, environment also influences teens’ maturity, which result in their ability to solve problems and the way they think hence, many of them become very capable to share their knowledge to others.

            Somehow, we can’t belittle others despite their age because every of us have our own potentials and uniqueness. The Bible says do not despise someone because he is young yet be an example in your attitude, words, etc.

            Adolescents are obviously not too young to share their knowledge to others. They are fast learners, teachable, and eager to learn new things. Therefore, teaching older people is very possible and adults whether they like it or not, they have to learn to accept this reality.

Words: 213

                                                                                                Aurellia Tanica Indrawan

                                                                                                  12 Science

Opini kurikulum 2013

Kurikulum 2013

Pada masa sekolah saat ini, kurikulum yang diterapkan merupakan K13 (Kurikulum 2013). Kurikulum tersebut merupakan kurikulum baru yang dikeluarkan oleh Kementrian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia yang menggantikan KTSP (Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan). K13 telah melalui uji coba pada tahun 2013 dan setahun kemudian sudah dapat diterapkan di tingkat SD, SMP, dan SMA.  

            Pergantian kurikulum ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kualitas pembelajaran dan kegiatan belajar di sekolah. Secara spesifik, K13 menaruh perhatian pada 3 aspek, yaitu pengetahuan, keterampilan, dan sikap. Menurut beberapa pakar, perubahan kurikulum dari masa ke masa disebabkan oleh berkembangnya kebutuhan masyarakat dan meningkatnya tuntutan zaman. Kurikulum yang menekankan cara mengaplikasikan ilmu dan pendidikan karakter ini diharapkan dapat membimbing siswa di dalam kehidupan bermasyarakat dan menghasilkan masa depan yang cerah serta memajukan bangsa dan negara.

            Dalam penerapan kebijakan baru pasti terdapat kelebihan maupun kekurangan, begitu pula dengan K13. Suatu sistem baru tidak dapat langsung menggantikan sistem lama yang sudah ada selama bertahun - tahun (KTSP telah menjadi kurikulum Indonesia selama kurang lebih 6 tahun), sehingga memiliki kelemahan dalam pelaksanaanya.

Berikut merupakan beberapa kekurangan K13 :

1.    K13 bertolak belakang dengan Undang - Undang Nomor 20 Tahun 2003 tentang Sistem Pendidikan Nasional dikarenai penekanan pengembangan kurikulum itu hanya berpatokan pada orientasi pragmatis.

2.     Saat perancangan dan pengembangan K13, guru tidak dilibatkan secara langsung, padahal guru mempunyai peran penting dalam pelaksanaan pendidikan. Pemerintah melihat seakan - akan guru dan siswa memiliki kapasitas yang sama satu dengan lain.

Salah satu bukti kelemahan K13 adalah pendistribusian buku paket yang tidak merata. Setidaknya baru sekitar 70% sekolah yang sudah menerima buku paket pada tanggal 3 Agustus 2014. Ini pun tidak bersamaan, melainkan bertahap, sehingga ada yang telat menerimanya. Proses pencetakan ini terlambat karena perusahaan yang mencetak buku K13 ingin menkonfirmasikan pesanan sekolah terlebih dahulu. Ketidaksediaan buku mengakibatkan siswa tidak mengetahui materi pembelajaran. Pelatihan guru mengenai K13 dapat menjadi solusi sementara, tapi ini tidaklah 100% efektif karena guru - guru terbiasa dengan KTSP, dan tanpa buku sebagai pemandu, penerapan K13 menjadi terhambat.

            Selain mengenai buku, K13 juga memperpanjang waktu sekolah. Jumlah jam sekolah SD yang tadinya 26 jam per minggu menjadi 36 jam per minggu, SMP bertambah 6 jam, dari 32 jam menjadi 38 jam, dan jam tingkat SMA relatif sama. Setelah dilakukan interview oleh media berita, didapatkan bahwa siswa dan orang tua kurang menyetujui perubahan tersebut. Siswa merasa terbebani, sedangkan orang tua merasa iba terhadap anaknya. Adapun argumentasi bahwa siswa perlu belajar di luar sekolah, yakni di lingkungan keluarga dan sosial. Penambahan jam pelajaran membuat kesempatan tersebut sempit. Hal – hal itu merupakan beberapa kekurangan dari K13.

            Tak hanya kekurangan, ada beberapa kelebihan dari K13, yakni :

1.    K13 mendorong dan menginspirasi siswa untuk berpikir secara kritis analitis

2.    Mempertinggi daya serap siswa

3.    Membuat para siswa aktif dalam kegiatan belajar mengajar

K13 pada dasarnya merupakan kurikulum research – based yang lebih mementingkan usaha siswa sendiri dan sedikit penjelasan guru. Meskipun ini bertujuan melatih kemandirian siswa, tetapi hal ini menjadi beban bagi beberapa dari mereka. Kemampuan setiap siswa tidaklah sama dan tidak semua siswa memiliki fasilitas yang dibutuhkan. Oleh sebab itu, pemerintah diharapkan untuk mempertimbangkan kembali penerapan kurikulum 2013.

The Meaningful Gift I Have Received

Hi guys! As you know that students here are obliged to write HOTM every month. This month’s highlight of the month (HOTM) topic is about the meaningful gift that you have given or received. I choose to write the meaningful gift that I have received. For me, the meaningful gift that I have received is salvation in Jesus Christ.

Why I said receiving salvation in Jesus Christ is a meaningful gift that I have received? I said that because my life has changed when I received and asked Jesus to come and of course stay in my heart. Salvation is totally free. I received the salvation in Jesus when I sat in grade 6. I received it when I joined a retreat somewhere in Puncak with my classmates and other Tunas Bangsa’s students. When I received the salvation, I felt peace in my heart. It’s really peace and I also felt really happy. At that time, I also want to have a shout out and jump for Christ. My heart felt like weightless. It’s so light! No anger, no hatred. Salvation itself means being saved from danger, loss or harm. It means that we are free from the power of sin and from hell, the eternal penalty of sins.

Guys, do you know that if we are truly saved, we can’t lose our salvation. It was not ours to earn and it was not ours to lose. Just like this verse “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:27.

That’s all that I want to share. How about you? What is the meaningful gift that you have given or received? Is it about materials? Or something like what I’ve just shared.