Summer Fun!

Isn't it rather late for me to post pics from last summer? Teehee, it only goes to show that now is the only time I've ever had to somehow doodle a bit and rekindle my love for photoshop. :-)

Watch and be Moved!

..Maybe God wants to reach out to you and tell you something you need to know today. Watch Joel Osteen as He preaches the Word of God and be blown away by his passion to speak God's love for us. This is definitely worth your time!

Faith

"How can I have hope when my eyes show me that the problem I'm in looks utterly hopeless?" Almost too often, this is the question we throw back at friends or family who try to encourage us during times of problems or pain. "It's going to be alright" or "Things will get better" are the comments we would hear from the people who care about us. But how much of these statements do we actually take in; pause in our need to complain, and actually digest what those encouraging statements mean?

When we look at the Word of God, going through life is as simple as ABC, no fantastic steps to follow, no complicated principles to implement. All it takes is faith. Faith in the Father who birthed you into this world, faith that His promises are true. Jesus said, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer" (Matt 21:22). This verse speaks so much of love, hope and encouragement. If Jesus said that your prayers will be answered, why not take Him at His Word? We've seen so many miracles and answered prayers happening in other people's lives, why not in ours?

We can never be free from problems or trials; but, God enables us to have a problem-proof life. Faith propels us to soar forward with a heart free from bitterness or spite. Faith enables us to see ourselves in the future, prosperous and living a good life for the Lord. Our human eyes will never see the big picture, only God can do that. Faith gives us the confidence to face everything in this world, knowing that God will always back us up. Next time you're faced with a hurdle, leap over the other side - God is there to catch you.. just have, FAITH.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Heb. 11:1).

We live by faith, not by sight. 2 cor 5:7

The Seed

I had a great time this afternoon while having Bible study with my niece and her friend. One line from the study I was discussing stood out in my head and I am still thinking of it now.

"The way you think determines the way you feel, and the way you feel determines the way you act."

It makes a lot of sense doesn't it? It is the same as the principle of sowing and reaping. You plant good seeds, expect a good harvest. You plant the right thoughts, you act out good deeds. Sadly, if you plant the wrong thoughts, we end up in sin.

Have you ever experienced going through life hopeless of how you can ever change your bad habits or attitudes? Only Jesus can help you change. It is when we put our complete trust in Him that we realize that we CAN be a better person. And God provides a way for us to make it a reality. When we plant the Word of God in our hearts & minds each day, we can expect the best harvest - having joy, love, peace & hope in our hearts!

Formula for Success

"Lord, bahala ka na ha. You know what I need. Amen." Oftentimes, we pray to God, assuming that He already knows what we want and need. I mean, sure He does. But there's something about praying specifically that catches God's attention. I remember praying this way and changing it to drill down to the specifics. At first I felt uncomfortable, like, it felt dictating a line of grocery lists.. But later on, I realized, that God wants to hear it straight from our mouth. Oli and I were believing for our own place this year and we refurbished our prayers from "Lord, sana, may bahay na kami".. to... "Lord, you said in Your Word that your people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Lord we boldly ask for that promise. We ask you to bless us with a house of our own. With nice white walls and a room for every child..." etc, etc. And here we are, about 60-70% done with the house construction!
It is to God's glory that we see all these coming to pass. And we know there's more to come!

The formula of success doesn't rest on anything of this world; it is not about having charms or crystals, or a superstitious belief on this and that. Success comes only from God and God alone. When we start to make GOD the center of our lives, success and miracles will be part of how we live. God's promises are here for us to take. We just need to know it, live it and ask for it.

WORMS!

This worm had to highlight my week last Wednesday. We received about three huge bars of Cadbury from a friend who works in Malaysia and, voila, upon opening the wrappers, we found about two worms (ALIVE AND WRIGLY!!!!) and an insect that looked like a moth. Ewww. Yes, that's how you can describe it!!! One of the bars were lined with what seems to be a cobweb. We figured it must've been the remnants of the cocoon where the worm comfortably birthed itself into a moth. Well, I guess these things happen. I don't think I'll any kind of chocolates from here on... Or if I get a bad craving for some, I'd definitely make sure to tear apart the wrappers and inspect it.

