How An Introvert Celebrates Christmas | Is This You?

I am partly an introvert and partly an extrovert. But for the percentage, I am more of the former than the latter. I enjoy being alone but I don’t feel lonely. And yet, I also crave being around with people.

This article will be based on my own preferences according to my introverted self and I can’t speak for all the introverts in general.

I did mention in my previous article how to beat the holiday rush. So what is the perspective of an introvert when it comes to the holiday rush?

Introverts Be Like This Christmas

1. Introverts don’t like being in a hurry.

So even if it’s just the middle of the year, they are already planning ahead how the Christmas season will be like. While everyone is rushing, I choose to remain placid.

2. They have a “love-and-hate” relationship with crowds.

I love to shop around (if the budget will allow it) for Christmas presents and decors just to make the home presentable for the family get-together. But huge crowds can be too overwhelming. So I plan early, I shop early, too.

3. We crave for “alone time.”

I love parties but most definitely I’ll only attend one if it’s a series of parties. We just need more time to regain that lost energy entertaining and talking with lots of people.

4. The simpler, the better.

There is something about our brains that can’t stand too much chaos, too much noise, too much movement, and too many lights. I believe this is the reason why most introverts are writers. They write well in the comforts of their solitude. My motto is this: more simple, less clutter.

5. Just being cozy on a sofa beside a Christmas tree is perfect.

Reading a book or writing something is my ideal Christmas celebration. Writing about what, you might ask. Writing how introverts celebrate the Christmas, for one. 😀 Seriously though, I’d definitely be writing about faith when not having the regular chit chats with the fambam over the holidays.

So I was able to attend one Christmas party and if there will be more, I’d definitely say “no” unless it’s mandatory. But this was not the usual Christmas party and I’m glad I attended it. This was my new Bible study group’s Christmas party held at the house of one of our brothers in Christ (Thanks, John!). It was an awesome night of laughter, games, singing, guitar sessions, great food, and fellowship that began and ended with a prayer.

This was the first Christmas party I attended with my new Bible study group and I am looking forward to more milestones in my spiritual journey as I enter yet again a new season.

Thus, I pray:

“Dear Father,

Thank You for making me a part of this new spiritual family of single, engaged, and married brothers and sisters in Christ. May our fellowship bring us more wisdom from our varied experiences and display how our seasons can be a testimony in advancing Your Kingdom.

For the married couples, may we stay true to the commitment we made with You and our spouses and honor it until death does us part. For the engaged couples, may they learn from us and our experiences how it is to love like how You instructed us to love. And for the singles, may they always pursue and serve You while waiting for the season of married life.

In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.”

For now, I’d really love to go home to my province, be with my parents and siblings, and stay there for a while. Nothing is cozier than the familiar scent of old Christmas decors and Christmas songs played through old vinyl records. 😉

Happy Holidays, everyone! ❤

Never an introvert when it comes to God,

P.S. Thank you to our VG leaders, Ate Misha and Kuya PJ, for organizing this partey!

5 Tips How To Beat The Holiday Rush

This article was inspired by the 3-hour waiting time at the mall because we can’t book a Grab car. 😀

A woman beside me vented out her frustrations and while listening to her rants, I can’t help but just smile, nod, and agree to everything she said. Not that I complain a lot too but because she’s right. And yet I never commented anything. Why? Saying a lot of things will fuel her anger even more and when we look at things from a wider perspective, Christmas isn’t supposed to be like this.

Of people complaining about the heavy traffic, the long queues everywhere, lack of options for public transportation if commuting, being late in your Christmas parties, and a whole lot more of inconveniences. But I wonder, why complain? Man made the celebration of Christmas complicated enough so why complain about something that is of our own doing? 🙂

The First Christmas

Originally, the celebration of Christmas was never grand nor lavish. It was the birth of a baby in a not-so-good-looking manger without the nice hotels, Christmas trees, the colorful lights, the grand feasts, the beautiful costumes, and the surplus of gifts.

