Still surprised with the surprise

The surprise actually comes the moment you unveil that carefully-wrapped gift. But it does not end there. You keep the gift and you discover that there’s much more value to it that outlasts the initial feeling of excitement than when you received it.

I had the common feeling of fear and uncertainty as the Lord had been nudging me to follow the direction He has prepared for me. Then February 12, 2011 was beautifully Mark-ed. Now I am enjoying that road where I walk hand in hand with Mark. All credits go to the Greatest Matchmaker of all. We’re already near to celebrating our first year of being in a relationship together. Indeed, our Father gives good gifts. Mark is such a big blessing for me.

Here are some of the reasons why:

His natural sense of humor and childlikeness make my life sunnier. I add a great deal of investment on the laugh bank every time he’s around.

I see how his life reflects Jesus’ love, grace and forgiveness when I do things that I should be sorry about. He doesn’t make a big deal out of a petty misunderstanding (which I had to continually learn especially when we’re still starting) but gets the lesson for us afterwards.

He helps me grow maturely, I believe. He wouldn’t want to tolerate my childishness but nevertheless gives room for me to grow and he understands the way I am.

He is really patient with me (or with others J)

He’s such a gentleman in every way

He keeps a kind and humble heart despite the criticisms around.

His passion and love for the Lord is insulating that I also desire to be a wholehearted servant of God as well.

I can go on with the list. He’s not Mr. Perfect, though. I understand the flaws that each human being possesses and our tendencies to not live the pleasing life that the Lord has intended for his children. There were times that he failed to listen to me and he kept talking when I just wanted him to simply listen to my rantings. There were times that I burden him with my selfishness when he just wanted me to understand that we still have other responsibilities.

On our own, we may lose track of what we initially intended for this relationship to become. But our confidence lies on the Lord who led us together and to Him Whom we trust to always go before us, Who will always be with us, so we should not be afraid and discouraged (Deut. 31:8).

Prayers Answered

It’s been halfway through this year and by the grace of God, He has given me the opportunity to see how he’s been answering my prayers, using no other than myself.

Once I heard that the greatest answer to prayer is receiving what you have asked for (with the right motive and attitude), but remembering that in the instance of “not yet receiving what you’ve asked for,” one must rest on the fact that God alone is enough. Prayer is not actually asking for something and expecting a reply from the one to whom you’ve sent your prayer to. It is an avenue of communing with the Lord and establishing your relationship with the heavenly Father. And knowing Him more and more through the discipline of prayer is also a spiritual breakthrough.

“This is the confidence that we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.”

– John 5:14-15 

I’ve been resting on the fact that “God alone is enough,” but without so much expectation on how He would answer my silent prayers. Sometimes, God’s answers to our prayers also depend on how we live out our faith. I asked for a courageous heart and what I realized are situations requiring me to make sound and “courageous” decisions—those that require commitment and follow through on my part. So He is enough but you also have your part to play in the realization of your prayers.

                During our church’s Prayer and Fasting Week on the second week of January this year, I prayed and fasted for three things. This time, I also prayed for an expectant heart and resolved to work with God hand-on-hand with those matters. I know my tendencies and that is to easily give up and stare blankly on an unreached goal. So with that I was also asking that He would help me overcome myself. I asked the Lord to set my motives right and lifted to him all the frustrations I had… with myself.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid and terrified because of them,

for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

–Deuteronomy 31:6 

I adhered on that verse and simply amazing things happened within the course of five months. I am now involved in a local Christian church in Antipolo and have started being involved with the youth ministry. One Saturday night in June, while I was with my parents, I was able to share with them the Four Spiritual Laws and both of them accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior through prayer. “Witnessing is taking the initiative to share the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the result to God.” On February 12, I gave my commitment to this man of love and purity until the day we’re married and even after.

God isn’t slow in fulfilling His promises. He has His wise time table. Most of the time, it is us who delay the blessings that are supposed to be ours earlier on but did not because we stepped back and refused to immediately obey. We reap the results of our decisions… and indecisions although there is God’s prompting. But so, in His goodness, in spite of our delay, “he makes all things work to those who love Him, which are called according to His purposes.”