An Answered Prayer

color schemes.. floor plans.. room layout.. etc.. etc.. finally, the place that we can call our own is now under construction! :-) Praise God, indeed! it's crazy to have to plan for sooo many things for a small haven, but, this is way better than not having to plan at all.

we're working on a very measured budget and I'm sure that with God's grace, guidance and FAVOR, everything will be provided to complete this project.

God DOES answer. HE definitely responds... isn't it just so awesome?! whatever it is you're praying for, keep on pressing on!

Down and Up

Praise God. Praise God!!! The last few weeks and months have been good to me. I faced some challenges along the way in almost all areas of my life. I had an opportunity to look at myself and how I am in the various roles I fulfill. If there's one word to describe the things I've gone through, that would be, yeah, ROLLER COASTER. Hey, two words ;p. Different experiences, varying results. I failed some, I stumbled on some, I succeeded in some. But amidst it all, I still see myself as a victor. I may have encountered semi-depressing circumstances, but it was an opportunity to praise God because it's a chance for me to show Him that I will handle the situation well. I may have encountered very annoying people, who would offend and even take me for granted, but it was a chance for me to see how other people need more prayers. I may have gone through some trials at home and our finances, but it was a time for me to realize that only God knows how to provide. I may have been passing quite a dry stage in my spirituality, but it is an open door for God to fill my cup. There were times when I'd feel uneasy, worrisome about the things around me, but I saw it as a chance for me to cling on to God for strength and wisdom.

It took a lot of courage for me to look at things positively; perhaps even tiresome. What actually moved me in the right direction is to ask the purpose of every single circumstance I was going through. An arguement with my hubby - I was being taught to control my tantrums, to be a good listener & to be submissive. My kids in a tantrum spree - I was being taught to be more patient and loving and to instruct my kids in the way they should go (Prov. 22:6). Sometimes I would feel God is distant - I was being taught to pray harder, pray more and read more of His Word (1 Chron. 28:9). Waking up feeling lethargic, not wanting to do anything AT ALL - I was being taught that lazy hands bring poverty and diligent hands bring wealth (Prov. 10:4).

So many things to learn from God; if only we will choose to look at our challenges in a different light. After all, no amount of wallowing and depression will solve anything. No matter how loud we complain and how many tears we cry, things won't get better unless we act on them (2 Tim. 1:7).

God bless us all!

My Saturday

Today I had the chance to go to one of the busiest malls in town - SM North. I drove my in-laws to the mall and actually just walked around with my kids in pursuit of nothing. We didn't have any reason to shop. So we ended up having merienda at Super Bowl and chat over what's new with Cartoon Network and tried talking about why some cartoons don't actually promote good conduct. It was a nice talk about good and evil, the funny and the not, why some are rated PG and which cartoons rock. Cute! It's awesome how my children have grown to think of these things when all the while I thought the thing they only cared about are toys, tv shows and PS2 games.

So we topped the day by going to the Workshop and bought stuff like a mini-fan for my hubby's computer area, Spotless stain remover, a surge protector, a desk organizer and some plastic containers for the kids' toys.

Now I'm yawn after yawn waiting for my hubby to come home from his friend's birthday party. I don't really need to wait up... but, fixing his computer area was such a delight this evening and I'd love to see how he reacts to it when he sees the work (hard labor!!) I've done.

Well, so much for today :-)

Submission to Authority

I used to cringe everytime I hear or read about this subject - Submission to Authority. Well, I somehow still cringe on it now. Not because I have problems with submitting to my boss or anything like that, but it's more of being submissive to my better half. Not so much of a grave concern, though. Perhaps, it's more of the day to day, small, even trivial decisions that need to be quickly made, that has to be my way and my call. It may have caused a few bickering here and there, but I'm glad that things are starting to smooth out little by little. Till then, I need to get over the paradigm of seeing myself as a woman of the decade (haha), that I am one with a strong personality.

Hearing the story of Daniel from our Bible study last night made me think about what exactly 'submission' is and how it is applied as a wife. Turns out that God's commands are pretty straightforward. Heck, there aren't any 'how to's' and 'what not to's'. But of course there has to be a sense of balance, logic and respect on both sides. These virtues, I would say, would come of course, if you will choose to live according to God's Will. It's going to come on bit by bit, or even all at one big blow - as long as we choose to live in obedience.