But today, Christmas is celebrated with too much grandeur and all the hassle to achieve that grandiosity. I guess we are missing out the true Spirit of Christmas when people are complaining, bickering, etc. because of the holiday rush and the holiday preparations. The truth is, the Christmas spirit isn’t seen on the lavish display of ornaments, of parties, nor playful, colored lights. It is meant to be felt deep down in the heart and soul.

Would you also complain and be irritated when someone took the cab that’s supposed to be yours after waiting for 3 hours? Will you not be affected when a sales clerk handed you a broken item which was supposed to be a Christmas gift to someone only to realize it when you already got home? How do you display the true essence and spirit of Christmas during the holiday rush?

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Be Set Apart During The Holiday Rush

1. Lower your expectations.

A lot of things go wrong when everything around you is in chaos. Expect that a lot of imperfect moments will come up.

2. Be calm.

Take time to breathe. Even when everyone around you is irritated, just breathe. And keep calm. Hum a song to release the negative vibe around you.

3. Plan ahead.

Nothing beats being prepared holistically and plans B, C, D, and so on and so forth come really handy during this season. Because let’s all admit it, a lot of plans fail and get drowned by all the holiday rush.

4. Prioritize.

Is this item you plan to buy for a Christmas gift worth all the hassle of being stuck in the traffic or stranded at the mall? Should I skip this Christmas party over the other?

5. Create a list.

These are the to-do lists and to-buy lists. Because being forgetful in this season is unforgivable. 😀 Aside from the lists of items and tasks, arrange them in a way that you won’t be going back and forth or going up and down because the items you plan to buy are located in different parts of the mall. Make one smooth sweep from down to up or vice versa when shopping.

My prayer for this season is that we won’t be carried away by the holiday rush and forget what exactly should we be displaying over the holidays. It can be patience, it can be gentleness, it can be forgiveness, it can be understanding or any of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. But more importantly, the celebration must be about love.

What is love? You will know when you have the Father in you. 🙂

“But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” – 1 John 4:8

Celebrating Christmas not in a rush,

Do You Hear Them Bells Ringing? | A Christmas Special

Since I am a Literature major graduate, I love poems, and I miss writing poems, here’s one for the holiday season. 🙂

Happy Holidays, everyone! ❤

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Do You Hear Them Bells Ringing?

by: Tin Ginete-Rome

 

Do you hear them bells ringing?

When children start singing

And lovers start greeting

With “Merry Christmas, darling!”?

 

Do you hear them bells ringing?

When lines are queuing

as everyone is shopping

for holiday gift-giving?

 

Do you hear them bells ringing?

When the snow starts falling

cold air comes rushing

and everyone is freezing?

 

Do you hear them bells ringing?

And just start pausing

to heed the calling

of someone reigning?

 

Do you hear them bells ringing?

The angels began singing

Of Someone coming

 And salvation’s happening.

December: Revival and Reconciliation

What’s with December? December is everything – the time to be busy and be mellow at the same time. 😉

Paulo Coehlo’s planner is always in tune with the seasons I am in. Always.

I finally had the time to make this article real quick after finishing today’s article due at work and a whole lot more of tasks in-between. Busy as always. But being busy for me means being able to include my 1-hour guitar playing, a couple of minutes of social media time, checking the plants, doing my daily devotion, and other “me time” moments along with the other regular tasks. 🙂

My bro-in-law and sister from Norway are also here and they got to spend their first Christmas in the Philippines as a couple in their new home. It is also our home (hubby and me) for the meantime since we look after it while they’re away.

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I thought my bougainvillea won’t bloom but it did – one set of white bracts. Finally. 😀 So yes, there is always hope. 😉

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Thank you, Ate Ayn and Kuya TK! ❤

Thank God for the gift of family, I very much appreciated talking to my Norwegian bro-in-law who’s 10 years my senior. He’s also a born-again Christian and he and I got to talk so much about faith. Through the entire course of our conversations, I can say that our religious beliefs are aligned with one another although we have different cultures – praying for Every Nation Norway. 😀 Indeed, I am extremely grateful for the fellowships in my biological family.

My brother also invited them to attend the Sunday church service led by a former pastor in Victory QC where I was baptized as a born-again Christian. So attending this church service was a revival of some sort for me. It brought back memories of how I was saved back in 2013 – nostalgia, yes.