Trapik

Nakaranas ka na ng mabagal na trapik sa kalsada? Nakasakay ka sa jeep, ang alam mong dapat isang oras lang na byahe, naging isa't kalahati, dalawa, dalawa't kalahating oras na. Nananakit na ang puwitan mo, nangangalay na ang mga paa, nakatulog ka na at paggising ay parang halos isang metro pa lang ang itinakbo ng sinasakyan mo. Maiinis ka? Mangangarap na sana'y wala ka sa kinalalagyan mong yon? Iisipin na sana'y di ka na umalis at nanatili na lang sa kung nasan ka kanina? Siguro magkakandahaba ang leeg mo sa pagtanaw sa unahan. Di mo naman makikita kasi nahaharangan pa ng ibang mga sasakyan. Maghihintay ka na lang. Gagawa ng sariling mapagkakaabalahan. Alam mong aandar din yan. Pero minsan iniisip mo ring bakit hindi na lang lakarin at gumawa ng sarili mong daan.

May mga pagkakataon sa buhay na parang tengga ka na sa trapik. O may pakiramdam na naabutan na ng pulang ilaw sa stoplight. Walang magawa, hindi naman makababa sa sinasakyan. Hindi alam kung ano ba talagang nagpatigil sa unahan. Basta dun ka lang.

Pero matapos ang paghihintay, uusad din yan. Sa panahong hindi tayo ang may hawak. Luluwag din ang daan sa harap, mabubuhay ang pag-asang makakarating din kayo sa destinasyon nyo. Nakikita ng Diyos ang pinagsimulan ng lahat hanggang sa pupuntahan mo. Pinadadaan lang nya tayo marahil sa trapik para matuto tayong pagtiwalaan Siya. Alam mong wala ka namang magagawa sa sarili mo. Mapapagod ka lang kung magpupumilit ka sa isang bagay na wala pa. Di mo kasi hawak ang manibela. Ang mga delays ay ginagamit Nya rin para magkaroon tayo ng panahon na mas maintindihan ang kalooban Nya sa pagkakataon na kasalukuyang nasa harap natin.

(December 4, 2010. Sabado)

Oct. 17, 2010

When she thought she had learned to run forward, overcoming the frustrations and pointless expectations of yesterday, how weak of her to keep looking back at that someone who should have been running with her along the way.

Sneak Peek

Link

Check out the new titles written by Pinoy authors to be unveiled during the Manila International Book Fair!

Waiting requires patience

"Waiting requires patience -- a willingness to calmly accept what we have or have not, where we are or where we wish we were, whomever we live or work with.

"To want what we don't have is impatience, for one thing, and it is to mistrust God. Is He not in complete control of all circumstances, events, and conditions? If some are beyond His control, He is not God.

"A spirit of resistance cannot wait on God. I believe it is this spirit which is the reason for some of our greatest suffering."

-Elisabeth Elliot, an excerpt from Keep a Quiet Heart (Waiting, page 134)

anong mas nakakatakot buksan--ang pinto ng isang madilim na bahay na hindi mo alam kung anong iyong madadatnan, o ang toilet bowl sa isang public cr na nakatakip at hindi mo alam kung anong laman?

"Minsan binubulag tayo ng mga sarili nating expectations." -ate menchie, officemate

When God tells you to do something, as long as it's within the limits set by Scripture, we don't have to understand it. All we need to do is obey and trust God to use our obedience to accomplish His will." -Bill Hybels, Too Busy Not to Pray

taken out from the journal

Maybe the Lord sends specific people in our lives to make us cry (literally)--to challenge us, motivate us, cause us to see beyond what we think we are or how we think we are doing.

The Lord is not at all surprised by our responses to every word that this "person He sends" throw on us. God knows where to meet us. We can always find comfort in Him.

Romans 12:18, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

Stand Firm

(Taken from "The Experience Day-by-Day with God" Devotional by Henry & Richard Blackaby)

"Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

1 Corinthians 15:58

Whenever you sin, Satan is pleased. When you are lazy and waste your time, Satan is content. But when you commit yourself to do the work of the Lord, Satan is vehemently opposed to you. It may surprise you to discover that life becomes most difficult when you are trying to do the right thing. When you make a commitment to obey what God is asking you to do, you might come up against a lot of opposition. Perhaps it will come from your friends, or maybe your finances will give you a challenge. Maybe your parents will try to discourage you from obeying what God is telling you to do. Whatever it is, you will be tempted to ask, "Why me? I'm just trying to do what God told me to do!"