So I leave myself with one assignment. Nothing fancy. Nothing complicated. Nothing that a willful heart cannot do. (pray for me) haha :-) SUBMIT.

Random Thoughts..

1) i'm currently feeling a certain distaste in my mouth.. why, i don't know....
2) i pray that my little boy will grow up to be a God-fearing man that lives with integrity and peace..
3) i miss my high school friends terribly.. half of us are totally scattered around the globe and i miss their company :(
4) the letter B on my keyboard popped out last Friday and i am soooorta annoyed everytime i press the letter B.... grr.. see?! :-)
5) so i'm thinking what i'm thinking next...
6) i sure want to go back to Paris with my hubby... or maybe a fun family time in Sydney..
7) Praise GOD for building up my sales at work...... to You be the GLORY!
8) hmm.. i wonder how else can i improve with my work?
9) i don't like gossipers... i don't like people who can't stand up for their mistakes.. why can't people just learn to be fair to one another?! i sooo dislike that CRAB mentality.
10) i may be a bit shaken by them pot holes coming my way.. but God is always there to make me stand firm.
11) choices, choices, choices! we have a lot of em everyday... o God, help me make the right ones!
12) this 10-minute break is enough.. ok, now back to work! :-D

T.D. Jakes

A few days ago I was listening to some of Joel Osteen's sermons over the web and man, I must say, God has moved and empowered this man to preach God's Word in a powerful, yet endearing way. If you've read the book Your Best Life Now, you would exactly understand how God can actually help you realize your full potential and leave different sorts of unnecessary baggages in life. Joel Osteen is indeed one of the annointed preachers in our time that can bring about inspiration for a tired humanrace such as ours.

So I came about texting my cellgroup leader, Jackie, of how blessed I am with one of Joel Osteen's Sunday sermons; she leads me then to a list of other good, if not, great preachers from around the world. There's Benny Hinn, Paula White, Juanita *something..sorry I forgot*.. then there's T.D. Jakes.


If you'd like to hear the Word of God preached in the most contemporary and most amusing way, I recommend for you to check out T.D. Jake's 24-hour broadcast and be blown away about the Word of God, all delivered in a manner that we can all comfortably listen to. T.D. Jakes is very much of a direct speaker. Able to bring the Word in a serious, yet hilarious style, all with an African-American flavor. Holler at me if you agree!

Who Do You Live For?

*Who Do You Live For?*

Proverbs 12:9 "Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food."

Doesn't this verse hit the spot? Last night our cell group's topic was on "How to Develop a Healthy Self-Image". A lot of us walk unaware of who we really are. We desire so many things of this world and yet, we are never satisfied with what we have. Perhaps if we all bank on what God says about us, then we wouldn't have to be burdened from being "somebody" else. We don't have to be a pale imitation of someone else.

I'm glad to see my identity now in Christ Jesus who saved us. I am not perfect, nor am I trying to pretend to be one. But what I do know is that I strive hard to live in obedience, to be a woman of integrity and of godliness. Yes I am a work in progress. I stumble, I fall, I make mistakes. Now who doesn't?

I am just so over the "dating", the "arrive". I am just so fed up with the "I'll do this so that other people will look up to me". I am ever fed up with the "I gotta have this so other people will think I'm rich". No one can ever please every single human being on earth. We live to please our one and ONLY God.

I like what Lala said last night during our warm-up. "I'd like to be able to live [a godly life] in this world; but not allow the world to 'live' in me." It's always a choice. Would you like to live for God or live for a perishable world?`

My Favorite Picture

ok so i sound a little 'high-schoolish' to even tag one of my photos as my "favorite".. but shucks, isn't this photo just so awesome? it reminds me so much of God's love!

btw, this picture was taken in la union during one of our family weekend trips. no post-processing done with this one and yes, i was blown away when i saw the raw picture in my computer. for more of my pictures, you can view them here. God bless you!

J'aime Paris!