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“God is sovereign over all things.”

If I’ll summarize the series for this month in the church, the words “reconciliation” and “revival” will pop up. And this is basically what December means – the season when God reconciled with the man by sending His Son Jesus here on Earth to revive us from our sins and to be with us always.

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Personally, these two words have so much meaning and greater impact on me because of the current season I’m in. And yes, I can only hope in the Lord that all things work together for our own good. But for now, all I can do is wait with a joyful and grateful heart.

I am looking forward though to better days ahead starting with the holiday season. This is, thus, a heads up to even busier days ahead. Am I seeing a social media hibernation? Perhaps yes or perhaps not. We’ll see. 😀 ❤

It is beginning to look like Christmas in the neighborhood. 😀

To end this article, I’d like to share a couple of verses with you and I hope you’ll be encouraged by them, too:

“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God.

We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.”

– 2 Corinthians 4:8‭-‬10

Revived again and again through the Cross,

How God Fills Up Your Love Tank

This article is a summary of the events that transpired a few weeks back. Thank God for the Grace to be able to write this down despite a hectic schedule but only for the last couple of weeks. Yes, everything is all about His Grace every day. 😉

Only God Can Refill Your Love Tank Again and Again

“Farm For Profit” Seminar

Last weekend, my brother and I attended Sir Dodong Cacanando’s “Farm For Profit” seminar held at Harbest’s building in Taytay, Rizal. It was a very insightful seminar which focused on traditional and conventional ways of farming to achieve greater sustainability in agriculture. What makes this seminar very different from other agribusiness seminars is how the business processes are guided by Biblical principles.

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Sir Dodong reinforced the traditional farming method, a concept that my grandpa also lived out. They both shared similar stories about butchering a pig during special occasions, for example, or harvesting of vegetables straight from the farm for daily consumption.

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Indeed, we can only agree that the natural way of farming will still remain as the best process towards sustainable agriculture – how to maintain balance in the ecosystem and at the same time benefit from the resources that are readily available.

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In my next article, I’d like to explore deeper on sustainable agriculture and local food movement – two advocacies that I’d like to promote through the proposed family project. I also had the privilege to attend a previous online finance seminar hosted by Bro. Bo Sanchez and he also shared the same guiding principles when it comes to being good stewards of God-given provisions. Here are some of my takeaways from the said seminar:

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Daisy Reyes Salon

Last week, I also had my self-care routine and pampering time which happens once a year. 😀 Yep, that’s how seldom I visit the salon. Quite extraordinary for a woman, you might say. But yes, it’s so definitely true. That’s why I make sure, too, that it’s all worth it.

Since we recently transferred homes, I only got to explore what the neighborhood can offer just now. I found one salon near our place and it’s owned by actress Daisy Reyes. I was able to check out her salon but I was still undecided so I kept on looking for other salons.

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It was my husband who urged me to try it and I also agreed. The day before I went to the salon, I checked out the flyer they gave me previously. Voila! I saw a very familiar Bible verse stamped at the back which was what I needed for the current situation I’m in. A sign and reminder, perhaps? 😀

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Very, very timely. ❤

When I got inside the place the following day, the music being played in the background was a line-up of Christian songs and the staff was singing along with it (including me). One very memorable experience too was when they offered to share their snacks with me during their break time. I kindly refused the offer, however, they insisted so I humbly accepted it accompanied by words of gratitude. ❤

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Food and water nourishment from the awesome staff: empty plate and water bottle after. 😉

New and Great Things Up Ahead

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Thank You, Lord, for answering my prayer! ❤

New Spiritual Family

This last one was sort of a miracle for me and not a coincidence. For the last couple of weeks, I was going through extreme times of testing that I was sure at one point I’ll lose it all to the enemy. But, God intervened.

I felt the urge to attend Worship Night in a nearby church close to where we live. I have been trying to connect with a Bible study group for almost 2 months now but to no avail.

Until that Worship Night where I ended up seating beside a pretty lady (Hi, Reign!) who asked me out of the blue if I’m interested in volunteering for the music ministry as an acoustic guitarist. She went on by sharing that she normally doesn’t talk to strangers but something compelled her to do so at that time.

