Daddy,
It's been six months of being in this season, in this "new" place. I've certainly had my ups and downs, my hypes and discouragements. But You remain faithful and you steadied my heart. You once again proved me wrong. Haha! Father, Thank you for K, D, ate Razz and the new friendships I've discovered. Thank You. Really my heart is full of gratitude that you brought me here and now. I am convinced beyond doubt that You are sovereign and you work ALL things for the good of those who love You.
Psalm 108:1 "My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!"
Friday, September 14, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Still married.
Today my family is celebrating my parents' 21st wedding anniversary- well there's really no "celebration" because Papa is assigned some place else and so there's only me, Mama, and my sister Maria here- watching Budoy. But I have to say this is their best anniversary yet, at least in my opinion. Stay with me for a few more minutes and you'll know why.
Theirs is a marriage which irritatingly goes from mountaintops to deep valleys every now and then. One moment they are seriously fighting, but after a day or two they become like teenage sweethearts who are madly in love with each other again. For the longest time I've been complaining- sometimes silently, but many times audaciously- both to them and to God about why they married in the first place, and why they remain to be until now. I questioned the purity and the genuineness of their love towards each other and I used to tell myself that when I get married someday, I will never be like them. But now God amazingly gave me new eyes to view my parents' marriage. I am proud to say that they truly, genuinely, purely love each other.
They have ups in their marriage after going through great downs because they love each other and more importantly, they choose to love each other. I realize now that they too know how to go beyond the shallowness of their emotions and still go on to love. They are forgiving and they want to be reconciled again even after a fight. And I'm not just talking about minor quarrels, I'm talking about serious, heart-breaking fights. They choose to overlook an offense- how could I have missed this all these years? Yesterday while chatting with them I was overjoyed when Papa commented that marriages should have no expiration. He married Mama for good! And I have reason to believe that Mama feels the same way too. All this time I have been focusing on the ugly details, but thankfully now I know that their love is very real. I applaud God for them; after all, He wrote their love story.
Theirs is a marriage which irritatingly goes from mountaintops to deep valleys every now and then. One moment they are seriously fighting, but after a day or two they become like teenage sweethearts who are madly in love with each other again. For the longest time I've been complaining- sometimes silently, but many times audaciously- both to them and to God about why they married in the first place, and why they remain to be until now. I questioned the purity and the genuineness of their love towards each other and I used to tell myself that when I get married someday, I will never be like them. But now God amazingly gave me new eyes to view my parents' marriage. I am proud to say that they truly, genuinely, purely love each other.
They have ups in their marriage after going through great downs because they love each other and more importantly, they choose to love each other. I realize now that they too know how to go beyond the shallowness of their emotions and still go on to love. They are forgiving and they want to be reconciled again even after a fight. And I'm not just talking about minor quarrels, I'm talking about serious, heart-breaking fights. They choose to overlook an offense- how could I have missed this all these years? Yesterday while chatting with them I was overjoyed when Papa commented that marriages should have no expiration. He married Mama for good! And I have reason to believe that Mama feels the same way too. All this time I have been focusing on the ugly details, but thankfully now I know that their love is very real. I applaud God for them; after all, He wrote their love story.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Stop Praying.
Nope, you did not misread that.
Of course we both know that this isn’t what they teach us on Sundays and never can this be found in the Good Book. In fact there’s Colossians 4:2, and many others that encourage the exact opposite. But I won’t take the title back. And of course I am not messing with you. :p
By ceasing in prayer I do not mean that we should come to a point where we say "I have prayed enough, and have uttered all sorts of prayers there are in the universe, I have peaked in my prayer life, therefore today I end it."
Come on! We know that never will that day come because every moment, every season we go through is a season of need. Need of God's grace, forgiveness, provision, in fact need of God himself. Oh and must I add that it is a desperate need?
But we have to stop praying- when God is telling us to act. If we think that being in our private supplications majority of the time will suffice, then we are greatly mistaken. I have nothing against spending significant hours in intercession, but I have everything against not doing something about what we have just interceded about. There's a certain personal prayer concern which whenever I am reminded about, would always urge me, not to pray, but to actually make a step of faith by doing my part.
I strongly believe that intercession should be
beyond the words we utter. What's that old man's proverb again? "Actions speak louder than words." I'm sure that this doesn't apply to men's ears alone but to God's as well. How will God answer our plead to pass our problematic subjects when we tell him, by not studying hard, that a failed grade is just as fine? Aren't we sending contradicting messages when we ask for provision yet we are not generous to the church and to others?
Our God, ladies and gentlemen, is the God who isn't tickled by lip service alone. For me when he commanded us to pray without ceasing, he did not mean for us to keep reminding him about what our needs are, as if he is forgetful! True intercession transcends words and extends to actions.Not actions declaring our independence from God, but ones very much filled with faith in him. I think it's Philip Yancey who wrote that when we pray, we must be prepared to be the very answer to
our prayers.