Bon jour! I'm glad to be back after a long vacation from posting! I finally had the chance to visit two of the most culturally-advanced countries in the world - France & Italy. What can I say, 'twas a blast. Seeing the streets of Paris for the first time is extremely breath-taking. Rome was a living history book. I totally felt like I was in a different world. God has made such great creations! Here's my photo at the Tour Eiffel. More to come as I try to update my online photo album. God bless you!

Holy Week

*Holy Week*

All I can say is, holy week or not, I will ever be thankful to God for saving me from my past mistakes and sins.. For cleansing me and giving me a fresh new start. For me, holy week is not a time of self-punishment or penance, hence, it is a time to rejoice, for if Jesus did not die on the cross for us, we would be still suffering with sin, regret, condemnation and.. there will not be peace within us. Let each day of the year bring you joy knowing that with Jesus, you are saved and will have eternal life... If you want to be freed by the bondage of your past, by the bondage of sins that you cannot seem to avoid doing, COME to Jesus. Ask Him to change you. And this, my friends, is not something that we do in just one week... but it is a life-long process... of coming to the Lord, accepting who we are, and asking Him to change us for the better. Makes sense doesn't it?

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ”- Romans 5:6-8

Cmon now...

Whatever it is you're going through, God will find a way. God will make a way. You just have to believe. Learn to trust. Find it in your heart to let go and let God do the Work. Keep on praying...

Cam Itch!

*Cam Itch!*

I just can't get enough of taking pictures lately and may I say... I am quite inspired to get it on with this new found hobby. Photography! I'm happy with how my first month turned out and now I can capture God's cool creations in a flick of a finger. View my online gallery and let me know what you think :-) God bless!

Let Me Encourage You...

*Let Me Encourage You...*

Hey, it's been a while. A lot have been consuming my time lately and yah, I guess it has almost diminished my time to blog. Maybe I'll be back.. or not (hehe).. but lately, a number of things at work and at home have taken its toll on me. But! I'm right back on track. Unmoved. Stronger. And yes, I'd like to think wiser.

Ever since I got back from my short vacation in HK, things have been quite challenging. There's the daily mommy stuff, issues at work and problems with one of my siblings. Nope I'm not moping about work (I am just so over it and moving on with new things for me).. so as my title suggests, let me try to encourage you with a moving testimony of my brother's life.

My big bro is about 11-yrs older than I am and resides in the States. About a month ago, he decided to surrender his life to God and enter a facility that would help him get over his dependency on drugs. It's a big step, what he did; and it involved a praying wife that got through the challenges of being with a partner who wasn't at all perfect. You're probably guessing it right. With dependency on you know what, things may sometimes go haywire.. But my brother had something good, his wife and his family back here in Manila.

His stay at that center was a good one. Strict and tight security, but nevertheless, twas a place where he was able to feed on God's Word. They have Bible Study classes there and some sort of a support group; catering to the questions we humans mostly throw about life - and finding the answers from the Bible.

I wouldn't want this to drag too long (i'll try), however, let me summarize the events that have unfolded last February...

1) My brother had a "mild" heart problem and was taken to the infirmary. We didn't worry much. My sister-in-law couldn't get much details from the nurses.. but they reassured us that my bro was alright.

2) About a week after, we learned that he had suffered a stroke, leaving him with an internal hemorrhage in his head, affecting his right brain, leaving the left side of his body paralyzed. But God is faithful. Doctors say that 1 out of 10 people survive this kind of attacks. Praise God, my brother lives.

3) Upon knowing this, I tried asking God 'why', however I stopped myself immediately and thought that I was not in a position to question God and His plans. I had a long pause after my sister told my at around 3am. My chest felt heavy, eyes downcast, feeling helpless as I was miles away from my dear Kuya.

4) But then, God, again, in His loving nature, assured me that everything will be alright. It reminded me of a verse that says in Romans 8:28 that all things work for the good of those who loved the Lord. God's Word comforted me and my family.

5) We could have looked at the situation with no hope. We could have pitied my brother. We could have sulked in dismay. We could have gotten angry with God.

