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Cecilia Lanny Winata
Aliases: Lanny/Cecilia/Xenopus
Location: Singapore
Occupation: Grad Student, National University of Singapore
Interests: Zen, Martial Arts, Japanese Culture and philosophy, Life Sciences, Religious philosophy, Christianity
Hobbies: exploring new places, learning new things, walking (preferably outdoors), cooking, eating good food, home making, swimming, sea sports, anime (Naruto being the best by far), good music to accompany my different moods, and good books to read
Schools/Past Affiliations: TK Bunda Hati Kudus, Jakarta (Kindergarten); SD Bintang Kejora, Jakarta (Primary 1-2, 4-6); Ironside State School, Brisbane, Australia (Primary 3-4); SLTP Santa Ursula, Jakarta (Secondary School); SMU Santa Ursula (High School); Indonesia International Taekwon-Do Federation (Jelambar, Jakarta); National University of Singapore



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skin by: Jane
Wednesday, April 26, 2006 @ 7:51 PM
On struggling with God

Genesis 32: 22-29


That night, a man entered Jacob’s tent & wrestled with him until the break of day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he said, “Let me go”.

Jacob answered, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me”.

Then the man said to him: “As a prince, hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. What is thy name?” And he said, Jacob.

And the man answered: “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel”.

The story had been transmitted from generation to generation so that no one would ever forget: sometimes it was necessary to struggle with God. Every human being at some time had tragedy enter his life; it might be the destruction of a city, the death of a son, an unproved accusation, a sickness that left one lame forever.

At that moment, God challenged one to confront Him and to answer His question: “Why dost thou cling fast to an existence so short and so filled with suffering? What is the meaning of thy struggle?”

The man who did not know how to answer this question would resign himself, while another, one who sought a meaning to existence, feeling that God had been unjust, would challenge his own destiny. It was at this moment that fire of a different type descended from the heavens – not the fire that kills but the kind that tears down ancient walls and inparts to each human being his true possibilities. Cowards never allow their hearts to blaze with this fire; all they desire is for the changed situation to quickly return to what it was before, so that they can go on living their lives and thinking in their customary way. The brave, however, set afire that which was old and, even at the cost of great internal suffering, abandon everything, including God, and continue onward.

“The brave are always stubborn”

From heaven, God smiles contentedly, for it was this that He desired; that each person take into his hands the responsibility for his own life. For, in the final analysis, He had given His children the greatest gift of all gifts: tha capacity to choose and determine their acts.

Only those men and women with the sacred flame in their hearts had the courage to confront him. And they alone knew the path back to His love, for they understood that tragedy was not punishment but challenge.

Man must choose – and not accept – his fate.

The Fifth Mountain - Paulo Coelho



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