I was just overwhelmed when I heard her say it. Because I think she has a gift of prophecy asking me if I want to volunteer for the music ministry when I never even mentioned that I do sing and play an acoustic guitar at home. Goosebumps, anyone? 😀

I also mentioned that I was looking for a VG or Bible study group. She excitedly shared that she has a mentor who’s also married. She is also a soon-to-be bride, by the way.

So last Sunday they texted me to join their Bible study group but I could not attend unfortunately. I was all smiles, though, when I told them I’ll be joining this coming Sunday. Ah yes, God and His ways never ever fail to amaze me. 🙂

New Masterpieces

I also would like to honor in this article my brother’s father-in-law for being one of the most talented artisans I know. I understood now why we’ve all been gifted with special skills and talents that we incorporate in our professions to serve God and others as a unified body of Christ.

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A refurbished 20-year old cabinet.

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A new cabinet was installed to match an old black dresser and achieve a one whole set design.

This is the new set of additional furniture for my sister’s place and each one is a by-product of Papa Boyet’s ideas which we normally can’t imagine, thus, makes every masterpiece anw extra special work of art. I was able to witness how he crafted some of these projects and I can attest that it was indeed all done with a labor of love. 🙂

Love Tank: Replenished and Overflowing

With all these testimonies, we can surmise that they’re all God’s work which refilled my love tank in the process. I believe wecan admit that we arrive at that point where we are sucked dry by life’s never-ending demands. But God always finds a way to reassure us that His love is overflowing – He is our only source of it. How?

1. He will bring you to the right people at just the right time.

2. Those prayers you have silently prayed in between your tears, sadness, sorrow, and despair, God hears them all.

3. God brings healing through things that He knows will nourish you spiritually first and foremost.

4. He will let you see that your world doesn’t revolve on your problems alone, there is more out there in the world to explore.

5. He will remind you of His purpose why He called you (altar call) and gave you a task to fulfill.

6. He will show you that no one and nothing can separate you from His love come what may.

7. The complete trust you have given Him through the tough circumstances you’re in, He will return it in full and even more.

Sometimes sticking with our end of the deal when we got saved can be very heart-wrenching. Our still worldly selves will rely on our human efforts and human knowledge about how to endure the sacrifices we need to make. But then, with God-sent mentors, they will help us to once again walk the path that God called us to walk no matter how difficult that road is.

So that afterward, we can proclaim with conviction the following verses (they came right on time during my devotion):

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. – Psalms 9:1 NLT

Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. – Psalms 100:4 NLT

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. – Psalms 32:8 NLT

P.S.

I am not sure if this photo will have any bearing at all in this article. 😀 But I just want to share it to say that these filters sometimes (I seldom take selfies) do come pretty handy when you’re looking stressed and all and you want to come up with a decent photo without all the hassle of making up your face.

But with all honesty, this photo has the following false details: eyelashes, pupils, poreless skin, and eyeglasses. And no, I am not a teenager just in case this photo deceived you. I’m already near the mid-30s bracket. 😀

Ciao!

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Relationship Advice: Don’t Love The Looks!

This is a 1 AM thought which is a by-product of too much caffeine in my system. Hello, insomnia! 😀

Just to share with you in light of the topic, I have had a series of failed relationships in my past before I became a born-again Christian and before I met my husband. It was a very “rocky” portion of my life but it’s also one of the seasons where I had the greatest learning when it comes to relationships.

Now that I am married, I am still not exempted from these “rocky” moments but the lessons now are way different. Here are some tips I can share from my previous experiences on relationships and dating.

2014 snapshot for a fashion feature article with When in Manila.

Advice # 1

My advice to the single ladies out there, never ever attract a man by showing too much skin. It does appeal to their carnal senses but in reality we all know a relationship based purely on physical attraction won’t last. Why? You will only look “young” and “sexy” for a short while. If he likes you because of this, expect that when a “younger-looking” woman comes along, he’ll trade you for her.

Advice # 2

Don’t go either for temporary, fleeting mutual attractions that are only good for as long as happy moments last. Nor go after a complicated, no-strings-attached relationship. Believe me, women are always on the losing end and lose more than what they have bargained for in this kind of relational setup. You are only young once – use your youth wisely by investing in a relationship that will last for the long term. This is in fact your only goal why you enter a relationship – marriage until death parts you both.