6) Choices were made. Decisions were taken. My family and I, along with my sister-in-law and her family as well, chose God. We chose His Promises. Didn't He promise healing? Didn't He promise restoration? Didn't He promise LIFE? At that point, we made a decision to hand the circumstance to God. Approaching the situation with pessimism just didn't make any sense. Hey this is nothing that God can handle. Hey, with Jesus, all things are indeed possible!

7) A few weeks passed and doctors agree that my brother's progress was miraculously fast. We have only God to praise for that! He was eating well, able to recognize some family and friends, and slowly being aware of what had happened to him.

8) My brother learned his lesson. God gave him a heavy blow, allowed him to be broken.. God perfectly knew what was going to happen next. My brother made a decision not to go back to his old way of life - for he had Jesus in his heart.

9) Just as we thought things were going well, we were all dumbfounded to hear about the hospital bills. It had almost reached to US$1.5M. I almost fell off my chair. I nearly fainted when my sister confirmed that yes, it was indeed in US Dollars. Again, it was a test of faith.

10) Day and night we declared that those bills are paid off. We declared by faith, that God is able, much able to supernaturally shoulder the bills. It's a huge amount of money. It's an enormous sum that even if we work 10 jobs at one time, it wouldn't still be enough. But we had someone bigger in our lives. And that IS God.

11) Jehovah Jireh is our God who PROVIDES. Jehovah Shalom is our God who brings PEACE. Jehovah Rapha is our God who HEALS. We hung on to His promises. It was all that He wanted us to do.

12) Days passed. Tears have gotten dry. People came helping from all ends. GOD shone through. God showed that He was in control. A friend of my sister-in-law said that he was going to take care of the bills and that all my sister-in-law had to do was to take care of my brother. When Ate texted me this, I thought, could this be right?! A second later, I raised my head up high and praised God with all my heart! Isn't God so awesome?!?!!

To this day, my brother was transferred to a hospital for his various therapies. He is making good progress and slowly but surely, God is restoring my brother physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Oh praise You, Father.

Don't you know how awesome it is to serve a living God who knows everything and anything about you? Oftentimes we feel misunderstood, we feel empty, we feel like our lives our going no where. We break down to the extent of even wanting to kill ourselves because of the problems we encounter in life. We are this way because we have forgetten what it is to Trust. To Trust in the Heavenly Father that created us. We are blinded by our problems because we choose to look at them instead of exercising our Faith in Jesus Christ. What God did and is doing for my brother is just the start of his new life. He has been given a second chance by the God of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, chances.

If you're going through a painful situation, and you feel that things seem really bleak, try calling on to God. Can you imagine the pain my sister-in-law had to go through with her more than 10 yrs of living with my unstable brother, depositing him in a rehab, hearing about him being taken to the ICU, not being allowed to visit, seeing that half of his body & brain is paralyzed, being confronted by US$1.5M of bills, being just by yourself to handle all the pain? If you talk to her now you'd be surprised that her spirit is full of joy. Why? Because God lives in her. She has held on to God's sweet promises. Her faith was immense and her deeds followed.

I pray that whoever is reading this post will be encouraged to go through their hardships in life. Believe in your heart that God is able to get you out of that situation. Believe in your heart that God is there for you. Have you given your life to Him? Make that decision today...

HongKong Weekend

Wei! Just came from HongKong last Sunday and spent one of the coldest weekends I've ever had. Twas about 15C during the day and perhaps 10C or lower in the evening. Woah, the wind is a major killer. It's like you can well tolerate the temp, but, with the wind gushing relentlessly through your face, you'd definitely get the feel of hard ice hitting you head on. Weird though, coz when my office mate arrived there mid-week, the weather wasn't all that cold.. well, I guess it HAD to wait till the weekend for the temp to drop.

Disneyland HK was actually the major event with the trip. I pray I can take my kids here soon (hopefully get an incentive package - with my family included hehe). It's a nice nice place with all the nice nice views. It's not as crowded as Disney L.A.; but can still expand to have more rides and other attractions. The place was great but the weather was a bomber. It drizzled almost half of the day and the winds were blowing at every angle. It was about 5C that time. Oh thank GOD I live in a tropical country. I don't think I can last a week in that kind of weather.

So, enough of my boring post and let's start clicking away with the photos we had from the trip. God bless you!