Paul has two things to say to you; the first is a word of advice and the second, a note of encouragement. First, he urges you to stand firm. Paul, of all people, knew that serving God isn't always easy. Satan will try to sabotage your efforts. Those around you may not understand what you are doing. But Paul advises you not to hold back. Obey your Lord with everything you've got, because there are eternal consequences at stake. Second, when you stay faithful to your commitment, your efforts are never in vain. Don't get frustrated and give up. When you are obeying God, victory is a given.

If you are facing some difficult times because of your desire to obey God, rest assured, your efforts are not wasted. God sees your heart, and he will give you the victory (Romans 8:37).

Moses answered, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance that the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again." - Exodus 14:13

The "OK lang" Syndrome

Let’s start off with this simple exercise. If you have encountered/ will be asked the following questions, how did/will you respond?

• Kamusta ka? (Or for the jejemons out there, mUzHta p0whz?!~~)
• How do you feel about it?
• Masaya ka ba?
• Kamusta kayo ni ____?
• How’s life?

For some, especially when talking with a relatively close friend, the responses may lengthen into two or more sentences, depending on how the other party would follow up on your initial response. But it would usually start with this—okay lang. How was yours?

Description

If most of your responses above are “okay lang,” “fine,” “I’m okay,” and other variety of such phrase, then you’re one of the many people who obviously acquired the syndrome. The OK lang syndrome is heard (or read) from a number of majority, in a given situation, with a given mode of communication (whether through personal conversation, text messaging, chat, or call). Do you count yourself in?

To answer okay lang is vague. Sometimes, responding okay lang to those who ask about how we are is an action unknowingly done. Sometimes it’s not, which leads us to listing down the other reasons why.

Reasons

You may have answered “okay lang” because ______:

1. you really do not want to talk further and spend time with the person who asked you.
2. you are not comfortable sharing what you’re feeling (due to some more reasons).
3. you consciously feel that the other person is not really concerned about your answer and that he just asked you out of courtesy.
4. you haven’t really thought about what to answer since you yourself cannot even comprehend what you’re exactly going through.
5. you just can’t find anymore words to say and those phrases automatically jumped out of your mouth.
6. you sense that the other person has more to say than he has more time to listen to you elaborating your situation.
7. it’s to affirm the other party that yes, you’re completely fine.
8. the question, for you, is also as vague as your reply.
9. you just believe you’re okay lang (even if you’re actually not, and friends around you sense that, too).
10. that’s just the façade that you have learned to live with.

I can encircle multiple letters there as I am an avid okay-lang-user myself (and so I’m writing this entry for myself most especially). Given these (you may even have a personal reason apart from those mentioned), I believe there’s more to having this syndrome that we may want to see the “dangers” that this kind of mere response can do affecting your relationships and yourself.

Dangers

Never better, just okay. We may have been used to describing how we were or how we have been as just okay. It’s boxed that way. Aren’t there any events that took place that made your life better (or worse) or exciting… at all?

Overlooking what really is. When you merely say okay lang, it’s like letting things pass by without confronting what’s really needed to be dealt with. How would one prevent and fix the unnoticed crack that could soon lead to brokenness? (Remember Carmina Villaroel and her kids’ toothpaste commercial as they paint the fence and the door?)

Trust and accountability are not established. The answers that we are giving towards the other person concerned may be his only reliable gateway to know how you really are. And you may be preventing him/her and yourself to experience genuine accountability.

Okay is not okay. Our lives are so dynamic that describing life and how do we do should not be contained into just saying life is okay.

Keep-out-of-me!-attitude. That two-word reply may send a message to the other person to back off. Read: “Do not dig too deep anymore. I’m okay.” Any opportunity to give or receive help or experience fellowship has been ceased right away.