Advice # 3

Attract a man who loves you for who you are – your good and bad side. And love a man not because he is a smooth talker, but because you are ready to love him even if he is in his worst which you will only see when you share one home for a long period of time – marriage.

Never fall for the “best foot forward” appeal especially if you’ve known him for a couple of months only. A man’s true colors are only revealed when you have known him for years as a friend. Only then can you say that your relationship has a chance to grow and mature on a romantic level. Or if you two can make it “until death does us part.”

What Matters

If you have a choice, choose a man who loves God more than he loves you – this is priceless. Go for the authentic Christian and a man of God in spirit and not by word and by action alone. That is if you want a “less rocky” relationship.

Lastly, go for someone who will fight for you and someone you’re also willing to fight for whatever the odds. This as you both work together in putting God at the center of your relationship and as you both work your way in becoming Christlike with every shared moment as a couple. ❤

From a woman who learned love the hard way but who is now after God’s heart,

Things About Christmas That We Don’t Know

While most of us are eager for the upcoming Christmas season, there are some of us who dread the holidays:

  • that teenager whose parents just divorced and don’t know how to celebrate it because both parents have their own separate agenda for the holidays
  • that person who lost a loved one recently
  • that loved one who is far away from home and celebrating alone
  • those orphans whose only family they grew up with are also fellow orphans
  • that cancer or terminally-ill patient who dreads this is going to be his or her last Christmas celebration
  • that single person who’s been waiting for the love of their lives for decades already and been celebrating Christmas alone for decades too
  • or that street child begging for alms envying the shopping bags you’re carrying, and a whole lot more.

This Christmas tree has been with us for how many decades now. The decors were infested with termites last year but we were able to salvage some, but for the others, we have no other choice but to discard them.

It reminded me that indeed, everything and everyone around us are all but only temporary – they will all be gone one at a time. However, it is not about what we lack and what we lost that matters but more importantly, it is about what we can give despite our lack of a lot of things. Because that is the Christmas spirit – give LOVE to people who need it most.

How?

Visit a relative you haven’t seen for a long time, join a gift-giving Christmas event for orphans on the 25th, cook for your neighbors and give it to them on Christmas Eve…there are so much more that we can do to share the love and it is not just about money, gifts, new stuff, parties, Christmas lights, and decorations.

May we always be reminded that God is LOVE through the birth of Jesus and that is why we have the Christmas season – to celebrate God’s love for us.

So don’t be stressed with the Christmas shopping list or the holiday traffic or what to prepare for Christmas Eve – they are really not that important. Ask LOVE how He wants you to display it this upcoming holiday season.

And lastly, choose to be GRATEFUL over the holidays whatever your circumstance may be. ❤

Born three days before Christ,

CHRISTINE LAILANI GINETE-ROME

P.S.
This message is originally intended for myself actually. But I’m sharing the thought. 😉

Battle Scars: Loving Deeply | POEM

Hello, beloved fellow WordPress readers!

I came up with this title a few months back while I was sorting out my editorial calendar. Instead of a feature article, I felt it best to write a short free-verse poem. Hope you’ll be inspired by it. 🙂

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Battle Scars: Loving Deeply

by: Tin Ginete-Rome

What wounds did time not heal?

And what scars too deep that God did not mend?

Was it really God?

I bet it was.

Who carried you when you can’t walk?

Who lifted you when you stumbled?

Who held your hand when you were lost?

Who called you by your name when you felt like giving up?

“It is already finished.”

No pain, no struggles, no earthly death can separate us from the love of God.

Jesus already paid the price and bore the consequences of our sins.

Because God loves us.

Battle scars don’t define who you are.

Christ does.

Battle scars don’t change who you are.

God does.

Be proud of your scars for each one of them carries a story of victory.

A story of healing, a story of enduring, a story of freedom, a story of God’s grace.

Embrace your battle scars, for it is by them that you have felt God’s immeasurable love for you.

By loving you and me deeply.