If prayer is powerful enough, how much more is prayer acted upon?
:)
(A September17, 2011 post in Facebook)
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
What else did Christ redeem?
Watching the local news, specifically showbiz news, these past days made me more aware of the assault that is going on, obviously to women, but more ravenously to men. The attack that is fired at the masculine race wounds them deeply, in fact so deep that we rarely ever detect them and what is left for us to see are the scathed, no I think butchered is a better term, women. Needless to say, all women who have wounded men in their lives are also in need of surgery. Satan weakens the man and the man beats the woman.
What most of us don't realize is this : women's hearts hurt ten times more when the offender is a man instead of a woman. When my mother unknowingly hurts me, I shed some tears yes, but when it comes to my father, I don't even want to get myself started. The pain is unimaginable. I am not exaggerating, even just thinking about it gives me a crumbling feeling. Men have such big roles in the lives of women, they are the protectors, providers, rescuers-all good things, all requiring strength which is why God bestowed it to them; they are supposed to be fathers, husbands, friends. But when Satan corrupts them these roles are forgotten and their strengths are misused. They attack, sadly, us-women. Be it with apathy or violence, both are painful all the same. We whom they ought to shield they maim, and the result is the bleeding and weeping of women- mothers, daughters, wives- all hurting.
Thankfully that is not how the story ends. I'll make it quick and straight to the point. Jesus came, to rescue mankind no doubt, and MANHOOD. He lived in a manner worthy to be imitated by all men. And He DIED to bring their true strength back. He is the only PERFECT MAN. At a time when men are at the height of their power and women are at the pit of neglect, Jesus showed the world how it is like to be truly man. Remember the respect and love he showed to Mary his mother; or the way he stood up to the Pharisees to protect the woman caught in adultery- so brave, so gentlemanly; and Mary Magdalene from whom he cast out evil spirits, how could we forget her; and how he did not embarrass the woman with the alabaster jar, being sweet and gracious to her? This is Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the fierce warrior, the rescuer of our race, he who fought for us and won for us... and won us. He makes our oppressors shudder with fear, sending a message of destruction to those who mean us harm. But he is also the Rose of Sharon, the romantic lover, he who won't stop from wooing us and alluring us with his charm.
What most of us don't realize is this : women's hearts hurt ten times more when the offender is a man instead of a woman. When my mother unknowingly hurts me, I shed some tears yes, but when it comes to my father, I don't even want to get myself started. The pain is unimaginable. I am not exaggerating, even just thinking about it gives me a crumbling feeling. Men have such big roles in the lives of women, they are the protectors, providers, rescuers-all good things, all requiring strength which is why God bestowed it to them; they are supposed to be fathers, husbands, friends. But when Satan corrupts them these roles are forgotten and their strengths are misused. They attack, sadly, us-women. Be it with apathy or violence, both are painful all the same. We whom they ought to shield they maim, and the result is the bleeding and weeping of women- mothers, daughters, wives- all hurting.
Thankfully that is not how the story ends. I'll make it quick and straight to the point. Jesus came, to rescue mankind no doubt, and MANHOOD. He lived in a manner worthy to be imitated by all men. And He DIED to bring their true strength back. He is the only PERFECT MAN. At a time when men are at the height of their power and women are at the pit of neglect, Jesus showed the world how it is like to be truly man. Remember the respect and love he showed to Mary his mother; or the way he stood up to the Pharisees to protect the woman caught in adultery- so brave, so gentlemanly; and Mary Magdalene from whom he cast out evil spirits, how could we forget her; and how he did not embarrass the woman with the alabaster jar, being sweet and gracious to her? This is Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the fierce warrior, the rescuer of our race, he who fought for us and won for us... and won us. He makes our oppressors shudder with fear, sending a message of destruction to those who mean us harm. But he is also the Rose of Sharon, the romantic lover, he who won't stop from wooing us and alluring us with his charm.
And so men have hope. And women too.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
When My Eyelids Close
About two years ago I realized that the one thing that makes my heart race at full throttle is writing. At that time I was hesitant to tell people about this insatiable passion of mine because of many uncertainties and insecurities. I never actually dared to dream to be a writer or an author because for me, that cake only belongs to professionals, to those who took a writing degree or were trained to be such. As for me, the closest thing to training that I ever had is ranting in my diary. So I doubted my capabilities and contended myself with blogging recklessly.
But like any wildfire, my want to compose, be it prose or poetry, is unstoppable. And now without reservations I say out loud and out proud that I want to be an author. This is my dream, in the most selfish way possible. This is something that I want to do during times of boredom and excitement alike, at times of intellectual drought or spring, and for as long as I shall be able to conjure any insight at all. Because when my eyelids close I see myself writing.
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