Recommendations and Future Benefits

Offer more than what’s asked. Open up and share. Overcome yourself. If you’re okay, it will help to give supporting sentences why. The same will do if you’re not. Surprisingly, as we relate our situation to a willing ear, we get full grasp about how we actually are and get the support we just needed. Voicing out your feelings sometimes helps you analyze your situation better, and make insightful steps for its improvement after.

Know. It may not be you at times, but it’s the other person whom you asked to tell you the dreadful okay lang. Of course it would be approving to hear that your friend is okay lang. But take the initiative to know why (if he pleases, and with prudent probing) so you can rejoice (or empathize) with him/her better.

Appreciate the person who asked you and make him feel that he’s one great encouragement in merely asking how you are.

Your answer matters. Language (using words) is a very important tool humans are blessed with. We do not just buzz or bark or howl or tweet (well this one, we do now). We say, explain, teach, talk (a lot), rebuke, confess, express (in a variety of creative ways!). How would you like to take good advantage of communication? Your answer matters.

You reap what you sow

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

~Galatians 6:7-9

today is June 3. 205 days before christmas (given na december 25)! tama ba bilang?

"The only person who can stop you from becoming what God intends you to become is you." -John Maxwell

"When God gives you a vision and you answer the call, you'll stretch and grow in new ways no matter what happens.. If your dream succeeds, live in thanksgiving; if it fails, take joy in growing."

11 days to go

Lately, some of my friends would fancy themselves over countdowns. One, as she approached her wedding day, which came last April 17, and another as she's counting the days toward her own wedding day as well, which will be happening on June next year. I count with them, too. But well, my own countdown is focused towards December 5 which is 220 days from today. I'll leave it there.

Now, what's with the "11 days"?

If you're mentally counting while reading this, you would obviously know that it's the big day when (hopefully) everyone who loves the country enough would make the wise step of exercising their privilege through shading the right circles that correspond the name of the people who they believe will live out the positions they're running for with integrity and with genuine love for the country and its people.

I haven't completed my list yet. But somehow have trimmed down my choices and learned to set my standards of whom to entitle my "yes" to.

There's been a number of posts that educate us about this whole election thing (and I'm so much grateful about them), which made you and me realize that the coming one would not be that ordinary. There's this certain desperation that has led to passion exercised by many that shouts for the real-deal and clamors for this country's reconstruction.

Even those who are running for office knew from the start that it's a big risk setting yourself under public scrutiny and proving them that you're the person they need to lift up the Philippines again, not to mention, to eradicate corruption. Coming from the present administration, it sure is a big leap of guts and faith for these political candidates. (I remember the infamous Eddie Gil who made himself popular during the 2004 elections when he said that he will pay for all the Philippines' debt. Of course, what happened was he was given a short-lived showbiz career afterward. Then I haven't heard of him lately.)

Jethro told Moses (Exodus 18:21), "You will need to appoint some competent leaders who respect God and are trustworthy and honest." The Bible has set the ground of the qualities of a leader whom we must choose. Even if one is not a Bible-believer, he may succumb to this “principle” as good and a fitting one to base your judgment from.

I encountered that verse above when Ptr. Peter Tan-Chi spoke about it before the crowd in Araneta Coliseum during Puso sa Puso. My head just kept nodding. The event was one perfect time to capture what really is in the hearts of the seven (We're informed that Gibo and Erap weren't able to come because they're stuck with their political sorties.) presidentiables (thus, the event's title). They had their fair share of opportunity on the couch. I had my initial judgment though that they maybe just saying things that the audience would want to hear, especially that it's sort of a Christian gathering.

At the end of the day, I cannot accurately judge their hearts. Nonetheless, I believe that these people knew about the higher authority that could accurately determine the outcome of man's activities.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."  ~2 Chronicles 7:14

Someone once said that the most crucial position is being down on your knees. Most of us are presently in the most crucial time of our history, I believe. This may be the latest possible hour, our "11th hour".

The Lord has given us the freewill to choose. He made us both critical and wise. Whether you're bagging for an official seat or not, you do have a position, and it matters. I will make my vote count, knowing that He's sovereign above all things.

I'm looking forward to 11 days from today and to the days after that. He will heal our land.

“Trying to earn God’s favor is exhausting. Accepting the grace He offers is life changing.” ~Blackaby, The Experience Day-by-Day