Still loving deeply with all the battle scars,

It Is Not Labor Day But I’ll Honor Them Anyway

So I’ve been honoring our beloved and trusted farm workers over IG. I thought why not honor them on WordPress, too. 😉 I’ve known them since I was a kid and they are Dad’s best team. Farm work and copra production won’t be made possible without them and their loyalty to my Dad. ❤

It’s my Dad and Mom’s commitment when they were still working professionals that the families of all our coconut and palay heroes receive their annual Christmas Eve package as an appreciation for their hard work. And now that my parents are both retired professionals, my second sister and brother took over in upholding the family’s commitment to them.

We already regard them as a part of our extended family, too. I am praying that the future family project (if God wills it) will help them not just by receiving Christmas packages from us, but in giving opportunities for a better future to their kids, grand kids, and the entire community if possible. 🙏

I’d rather not have a better life if there are many who can’t have it. Better together as always. 😉

“And may the Lord our God show us His approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!” – Psalms 90:17

If you and your family are into this type of business or you’d like to venture in on one, please also support these causes I am promoting: #sustainableagriculture and #localfoodmovement.

Also called to serve others,

P.S.

When they all saw me carrying a camera, they attempted to hide. lol They teased me that they don’t want to be discovered by a talent search. 😂 Ah yes, I love these people. ❤

Where Do Souls Go? | Allhallowtide 2018 Special

This was a topic that I already thought about when I was making my personal editorial calendar last July. I had no idea what to write for this topic back then but I just thought the title is suitable for the occasion. So methinks I’ll allow the Spirit’s leading. Little did I know God has already prepared the contents of this article beforehand. 😀

Last Sunday’s preaching was where I got the idea for this content. It was the part where Pastor Rev (as in Rev from “revelation?” I’d better ask him next time. :-D) explained the events in Revelation 21. He shared that when judgment day arrives, our souls will no longer go to heaven because there will be a new heaven and a new earth when God brings heaven here on earth.

But then, a question popped in my head and prompted me to ask hubby dear who’s seated beside me, “So, if souls don’t go to heaven, where do souls go when a person dies now?” My husband just smiled at me and I knew what he was thinking, “You need to ask God that because I can’t answer you.” 😀

Do Souls Really Linger in this World?

I searched the web all about where souls stay or go. I ended up reading the entire chapter of Revelation 21 yet again and all other sources I could find over the internet. Indeed, it was all a “revelation” to me.

Ah yes, 5 years of being a Christian and yet there are still a lot of things in the Bible that aren’t clear to me or have to be revealed to me yet. I guess this is part of every Christian’s walk and spiritual journey – wisdom is given not in one, single bulk, but through a series of learning.

So here are 3 ideas I have discovered today while doing my research on this topic:

1. Souls don’t go to heaven. Not yet.

So we have been believing in a misconception that when a person dies, his/her soul goes to heaven right away. There are verses in the Bible which explain that when our mortal bodies die, so do our souls. Our souls lie dormant waiting for Christ’s second coming, so to speak.

“The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” – Ecclesiastes 12:7

The Return of the Lord

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.

First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.”

– 1 Thessalonians 4:13‭-‬18

2. Our souls aren’t immortal.

This supports idea #1. According to Bible Info, if we think of our souls as two separate entities, then that means our souls are immortal. But we all know that God is the only one who is immortal. This article continued explaining that this is the reason why Paul said that “the righteous seek for honor, glory, and immortality.” It means, immortality is something that is yet to be granted to us once Jesus resurrects us from the dead, gives us a new body, and we become a new creation living in the new heaven and earth along with Him.

The New Jerusalem

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End.

To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

– Revelation 21:1‭-8

3. Not all souls will go to heaven.

Both evil and righteous souls lie dormant waiting for the resurrection during judgment day. According to the sources I have found, there are two places where people will go during judgment day: resurrection in the new heaven and earth or eternal life and resurrection in eternal condemnation or hell.

Indeed, heaven is God’s home and we can never go home yet without settling our “accountability” first in this present earth. 😉 But for now, let’s remember those who are with our Creator already during this 3-day observance of Allhallowtide. ❤

Feeling soulful today,